Shifting towards Entrepreneurship: The Influence of Human Capital Transferability through SME Work Experience on Spawned Entrepreneurs in The Netherlands
(2021) ENTN19 20211Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- Human capital has been acknowledged as directly related to a firm’s performance. However, few researchers have analysed the influence of human capital and its degree of transferability into new venture development. This thesis aims to explore the phenomenon of individuals leaving careers in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) to establish new ventures. Specifically, this thesis aims to provide an explorative view on spawned entrepreneurs with SME work experience and the influence of acquired human capital and its transferability into the development of their new venture. In this context, entrepreneurial spawning is defined as the transitory process by which employees of an existing firm leave their employment to initiate a new... (More)
- Human capital has been acknowledged as directly related to a firm’s performance. However, few researchers have analysed the influence of human capital and its degree of transferability into new venture development. This thesis aims to explore the phenomenon of individuals leaving careers in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) to establish new ventures. Specifically, this thesis aims to provide an explorative view on spawned entrepreneurs with SME work experience and the influence of acquired human capital and its transferability into the development of their new venture. In this context, entrepreneurial spawning is defined as the transitory process by which employees of an existing firm leave their employment to initiate a new business venture competing in the same industry as the parent firm. To research the phenomenon, the following research question has been established: “How does the degree of human capital transferability through SME work experience assist spawned entrepreneurs in the development of their new venture creations?” This thesis uses a qualitative research design that adopts an abductive approach using semi-structured interviews with spawned entrepreneurs. The cases were selected based on their previous experience within an SME organization, current stage of their new venture and geographical scope of The Netherlands. The empirical data was analysed with the use of 1st and 2nd order coding techniques leading to common identified themes and aggregate dimensions which resulted in a more abstract level and understanding of the research phenomena. As a result, this thesis showed that the degree of human capital transferability is influenced by the effect of the SME firm-size, which positively attributes to the exposure of a wide palette of tasks and responsibilities while experiencing an entrepreneurial business environment in prior work experiences. Specific human capital acquired through prior work experiences is directly transferable to the new venture. Therefore, the SME environment positively influences the degree of human capital transferability and contributes to new or existing entrepreneurial intentions and subsequent development of new venture creations. This thesis suggests future research to replicate the current findings to other forms of capital in order to identify its degree of transferability. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9059771
- author
- Kuipers, Emma Jane LU and van Nierop, Milan Quirien LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- ENTN19 20211
- year
- 2021
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Entrepreneurial spawning, Entrepreneurship, Human capital, Knowledge spillovers, New venture creation, SMEs, Spin-off, Transferability.
- language
- English
- id
- 9059771
- date added to LUP
- 2021-07-30 15:42:10
- date last changed
- 2021-07-30 15:42:10
@misc{9059771,
abstract = {{Human capital has been acknowledged as directly related to a firm’s performance. However, few researchers have analysed the influence of human capital and its degree of transferability into new venture development. This thesis aims to explore the phenomenon of individuals leaving careers in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) to establish new ventures. Specifically, this thesis aims to provide an explorative view on spawned entrepreneurs with SME work experience and the influence of acquired human capital and its transferability into the development of their new venture. In this context, entrepreneurial spawning is defined as the transitory process by which employees of an existing firm leave their employment to initiate a new business venture competing in the same industry as the parent firm. To research the phenomenon, the following research question has been established: “How does the degree of human capital transferability through SME work experience assist spawned entrepreneurs in the development of their new venture creations?” This thesis uses a qualitative research design that adopts an abductive approach using semi-structured interviews with spawned entrepreneurs. The cases were selected based on their previous experience within an SME organization, current stage of their new venture and geographical scope of The Netherlands. The empirical data was analysed with the use of 1st and 2nd order coding techniques leading to common identified themes and aggregate dimensions which resulted in a more abstract level and understanding of the research phenomena. As a result, this thesis showed that the degree of human capital transferability is influenced by the effect of the SME firm-size, which positively attributes to the exposure of a wide palette of tasks and responsibilities while experiencing an entrepreneurial business environment in prior work experiences. Specific human capital acquired through prior work experiences is directly transferable to the new venture. Therefore, the SME environment positively influences the degree of human capital transferability and contributes to new or existing entrepreneurial intentions and subsequent development of new venture creations. This thesis suggests future research to replicate the current findings to other forms of capital in order to identify its degree of transferability.}},
author = {{Kuipers, Emma Jane and van Nierop, Milan Quirien}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Shifting towards Entrepreneurship: The Influence of Human Capital Transferability through SME Work Experience on Spawned Entrepreneurs in The Netherlands}},
year = {{2021}},
}