Citation
(2012), "Special issue on entrepreneurship and perseverance", International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, Vol. 18 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijebr.2012.16018aaa.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Special issue on entrepreneurship and perseverance
Article Type: Call for papers From: International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, Volume 18, Issue 1
Final papers due: 1 February 2013
Perseverance is called for when pursuing new ventures. This applies even more currently, with economic, political and environmental crises in many nations across the globe. This special issue seeks to encourage research on entrepreneurial perseverance, defined as the continued striving for entrepreneurial goals in spite of adversity.
A small literature on perseverance in the entrepreneurial context is available as a starting-point. This literature includes work on strategies to deal with adversity (Cope and Watts, 2000; Shepherd, 2003; Van Gelderen, 2012), perseverance as an independent variable (Baum and Locke, 2004; Markman et al., 2005), and perseverance as a dependent variable (Åstebro et al., 2007; Gimeno et al., 1997).
Questions and topics appropriate to this special issue include:
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How do entrepreneurs deal with the problems, obstacles and challenges that they encounter? We particularly welcome applications of dynamic research methodologies.
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Which of these strategies are more effective than others, in which contexts, for which tasks, for which persons?
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What predicts or explains persistence in entrepreneurial pursuits plagued by adversity?
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What predicts or explains the use of particular perseverance strategies? What is the respective role of task-characteristics, situational characteristics, desperation, and personal attributes?
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What is the effect of personal attributes such as personality traits (resilience, tenacity, willpower, and hardiness), cognitive characteristics, and identity, on persisting in entrepreneurial pursuits characterised by difficulties and setbacks?
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To what extent do fun and passion affect entrepreneurial perseverance?
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Contextual analyses of perseverance: How do environmental conditions affect perseverance, such as poor economic conditions, limited social mobility, and lack of employment opportunities?
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What explains the establishment of highly difficult, adversity-entailing goals? Who, and under what conditions, are the people energised by adversity?
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The optimum level of perseverance, between giving up too easily and too late (escalation of commitment).
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Team dynamics in relation to entrepreneurial perseverance.
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Affect regulation in dealing with obstacles, setbacks and challenges in the pursuit of entrepreneurial ventures.
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The relationship between perseverance and learning: persevering to learn, learning to persevere. How to maximise the learning potential from dealing with adversity.
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Can perseverance be acquired, developed or trained?
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Is perseverance in the entrepreneurial context different from perseverance in other contexts?
Conceptual as well as empirical papers are welcomed regardless of research methodology or paradigm.
The 2012 ICSB Conference in Wellington will have a symposium dedicated to entrepreneurial perseverance. Submissions to the symposium will be considered for this special issue. However, it should be stressed that submissions can also be made independently of taking part in the ICSB symposium.
For further information, please contact the special issue Editor:
Marco van GelderenE-mail: m.vangelderen@massey.ac.nz
References
Åstebro, T., Jeffrey, S.A. and Adomdza, G.K. (2007), ``Inventor perseverance after being told to quit: the role of cognitive bias'', Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, Vol. 20, pp. 253-72.
Baum, J.R. and Locke, E.A. (2004), ``The relationship of entrepreneurial traits, skill, and motivation to subsequent venture growth'', Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 89 No. 4, pp. 587-98.
Cope J. and Watts, G. (2000), ``Learning by doing. An exploration of experience, critical incidents and reflection in entrepreneurial learning'', International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, Vol. 6 No. 3, pp. 104-24.
Gimeno, J., Folta, T.B., Cooper, A.C. and Woo, C.Y. (1997), ``Survival of the fittest? Entrepreneurial human capital and the persistence of underperforming firms'', Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 42,
pp. 750-83.
Markman, G.D., Baron, R.A. and Balkin, D.B. (2005), ``Are perseverance and self-efficacy costless? Assessing entrepreneurs' regretful thinking'', Journal of Organizational Behavior, Vol. 26,
pp. 1-19.
Shepherd, D. (2003), ``Learning from business failure: propositions of grief recovery for the self-employed'', Academy of Management Review, Vol. 28 No. 2, pp. 318-29.