Abstract
The current study analyzes how Spaniard’s general/specific human capital influences their likelihood of perceiving entrepreneurial opportunities and creating a business. The analysis pivots around the comparison of two processes which are part of entrepreneurship. Data from the Spanish Global Entrepreneurship Monitor—GEM of 2008 are used. Logistic regression analysis is performed to test several theoretical hypotheses. Findings revealed that general human capital such as education is not significant for both perceiving entrepreneurial opportunities and creating a business. However, work experience, managerial business, and entrepreneurial training are positively significant to perceive entrepreneurial opportunities and to create a business. This research reveals that specific types of human capital play different roles in entrepreneurship. The contribution of this paper is to compare how the human capital influences upon two processes of entrepreneurship.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Amaral A, Baptista R (2007) Transitions of paid employment to entrepreneurship: an empirical study for Portugal. In: Dowling MJ, Schmude J (eds) Entrepreneurship in Europe: new perspectives. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham
Amaral AM, Baptista R, Lima F (2011) Serial entrepreneurship: impact of human capital on time to re-entry. Small Bus Econ 37(1):1–21
Arenius P, Clercq DD (2005) A network-based approach on opportunity recognition. Small Bus Econ 24(3):249–265
Arenius P, Minniti M (2005) Perceptual variables and nascent entrepreneurship. Small Bus Econ 24(3):233–247
Arribas I, Vila JE (2007) Human capital determinants of the survival of entrepreneurial service firms in Spain. Int Entrep Manag J 3(3):309–322
Awogbenle C, Chijiote I (2010) Youth unemployment: entrepreneurship development programme as an intervention mechanism. Afr J Bus Manag 46:831–835
Baron RA (2004) Potential benefits of the cognitive perspective: expanding entrepreneurship’s array of conceptual tools. Acad Manag Perspect 19(2):169–172
Baron R (2006) Opportunity recognition as pattern recognition: how entrepreneurs “connect the dots” to identify new business opportunities. Acad Manag Perspect 20(1):104
Baron RA, Ensley MD (2006) Opportunity recognition as the detection of meaningful patterns: evidence from comparisons of novice and experienced entrepreneurs. Manag Sci 52(9):1331–1344
Bates T (1990) Entrepreneur human capital inputs and small business longevity. Rev Econ Stat 72(4):551–559
Becker GS (1962) Investment in human capital: a theoretical analysis. J Polit Econ 70(5):9–49
Bergmann H, Sternberg R (2007) The changing face of entrepreneurship in Germany. Small Bus Econ 28(2/3):205–221
Cooper A, Gimeno-Gascon F, Woo C (1994) Initial human and financial capital as predictors of new venture performance. J Bus Ventur 9(5):371–395
Davidsson P, Honig B (2003) The role of social and human capital among nascent entrepreneurs. J Bus Ventur 18(3):301–331
Eckhardt J, Shane S (2003) Opportunities and entrepreneurship. J Manag 29(3):333–349
Fiet J (1996) The informational basis of entrepreneurial discovery. Small Bus Econ 8(6):419–430
Fiet J (2007) A prescriptive analysis of search and discovery. J Manag Stud 44(4):592–611
Gimeno J, Folta T, Cooper A, Woo C (1997) Survival of the fittest? Entrepreneurial human capital and the persistence of underperforming firms. Adm Sci Q 42(4):750–783
Greene WJ (2000) Econometric analysis, 4th edn. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River
Gruber M, MacMillan IC, Thompson JD (2012) From minds to markets how human capital endowments shape market opportunity identification of technology start-ups. J Manag 38(5):1421–1449
Hatch NW, Dyer JH (2004) Human capital and learning as a source of sustainable competitive advantage. Strateg Manag J 25(12):1155–1178
Hayek F (1945) Use of knowledge in society. Am Econ Rev 1(4):519–530
Kirzner I (1973) Competition and entrepreneurship. University of Chicago Press, Chicago
Koellinger P, Minniti M, Schade C (2007) “I think I can, I think I can”: overconfidence and entrepreneurial behavior. J Econ Psychol 28(4):502–527
Kolstad I, Wiig A (2013) Is it both what you know and who you know? Human capital, social capital and entrepreneurial success. J Int Dev 25(5):626–639
