text:
Are you sure?
This action might not be possible to undo. Are you sure you want to continue?
Creating Formula for Successful Entrepreneurial Venture
Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences Bachelor of Engineering Industrial Management and Engineering Bechelor's Thesis 11.04.2011
Tiivistelmä Tekijä(t) Otsikko Sivumäärä Aika Tutkinto Koulutusohjelma Suuntautumisvaihtoehto Ohjaaja(t) Hanna Haapanen Creating Formula for Successful Entrepreneurial Venture 50 sivua 11.04.2011 Insinööri Tuotantotalous Kansainvälinen ICT-liiketoiminta Thomas Rohweder, Yliopettaja Taina Tukiainen TkT, Koulutuspäällikkö Tuotantotalous
Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoitus on tutkia kasvuyrittäjyyttä ja kasvuyrittäjyyteen liittyviä prosesseja, sekä minkä tyyppistä yhteistyötä kasvuyritykset tekevät erilaisten yksityisten, julkisten ja akateemisten toimijoiden kanssa. Tarkoituksena on keskittyä siihen, kuinka eri verkostoitumismuodot esimerkiksi strategiset allianssit, yrityshautomot ja yhteisyritykset vaikuttavat kasvuyritysten menestymiseen. Opinnäytetyö on tehty osana Networked Entrepreneurship tutkimushanketta, joka toteutettiin osana Tekes Liito -ohjelmaa. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli 1) tutkia prosesseja kasvuyrittäjyyden takana, 2) tunnistaa erilaisia verkostoitumismuotoja kasvuyritysten ja eri julkisten ja yksityisten organisaatioiden välillä sekä 3) tunnistaa kuinka yhteistyö rakennetaan kasvuyritysten näkökulmasta. Tutkimus toteutettiin laadullisena tutkimuksena, johon aineistoa kerättiin akateemisista lähteistä sekä haastatteluiden avulla. Tutkimuksen teoriaosuus keskittyy aihealueisiin: kasvuyrittäjyys, verkostot ja verkostojen rakentaminen. Tutkimukseen sisältyy kahdeksan haastattelua yrittäjien kanssa. Tulokset ja johtopäätökset ovat muodostettu teoriaosuuden ja haastattelujen pohjalta. Tutkimuksen tuloksena muodostui prosessikuvaus menestyvästä kasvuyrittäjyydestä, johon liittyy neljä osa-aluetta: tiimi, mahdollisuus, sosiaaliset suhteet ja verkostojen rakentaminen. Kasvuyritys tarvitsee loistavan tiimin taakseen, joka on motivoitunut ja sitoutunut yritykseen. Tiimin kyky havaita mahdollisuuksia ja pystyä saavuttamaan niitä on tärkeä kriteeri yrityksen menestymisen kannalta. Tiimin kyky luoda sosiaalisia verkostoja eri ihmisten välillä eri yrityksissä, organisaatioissa ja toimialoilla on kriittinen tekijä yrityksen menestymisen kannalta. Verkostojen rakentaminen alkaa sosiaalisesta kanssakäynnistä ja tekemällä operatiivista työtä eri yhteistyökumppanien kanssa, jota kautta yhteistyö voi kehittyä lopulta viralliseksi yhteistyöksi. Sosiaaliset suhteet ja yritysten väliset verkostot mahdollistavat yrityksen pääsyn uusille markkinoille sekä käsiksi informaatioon, resursseihin ja uusiin teknologioihin, joita olisi hankala saavuttaa ilman liiketoimintaverkostoja. Avainsanat kasvuyrittäjyys, sosiaaliset ja liiketoimintaverkostot
Author(s) Title Number of Pages Date Degree Degree Programme Specialisation option Instructor(s)
Hanna Haapanen Formula for Successful Entrepreneurial Venture 50 pages 11.04.2011 Bachelor of Engineering Industrial Management and Engineering Global ICT-business Thomas Rohweder, Principal Lecturer Taina Tukiainen D.Sc, Head of Industrial Management
The purpose of this Bachelor's thesis is to explore the creation of entrepreneurial ventures and what types of relationships and collaboration, formal or informal, exist between firms and other organizational actors such as other firms, public sector, universities etc. The focus is on how networks such as strategic alliances, incubator networks and joint ventures further advance the possibility for the entrepreneurial venture to achieve goals and boost odds for success. This study is part of the Networked Entrepreneurship (NetEntre) research project. NetEntre project is part of Tekes Liito programme. The objectives are to describe the entrepreneurial venture creation process, to identify social and interorganizational networks and to determine how networks are built. The main goal of this thesis is to create a model for entrepreneurial venture creation. The research method is qualitative research. For its theoretical basis, the study draws from current literature and earlier empirical findings on entrepreneurial ventures and social and interorganizational networks. The empirical part of this thesis is based on eight interviews with entrepreneurs operating within the information technology industries. The purpose of the interviews was to test the theoretical knowledge against the empirical findings. This study shows that the success of entrepreneurial ventures is related to four issues: team, opportunity, social network and building networks. An entrepreneurial venture needs a great team with high motivation and devotion towards the firm. The team's ability to recognize and pursue opportunities is important for the success of the firm. Finding potential opportunities and being able to create innovations is crucial for the success of an entrepreneurial venture. The teams' ability to form relationships with different individuals in industry and organizations can provide access to various assets. Social and interorganizational networks grans access to information, markets, resources and technology which can enhance the success of an entrepreneurial venture. These assets would be hard to reach without social and interorganzational networks. Social interaction and engaging in operative work were identified as the two main dimensions for building the firm's network. Keywords entrepreneurial networks ventures, social and interorganizational
Table of Content 1 Introduction 1.1 Background 1.2 The Research Objectives 1.3 Methods and Structure of Thesis 2 Conceptual Framework 2.1 Entrepreneurial ventures 2.1.1 2.1.2 2.1.3 2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3 Entrepreneurial Process to Perceive Opportunities Team behind the Entrepreneurial Venture Influence of Surrounding Environment Concepts of Social and Interorganizational Networks Finding, Formatting and Building a Network of Relationships Risks and Environmental Factors Effecting Relationships 1 3 3 4 6 6 9 11 13 14 14 18 22 24 27 27 29 29 29 32 32 33 34 35 36 37 40 44 44 44 45 46 49
2.2 Interorganizational Networks and Models of Collaboration
2.3 Summary 3 Analysis and Findings 3.1 Data Collection, Sample and Interview Structure 3.2 Interview Analysis 3.2.1 3.2.2 3.2.3 3.2.4 3.2.5 3.2.6 3.2.7 3.2.8 3.2.9 3.3 Findings 4 Conclusions and Discussions 4.1 Project Summary 4.1.1 4.1.2 Achievement of Research Objectives Validation and Reliability Entrepreneurs' Background and the Firm Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurial process Opportunity Recognition Team Key Issues for Success Firms Social and Interorganizational Networks Start Up Phase Building networks
4.2 Conclusions and Discussions 5 References
This Bachelors thesis explores the creation of entrepreneurial ventures and what type of relationships and collaboration, formal or informal, exists between firms and other organizational actors (such as other firms, public sector, universities etc.). The focus is on how networks (social relationships, strategic alliances, joint ventures) further advance the possibility for entrepreneurial venture to achieving goals and boost probability for success. The conceptual frame of this thesis aims to 1) explore best practices for how to create entrepreneurial ventures, 2) gain insight to different types of networks and 3) explore how networks are formed. The objective of this thesis is to create a model for entrepreneurial venture creation. Firms aim to be part of formal or informal networks to advance their competitive edge and competitiveness. For small and medium sized firms doing collaboration and cooperation between different organizational actors (such as other firms, public sector, universities etc.) has become a way to survive and achieve growth in competitive global markets. It has become crucial for firms to be part of a network because competition is by large in global scale and in many industries there exist wide market uncertainty (Castels 2000). By using these networks firms aim to achieve a variety of different goals such as advance innovativeness, survive in uncertain markets, seek information, new customers and support or knowledge of technology. (Brass et. al 2004) The evolution of ICT (for example the development of the Internet) in the last quarter of the twentieth century has enabled that business is done by large on a global scale. Today's economy can be characterized as informational, networked and global. Today the competitiveness and success of a firm is on the firm's capacity to efficiently generate, process and apply knowledge-based information. Firms' core activities such as production and marketing are often organized on a global scale. Organizing business activities take place either directly or through a network of linkage between different organizational actors such as firms, public sector or universities. Economic activities are also played out in global network of interaction between multiple interorganizational networks. Even though cooperation between firms and other organizational actors is in no way new, during the past two decades it has been recognized as a vital business operation. (Castels 2000)
The role of entrepreneur in economic development has been the source for numerous scientific researches and entrepreneurship has been regarded as the critical success factor for economic performance. In this thesis networks are discussed as formal or informal social relationships between two or more individuals and formal or informal relationships between firms and other organizational actors. Entrepreneurial ventures are relatively new businesses that have a solid business strategy and aim for exponential growth. The business is based on substantial innovations. solid business strategy and aims for growth. The innovation may be a product. productivity and resources and gives them legal identity. (Wickham 2004) This thesis focuses on entrepreneurial ventures and the process behind creating successful entrepreneurial ventures. (Castels 2000) The cooperation between firms cannot be purely characterized as market based but there are numerous factors effecting decisions such as personal relationships. al 2004). Relationships between individuals are referred to as social networks and collaborations between firms and other organizational actors are referred to as interorganizational networks. Entrepreneur is a person who identifies new opportunities and attempts to make something of it. Entrepreneurs have been seen as a person who is creative. These innovations give the venture the competitive advantage that results in wealth creation. constantly looking for and pursuing opportunities and trying to look for possibilities for change of more preferable environment. (Nijkamp 2000) Entrepreneur is a person who establishes a new business while bringing together different elements of the organization such as people. Entrepreneurial venture (aka Startup Company) is used to describe a new small firm that is based on innovation. property.2 Trust and long-term relations have always been important for firms but they are more emphasized than ever in today's global economy. motivations or culture (Castels 2000) (Todeva 2005) Using networks effectively and being part of partnerships needs closer long-term relationships than merely market based relationships (Brass et. service or a business process used to deliver it. .
