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Entrepreneurial growth ambitions : a cognitive perspective
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Lewis, Miranda (2021) Entrepreneurial growth ambitions : a cognitive perspective. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.
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Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b3765496
Abstract
Understanding “why some businesses grow, and others do not” represents one of the core questions which entrepreneurship research has endeavoured to tackle. Scholars have examined a multitude of factors from a variety of perspectives and among these, ambitions, broadly defined as the desire the grow the business, have been object of particular scholarly interest. Interestingly, there is widespread acknowledgement of the importance and desirability of growth from an institutional perspective due to the effect that businesses have on society and economic development. Nevertheless, evidence has shown that business owners may not necessarily want to grow their businesses. In addition to this, when looking closely at the literature on growth ambitions, the main underlying assumption relates to a wealth-creation view to entrepreneurship. However, research has long shown that individuals engage in entrepreneurship for many more reasons beyond those of profit-making nature. This begs for a more detailed investigation around growth ambitions, in particular in terms of their cognitive underpinnings.
To investigate growth ambitions further, this thesis adopts a cognitive perspective centred on mental models. The reason for this is that mental models correspond to the internal representations that individuals have of the external environment, including cause and effect inferences and desired states, such as those represented by growth ambitions.
More specifically, to advance the literature on entrepreneurial growth ambitions and address the research objective, I adopt a three-study approach for this thesis, where each study builds on the insights and limitations of the previous one. Study 1 is of exploratory nature and analyses secondary interview data from 81 business owners. The existence of two separate sets of entrepreneurial motivations emerges from this data, each with distinct growth ambitions. In the case of self-actualization motivations, the corresponding growth ambitions appear to be more nuanced and related to notions of psychological attachment. This suggests the presence of a relevant emotional landscape to be taken into consideration more closely. For this reason, Study 2 addresses mental models from a methodological perspective by focusing on the methods which can be used to access the emotional components of mental models. Here, I propose to integrate interviews settings with the use of photo aids to achieve this aim. Finally, Study 3 is an empirical investigation set in the context of family businesses and relies on the methodological insights of Study 2 to address the limitations of Study 1.
This thesis contributes to the literature on growth ambitions by offering a typology of mental models around growth which includes growth ambitions, expected consequences of growth coupled with emotions. The presence within the typology extends our understanding of mental models in relation to their emotional components. Methodological contributions are also offered in view of a more holistic perspective around mental models, incorporating notions of hot cognition.
Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) | ||||
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Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor |
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Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Entrepreneurship, Small business -- Growth, Family-owned business enterprises, Psychology, Industrial, Cognition | ||||
Official Date: | September 2021 | ||||
Dates: |
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Institution: | University of Warwick | ||||
Theses Department: | Warwick Business School | ||||
Thesis Type: | PhD | ||||
Publication Status: | Unpublished | ||||
Supervisor(s)/Advisor: | Ucbasaran, Deniz ; Nicolaou, Nicos | ||||
Format of File: | |||||
Extent: | ix, 159 leaves : illustrations | ||||
Language: | eng |
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