An exploration into the notions of opportunity formation, networks and stakeholder management in moderate and extreme digital entrepreneurship.
Share this presentation if you liked it and get in touch with any suggestions to continue, expand and evolve the research exploringdigital@gmail.com
Introduction to some of the issues raised by the rhetorics of collaboration in the creative industries. This was prepared for the first session of a new module on collaborative practices for MA Creative Media Practice students at the University of the West of Scotland.
BT Green Guide: Understanding "green" business practicesJason Lemkin
Electronic signatures
Contracts are a major source of paper usage in business. Firstly
there is the need to print contracts and sign them, then the need
to fax them to the recipient, which uses the same amount of paper
again. However technology is now becoming available that enables
electronic signatures to be used. The services to look for are those that
comply with the UK Electronic Signatures Act, which gives electronic
contracts the same weight as those executed on paper.
Electronic signatures mean documents never need to be printed.
This creates a major saving in paper usage
In addition to this, there is the potential to cut down on the
office space needed to store hard copies of all such documents
With the possibility for smaller premises comes the potential for
lower energy bills from the reduced heating and lighting costs.
Case study: Henmore Marketing moves business to a virtual
work space
Henmore Marketing specialises in delivering marketing communications and consultancy
services to IT and technology companies. MD Catherine Doel’s knowledge of the
technology market meant she had been quick to see an opportunity to move her
business to a ‘virtual’ footing.
Henmore Marketing shifted to home-working. Enabled by broadband, all employees
could now be happy home-workers with the same access to the company network
as they used to enjoy from the office.
But after a stolen laptop scare, a few days of seriously delayed email, and the new
challenge of managing email through a firewall at a client’s site, Catherine knew she
had a problem ensuring communications and access to key documents was kept at
the required levels. This led Henmore Marketing to embrace BT Workspace software.
It helps them ensure that team members always work on the correct version of
important documents, while client communication now takes place via discussion
forums in the workspace.
As well as the cost savings of no longer needing to pay rent for office space, there was
a clear environmental benefit in the form of reduced employee travel and power usage.
The combination of broadband and workspace software helped to transform the way
Henmore do business.
Green Drinks (Eco Lounge) presentation about how to create an eco NGO and live to tell thetale! Mostly pictures for multilingual audiance. Given with Mike Schiller CEO GBA
Introduction to some of the issues raised by the rhetorics of collaboration in the creative industries. This was prepared for the first session of a new module on collaborative practices for MA Creative Media Practice students at the University of the West of Scotland.
BT Green Guide: Understanding "green" business practicesJason Lemkin
Electronic signatures
Contracts are a major source of paper usage in business. Firstly
there is the need to print contracts and sign them, then the need
to fax them to the recipient, which uses the same amount of paper
again. However technology is now becoming available that enables
electronic signatures to be used. The services to look for are those that
comply with the UK Electronic Signatures Act, which gives electronic
contracts the same weight as those executed on paper.
Electronic signatures mean documents never need to be printed.
This creates a major saving in paper usage
In addition to this, there is the potential to cut down on the
office space needed to store hard copies of all such documents
With the possibility for smaller premises comes the potential for
lower energy bills from the reduced heating and lighting costs.
Case study: Henmore Marketing moves business to a virtual
work space
Henmore Marketing specialises in delivering marketing communications and consultancy
services to IT and technology companies. MD Catherine Doel’s knowledge of the
technology market meant she had been quick to see an opportunity to move her
business to a ‘virtual’ footing.
Henmore Marketing shifted to home-working. Enabled by broadband, all employees
could now be happy home-workers with the same access to the company network
as they used to enjoy from the office.
But after a stolen laptop scare, a few days of seriously delayed email, and the new
challenge of managing email through a firewall at a client’s site, Catherine knew she
had a problem ensuring communications and access to key documents was kept at
the required levels. This led Henmore Marketing to embrace BT Workspace software.
It helps them ensure that team members always work on the correct version of
important documents, while client communication now takes place via discussion
forums in the workspace.
As well as the cost savings of no longer needing to pay rent for office space, there was
a clear environmental benefit in the form of reduced employee travel and power usage.
The combination of broadband and workspace software helped to transform the way
Henmore do business.
Green Drinks (Eco Lounge) presentation about how to create an eco NGO and live to tell thetale! Mostly pictures for multilingual audiance. Given with Mike Schiller CEO GBA
Presentation covering:
# Greenwash theory and examples
# Main types of greener energy
# Six main energy providers in the UK and their fuel mix
# Criticism to the main six energy providers
# Government policies
# Meeting green expectations
# Consumer perspective
# Conclusion
# Some references
تهدف جائزة البصمة الخضراء إلى خلق ثقافة تولد مبادرات خضراء تزيد من الشعور بالمسؤولية الفردية نحو أمنا ”الأرض“ عن طريق إلهام و تشجيع جيل المستقبل للمبادرة مع القدرة الكاملة على إستدامة المصادر الطبيعية
The Green Mark Awards (GMA) aims to develop a culture of green initiatives that increase the feeling of personal responsibility toward our Mother Earth through inspiring and encouraging young people to response with full ability to sustain natural resources.
