Deniz Ucbasaran

Warwick Business School · Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Despite the increasing interest in studying the concept of resilience in entrepreneurship, existing research often fails to account for stressors that induce entrepreneurs' need for resilience and coping efforts. By arguing the need to study stress, resilience, and coping together to understand how entrepreneurs build resilience in the face of adve...

As many high-profile business leaders purport to make decisions based on gut feelings, a growing number of management scholars are seeking to explain how leaders use intuition in organizational settings. In line with dual-process theories, management scholars argue that the most effective decision makers are cognitively versatile, which means that...

Entrepreneurial resourcefulness is a concept that resonates with practitioners and scholars alike from a diverse set of theoretical and empirical backgrounds. Despite the prevalence and promise of this concept, the literature on entrepreneurial resourcefulness is fragmented and lacks cohesion in how it is labeled, conceptualized, measured, and depl...

This paper explores the decision-making process social entrepreneurs go through when faced with a failing venture, in comparison to commercial entrepreneurs. Findings point towards the role of situated cognition. Using a 'think-aloud', scenario-based experiment and two assessments of cognitive effort, our research reveals a unique “person-in-situat...

Research has shown founders' identities have a significant impact on their ventures. Yet, the process through which founder identity evolves and takes shape remains relatively unexplained. This paper explores the evolution of founder identity through a qualitative study of first-time sustainable entrepreneurs, and their stakeholders, over a three y...

We critically examine the potential that neuroscience holds for the future of entrepreneurship research and provide a framework for entrepreneurship researchers interested in pursuing this line of inquiry. Specifically, we propose four complementary mechanisms through which neuroscience can inform entrepreneurship theory and research. We conclude w...

We extend the work of Fattoum-Guedri, Guedri, and Delmar (2018) by suggesting that the number of family blockholders moderates the relationship between the distribution of voting power between family and nonfamily blockholders and firm performance. Building on power and negotiation theories, we argue that the participation of multiple generations o...

We draw on the conservation of resources theory to examine whether self-efficacy and resilience mediate the relationship between entrepreneurs’ business network utilization and their subjective well-being. Using socioemotional selectivity theory, we then examine the extent to which the mediating effects become stronger as entrepreneurs age. An anal...

Corporate governance research has extensively studied the relationship between outside board characteristics and outside board involvement. We add to this literature by investigating the extent to which interactions between outside board members and the top management team (TMT) affect the functioning of the outside board. Building on conflict theo...

We extend current knowledge on new venture legitimation by focusing both on how environmental entrepreneurs enact their values and beliefs during the legitimation process and on the resultant business and personal consequences. On the basis of our longitudinal analysis of six cases studies we develop a staged process model of legitimation. Our find...

This article examines the theory and evidence relating to entrepreneurs who start, purchase, and own more than one venture. The article begins by defining the various types of habitual entrepreneur and distiniguishing them from first time or novice entrepreneurs. We examine concepts relating to the human capital and learning that results from habit...

In this article, we review and synthesize extant research on entrepreneurial leadership, capabilities and their influence on the growth of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). First, we begin by examining the processes, routines and resources underlying substantive growth capabilities; these are capabilities that enable a firm to grow by com...

Research in entrepreneurship has been booming, with perspectives from a range of disciplines and numerous developing schools of thought. It can be difficult for young scholars and even long-time researchers to find their way through the lush garden of ideas we see before us. The purpose of this book is to map the research terrain of entrepreneursh...

Drawing of the psychosocial resource approach to well-being, this study examines the mediating effects of self-efficacy and resilience on the relationship between entrepreneurs’ use of their business networks and their subjective well-being. In addition, we build on Socio-Emotional Selectivity Theory to examine whether these effects are stronger fo...

On the basis of a qualitative longitudinal study, we develop a process model to account for the role of values in entrepreneurs' legitimation efforts. In doing so, we seek to contribute to the body of work on (new venture) legitimation. Extant research has focused on entrepreneurs' activities in aligning themselves with the values and beliefs of ex...

Intuition is a way of processing information that is largely unconscious, associative, fast and contextually dependent. As part of the growing cognition-oriented research agenda in the entrepreneurship field, the specific cognitive construct of intuition has attracted relatively little attention. The authors find this position surprising, particula...

