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Experiential Learning and Creativity in Entrepreneurship

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Encyclopedia of Creativity, Invention, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

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Synonyms

Creativity; Entrepreneurship; Experience-based learning, Innovation; Experiential learning; Learning from experience

Definition

Entrepreneurial creativity can be defined as the social and cognitive processes through which entrepreneurs develop novel and useful ideas that transform and create new markets (Gemmell et al. 2011). Innovative entrepreneurs form new businesses by applying creative ideas to produce unique and transformative new products and services. Experiential learning theory (ELT), described by David Kolb as the “dynamic view of learning based on a learning cycle driven by the resolution of the dual dialectics of action/reflection and experience/abstraction” (Kolb 1984), has dramatically expanded researchers’ understanding of how entrepreneurs use creativity to solve customer problems and produce innovative new products and services.

Theoretical Background

The Kolb experiential learning theory (Kolb 1984) has been a useful tool for addressing the real-world...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Robert M. Gemmell

  2. Department of Organization Behavior, Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    David A. Kolb

Authors
  1. Robert M. Gemmell
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  2. David A. Kolb
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert M. Gemmell .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Information Systems and Technology, Management, European Union Research Center, GWU School of Business, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Elias G. Carayannis

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Gemmell, R.M., Kolb, D.A. (2020). Experiential Learning and Creativity in Entrepreneurship. In: Carayannis, E.G. (eds) Encyclopedia of Creativity, Invention, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15347-6_489

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