Shared Value and Sustainable EntrepreneurshipEdward Erasmus
Slides of my guest lecture during the kick-off event for the project of Sustainable Entrepreneurship (3rd year students of the Faculty of Accounting, Finance and Marketing, University of Aruba)
I was key note speaker and presenter at a National conference on “Green Entrepreneurship – 2012” at New Horizon Leadership Institute hosted by AIMS (Association of Indian Management Schools), NEN (National Entrepreneurship Network), World Academy of Productivity Science and APJMER (Asia Pacific Journal of Management and Research).
Top 20 tips for entrepreneurship and small businessAhmed Samy
Are you an entrepreneur? or willing to be? Do you have a small business? or willing to have?
A must read presentation containing selected top 20 tips for entrepreneurship and small business
Provided by Eureka Digital
Defining an intelligent scope for the digital economy - WAI Loop#3 Round#1WeAreInnovation
Our latest round of innovation discussions has covered an appealing call for fearlessness by women leaders, 7 traits needed to be a smart change maker, a question on what makes cities, citizens and social ecosystems intelligent, as well as a global intent to empower the thus defined intelligent crowd. In addition, we reviewed the on-going legal framework adaptation around innovation, how the environment drew boundaries to the digital disruption, and analyzed how diversity could help understand the dynamics of change.
An Exploratory Study of Entrepreneurial Opportunity Recognition of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. With the objective to recognize opportunity and start a venture formation, SMEs must proactively involve in entrepreneurial activities from scratch. Founders of SMEs are likely perceived as entrepreneurs in the process of pursuing new business and profit which will lead to enterprise formation (DeTienne & Chandler, 2007; Gilmore, 2011). Approaching from the behavioral aspect of entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial opportunity search includes knowledge, alertness, intuition, creativity and social interaction. By searching the pattern of adopted activities of owners, the process evolves into opportunity recognition. Since the more turbulent and complicated the marketplace is, the more opportunities entrepreneurs are granted; entrepreneurial opportunity recognition may also come into existence from a complex series of phenomena with different distinct parts such as innovative insight, idea exploration, informal evaluation and concept development (Webb, Ireland, Hitt, Kistruck, & Tihanyi, 2011). Or through the argument by Ardichvili, Cardozo, and Ray (2003), entrepreneurs undergo a process from observing underemployed resource or market need to disclosing a ‘match’ between specific market need and certain resources; then formulating a fresh ‘match’ between the need and resources in the specific context of their businesses. And the main determinants influencing the above processes as well as contributors to entrepreneurial opportunity recognition that are in need of further exploration include prior knowledge, entrepreneurial alertness, market analysis, creativity, network ties and situational elements.
International Journal of Engineering Research and Development (IJERD)IJERD Editor
journal publishing, how to publish research paper, Call For research paper, international journal, publishing a paper, IJERD, journal of science and technology, how to get a research paper published, publishing a paper, publishing of journal, publishing of research paper, reserach and review articles, IJERD Journal, How to publish your research paper, publish research paper, open access engineering journal, Engineering journal, Mathemetics journal, Physics journal, Chemistry journal, Computer Engineering, Computer Science journal, how to submit your paper, peer reviw journal, indexed journal, reserach and review articles, engineering journal, www.ijerd.com, research journals,
yahoo journals, bing journals, International Journal of Engineering Research and Development, google journals, hard copy of journal
Presentation covering:
# Greenwash theory and examples
# Main types of greener energy
# Six main energy providers in the UK and their fuel mix
# Criticism to the main six energy providers
# Government policies
# Meeting green expectations
# Consumer perspective
# Conclusion
# Some references
تهدف جائزة البصمة الخضراء إلى خلق ثقافة تولد مبادرات خضراء تزيد من الشعور بالمسؤولية الفردية نحو أمنا ”الأرض“ عن طريق إلهام و تشجيع جيل المستقبل للمبادرة مع القدرة الكاملة على إستدامة المصادر الطبيعية
The Green Mark Awards (GMA) aims to develop a culture of green initiatives that increase the feeling of personal responsibility toward our Mother Earth through inspiring and encouraging young people to response with full ability to sustain natural resources.