2010. NetEntre research project addresses two research avenues: 1) what is the role of public. is part of the Tekes Liito program. and academic networks in generating new businesses and 2) how do entrepreneurs effectively use these networks? The project was carried out 2008 . private. NetEntre project is carried out in collaboration with Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and Bradley University in the USA. The thesis follows the research context that is presented in NetEntre project. The main research issues are: to explore entrepreneurial venture creation process to identify social and interorganizational networks to identify how networks are built The objective of this thesis is to create a model for entrepreneurial venture creation. . 1. The main objective of the research is to increase Finnish global competitiveness.3 1.2 The Research Objectives The purpose of this thesis is to understand and explore the creation of entrepreneurial ventures in today's networked economy.1 Background The Bachelor's thesis is part of the Networked Entrepreneurship (NetEntre) research project. and new businesses. in turn. The NetEntre project goal is to research and understand the role of public. NetEntre project. private. and academic networks in generating an entrepreneurial and innovative environment.
Figure 1: Research process Formulation of main research issues Formulation of research questions Selection of research with which to study the questions Selection of appropiate designs and methods Collection of data . open ended survey responses. motivations and culture. emails and notes. (Flick 2002) The research includes eight interviews with entrepreneurs. It can be considered somewhat opposite to quantitative research which relies on statistics or numbers. Qualitative research seeks answers through the analysis of unstructured information such as interviews. The thesis fits in the realm of qualitative research.4 1.Literature & Interviews Analysis of Data Formulation of the findings . The thesis research process is presented in Figure 1. behaviours. since it aims to gain insight into business processes which are highly affected by personal attitudes.3 Methods and Structure of Thesis The research method is qualitative research. The research process follows guidelines of qualitative research process (Flick 2002).
The theoretical part focuses on earlier literature on entrepreneurship. (Flick 2002) Structure of the thesis The structure of the thesis is presented in Figure 2. examination of trustworthiness is crucial in this thesis. Figure 2: Structure of the thesis 1 2 3 4 • Introduction • Conceptual Framework • Analysis and Findings • Conclusions and Discussions . conceptual framework. A conceptual frame is used to formulate the interview question.5 Qualitative research starts with formulating the main research issues and research questions. Interviews with the entrepreneurs are analysed. analysis and findings and conclusions and discussions. The findings are formulated through interview analysis and theoretical knowledge (literature and earlier empirical findings). Structured interviews with preformed interview questions are used to ensure the reliability of the interviews. There are four main chapters in the thesis: introduction. (Flick 2002) To ensure reliability in qualitative research. The conceptual framework is constructed on theoretical knowledge deriving from current literature and earlier empirical findings. The purpose of the interviews is to test the theoretical knowledge against empirical conditions. social and interorganizational network research. The quality of recording and documenting is central to assure reliability. entrepreneurial venture creation and.
Entrepreneurship results in new value creation for owners. Entrepreneurship is a multifaceted phenomenon. participants and stakeholders (Timmons 2000). An entrepreneur owns. (Wickham 2004) Wickham (2004) sees entrepreneur in three different dimensions firstly as a manager undertaking activity. bringing innovations to market and identifying market opportunities. An entrepreneur takes ownership of his or her organization therefore an entrepreneur is an investor and manager at the same time. Entrepreneurs are associated with risk. Leadership is an important part of managerial success which contributes to the success . The term 'entrepreneurship' is widely used as a technical term in management and economics. social and interorganizational networks.1 Entrepreneurial ventures "Entrepreneurship is a way of thinking. An entrepreneur establishes a new business which means that the entrepreneur brings together different elements of organization such as people. activities. Ownership of an entrepreneurial venture is realized through share option schemes. and leadership balanced" (Timmons 2000). An entrepreneur is someone who perceives an opportunity and creates an organization to pursue it (Bygrave 2003). reasoning and acting that is opportunity obsessed. It is also presents the creation process of successful entrepreneurial ventures and issues concerning the building of social and interorganizational networks. Entrepreneurship has been regarded as the critical success factor of economic performance. holistic in approach. Entrepreneurs undertake a whole variety of activities such as funding and owning a new organization. 2. property and resources and gives them legal identity. Also an entrepreneurial venture can have external investors in which case the entrepreneur acts only as the manager of the venture. innovation and leadership. manages. The entrepreneurial process involves all the functions. and assumes the risks of an economic venture. launches. An entrepreneur contributes leadership to their entrepreneurial ventures. secondly as an agent of economic exchange and thirdly as an individual with a particular personality.6 2 Conceptual Framework This chapter discussed the concepts of entrepreneurial ventures and. and actions associated with perceiving opportunities and creating organizations to pursue them.
line of business. An entrepreneurial venture should have a sense of vision towards a great future. Value is created by combining raw material. An entrepreneurial process needs individuals and an organization to accomplish goals. Innovation can also be a business process used to deliver products or services. raw materials (minerals. 2) the firms' strategy aims for exponential growth and 3) the management team is willing to take risks to achieve goals.). The three economic factors do not combine by themselves but need the help of individuals working together and in cooperation in an organization. investors and customers). (Wickham 1997) Entrepreneurial ventures are also referred to more commonly as start-up companies and in entrepreneurship literature start-ups are seen as a classical example of entrepreneurship. An entrepreneurial process creates new innovations which either add value to an existing product or service (incremental innovation) or creates entirely new value (radical innovation). physical and mental labour (people) and capital (money). An entrepreneurial venture is in organizational terms quite a young small business with special characteristics. (Timmons 1999) . i. growth potential etc. employees) or external parties (suppliers.e. (Wickham 2004) Entrepreneurs have a significant effect on economy in ways of creating new value. labour and capital in such a way that the result satisfies human needs. There are three primary economic factors. An entrepreneurial venture is unable to operate without the help of internal parties (managerial team. labour and capital). All products and services that are sold in the economy are a mix of these factors. Also it is quite likely that the entrepreneurial venture's stakeholders are brought together by a strong leader.7 of the venture. The characteristics of entrepreneurial ventures are 1) the firm is based on substantial innovation. (Wickham 2004) The team behind the entrepreneurial venture is actively looking for opportunities from new areas which others may find unconventional. in other words has demand. (Wickham 2004) Entrepreneurial Ventures Firms are categorised by many different standards for example by size. In another terms innovation is a new combination of the three basic economic factors (raw material. oil etc.
organization. market areas) and be managed by a team or lead entrepreneur. environment and process. Organization represents the kind of firm that is started. different business environments (regions. biotech etc. countries. Individuals are the team involved in starting the new firm. The search for successful entrepreneurial venture creation process should therefore start with describing the context and environment where entrepreneurial ventures operate. medical industries.). Entrepreneurial venture is an organizational entity which evolves over time and operates as part of the environment. (Gartner 1985) Figure 3: Framework for new venture creation (Gartner 1985) .8 A whole variety of different kind of entrepreneurs and their firms can be seen as entrepreneurial ventures (Gartner 1985). Gartner (1985) sees that when comparing differences among entrepreneurs and their ventures the differences are as great as the variation between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs and between new firms and established firms. information technology industries. Entrepreneurial venture cannot operate without individuals who have expertise and devotion towards the firm. Figure 3 below presents a framework which describes the contexts of an entrepreneurial venture. Firms can operate in different industries (electronics. Environment combines the surroundings and influences that are affecting the new firm. Process is the actions undertaken by the team to start the process of new entrepreneurial venture creation. Four different perspectives of the entrepreneurial process are presented in the framework: individual. The firms' products and services can be from high-tech to low-tech. The environment is a set of conditions where firms have to look for resources and markets.