Kolvereid L, Isaksen E (2006) New business start-up and subsequent entry into self-employment. J Bus Ventur 21(6):866–885
Li P (2001) Immigrants’ propensity to self-employment: evidence from Canada. Int Migr Rev 35(4):1106–1128
Liñán F, Rodríguez-Cohard JC, Rueda-Cantuche JM (2011) Factors affecting entrepreneurial intention levels: a role for education. Int Entrep Manag J 7(2):195–218
Lucas RE (1978) On the size distribution of business firms. Bell J Econ 9(2):508–523
Marvel MR (2013) Human capital and search-based discovery: a study of high-tech entrepreneurship. Entrep Theory Pract 37(2):403–419
Minniti M, Bygrave W (2003) Global entrepreneurship monitor: 2003 executive report. Babson College, Babson Park
Neck H, Greene P (2011) Entrepreneurship education: know worlds and new frontiers. J Small Bus Manag 49(1):55–70
Oosterbeek H, van Praag M, Ijsselstein A (2010) The impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurship skills and motivation. Eur Econ Rev 54(3):442–454
Rauch A, Rijsdijk SA (2013) The effects of general and specific human capital on long-term growth and failure of newly founded businesses. Entrep Theory Pract 37(4):923–941
Reynolds P, Bosma N, Autio E, Hunt S, De Bono N, Servais I, Chin N (2005) Global entrepreneurship monitor: data collection design and implementation 1998–2003. Small Bus Econ 24(3):205–231
Shane S (2000) Prior knowledge and the discovery of entrepreneurial opportunities. Organ Sci 11(4):448–469
Shane S (2003) A general theory of entrepreneurship: the individual-opportunity nexus. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham
Shane S, Venkataraman S (2000) The promise of entrepreneurship as a field of research. Acad Manage Rev 25(1):217–226
Shepherd DA, DeTienne DR (2005) Prior knowledge, potential financial reward, and opportunity identification. Entrep Theory Pract 29(1):91–112
Shepherd DA, Wiklund J (2005) Entrepreneurial small businesses: a resource-based perspective. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham
Spender J (1996) Making knowledge the basis of a dynamic theory of the firm. Strateg Manag J 17(Winter):45–62
Storey DJ (1994) Understanding the small business sector. Cengage Learning EMEA, Andover
Ucbasaran D, Wright M, Westhead P (2003) A longitudinal study of habitual entrepreneurs: starters and acquirers. Entrep Reg Dev 15(3):207–228
Ucbasaran D, Westhead P, Wright M (2006) Habitual entrepreneurs. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham
Ucbasaran D, Westhead P, Wright M (2008) Opportunity identification and pursuit: does an entrepreneur’s human capital matter? Small Bus Econ 30(2):153–173. doi:10.1007/s11187-006-9020-3
Unger JM, Rauch A, Frese M, Rosenbusch N (2011) Human capital and entrepreneurial success: a meta-analytical review. J Bus Ventur 26(3):341–358
Venkataraman S (1997) The distinctive domain of entrepreneurship research: an editor’s perspective. In: Katz J, Brockhaus R (eds) Advances in entrepreneurship, firm emergence and growth, vol 3. JAI, Greenwich, pp 119–138
Weisberg J (1996) Differential teamwork performance: the impact of general and specific human capital levels. Int J Manpow 17(8):18–29
Wennekers S, van Wennekers A, Thurik R, Reynolds P (2005) Nascent entrepreneurship and the level of economic development. Small Bus Econ 24(3):293–309
Westhead P, Ucbasaran D, Wright M, Binks M (2005) Novice, serial and portfolio entrepreneur behavior and contributions. Small Bus Econ 25(2):109–132
Westhead P, Ucbasaran D, Wright M (2009) Information search and opportunity identification: the importance of prior business ownership experience. Int Small Bus J 27(6):659–680
Acknowledgments
I thank Professor Yancy Vaillant for providing me the Spanish Global Monitor Entrepreneurship data.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Aliaga-Isla, R. (2015). Does Human Capital Impact Differently the Opportunity Perception and the Business Creation? The Case of Spain. In: Baptista, R., Leitão, J. (eds) Entrepreneurship, Human Capital, and Regional Development. International Studies in Entrepreneurship, vol 31. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12871-9_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12871-9_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-12870-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-12871-9
eBook Packages: Business and EconomicsBusiness and Management (R0)