Shared Value and Sustainable EntrepreneurshipEdward Erasmus
Slides of my guest lecture during the kick-off event for the project of Sustainable Entrepreneurship (3rd year students of the Faculty of Accounting, Finance and Marketing, University of Aruba)
I was key note speaker and presenter at a National conference on “Green Entrepreneurship – 2012” at New Horizon Leadership Institute hosted by AIMS (Association of Indian Management Schools), NEN (National Entrepreneurship Network), World Academy of Productivity Science and APJMER (Asia Pacific Journal of Management and Research).
Top 20 tips for entrepreneurship and small businessAhmed Samy
Are you an entrepreneur? or willing to be? Do you have a small business? or willing to have?
A must read presentation containing selected top 20 tips for entrepreneurship and small business
Provided by Eureka Digital
Defining an intelligent scope for the digital economy - WAI Loop#3 Round#1WeAreInnovation
Our latest round of innovation discussions has covered an appealing call for fearlessness by women leaders, 7 traits needed to be a smart change maker, a question on what makes cities, citizens and social ecosystems intelligent, as well as a global intent to empower the thus defined intelligent crowd. In addition, we reviewed the on-going legal framework adaptation around innovation, how the environment drew boundaries to the digital disruption, and analyzed how diversity could help understand the dynamics of change.
An Exploratory Study of Entrepreneurial Opportunity Recognition of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. With the objective to recognize opportunity and start a venture formation, SMEs must proactively involve in entrepreneurial activities from scratch. Founders of SMEs are likely perceived as entrepreneurs in the process of pursuing new business and profit which will lead to enterprise formation (DeTienne & Chandler, 2007; Gilmore, 2011). Approaching from the behavioral aspect of entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial opportunity search includes knowledge, alertness, intuition, creativity and social interaction. By searching the pattern of adopted activities of owners, the process evolves into opportunity recognition. Since the more turbulent and complicated the marketplace is, the more opportunities entrepreneurs are granted; entrepreneurial opportunity recognition may also come into existence from a complex series of phenomena with different distinct parts such as innovative insight, idea exploration, informal evaluation and concept development (Webb, Ireland, Hitt, Kistruck, & Tihanyi, 2011). Or through the argument by Ardichvili, Cardozo, and Ray (2003), entrepreneurs undergo a process from observing underemployed resource or market need to disclosing a ‘match’ between specific market need and certain resources; then formulating a fresh ‘match’ between the need and resources in the specific context of their businesses. And the main determinants influencing the above processes as well as contributors to entrepreneurial opportunity recognition that are in need of further exploration include prior knowledge, entrepreneurial alertness, market analysis, creativity, network ties and situational elements.
International Journal of Engineering Research and Development (IJERD)IJERD Editor
journal publishing, how to publish research paper, Call For research paper, international journal, publishing a paper, IJERD, journal of science and technology, how to get a research paper published, publishing a paper, publishing of journal, publishing of research paper, reserach and review articles, IJERD Journal, How to publish your research paper, publish research paper, open access engineering journal, Engineering journal, Mathemetics journal, Physics journal, Chemistry journal, Computer Engineering, Computer Science journal, how to submit your paper, peer reviw journal, indexed journal, reserach and review articles, engineering journal, www.ijerd.com, research journals,
yahoo journals, bing journals, International Journal of Engineering Research and Development, google journals, hard copy of journal
The Blockchain Commission for Sustainable Development is proud to present a significant body of research, focused on raising awareness for the potential of blockchain technology to contribute profound social impact worldwide. The purpose of this white paper—The Future is Decentralized: Block Chains, Distributed Ledgers & The Future of Sustainable Development (Volume 1) is to demystify the technology + demonstrate real-world applicability of its potential using existing case studies + fieldwork.
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The digital world is part of our DNA now; it is part of how we consume our entertainment, share our experiences, and keep in touch with our loved ones. Technology can be harnessed to strengthen democratic institutions; in this day and age, a revaluation of our relationship with technology is more important than ever.
Blockchains can bring transparency to opaque or corrupt systems, and verifiability and immutability to commercial processes. They can bring increased security and resilience to vulnerable infrastructure, ensure individual privacy whilst guaranteeing autonomy, and encourage cooperation and engender trust where needed most.
Given the growth and role of entrepreneurship today, it is becoming increasingly important to
understand how new entrepreneurial opportunities get developed. Entrepreneurs play a critically important role
in the economy. By spotting opportunities and taking action to exploit them, they drive the process of market
production and the fulfillment of social and economic needs. Discussions of the emergence of new
entrepreneurial opportunities often include “eureka” moments, but we currently lack a deep understanding of
why some individuals are able to spot the opportunities that most people cannot see. We attribute the difference
to a loosely defined quality that Kirzner called “entrepreneurial alertness”. While this has been a useful basis
for a considerable body of entrepreneurship research to-date, it is still unsatisfactory in several ways. To
achieve this goal we distribute questionnaires between 115 M.A. student’s from Economics and Management
college of University of Sistan&Baluchestan for the years 2012 and 2013. Analysis was done by correlation test.