Resources can be seen as financial resources.1 Entrepreneurial Process to Perceive Opportunities The entrepreneurial process involves all the functions. Figure 4: Timmons model of the entrepreneurial process (Timmons 1999) From Idea to Potential Opportunity The journey from idea to high-potential opportunity is hard to pin down and may lead to great success and rewards but contains always a certain level of risk. by itself. Commonly. (Bygrave 2003) The entrepreneurial process aims to create new value or add value to existing products or services. assets. guarantee success for the firm. activities. people and business plan. Opportunity starts with building an idea. even if it is considered excellent. (Wickham 2004) Innovation can be seen as exploitation of opportunities. There are rarely quick fixes to successful ideas. The importance of ideas is often overrated and leads to forgetting the key facts of doing business.9 2. creating a good idea needs series of . (Lowe et. and actions associated with perceiving opportunities and creating organizations to pursue them. To have the best technology or employees with great ideas does not. The team behind the firm is an important asset for the venture. for the entrepreneur. al 2006) The Timmons (1999) model describes the new venture creation process (Figure 4). The driving force of the Timmons model is opportunity and the ability to recognize and screen potential opportunities.1. An idea is only a tool. Opportunities have been identified through creative individuals in the organization.
it would be strategically smart to look for ways to use the minimum possible amount of resources when pursuing opportunities. It would be strategically smart for entrepreneur to find a way to control the resources rather than owning them. An attractive opportunity for an entrepreneurial venture typically has low production. investments) and other assets (premises. An entrepreneur requires and manages resources and makes decisions on what resources are needed and how to acquire these resources in ways that are strategically smart for the business. For an entrepreneur to have control of the resources and to use the minimal possible amount of these resources is strategically smart because it can . it can contain vacuums where the business can possibly flourish. It basically means the short period of time during which an opportunity must be acted on or it is missed. (Timmons 1999) An opportunity is about creating or adding value for the customer (buyer or end-user). The characteristics of a good opportunity relate to multiple issues such as industry and market conditions. This innovation is a real product or service and fits the category that customers would be willing to pay for it. capital (financial resources. An idea is transformed to opportunity when the idea is attractive. the board of directors. When generating ideas the focus should be on the needs and desires of the customers and the marketplace. (Timmons 1999) Opportunity recognition is an important skill for entrepreneurs. a business plan can be seen as part of resources. it can be considered a good opportunity. along with economics and internal capabilities of the firm (management team. For example the ability to evaluate and make a decision on the amount of resources allocated on a given idea. Also if the market is fragmented and emerging. market and distribution costs. if the market where the firm is trying to operate is large and growing. achieving competitive advantages).10 shaping and trial-and-error iterations. before the idea is transformed into innovation. as well. consultants). (Timmons 2009) Resource Requirement for Entrepreneurial Venture Resources are built on people (management team. The time aspect of the opportunity is referred to as "window of opportunity". For instance. Similarly. For example. manufacturing plants and equipment). Also. teams and investors. there might be demands which other suppliers cannot meet. timely and durable.
former business contacts. relatives etc. (Timmons 1999) 2. business associates). A risk is not only a financial risk but there are socio-economical. consulting). religion. people (help from fellow students. premises. An entrepreneur taps into these resources by using his or her own personal network or building up relationships and forming a network with other people and organizations (such as firms. age. An entrepreneur is willing to take risks to achieve success (Gartner 1985) . The odds for success increase significantly if there is a great team behind the entrepreneurial venture compared to if the venture relies only on the lead entrepreneur.11 minimize financial risks. free or inexpensively required from friend. The entrepreneur's motivations and capabilities affect the success of a new entrepreneurial venture but the importance of the management team behind the entrepreneurial venture should not be forgotten. This pushes the entrepreneurial venture forward.1. The firm is thus able to be more flexible in decision making and also cope in uncertain market conditions. (Timmons 1999) Timmons (1999) states that in the start-up phase or early growth state it is important for an entrepreneurial venture to use other people's resources (OPR). personal and managerial aspects to risk. universities and other public organizations). (Timmons 1999) Lead Entrepreneur Entrepreneurs are a group of people with differences in motivation. locus of control and risk taking. Gartner (1985) lists certain characteristics that a successful entrepreneur should have: need for achievement. friends. Locus of control means the degree to which an entrepreneur considers to be able to influence the outcomes of business activities. An entrepreneur is a person who is able to take and handle risk. equipment or other material loaned. friends.2 Team behind the Entrepreneurial Venture An Entrepreneur is someone who perceives an opportunity and creates an organization to pursue it (Bygrave 1991). nationalities and background (Gartner 1985). internal or external. OPR can include for example capital (money invested or loaned by relatives. business associates.
12 Wickham (2004) summarizes entrepreneurship as a style of management which has three unique characteristics: a focus on change. For successful entrepreneurs it is important what difference he or she makes to the environment. (Wickham 2004) Management Team An entrepreneurial venture's management team can make a substantial difference the venture's success. persuade persons to sign up and deliver the vision. no one can win unless everyone wins and the other way around. The management team should be committed to the firm's operations and success. The key issue of team building is how successfully the entrepreneur can communicate his or her vision of the future and then to lead. An entrepreneur manages whole organizations. This means sharing responsibly and the control of the firm among the team. (Timmons 1999) The lead entrepreneur is responsible for building the management team. Entrepreneurs seek new opportunities to do something differently and better. The vision is about what the entrepreneur is trying to accomplish and also how the team will work together. The management team members are commonly partners of the firm or either internal or outside investors. succeed and make mistakes. Timmons (1999) points out that there is a strong connection between the growth potential of the venture and the quality of its management team. . if one person loses. inspire. A successful entrepreneur sees different functions of the firm as part of the overall organization in a bigger picture. a focus on opportunity and organization-wide management. For an employee the focus is often one aspect of the organization such as finance. production or marketing. This leads to innovation and new value creation. then the entrepreneur builds up the organizations through traditional employment. Entrepreneurs are agents for change and they want to make an impact on the surrounding environment. If the entrepreneur wants to keep complete control of the firm. The team members are committed to working as a team and the success of an individual adds to the success of the firm. everyone loses. An important mindset is that the team members consider themselves equal.
enabling suppliers and other business partners to win if the firm succeeds and making profit for stakeholders. (Timmons 1999) 2. performance and result over time (Timmons 1999) The team is committed to persistent value creation. Financial decisions should always be part of the overall business strategy. business partners and new customers and markets for its products and services. (Timmons 1999) . strategy and management are complex issues. The interrelationships between finance. customers and value creation. "Happiness for venture is a positive cash flow" (Timmons 1999). premises. Timmons (1999) explains the three core principles of entrepreneurial finance in the following way: 1) more capital (money) is preferred to less capital. 2) obtaining capital at the right time is preferable than obtaining it later and 3) the less risk the capital has the better. adding value to customers. The environment is a set of conditions to which the organization must adapt and find financial resources. (Gartner 1985) Principles of Entrepreneurial Finance Finding and obtaining financial resources is critical for the success of an entrepreneurial venture. It is important to understand entrepreneurial finance. Team is committed for the long haul and doesn't expect quick and easy profits in the short run Reasonable distribution of responsibilities and tasks Rewards for key employees and stock ownership are based on contribution.3 Influence of Surrounding Environment Entrepreneurs and their ventures are part of the surrounding environment. These are simple common sense principles but according to Timmons (1999) are often forgotten or ignored by management teams.13 The characteristics of a successful entrepreneurial venture management team are: Important that team works as a team rather than individuals. The entrepreneur's or management team's weakness in financial knowledge is bad for business and may lead to a financial crisis in the firm. Management team is willing to make hard choices and trade-offs for the good of the firm.1.
Proximity of the individuals has been recognised to advance social relationships and is especially important when forming new relationships. build trust. interunit networks and interorganizational networks. sex. Financial risks are central to entrepreneurial finance. 2. 2004) The network concepts are discussed as social interaction (social network) between different people and formal relationships (interorganizational networks) between different organizations. 2. Social networks refer to social relationships and interaction between individuals.14 Value must be created or added for stakeholders (shareholders. Interorganizational networks refer to formal or informal collaboration between different organizational actors. prestige. This thesis focuses on entrepreneurial ventures where organization hierarchy is low and firm size is small. increase the predictability of behavior and increase interaction between people. Interunit networks refer to formal or informal collaboration between different units inside an organization. (Brass et al. especially minimizing and covering risks.2 Interorganizational Networks and Models of Collaboration Firms have business and nonbusiness. formal and informal relationships with different organizational actors (other firms. universities and non-profit organizations etc. These individuals can be in different firms. Therefore interunit networks are not discussed in this thesis.). These similarities are seen to ease communication. social class and profession. (2004) takes a multilevel view to networks and divides networks into three different levels of social networks. Brass et al. education. (Ritter 1999) This chapter is about exploring relationships and collaboration between firms and other organizational actors and how these relationships form a network of organizations and individuals. customers and employees) to achieve positive cash flow and develop positive returns. Social relationships are often founded on some similarities between the individuals.2. public sector. similar people tend to interact with each other. Relationship building cannot be done simply through an information . For example individuals who work in a specific profession are often connected with each other.1 Concepts of Social and Interorganizational Networks Social network refers to a group of individuals who have social relationships and interaction with each other. The similarities may also enable easy access to a network of people. The similarities are defined as age. In everyday life as well as in business life. professions and locations but are still connected to each other in some way.
