Title: Generational cohorts and new venture creation

Authors: Dafna Kariv; Louis Jacques Filion; Cândido Borges

Addresses: School of Business Administration, College of Management and Academic Studies, 7 Yitzhak Rabin Boulevard, Rishon Lezion, 75190, Israel ' Rogers – J.A. Bombardier Professor of Entrepreneurship, HEC Montreal, 3000 Ch. Cote Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3T 2A7, Canada ' Faculdade de Administração, Ciências Contábeis e Ciências Econômicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Caixa Postal 131, 74001-970 – Goiânia-GO, Brazil

Abstract: This research attempts to decode differences between generational cohorts, especially BBers and Gen-Xers, in the way they use resources to address difficulties at the initiation, preparation, start-up and operations stages of new venture creation. Drawing on generational cohort theory, business stage models and the RBV, we examine differences in the way each cohort addresses difficulties and identifies the most appropriate resources to overcome those difficulties. A sample of 201 Canadian entrepreneurs was surveyed in order to identify significant generational differences in the identification and solution of difficulties at the different stages. More pronounced differences were observed at the more advanced stages, and were mainly associated with financial difficulties. Our study contributes to existing knowledge on generational entrepreneurial performance, and highlights the relevance of exploring how resources are selected and used in order to address different kinds of difficulties.

Keywords: generational cohorts; BBers; Gen-Xers; entrepreneurship; generational entrepreneurial performance; new venture creation stages; resource-based view; RBV; Canada; financial difficulties.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2014.059469

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2014 Vol.21 No.2, pp.133 - 154

Published online: 31 May 2014 *

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