Title: Exploring the role of entrepreneurial characteristics in determining the economic growth potential of an innovation

Authors: Peter Carswell, K. Asoka Gunaratne

Addresses: School of Management and Entrepreneurship, UNITEC New Zealand, Private Bag 92025, Auckland, New Zealand. ' School of Management and Entrepreneurship, UNITEC New Zealand, Private Bag 92025, Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract: Entrepreneurial endeavours have been shown to have the potential to provide for economic growth, particularly if they are able to internationalise. However, many have argued that this growth is moderated by effective marketing strategies. In the start-up ventures, such marketing is becoming to be referred to as entrepreneurial marketing. The effectiveness of such marketing has been linked with the characteristics of the entrepreneur who has started the venture. Two hundred and forty two New Zealand based entrepreneurs were administered a questionnaire aimed at determining their entrepreneurial characteristics. Analysis of the data showed that many of these entrepreneurs had characteristics more suited to inventing rather than developing the business. As such, the paper posits that a successful transition from entrepreneurial marketing to a traditional, systematic, broad based marketing strategy is a key to developing start-up ventures to be able to internationalise.

Keywords: entrepreneurship; entrepreneurial characteristics; economic growth; innovation; entrepreneurial marketing; start-ups; marketing strategies; New Zealand entrepreneurs; internationalisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEIM.2005.006998

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, 2005 Vol.5 No.5/6, pp.441 - 453

Published online: 02 May 2005 *

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