(Elmuti 2001) Gulati et al. Strategic alliances and joint ventures are the best known and a strong part of the global economy. long-term buyer-supplier partnerships and joint ventures.15 communication technology solution (phone. Interorganizational relationships manifest themselves in many different forms. (Griffin 2003) (Todeva et al. 2004) . 2004) 1. social networking sites etc. customers. Strategic alliances are partnerships between two or more firms that work together to achieve strategically important objectives (such as R&D. Joint ventures: a special form of strategic alliances where two or more firms create a jointly owned legal organization that serves a limited purpose for the firms. resources. markets and technologies through interorganizational networks (Gulati et al. (Larson 1993) Interorganizational networks can be seen as almost any type of relationships between two or more firms while aiming to some sort of common goal. expenses and assets. and other organizational actors in which organizations maintain the control on their own resources but jointly decide on their use. marketing. 2004) Typically interorganizational networks refer to formal limited to long-term cooperative relationship between firms and suppliers. joint ventures. business groups. (2000) sees that the most strategically significant collaboration forms are strategic alliances. competitors. The classification below presents and explains most basic types of interorganizational relations: (Todeva et al.) but needs personal eye to eye contact with individuals. The firms control the joint venture and share revenues. Examples of interorganizational relationships are strategic alliances. (Brass et al. Strategic alliances should not be thought of only as collaboration between two firms as multi-firm alliances are common. production) which are mutually beneficial. such as production. 2000). 2004) Social relationships are the base of forming formal collaboration and relationship between different organizations. Strategic alliances have changed how business is done in a way that firms aim to increase the number of relationships that are based on partnerships rather than ownership. 2004) Firms are motivated by opportunities to access new information. R&D or marketing which promotes their mutual interests. distribution. e-mail. (Todeva et al. (Brass et al. consortia and some forms of outsourcing.
Technology and know-how alliances such as technology development. coordinate and manage their collective resources (Todeva et al. 2004) Strategic alliances can also be categorized by their functions and purposes (Elmuti 2001): 1. (Todeva et al. (Griffin 2003) (Todeva et al. Subcontractor networks (Long-term buyer-supplier partnerships): a subcontractor negotiates with suppliers long-term prices. Product and manufacturing alliances such as joint manufacturing 3. 2004) 8. 2004) 6. 2004) 5. A franchiser grants a franchisee the use of brand identity within a geographic area in return for royalty payment. Cooperatives: a coalition of small firms that combine. production runs. (Todeva et al. Licensing: a legal agreement whereby a firm grants the right to use its licensed intellectual property such as patented technologies. with the partners collaborating over key strategic decisions and sharing responsibilities for performance outcomes. 2004) 7. and delivery schedules. (Todeva et al. university/industry joint research Strategic alliances and other types of collaboration are governed by a combination of legal and social mechanisms. 2004) . (Griffin 2003) (Todeva et al. Strategic cooperative agreements: contractual business networks based on joint multi-party strategic control. Marketing and sales alliances such as joint marketing agreements 2. Franchising: a special form of licensing where firm authorizes another firm to copy its successful business model. (Todeva et al. 2004) 3. Griffin 2003) (Todeva et al. 2004) 4. Industry standards groups: Committees that seek the member organizations' agreements on the adoption of technical standards for manufacturing and trade such as ISO (International Organization for Standardization).16 2. R&D consortium: an agreement between organizations for research and development collaboration typically formed in fast-changing technological fields. production processes or trademarks in return for royalties and fees.
Intents and Choices for Collaboration Successful collaboration between firms and other organizational actors can enable successful execution of a whole variety of functions in the network such as technology development. New products or production methods can present too big a risk for one firm to taken on by itself so again it is beneficial to share the risk with another firm. can ease entering to markets and save resources. (Elmuti et al. production. To do cooperation with another firm. (Brass et al. For example in technology development the firm can achieve the desired results through external partners (universities. Firms start building interorganizational relationships with potential partners from a single social relationship to a network of formal relationships between firms. (2004) motives to form interorganizational cooperation may also have to do with the firm's desire to enhance legitimacy. opening market access and outsourcing possibilities etc. fast-phased technology development). sales or some other function. 2001) According to Brass et al. The firm can team up with another firm that has resources to provide the information or technology or firm that is willing to share resources to acquire together information or technologies. Strategic alliances and other types of interorganizational relationships are also used to guarantee access to information and technologies. Sharing the cost of R&D and new product development is among the top reasons to form strategic alliances. (Ritter 1999) Trust is one of the key aspects in building interorganizational relationships and networks.17 Motives. R&D and new product development projects. The external partners contribute to the company's innovation success. Interorganizational networks are not only for requiring resources but firms can also let go of inefficient and not crucial business operations through outsourcing marketing. (Elmuti 2001) Entering new market areas is often challenging for firms and therefore has become one of the top reasons for forming strategic alliances. research institutions or partner firms) which participate in the development. Entering different market areas one by one drains the firm's resources and takes time. such as form strategic alliances with firms that operate in a specific market area or international markets. accounting. . attain collective goals and reduce uncertainties in their internal structure and external environment. Firms are also challenged by the fast-paced world economy (global competition. Interorganizational relationships can contribute significantly to a company's performance.
(Elmuti 2001) A firm may choose a specific alliance form in order to achieve greater control and increase operational flexibility and realization of market potential. The model consists of three stages that explore how an entrepreneurial venture starts building relationships from the beginning to formal interorganizational collaboration. This model recognizes both social and economic aspects that affect forming exchange relationships. The motives may include specific motives such as market seeking. Formatting and Building a Network of Relationships Building relationships from one dimensional exchange (such as purchasing.18 2004) (Todeva 2005) The firm's motives vary depending on the firm. developing technical standards. following industry trends or overcoming legal barriers. Creating an interorganizational network starts with forming social relationships.2. collective and embedded skills. (Todeva 2005) The firm may also seek more multifaceted cooperation such as long-lasting partnerships rather than just normal business to business dealings. (1993) have developed a network model of organization formation for entrepreneurial ventures (Figure 6). (Todeva 2005) 2. learning.2 Finding. Larson et al. environment and the industry where it operates. (Larson 1993) . credit) to multilevel reciprocal partnerships has both social and economic aspects. acquiring means of distribution.
At the end critical resources are defined and the entrepreneur has found a set of contacts which enable him/her to acquire the critical resources. Transforming an idea to business requires all sorts of resources such as information. Every starting entrepreneur has his or her own personal social network that consists of prior business contacts or colleagues. The entrepreneur starts requiring critical resources from his or her own personal network. sales opportunities and personal social support. The personal network may provide access to more critical resources for the firm. By expanding and selecting suitable relationships the entrepreneur identifies a pool of important relationships that are important for the firm's future. family and friends. The second stage sets up a multilevel socioeconomic exchange which expands the exchange relationships from one-dimensional to two-dimensional. The new economic relationship between the parties takes on a personal and social . The search for resources triggers the need to develop exchange relationships that form a new organization.19 Figure 6: Network model of organization formation for Entrepreneurial venture (Larson 1993) Stage I: Start/Trial Phase Acquiring critical resources Building relationships Stage II: Multilevel socioeconomic exchange Creating trust and norms of reciprocity in exchange relationship Stage III: Organizations are highly integrated Entering into formal interorganizational collaboration The first stage is about setting up the new business. physical and capital resources.
(Birkinshaw 2007) Forming relationships is affected by the attitude of firms. In the third stage new business functions such as technical knowledge. Also there might be concerns about the protection of . Birkshaw et el. Finding partners is affected by the traditional way of thinking in the specific industry and it could complicate forming relationships with unconventional partners from for example another industry. The exchange relationship transfers to partnership where the firms start doing formal interorganizational collaboration with each other and form a network. technological and institutional barriers that affect decisions and relationships. The economic exchange between the parties becomes more diverse and the parties are integrated with each other. The two sides learn about each other's organizations and how to work together. (2007) suggest a three-stage process of building networks which includes finding. The norms and expectations that structure the process of exchange between the two parties become the accepted way of doing business. individuals and society towards your firm. (Larson 1993) The third stage builds upon the success of the last two stages where the relationship transforms to a more official interorganizational relationship. There are demographical. There are geographical. For example expectations (good or bad) affect the forming of the relationships and how keen the prospective partners likely to be working with you are. Finding refers to the scale of search for partners and possible relationships that are conducted for example to identify organizations or individuals with which it would be beneficial for the company to interact.20 dimension and the mutual business interest becomes clearer. ideological and ethnic barriers that affect decisions and relationships. This exploration and engagement process builds trust between the two parties. identifies shared goals and starts to shape the norms and rules of reciprocity. forming and performing. Forming is affected by the firm's position in the industry and the firm's attitude towards sharing information. (Larson 1993) Identifying Suitable Partners There are challenges in building new networks in areas such as identifying relevant new partners and learning how to work with them. support services or more capital are added to exchange relationships.
In this case potential new partners should be approached directly.21 intellectual property rights. Creating new networks in proximate areas is a relatively straightforward process. (Birkinshaw 2007) . This scenario network typically consists of traditional business relationships. The first scenario illustrates creating a network with potential partners that are both easy to find and keen on doing business with the company. (Birkinshaw 2007) Figure 7: Identifying Suitable Partners (Birkinshaw 2007) Figure 7 identifies the types of suitable partners and how hard or easy it is to form cooperation with these partners. but it requires a significant investment on the part of the firm to ensure that the knowledge and insights of the partners are internalized. Traditional business relationships start with negotiating the terms for a commercial relationship such as subcontracting or manufacturing and go on managing the relationship on an on-going basis. The institutional or demographic differences between the partners are the main cause of problems. Figure 7 illustrates a framework for the aspects of finding and forming. The challenge is to find suitable partners from many prospective partners. (Birkinshaw 2007) In the second scenario the emphasis is on finding a new network partner in distant areas where the actors easily engage with you but are hard to find. It is important to build personal relationships with the partners on an on-going basis.
