What Do Entrepreneurs Actually Do? An Observational Study of Entrepreneurs’ Everyday Behavior in the Start-up and Growth Stages

Mueller, Susan; Volery, Thierry; von Siemens, Björn (2012). What Do Entrepreneurs Actually Do? An Observational Study of Entrepreneurs’ Everyday Behavior in the Start-up and Growth Stages Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, 36(5), pp. 995-1017. SAGE 10.1111/j.1540-6520.2012.00538.x

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In this study, we used the sociological method of structured observation to investigate the everyday behavior of six entrepreneurs in the start-up stage and six entrepreneurs in the growth stage. Our results suggest the existence of both commonalities and differences between these two stages with regard to activities, functions, exploration vs. exploitation, and communication. Building on these detailed observations, we develop a taxonomy specifying the constitutive elements of entrepreneurs’ behavior on a continuum that spans from single, discrete actions of entrepreneurs to actions concerning the broader organization.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	Business School > Institute for Innovation and Strategic Entrepreneurship Business School > Institute for Innovation and Strategic Entrepreneurship > Strategic Entrepreneurship
Name:	Mueller, Susan; Volery, Thierry and von Siemens, Björn
Publisher:	SAGE
Language:	English
Submitter:	Susan Müller
Date Deposited:	16 Nov 2020 14:15
Last Modified:	01 Oct 2021 02:18
Publisher DOI:	10.1111/j.1540-6520.2012.00538.x
Uncontrolled Keywords:	entrepreneurship, structured observation, behaviour, behavior, action
ARBOR DOI:	10.24451/arbor.13245
URI:	https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/13245