Title: Entrepreneurial learning among different industries: a case study research of four sectors in the UK

Authors: Jahangir Wasim; Fernando Almeida; Georgiana-Catalina Cujba

Addresses: Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, UK ' Centre for Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship, ISPGAYA and INESC TEC, V.N. Gaia, Portugal ' Aberdeen Business School, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK

Abstract: Entrepreneurial activity has been an element of economic and social enhancement. However, managing a startup is a difficult and risky activity that strongly depends on the entrepreneur's characteristics and skills. While much attention has been given recently to entrepreneurial learning, less has been studied about the learning dynamics in different industries. This study aims to understand and explore types of learning in different industries and find their similarities and differences. For this purpose, an exploratory comparative case study composed of four cases has been considered. Findings reveal that the main types of entrepreneurial learning are similar in all the industries analysed and are linked to social and experiential learning. The main dissimilarities are related to searching for customer information, employees' feedback, and solving issues. Lastly, some entrepreneurs reflect on the actions or decisions taken, while others do not reflect as much as they would like to.

Keywords: entrepreneurial learning; exploratory and exploitative learning; social learning; experiential learning; UK.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLC.2023.134543

International Journal of Learning and Change, 2023 Vol.15 No.6, pp.606 - 622

Received: 16 Feb 2022
Accepted: 12 Aug 2022
Published online: 27 Oct 2023 *

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