(Birkinshaw 2007) 2.3 Risks and Environmental Factors Effecting Relationships For a firm to be part of an alliance or other type of collaboration is no shortcut to easy success or happiness. A sense of commitment should be generated through the partnership. This is the hardest scenario to navigate and might not be even worth trying. There should be a good reason to get the potential partners to work with you.22 The third scenario is where potential partners are easy to find but potentially unwilling to work with you. either as a middle man or somebody who works for the company. outside specialist network builders can be used. 2000) One of the most important aspects of working together is to share equally the resources and risks in partnerships. One way to overcome the differences is to create a specific project or activity that they find attractive which is then situated around shared goals. if the partnership doesn't reach its objectives it is easy to blame the other party. When making decisions regarding the cooperation with firms outside the interorganizational network the relations and effects on the relationships inside the network should be considered. have been constrained to engage with the culture of the Internet and new media environment. There might be some ideological. Problems are often due to lack of trust and clear goals or objectives and due to ineffective coordination between management teams. The firm's relationships are interconnected with each other and single relationships cannot be isolated out of the context of a company's network. This makes the relationships unproductive. For example some traditional industries that are in a crisis. for example. (Elmuti et al. Differences in culture or differences in corporate culture between different organizations can cause problems. Building trust starts with individuals and . (Birkinshaw 2007) The fourth scenario emphasizes moving into uncharted territory where are either not easily identifiable or not likely to be keen to engage with you. such as traditional media companies. (Ritter 1999) The firm's networks can be a source of both opportunities and constraints. In this scenario. Conflicts. (Gulati et al.2. This simply leads to a negative cycle where the alliance is completely ruined. Otherwise. demographic or institutional differences which complicate forming a relationship. 2001) Also established relationships can block the firm from partnering with other viable firms. failures and problems occur commonly when two or more different organizations work together.
time difference. Alliances fail due to lack of cooperation and are usually caused by the management team failing to put enough effort into following the necessary steps for assuring basic principles of cooperation. A firm should have the right reasons. Trust is formed from three different aspects including responsibility. for example to fix internal problems of the firm. (Todeva 2005) Many firms operate in a global economy and that has an effect on alliances. The trail phase process includes institutionalizing rules and processes and evaluating expectations that the partners have for the alliance. (Elmuti 2001) . egos.23 therefore alliances should be formed to enhance the trust between individuals. financial capital markets and distribution channels. price control. operational and social mechanisms. clear goals and objectives. The trail phase can take time and results should not be expected until 6 to 18 months. and different attitudes towards business. can put the firm in an unfavourable limelight. After a successful trail phase the organizations are more integrated and mutually controlled through strategic. The alliance can be seen as further evidence that problems occur in the firm. Alliances are challenged by cultural differences and specific national economic conditions. when entering a new alliance. A culture clash is usually due to language barriers. (Elmuti 2001) Alliances are affected by national economic conditions and institutional frameworks such as economic policies. Entering an alliance for the wrong reasons. (Elmuti 2001) When building and implementing a new alliance a trial phase is required where stable and predictable structures to manage the alliance are constructed with the partners. (Todeva 2005) When operating in an international alliance putting effort on solving language barriers and cultural differences is a key element for the success of the alliance. However. the right reasons don't assure success either. equality and reliability.
24 2. These components provide the means to look .& Interorganizational networks •Team •Strategy and risk •Opportunity & Innovation •Formal & informal collaboration with different organizational actors •Strategic Alliances •Joint ventures • Entrepreneur's personal network •Building social relationships •Finding suitable partners •Starting Cooperation • Risks and enviromental factors Network Building An entrepreneurial venture (aka Startup Company) is in organizational terms quite a young and small firm with special characteristics: Firm is based on substantial innovations (Wickham 2004).3 Summary This Bachelor's thesis discusses issues concerning entrepreneurial ventures. Firm's strategy is positioned for exponential growth (Wickham 2004). environment and process. namely individuals. social and interorganizational networks as well as network formatting and building with different organizational actors. Management team is willing to take risks to achieve goals (Wickham 2004) A whole variety of entrepreneurs and their firms can be seen as entrepreneurial venture and the firms are not limited to specific industry sectors but can operate from high-tech (information technology and biotech industries) to low-tech (service industries) industries. organization. Figure 8: Conceptual frame Entrepreneurial ventures Social. Gartner (1985) presents a framework describing four components comprising and affecting entrepreneurial ventures. Figure 8 below presents the main issues discussed in this conceptual frame.
25 for a successful entrepreneurial venture creation process and compare the differences among entrepreneurs and their firms. consultants). (Brass et. (Timmons 1999) Organization describes what kind of firm is started and how the entrepreneur and management team plan to grow the organization (Gartner 1985) Environment is a set of conditions where the firms have to look for relationships. Entrepreneurial characteristics such as need for achievement (strategies and goals). technologies and resources. universities and public sector). The entrepreneur's and management team's ability to recognize and screen opportunities is vital to entrepreneurial ventures. investments) and other assets (premises. public sector etc. This is also true for the ability to decide on the resources given to the idea. resources and markets. information. (Timmons 1999) Process describes the actions taken by the entrepreneur or management team for perceiving opportunities and creating an organization to pursue them (Gartner 1985) An opportunity starts with an idea. Success is also strongly connected to the quality of the management team. manufacturing plants and equipment). How a firm is able to adapt and find financial resources. universities. Entrepreneurs look for resources by building up relationships and networks (firms. Firms should pursue to take ownership of a minimum possible amount of resources to minimize the risks for example when pursuing opportunities. management team and employees) behind the firm contribute significantly to possibilities of success. the board of directors. Entrepreneurs and the management team should be committed and devoted to the firm. al 2004) Social relationships are the base for forming collaboration and .) to get access to new markets. Firms build relationships with different organizational actors (firms. Individuals (entrepreneur. business partners and new customers and markets for their products and services contributes greatly to the success of the firm. former business contacts. Resources are a mix of people (management team. capital (financial resources. premises. friends. An idea is only a tool and needs series of shaping and trial and error iterations before it can be considered a good opportunity and transformed into new innovation. ability to influence outcomes of business activities and ability to take and handle risks are connected to the success of the firm. Firms should seek the control of resources rather than owning them.
(Larson 1993) Interorganizational networks refer to long-term cooperative relationships between firms and suppliers. As a first step.) . production) that are mutually beneficial (Elmuti 2001). 2001) Transforming an idea to viable business sets the entrepreneur to look for resources (capital. (Todeva 2004 et al. former business contacts and friends). an entrepreneur starts acquiring critical resources from his or her own personal network (family.26 relationships between different organizational actors. distribution. competitors. differences in culture or differences in corporate culture between different organizations can cause problems. The problems are often due to lack of trust and clear goals or objectives and due to ineffective coordination between management teams. A trial phase is required where stable and predictable structures to manage the relationship are constructed with the participants. By expanding and selecting suitable relationships the entrepreneur identifies a pool of important relationships that are important for the firm's future. The search for resources triggers the need to develop exchange relationships and build social relationships. (Larson 1993) The firm's network can be a source of new opportunities but it can also cause problems and be unproductive.). sales opportunities. marketing. build trust and how to work together). premises etc. (Ritter 1999)(Elmuti et al. The third stage builds upon the success of the last two stages where the relationship transforms to a more official interorganizational relationship. Interorganizational relationships can contribute significantly to the company's performance and innovation success. (Elmuti 2001) Moreover. The second stage is to set up a more multilevel economic exchange which expands the exchange relationships (learn about each other's organizations. Successful collaboration between firms and other organizational actors can enable successful execution of a whole variety of functions in the network such as technology development. Strategic alliances are partnerships between two or more firms that work together to achieve strategically important objectives (such as R&D. opening market access and outsourcing possibilities etc. and other organizational actors in which organizations maintain the control over their own resources but jointly decide on their use. customers.
start-up phase and social and interorganizational network. (Flick 2002) The findings are formulated through interview analysis and theoretical knowledge. The purpose of the interviews is to test the theoretical knowledge against the empirical conditions.500 people in Finland and it had a combined turnover of 7 billion Euros in 2010. The products and services provided by the industry are used for various purposes such as to improve productivity. The firms operate in the Information technology industries. The firms were contacted through the network of contacts of Forum Virium and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. The main topics were entrepreneurship. 3. The interviews lasted from 45 minutes to one hour. The interview questions are formulated based on the theoretical knowledge discussed in the conceptual frame. Altogether eight firms in the information technology industry were interviewed. the City of Helsinki and other public sector organizations. such as the ageing of the population or communication through social media are addressed through innovations in information technology. entrepreneurial process.1 Data Collection. Many of the significant social changes currently underway. This field employs circa 51. because it is an industry of great strategic importance for Finland. The interviews were conducted during fall 2010. Small and new firms were selected through the contacts of these two organizations. products and services. Forum Virium is a Finnish agency which develops new digital services in collaboration with companies. (Teknologia teollisuus 2011) . Sample and Interview Structure In this thesis qualitative methodology is used. The interview questions were based on the topics discussed in the conceptual framework. performance and quality of processes. The interviews with the entrepreneurs are analysed.27 3 Analysis and Findings In this chapter the interviews with the entrepreneurs are analysed. Altogether eight firms were interviewed. The field of Information Technology was chosen. Metropolia University of Applied Sciences does collaboration with many small and medium size firms in Finland. Thirty firms operating in the field of information technology were contacted first by e-mail and then by phone.
