Title: Linking types of ICT entrepreneurs to new firm survival

Authors: Frank Robert; Aliaa El Shoubaki; Frank Lasch; Léo-Paul Dana

Addresses: Montpellier Business School (member of Montpellier Research in Management), 2300 Avenue des Moulins, 34185 Montpellier, France ' Montpellier Business School (member of Montpellier Research in Management), 2300 Avenue des Moulins, 34185 Montpellier, France ' Montpellier Business School (member of Montpellier Research in Management), 2300 Avenue des Moulins, 34185 Montpellier, France ' Montpellier Business School (member of Montpellier Research in Management), 2300 Avenue des Moulins, 34185 Montpellier, France

Abstract: We focus on the information and communication technology sector to verify links between founder profiles and outcomes. Using logistic regressions, this paper aims to detect differences among a pre-identified four-group typology of entrepreneurs. We find that these profiles differ strongly in terms of survival and observe unexpected human capital effects on firm survival. Findings reveal negative effects of opportunity costs, negative or not significant results of industry and management experience, and no effects of entrepreneurship capital and preparation. We find that a critical firm size is required to enable entrepreneurial learning in organisations. In addition, we confirm that commonly observed effects do not automatically hold in specific contexts. We observe primarily positive moderating effects of factors, compensating a lack of assets attributed to successful new firm performance in the literature. Our results are relevant for entrepreneurship policy to pick winners and to identify risk takers.

Keywords: entrepreneurship; new firm formation; SMEs; ICT entrepreneurs; typology; innovation; outcomes; new firm survival; France; entrepreneurial types; new firms; information and communications technology; information technology; human capital; opportunity costs; industry experience; management experience; entrepreneurship capital; entrepreneurship preparation; firm size; entrepreneurial learning; organisational learning; firm performance; entrepreneurship policy; risk taking.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2017.081057

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2017 Vol.30 No.1, pp.110 - 146

Received: 05 Jul 2016
Accepted: 06 Jul 2016
Published online: 19 Dec 2016 *

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