Early stage high-tech firms are confronted with a number of challenges related to the homogeneous and technical nature of the start-up team. Attracting outside board members can alleviate these challenges and consequently enhance firm performance. Building on team production and human capital theory, we study how outside board human capital affects...

While the importance of failure in entrepreneurship is well recognized, understanding of failure’s role(s) and its relationship with the entrepreneur throughout the entrepreneurial process is still limited. While typically associated with the end of the road for a venture (i.e. the end of the entrepreneurial process), failure may take different for...

The issue of “why, when and how” some people, but not others, identify opportunities is central to our understanding of entrepreneurship. Research suggests that entrepreneurs become more adept at identifying opportunities as they gain experience, but the cognitive processes underlying this relationship remain unclear. Our study explores this gap by...

The concept of psychological capital (PsyCap) has attracted a great deal of interest from both academics and practitioners and has been linked to employee attitudes, behavior and performance at different levels of analysis. Yet, the nature of the concept, its measurement, the factors that influence its development, and when and how it influences in...

Early stage high tech firms are confronted with a number of challenges and liabilities which are largely related to the often homogeneous and technical nature of the start-up team. Attracting outside board members relieves some of these barriers and can be expected to lead to superior firm performance. Building on human capital theory, and controll...

Despite growing interest in the board of directors of entrepreneurial firms, the role of outside board members in high tech start‐ups has been largely neglected. This dearth of research is surprising since the high level of resource dependency these ventures face is likely to heighten the potential contribution outside board members can make. We ar...

Where there is uncertainty, there is bound to be failure. It is not surprising therefore, that many new ventures fail. What happens to entrepreneurs when their business fails? We hear of highly successful entrepreneurs extolling the virtues of failure as a valuable teacher. Yet, the aftermath of failure is often fraught with psychological, social a...

Where there is uncertainty, there is bound to be failure. It is not surprising therefore, that many new ventures fail. What happens to entrepreneurs when their business fails? We hear of highly successful entrepreneurs extolling the virtues of failure as a valuable teacher. Yet, the aftermath of failure is often fraught with psychological, social a...

Drawing on contemporary interviews and archival data, we explore how stories can be used as templates to guide jazz musicians’ sensemaking about the leadership of teams, what it means to be a jazz musician and what jazz is (or is not). By going beyond the metaphorical notion of jazz as improvisation, we contribute to theories of leadership by showi...

The increased pressure put on public research institutes to commercialize their research results has given rise to an increased academic interest in technology transfer. We assess under which conditions tacit knowledge transfer contributes to the performance of academic spin‐offs. Using an inductive case study approach, our evidence suggests that t...

The following broad research question is explored in this study: do manufacturing firms cite the same exporting methods and modes as those cited by firms engaged in construction or service activities? This study, therefore, addresses a major weakness associated with stage models of internationalization (i.e. a focus solely upon manufacturing firms)...

Entrepreneurial (i.e. business ownership) experience may enable some entrepreneurs to temper their comparative optimism in subsequent ventures. The nature of entrepreneurial experience can shape how entrepreneurs adapt. Using data from a representative survey of 576 entrepreneurs in Great Britain, we find that experience with business failure was a...

This study explores whether habitual entrepreneurs with prior business ownership experience reported higher information search intensities and identified more business opportunities than novice entrepreneurs. Guided by human capital and cognitive theories, four hypotheses were tested with regard to a sample of 625 entrepreneurs in Great Britain. Ha...

Abstract Faced with rising competition in their domestic markets and attracted to opportunities in foreign markets, smaller and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly looking towards internationalization as a means of creating and sustaining competitive advantage. This has heightened researchers' interest in examining the benefits of inte...

In this paper, we suggest future research on the processes and knowledge-based resources in corporate entrepreneurship (CE), argue for the need to appreciate the heterogeneity of CE in relation to new contexts, and suggest appropriate strategies for such contexts. First, we highlight the key contributions of the papers in this special issue, with a...