The evolution of information technology industry has opened up entirely new opportunities and has made the market place global. The same structure was used in all of the interviews. database services and content production and consultation.28 Information technology firms provide information technology related products and services such as software. The main topics were: Motivation to start own business How does being entrepreneur differ from regular employment Firm's competitive advantages How the firm establishes operations and requires resources were important topics from the point of view of the research. An increasingly large number of firms produce services digitally over information networks such as social media services. entrepreneurship and social and interorganizational network. (Teknologia teollisuus 2011) Interview Structure The interview questions are categorized in three groups: background information. web development. Another important topic was to find out whether the firm considers doing collaboration between other organizational actors important and how they build collaboration? The main topics were: Start-up phase. location and premises Other questions included entrepreneur's opinions on how s/he sees entrepreneurship compared to traditional employment and why he or she chose to be entrepreneur. . The interviews started with basic questions about the entrepreneur's background and education and information about the firms. The main topics were: Entrepreneur's background and education Firm's business idea. acquiring resources Personal network First contacts with other firms and customers Building networks and cooperation with different organizational actors A total of eight interviews were conducted.
start-up phase and building network. Social and interorganizational networks are discussed in the categories of firm's social and interorganizational network. The entrepreneurs' opinions and experiences are analysed and explained in these categories.29 3. Entrepreneurship is discussed in the categories of entrepreneurs' background and the firms. The firms were from one to four years old. The main products and services were related to web development. One person had not completed their studies yet. team and key issues for success.2 Interview Analysis The interviews with the entrepreneurs are analysed in nine different categories. opportunity recognition. 3. Three of the entrepreneurs had started their firm during or right after their studies or graduation and five had worked in the industry before starting their own firm. There are subcategories to the main categories to further analyse the different perspectives of these issues. Also being able to affect decisions and business outcomes was seen an important part of entrepreneurship.2.1 Entrepreneurs' Background and the Firm All of the entrepreneurs had a background in higher education with a degree from either a university or university of applied sciences. Entrepreneurship was seen as a constant learning experience where a person can create new and is able to take responsibility of solutions. entrepreneurship. content production and consultation.2.2 Entrepreneurship What it means to be an entrepreneur was discussed during the interviews. 3. One of the questions was "How would you describe entrepreneurship from your own perspective?" In this chapter different perspectives of entrepreneurship which came up during interviews are presented. Also entrepreneurs described "entrepreneurial spirit" as a specific state of mind that entrepreneurs should have. entrepreneurial process. The firms operated within information technology industry. .
" (W188) "You have to have strong believes.30 Entrepreneurial Spirit The entrepreneurs talked about the state of mind that a person must have when becoming an entrepreneur. When-ever you are doing anything. competence and will to be successful entrepreneur." (W194) . Also believing in yourself and what you are doing was felt to be very important." (W185) "Lot of energy and small amount of knowledge gets you further than small amount energy and lot of knowledge. buying something from shop. This state of mind is about being engaged and devoted to your work. coffee or partying. "You have to believe in what you are doing and that your product is better than competitors. "You are kind of never not working." (W194) Entrepreneurial spirit is also about constantly looking for new opportunities in the environment you operate in. you are always looking for how to connect what's going on around you to what you are doing.
" (W192) "As an entrepreneur you learn about multiple issues having to do about business and technology not just about the specific technological issue that you have studied for. web developer and do companies marketing all at the same time. . managing business and employees as well as finding capital and new customers for business. I couldn't have got them anywhere else. I'm learning about economics and business administration more than I ever did when I was an employee. which became the firm's product overtime" (W194) "When we started the business we were just learning about social media.31 Constant Learning Experience Entrepreneurship was seen as a constant learning experience for the entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs face multiple challenges in the areas of developing new products or services. The entrepreneurs have had to update their knowledge about technology constantly. now we are a social media expert" (W194) However. this was seen as a positive side of the information technology industry." (W185) "I would say right now." (W188) The entrepreneurs were also highly devoted to learning about new technologies and business." (W188) "The experiences that I have had during these three years. "Being able to multitask and face challenges is all about what entrepreneurship is. The firms operated in information technology where technological development is vast. An entrepreneur has constantly new challenges developing new business concepts and updating knowledge about technology. "We started to develop an application for a learning experience. You have to be CEO.
We . (W185) 3.3 Entrepreneurial process The entrepreneurial process involves all actions undertaken by the entrepreneur to start the business and pursue opportunities. The entrepreneurs used time and resources actively to find new opportunities. Creating a business idea was seen as an evolving process. This was one of the reasons to become entrepreneur. Another positive was that an entrepreneur is able to decide who he or she works with. "We started to develop for a learning experience social media application and through that saw an opportunity to establish business evolving Facebook.4 Opportunity Recognition Developing an idea started from simple curiosity to learn about technology and overtime the entrepreneurs saw an opportunity to create a product or service." (W185) "If I succeed I can claim responsibility but on the other hand I can't blame anyone else for my mistakes" (W188) "Motivation to become an entrepreneur was about passion to create something new where I can use my own knowledge". "Freedom to make decisions about business and to build my own team" (W188) "The possibilities of create something new in small start-up are much more higher compared to possibilities in large company. service or business process. The entrepreneurial process is divided in three categories including recognising opportunities.2. The idea needs a great deal of development and trial before it is transformed into an innovation whether it has to do with a product. resources and team. Entrepreneurs were asked during the interviews to explain the firm's business idea (innovation that firm is based on) and how the innovation was created. 3. The team was seen as the most important asset for the firm.2.32 Entrepreneur is Able to Create new and Take Responsibility Being able to make decisions and affect business outcomes was considered important for entrepreneurs.
It was seen important that the entrepreneur is able to present and get other people excited about the idea. The team contributes to the success of the firm. it was described a good opportunity if the entrepreneur is able to get other people to contribute to the idea.2. The importance of updating and changing business concepts was underlined in the interviews. I would have never done it" (W188) .33 saw an opportunity for example in customer engagement in social media application" (W194) Screening Ideas Getting an outside view from a friend or colleague was seen as an important part of screening ideas. Most of the firms had multiple owners right from the beginning or a small team of individuals behind the firm. Our firm operates in internet business so things might dramatically change in the next five years" (W188) "You have to be able to take risks to succeed and if you see an opportunity get on board. The firm that operated around social media and web applications development saw that the environment is constantly changing and the firm should adapt to this environment. Otherwise you miss the opportunity. Moreover. "We might do something completely different after five years and we are constantly looking for new ways to do business." (W192) 3. If you can convince even one human being to commit to your idea your idea might be worth trying" (W194) "You need someone to check your idea" (W188) Looking constantly for new opportunities was seen as a way to survive in uncertain markets. The entrepreneurs saw that they are part of a team and they are not making decisions alone. "If I had to start my business alone.5 Team To have business partners and a great team was seen as the most important asset and resource for the firm. It also helped to recognize the idea as a good opportunity. "You need someone to check your ideas.
The entrepreneurs saw that the firm is built on individuals.2. The team's ability to work with each other affects the business outcomes. because it would be nice to have someone with whom to share responsibility. devotion are important features of a good team member. " (W194) 3." (W192) . Flexibility.6 Key Issues for Success This category presents the factors that the entrepreneurs considered crucial for building a successful business." (W185) Being entrepreneur is not about working alone but with a great team of people.34 "One of the most important assets of our firm is the employees. "(W194) "Team building is really important and entrepreneurs have to really think hard about who are they going to accept to work with them. "Don't always assume that if somebody happens to be brilliant at something that they are best in everything. "I asked my former colleague to get on board. "Understanding customer needs and constantly developing the service to meet these needs" (W185) "We understand that we have to make easy to use solution for masses. Also we have to think about our enduser. Understanding Customer Needs Good relations and understanding customer needs was seen as one of the key factors to success. Not some specific solutions that you can only use with an expensive phone" (W192) "We want to understand the needs of our main clients and how we can offer them the best solution that they need. team working. In the early days of start-up they might not be the best person to balance start-up team." (W192) Team building was mentioned to be one of the most important parts of the entrepreneurial process. "What are the competitive advantages of your firm?" was one of the main questions regarding this topic.
35 Understanding Basics of Economics and How to Run a Business A successful entrepreneur should be able to understand the basics of entrepreneurial economics such as contracts. There is enough work for all of us" (W188) . "Building a network is about building relationships" (W188) "You cannot do staff by yourself. hiring employees. outsourcing and other factors affecting revenue. "You have to be able to account and understand how increases in expenses or revenue or hiring new team member affect your business.2. Also we rely on our value chain and network" (W185) 3. "We have a creative and bold business plan and extremely competent team.7 Firms Social and Interorganizational Networks The concept of networks was thought to be the primary form of social interaction between people in different organizations. "I don't see our competitors as competitors but more like possible new firms to do cooperation with. increases in expenses. universities and universities of applied sciences. building networks is a good concept to operate for small firm. Doing cooperation with different organizational actors was considered crucial for the success of the firm." (W188) Planning your operations in advance and creating a business plan. The entrepreneurs talked about the importance of building relationships with different organizational actors. There should be a plus sign under the line. profits and expenses. start-up centres and public sector funding agencies." (W185) For small firms it was seen more beneficial to engage in collaboration with other small firms in the industry than simply remain in a competitor state. It is almost impossible to be successful alone" (W194) "To put it simply. The firms were mainly cooperating with other firms.
