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Environmental effects on the cognitions of corporate and independent entrepreneurs

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Abstract

Economic theories of entrepreneurship propose elements that enhance or hinder entrepreneurial action on a macroeconomic level, while individual-level approaches seek to explain why some individuals are more likely than others to engage in entrepreneurship. However, recent theorizing by scholars has introduced a more integrated approach to entrepreneurial behavior that relates both external and internal factors to entrepreneurial action by considering how uncertainty and motivation affect entrepreneurial attention and evaluation. In this paper, we consider how environmental uncertainty and complexity differentially affect the motivations of independent entrepreneurs and corporate entrepreneurs to engage in entrepreneurial action. While examining how uncertainty and complexity affect macro-level entrepreneurship, we also explore how individual differences between corporate entrepreneurs and independent entrepreneurs affect entrepreneurial decision-making. By examining the role schemas of entrepreneurs, we construct a theoretical framework to explain why corporate entrepreneurs may behave differently than independent entrepreneurs under the same set of environmental conditions. Important implications are outlined for researchers, entrepreneurs, and policy makers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Business, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA

    Robert P. Garrett Jr.

  2. Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA

    Daniel V. Holland

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  1. Robert P. Garrett Jr.
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  2. Daniel V. Holland
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Correspondence to Robert P. Garrett Jr..

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Garrett, R.P., Holland, D.V. Environmental effects on the cognitions of corporate and independent entrepreneurs. Small Bus Econ 45, 369–381 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-015-9636-2

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