Guided by insights from cognitive theories, this article explores the links between entrepreneurs' prior business ownership experience and their opportunity identification behavior. Hypotheses were tested using data from 630 entrepreneurs. Experienced entrepreneurs identified more opportunities and exploited more innovative opportunities with great...

Research shows that universities and research institutes have become increasingly involved in the creation of academic spin-offs (e.g. Wright et al., 2003). Little is however known about the performance of these academic spin-offs and what is driving this performance. By using an inductive case study design, this study aims to provide a better unde...

This study examines the perceived contributions of external boards to the survival and success of high-tech start-ups from a resource dependency perspective. Existing research on the role of boards has nearly exclusively focused on large firms. What is less clear from the extant literature, however, is the extent to which external boards are actual...

Boards in large organizations have been subject to much empirical research, however, boards in start-ups have been a largely neglected research topic. The dearth of research into boards in start-up companies is surprising as since the early nineties high tech start-ups have increasingly become multi-stakeholder firms due to the increased availabili...

Our study explores the possibility for the enactment of entrepreneurial leadership in the English public sector under the Labour government’s modernization agenda. To substantiate our analysis, we draw upon data gathered from leaders in three public sector arenas – the National Health Service, secondary schools, and further education (FE) colleges....

Extending human capital approaches to entrepreneurship, an entrepreneur’s “inputs” relating to their general (i.e. education and work experience) and entrepreneurship-specific human capital profile (i.e. business ownership experience, managerial capabilities, entrepreneurial capabilities and technical capabilities) are presumed to be related to ent...

Entrepreneurial behaviour is increasingly recognized as being heterogeneous. One notable source of heterogeneity is variations in the level and nature of entrepreneurs' experience. This has led to the distinction between experienced ('habitual') entrepreneurs and first-time ('novice') entrepreneurs. A number of high profile entrepreneurs have succe...

Entrepreneurs have been found to have a greater disposition to unrealistic optimism than non-entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurial experience may, however, provide learning opportunities, thereby allowing experienced entrepreneurs to adopt a more realistic view in subsequent ventures. However, learning from experience is not straightforward. We argue that...

Practitioners are seeking to provide a supportive environment for growing ventures. An important policy challenge is the provision of support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking to internationalize. To guide practitioner resource allocation decisions, recent conceptual and empirical developments relating to SME internationalizatio...

Entrepreneurship in established companies centers on new business creation that is essential for profitability and growth. Yet, it is a complex process that is riven with technical, organizational, and political uncertainties. In this article, we explore the role of trust in the new business creation process in established companies. While there is...

This study utilizes a human capital framework to explore whether business ownership experience is associated with the number of business opportunities identified, the number of identified opportunities that are pursued, and the nature of those opportunities. Information from a large representative sample of owners of 631 private independent firms i...

A conceptual framework is extended to take into account differences between inexperienced novice entrepreneurs (that is, individuals with no prior private business ownership experience) and experienced serial and portfolio entrepreneurs. Some policymakers and practitioners are considering whether resources could be more effectively utilized if they...

Some policy makers and practitioners are considering whether resources could be more effectively utilized if they were targeted towards experienced entrepreneurs (i.e. individuals with prior private business ownership experience), rather than the provision of additional initiatives to increase the pool of inexperienced novice entrepreneurs. To info...

Policy-makers and practitioners are considering whether to allocate resources towards portfolio and serial entrepreneurs, as well as the provision of additional initiatives to increase the pool of novice entrepreneurs. To inform this policy debate, univariate statistical tests were used to test for differences between 354 firms owned by novice, ser...

Profiles of exporting and superior-performing private small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are presented. Multivariate regression evidence suggests that SMEs focusing upon an offensive and market differentiation strategy of product/service protection is associated with the propensity and the intensity of exporting. Exporting SMEs are also asso...

This study explores whether there are differences between established “rural” and “urban” SMEs with regard to the decision to sell goods or services abroad. Several hypotheses were formulated and tested. In 1990/1991, survey responses were gathered from 621 independent businesses located in the UK. In 1997, a follow-on telephone survey was conducte...

Support is being provided to increase the pool of novice entrepreneurs who have no prior business ownership experience. Policymakers and practitioners are, however, considering whether to allocate resources towards portfolio and serial entrepreneurs who have prior business ownership experience. To inform this policy debate, similarities and differe...