One entrepreneur called this capital "stay-alive money" which meant that the entrepreneur had to have enough capital to support his or her living and to pay the salaries to the employees. universities. "Starting an IT-business start-up you don't need a big capital investment. Entrepreneurs should get the maximum amount of benefits from the limited resources the firm has. "Public funding should be used for practical things not for example consulting. "(W194) "Open source software is a great resource" (W188) The entrepreneurs used some forms of public funding. former business partners and colleagues were mentioned as forming the entrepreneurs personal network. The resources should be used as effectively as possibly.8 Start Up Phase In the early start-up phase the entrepreneurs used personal networks to require critical resources and to gather a team and customers." (W194) Entrepreneurial ventures have often limited resources available. students. Access to these public resources was seen important especially in the starting phase." (W185) . The reasons were that often firms within information technology do not need large assembly lines or manufacturing or to build worldwide supply chain networks. Public money should be used to support development of product or services. The entrepreneurs mentioned that within information technology the firms often don't need large capital investments in the beginning. Requiring Resources in Start-up Phase The main challenge for the firms was to have capital support for product or service development. The use of open source software was also mentioned as one reason. Start-up centres.2. "Dreaming about great things but you are able to execute the plans with a minimal amount of resources. teachers.36 3. Entrepreneur needs to be able to do stuff and have money to support him or herself.
Other important resources included mobile phones. former colleagues and other contacts in the industry. former business partners. equipment. Personal networks were used to acquire the first customers for the business. students. we sold our services to friends' friends and also to former business contacts" (W188) "My former contacts in the industry have enabled finding specialists and contributed to firm possibilities to get involved with different interorganizational networks. This made it easy for the entrepreneurs to use the resources provided by the universities. which were also the main tools that the entrepreneurs used in their work. The entrepreneur's personal network can . Meeting Room. "We found out first customers through our mentor in start-up centre and through the interaction that started in star-up centres networking events. tables and clipboard. "School provided premises.9 Building networks Firms are pushed into forming relationships and doing cooperation with other firms for a variety of reasons such as the firm needs new customers. were really important for the business. Premises offered by universities were felt to be highly beneficial for the firm in the starting phase. meeting room. a place to work. laptops and software. they are doing Facebook apps" (W194) "Social contacts were important in the beginning. chairs. and a private place to meet" (W194) Using Personal Networks to Find Customers The entrepreneur's personal network included friends." (W185) "Customers found us through advice from fellow student. I know these guys.2. Tables and Clipboard Having a place to work and where the team can meet privately was mentioned about the premises." (W185) 3. market areas and help to engage in product and service development. Meeting room.37 Laptop.
People like to get first-hand knowledge. "It's important to first establish a personal relationship with the partner company and then you can stay in contact by email" (W194)" Building networks was not only seen as building relationships but as doing operative work for the partners in the network. (W194)" Through operative work firms are able to test the partnership." (W191) "Building relationships and collaboration between other firms doesn't happen without communication and then you have to have action to back it up" (W192) "We saw a possibility with collaborating with this one firm that uses the same technology but for different purposes. . some specific skills or connections to other organizations.38 offer a limited number of connections and entrepreneurs thus have to start building new relationships." (W188) Social relationships were the key in building formal collaboration between different organizational actors. Making noise of the firm. Now we are establishing a joint venture. customers and subcontractors." (W192) "It's important to be active in the network. Establishing and maintaining social relationships was seen as the key factor when building networks. "Your friends run out quickly so you are kind of forced to start building a network of potential business partners. The firm has something concrete to offer such as knowledge about technology. "Networking is also about doing operative work and you have to be able build the relationship through that. Thought leader and sharer of information is important. build norms and processes for the cooperation to work effectively.
" (W191) . The interviews revealed two challenges when the firm builds relationships and collaboration with different firms and other organizational actors. Challenges Faced When Building up Relationship Different parties working in cooperation can have different objectives and expectations about the outcomes and strategies. Our strategies didn't match" (W192) "It is really hard to find strong enough relationships that will last difficulties and differences of opinions. "Our strategy and perspective didn't match the perspective of the other firm. institution of higher education or certain part of the city affected relationship building.39 Building Trust The importance of trust was mentioned during the interviews." (W194) "Our location is crucial to our firm because we are surrounded by firms that might need our services or we might to do something together" (W188) Location was seen to affect the chances to meet people and interact with people. In order to do effective collaboration with other firms the different parties should be able to trust each other. "Building relationships is about that you convince the other side that you are a good guy and that takes lots of discussions and interaction" (W192) Location The location of the firm whether it was in a start-up centre. Trust is built through discussions. interaction and successful operative collaboration. student or other contacts. To get help for developing. It also affected how easy it is to meet people with whom you want to collaborate. "It's important to be nearby firms. We realized at some point we couldn't continue the cooperation.
Also the motives of different parties can differ greatly and undermine cooperation in the network. The team's ability to pursue opportunities is the next step in the model. The next step in the model is social networks and how well the team can use social networks to acquire resources and entrepreneur's personal network. abilities as well as entrepreneurial spirit contributes highly to the success of the firm. You know the culture" (W192) Establishing a relationship with different firms inside a network can be difficult and take a great deal of time. The main findings are presented in Figure 9 below.3 Findings The main objective of this thesis was to identify how to create a successful entrepreneurial venture. It is much easier to do collaboration with Finnish firms because you know how to operate in a Finnish environment. . opportunity. These four are team. It seems that four main categories affect highly on the possibilities of an entrepreneurial venture to be successful. The team's motivation. The model starts with team.40 "Cultural differences are one issue that affects the collaboration. 3. Opportunity generation is a continuous process. social networks and network building.
A competent team was built on the ability to work together along with expertise. the team was devoted towards promoting the success of the firm and . This viewpoint was supported by both the interviews and the conceptual frame.41 Figure 9: Building Blocks of Successful Entrepreneurial Venture • Motivation towards learn new • Entrepreneurial spirit • Ability to work together • Team is devoted to contribute to success of the firm Team Opportunity • Creativity & interest toward new technology and solutions • Actively look for new opportunities • Ability find new opportunities • Constant development to match customers needs Building networks Social Network •Do operative work with different organizations •Look actively new connections •Build trust and norms for collaboration • Ability to use social network to find and acquire resources (premises. capital) • Strong personal network in the startup phase • Access to strategic alliances Team Is the Most Important Asset for Entrepreneurial Venture. The team had an entrepreneurial spirit. it was found that the entrepreneurial ventures were built on a competent team and that the team was considered one of the most important assets for the firm. With regard to team. Furthermore. The firm wouldn't have been able to operate without the team and a competent team contributed to the entrepreneurial venture's innovation capabilities. creativity and knowledge. For the entrepreneur to work and make decisions alone was simply not an option. Also the team's interests towards learning about technology and business were considered important. customer.
into finding opportunities and pursuing them. The interviews show that the entrepreneurial ventures often had limited resources to start operations. Opportunity Recognition Process Finding potential opportunities and being able to create innovations was crucial for the success of an entrepreneurial venture. Being part of a strategic alliance and other type of formal cooperation with different organizational actors turned out to provide opportunities for the entrepreneurial ventures to get access to various assets controlled by other participants in the network. and capital). business partners. resources and access into strategic alliances. information. technology and resources. These assets would have been hard to reach without social relationships and doing cooperation with different organizational actors. Entrepreneurial spirit was also about continuously looking for new opportunities. An entrepreneurial venture should therefore put a strong effort. In both the conceptual frame and during the interviews. It was felt that social networks offered possibilities to progress overtime from informal interactions to formal cooperation with different organizational actors.42 believed in what they were doing. . operational work and capital. constant development and keeping it up-to-date for the firm to be successful. it was felt that the firm's business idea needs continuous shaping. Creating new ideas and developing them into innovations required a lot of resources from the entrepreneurial ventures such as time. Also. The team should also be constantly learning about new technology and business. knowledge. opportunity recognition was pointed out as one of the most important features of both the entrepreneurs and teams. equipment. along with resources. Social networks. on the other hand. Social networks give the firm access to markets. information and skills related to technology and business. The entrepreneur's personal network in the early start-up phase can give him/her a head start in ways of finding customers. were seen as means that can provide access to various resources and capital. Social Networks The entrepreneur's and team's ability to build relationships with different individuals in the industry and organizations contributed strongly to the firms' success. These assets were resources (such as premises.