Recent media reports have drawn attention to entrepreneurs who have successfully owned several businesses. Entrepreneurs who have owned at least two businesses are known as 'habitual entrepreneurs'. However, not all habitual entrepreneurs are consistently successful. Further, studies show that habitual entrepreneurs are heterogeneous. A distinction...

This exploratory study provides a review of the neglected area of entrepreneurial founder team turnover. A novel distinction is made between entrepreneurial founder team member entry and team member exit. Ninety owner-managed ventures were monitored between 1990 and 2000. Presented hypotheses relating to a team's human capital were explored using m...

Evidence suggests habitual entrepreneurs (i.e. those with prior business ownership experience) are a widespread phenomenon. Appreciation of the existence of multiple entrepreneurial acts gives rise to the need to examine differences between habitual and novice entrepreneurs (i.e. those with no prior business experience as a founder, inheritor or pu...

This study provides insights into the characteristics and behaviour of habitual starter entrepreneurs (i.e. individuals who have established more than one business) and habitual acquirer entrepreneurs (i.e. individuals who have purchased/acquired more than one business). A human capital perspective is utilized to illustrate that the human capital a...

W ESTHEAD P., U CBASARAN D. and W RIGHT M. (2003) Differences between private firms owned by novice, serial and portfolio entrepreneurs: implications for policy makers and practitioners, Reg. Studies 37 , 187-200. Policy makers can target "hard' (i.e. financial) and "soft' (i.e. technical) assistance to firms. Some policy makers and practitioners a...

This study tests the role of human capital in the identification and pursuit of opportunities in terms of general human capital (education, age and gender) and specific human capital (i.e., managerial capabilities, opportunity identification capabilities, technical capabilities, business ownership experience and attitudes). Using a large representa...

In 1990/91, survey responses were gathered from 621 independent businesses located in Great Britain. A follow-on telephone survey was conducted with 150 surviving firms in 1997. This survey gathered information surrounding the propensity of firms to export their goods or services abroad as well as other performance and goal outcomes. Organizational...

Policy-makers and practitioners are seeking to promote the development of established firms. This paper suggests they may need to target customized export programmes to the specific situational demands of established 'micro' and 'small' firms. The following broad research question is explored: are there differences between 'micro' and 'small' firms...

This paper seeks to enhance understanding of the internationalization of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study focuses upon the following issues: Can the characteristics of principal founders, businesses, and the external environment at one point in time be used to `explain' at a later date whether a firm is still an exporter or a n...

Low and MacMillan (1988) suggested that research into entrepreneurial behavior should consider contextual issues and identify the processes that explain rather than merely describe the entrepreneurial phenomenon. Recent studies focusing upon entrepreneurial behavior, especially heuristics, and differences between ‘types’ of entrepreneurs are discus...

The increased pressure put on public research institutes to commercialize their research results has given rise to an increased academic interest in technology transfer in general and science based entrepreneurial firms specifically. By building on innovation speed and knowledge literatures, this paper aims to improve understanding of how tacit kno...

Low and MacMillan (1988) suggested that research into entrepreneurial behavior should consider contextual issues and identify the processes that explain rather than merely de- scribe the entrepreneurial phenomenon. Recent studies focusing upon entrepreneurial be- havior, especially heuristics, and differences between 'types' of entrepreneurs are di...

Existing research found that high growth firms show a variation in terms of their growth paths. One element of consensus across the studies is the importance of human capital in explaining growth. The creation of high tech new ventures is more often the collective effort of an entrepreneurial team. As such an entrepreneurial team can be considered...

This inductive study explores the strategies deployed to gain venture legitimacy in an environment characterised by competing institutional logics, namely sustainable entrepreneurship. We draw on cases of sustainable entrepreneurs to highlight the variety of legitimation strategies used whilst explaining the decision making processes underpinning t...

Entrepreneurship scholars increasingly acknowledge that entrepreneurship is often a collective activity carried out by an entrepreneurial team, with positive effects on venture performance. We note the absence of studies that examine the role of leadership in these teams and echo Ensley et al.’s (2006) arguments that entrepreneurial opportunities c...