In the second stage of relationship building the firms started to do more operative cooperation such as project. resources and technology. The firms started building networks on the basis of basic social interaction with each other.43 Building Relationships Starts with Interaction and Discussions The interviews revealed social interaction and doing operative work as the two main dimensions for building the firm's network. . It also became clear that building high performing partnerships takes time and resources. The benefits for entrepreneurial venture of being part of high performing partnerships are great. The interviewees claimed that being part of interorganizational networks grants access to information. development and other type of cooperation together. The interviews reveal that doing operative work is the key for forming high performing partnership. markets.
the firms interviewed for this study operated in this field. Also the research project is reviewed and the issues concerning the reliability and validity of the research are discussed. . The purpose of the interviews was to test the theories against the empirical findings. Naturally. One concern was that the thesis would become too disperse and the focus of the research unclear and therefore research objectives would not be met successfully.1 Project Summary This Bachelor's thesis is part of the Networked Entrepreneurship research project. 4. The findings of this study are thus based on a comparison of the theory and an analysis of the interviews.44 4 Conclusions and Discussions This chapter covers the conclusions and discussion regarding the research issues. Another concern was that the research would unnecessarily underline the corporate side even though the focus was aimed at entrepreneurial venture. the study draws on eight interviews carried out with entrepreneurs in the information technology industries. 4. This study is based on current theories and earlier findings regarding entrepreneurial ventures as well as social and interorganizational networks. The research objectives were chosen from Networked Entrepreneurship contexts. Entrepreneurial ventures were chosen to be the main research issue because it was felt to be the most interesting research issue from the point of view of a university student studying information technology and service industries. social and interorganizational networks and network building. The main work for this thesis started in October 2010 and finished in March 2011.1. These objectives were not without risks. In addition. The central aim of this thesis was to describe 1) the entrepreneurial venture creation process. entrepreneurial ventures.1 Achievement of Research Objectives The research objectives covered a large area of different research issue and concepts such as entrepreneurship. 2) to identify social and interorganizational networks and 3) to identify how networks are built.
The basic issues related to social and interorganizational networks were discussed in the thesis. The thesis covers the first research objective using different models and implications from theoretical research and empirical findings. The process of network building was discussed in the startup phase of entrepreneurial ventures. A model showing the building blocks of entrepreneurial ventures can be found in the findings. Also the benefits. This was mainly due to the fact that the research objectives covered rather large areas of theoretical knowledge. It was challenging to build a picture from the viewpoint of entrepreneurial venture.2 Validation and Reliability The questions of validity in qualitative research can be observed through three main errors which occur regularly in qualitative research. motivations and constraints behind social and interorganizational networks were evaluated. On a general level. (Flick 2002) In this thesis the issue with validity occurs most in the interviews conducted among the entrepreneurs. It turned out that the structured . The thesis draws a multidimensional picture of how to create an entrepreneurial venture successfully. The second objective was to identify different forms and models of social and interorganizational networks. 4. However the focus of the research was generally well maintained. The interview structure was not the most effective one for testing the conceptual frame in an empirical environment. A more in-depth discussion of the objective regarding how to build a formal collaboration with companies was excluded.1. The third aim was to find out how networks are built. The first objective was successfully met from the research point of view. the thesis met the research objectives quite well but a more indepth discussion and analysis of the issues was not possible. The first type of error is to see relations and principles where they are not correct. There are no clear implications which networks are the most significant ones for entrepreneurial ventures but only that networks generally contribute to the success of the firm. The second error is to reject them where they are correct and the third error is to ask the wrong questions. This research objective was met relatively well.45 The first objective was to describe the entrepreneurial venture creation process.
the reliability of the research is relatively good. window of opportunity. Sometimes good business sense is all that is needed and that cannot be measured by any standard. challenges. constraints and opportunities. The reliability of this thesis draws from the analysis of the interviews and comparing the results critically to theoretical knowledge obtained from current literature. Timmons (1999) reports that nine out of ten entrepreneurial ventures fail in their operations and are not able to become truly high growth firms. customer behavior. The models and frames presented in this thesis serve as tools for estimating the possibilities for success but do not provide the ultimate solution for entrepreneurial venture creation.46 questions formulated for the interviews did not always succeed in obtaining the desired in-depth answers.2 Conclusions and Discussions During this research process it became clear that creating a successful entrepreneurial venture is more easily said than done. There are multiple variables that affect the success of the firms and these are not easily measured or analyzed. This affects the reliability of the research as the sample size is small and a reliable result is hard to draw from this sample size. Even though there are multidimensional variables in entrepreneurial venture creation it does not mean that entrepreneurial venture creation should not be supported. team's capabilities. These variables include personalities. entrepreneurial ventures have good opportunities for achieving success. For example. It relies on the person's abilities to understand environment and opportunities. changes in technology and structural changes in markets and industries. medical or in the forest industry operate. The original idea was to interview more entrepreneurs but busy time schedules and the amount of interviews cancelled limited the number of interviews originally planned. how would entrepreneurial ventures in biotech. Entrepreneurial venture creation should be . The research focused on firms in information technology industries which can be considered a unique world. On the contrary. It can be quite different compared to the information technology industries. 4. On the whole. look for opportunities and find customers for their products and services. Altogether eight interviews were conducted during the research process. Every industry sector has its own possibilities.
Even if the team is great. Therefore. the business is doomed to fail. the business plan carefully crafted and strategies made. but the product or service does not match the customer's needs. The same applies to modifying and developing the product and service further along with how the product and service meet the customer's needs. meeting rooms) and tools (computers and software). Students from different faculties and degree programs should be included in the process when establishing an entrepreneurial centre or start-up centre in an institution of higher education. Finnish students get financial benefits through governmental subsidies and the basic standard of living is somewhat protected. There have been great examples of these kinds of start-up and entrepreneurship centres in Finnish institutions of higher education such as Aalto Venture Garage and start-up centre. The school can provide extensive access to multiple resources needed to develop the product and services and also provide a great place to get access to knowledge and information. Clearly. The focus should be on what type of organization needs to be built and how the product and services would be produced and distributed. In addition. the school can provide basic resources such as premises (place to work. creating potential opportunities is one of the most important requirements of an entrepreneurial venture. Institutions of higher education could be a place to bring people together from different faculties and disciplines. Failure should not be thought of as a personal defeat but as a learning experience.47 considered and compared through the context where the firm operates such as environment (industry and markets). Being an entrepreneur or planning to start a firm during one's studies can also be a really beneficial learning experience for individuals for example students who can get more out of their studies in institutions of higher education. starting a firm when the person is still a student seems beneficial from many points of view. A series of trial and error are needed to create successful firms. There could be great . Institutions of Higher Education to Encourage Students for Entrepreneurship The institutions of higher education such as universities and universities of applied sciences could be favourable environments to encourage students to start their own firms and possibly to create a successful entrepreneurial venture.
48 possibilities for finding interdisciplinary solutions for example in the fields of healthcare and information technology. It could provide a really in-depth learning experience and extra motivation to the students. This could be integrated into degree programme courses in the form of projects and thesis work. There could be a real sense of accomplishment when a person creates something beneficial by starting their own business. It could be a place where a student can develop a business plan with the help of professionals such as teachers and professionals from the industry. . One great possibility is that the school can provide access to different interorganizational networks and possibilities to get mentoring from professionals. The institute of higher education could be the place where to brainstorm. create and develop the new product and services.
J. Yunus (2001). Strategic Management Journal. Academy of Management Journal. (2001). Journal of Small Business Management. & Pustay. Sigvald J. Management Decision. Flick. Strategic Entrepreneurship 3rd Edition: FT/Prentice Hall. An introduction to Qualitative Research. Market. Dropping the E-words from small business research: an alternative typology. Dean.navigating from creativity to commercialisation. No. Entrepreneurship through relationships .. Forecast. (2004) Taking Stock of Networks and Organizations: A Multilevel Perspective. 2001. J. pp. A and J A Starr. 290-310. hierarchy. (2008). Antecedents for Coping with Relationships and Networks Effectively. Enterprise: Entrepreneurship and Innovation." California Management Review 49(3): 67-83. (2007). 3. 47. Number 3. 3rd Edition Wickham. 203-215 Ritter. Lowe. Bessant. William D (2003). Phillip A. 6. Nitin Nohria. Elmuti. J. Organization Science (March–April). Harryson. Low Murray B. S. and Performing: Creating Networks for Discontinuous Innovation.. Elsevier Ltd. et al. 2. Uwe (2002). Contexts and Commercialization. pp.49 5 1 2 References Adler. 2nd edition. Robert W. R. . 5-15. (1993). (2006). Ranjay. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Bygrave. R&D Management. W. and trust: The knowledge economy and the future of capitalism. Birkinshaw. Akbar Zaheer (2000).. Concepts. 3 Brass. 205-218(14). Galaskiewicz. Michael W (2003). Tsai. (2004). SAGE publications. 795-817. Kathawala. MacMillan Ian C. P. Griffin. Forming. Larson. Thomas (1999).. The Networking Company. An overview of strategic alliances. Industrial Marketing Management 28. Ricky W. "Finding. A network model of organization formation. Gulati. 215–234.. The Portable MBA in Entrepreneurship. (1988). pp. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. and Marriott. Greve H. Volume 39. Entrepreneurship: Past Research and Future Challenges. 21. 467-479. D. Vol. pp. Journal of Management. Hornaday.S. (1990). 38(3). Strategic Networks. International Business: Managerial Perspective.
& Knoke. 123-14 .A. Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century. no.50 16 17 18 Teknologia Teollisuus (2011). Management Decision.html Timmons. (2005).fi/en/a/it. D.1. J. Strategic alliances and models of collaboration. (1999).43. vol. Todeva. E.teknologiateollisuus. Singapore: McGraw-Hill. pp. New Venture Creation. http://www.