Results showed that there is significant relationship between creativity, self-efficacy, locus of control, social
networks, prior knowledge, educational issues, environment and student’s entrepreneurial alertness. This survey
can be used to develop potential entrepreneurs in different fields in determining of key elements of opportunity
recognition, training and improving of that.
Article visualizing action - innovation dailyDebra M. Amidon
In an era of Big Data, we are challenged to identify signals of progress. Where complexity and change are the norm, classical financial indicators are no longer sufficient. We demonstrate a unique tool for social and organizational networking analysis to provide insight with a picture for strategic planning and economic development using 15 Massachusetts enterprises and 15 value drivers for Intellectual Capital.
This 7-second Brain Wave Ritual Attracts Money To You.!nirahealhty
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APNIC Foundation, presented by Ellisha Heppner at the PNG DNS Forum 2024APNIC
Ellisha Heppner, Grant Management Lead, presented an update on APNIC Foundation to the PNG DNS Forum held from 6 to 10 May, 2024 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
Meet up Milano 14 _ Axpo Italia_ Migration from Mule3 (On-prem) to.pdfFlorence Consulting
Quattordicesimo Meetup di Milano, tenutosi a Milano il 23 Maggio 2024 dalle ore 17:00 alle ore 18:30 in presenza e da remoto.
Abbiamo parlato di come Axpo Italia S.p.A. ha ridotto il technical debt migrando le proprie APIs da Mule 3.9 a Mule 4.4 passando anche da on-premises a CloudHub 1.0.
Bridging the Digital Gap Brad Spiegel Macon, GA Initiative.pptxBrad Spiegel Macon GA
Brad Spiegel Macon GA’s journey exemplifies the profound impact that one individual can have on their community. Through his unwavering dedication to digital inclusion, he’s not only bridging the gap in Macon but also setting an example for others to follow.
1.Wireless Communication System_Wireless communication is a broad term that i...JeyaPerumal1
Wireless communication involves the transmission of information over a distance without the help of wires, cables or any other forms of electrical conductors.
Wireless communication is a broad term that incorporates all procedures and forms of connecting and communicating between two or more devices using a wireless signal through wireless communication technologies and devices.
Features of Wireless Communication
The evolution of wireless technology has brought many advancements with its effective features.
The transmitted distance can be anywhere between a few meters (for example, a television's remote control) and thousands of kilometers (for example, radio communication).
Wireless communication can be used for cellular telephony, wireless access to the internet, wireless home networking, and so on.
2. Over 110 sources referenced and hundreds more reviewed
In-depth interviews and thematic coding
15 digital entrepreneurs from the
US, UK, Denmark, Norway and Italy
took part in this qualitative study.
3. vContent
Summary 4-5
Theory 6-23
Methodology 24-25
Findings 26-45
Conclusions 46-51
Objective 1: To explore the notion of opportunity formation (creation, discovery and
narrative) amongst moderate and extreme digital entrepreneurs.
Objective 2: To gain an insight into the role of networks in opportunity formation amongst
moderate and extreme digital entrepreneurs.
Objective 3: To understand how moderate and extreme digital entrepreneurs manage
opportunities with stakeholders within their networks.
4. v
Prevalent view: Opportunities come into existence from the recombination of
relations and time in a continuum.
Summary
Opportunity formation as a process: identification of problems or unmet
needs, which are usually found in traditional industries.
Those problems can evolve into ideas.
The entrepreneur transforms ideas into opportunities through high quality
information.
Information can be acquired through strong relations within networks which
help digital entrepreneurs to see the environment through different lenses.
5. v
Stakeholders should be managed in an open and transparent manner
through special attention, regular communication and a clear strategy.
This is to forge strong relations which favour dynamism and induce a
joint effort towards increased opportunity formation.
Effective stakeholder management will ensure an active flow of
information from both sides of the relationship.
This will lead to stronger and trustworthy relations which are essential,
in line with the shift from know-how to know-who.
Summary
8. Do you want to skip the theory and
go straight to the findings?
Go to slide 26
9. v
An entrepreneur is “an individual who shifts economic resources out of an
area of lower production into one of higher yield and production”, a planner
rather than a risk taker (Jean-Baptiste Say 1803).
An opportunity is defined as an “unexploited project” that is present when
competitive imperfections occur in product or factor markets.
Entrepreneurship is the scholarly field that “seeks to understand how
opportunities to bring into existence ‘future’ goods and services are
discovered, created, and exploited, by whom, and with what consequence”
(Venkataraman 1997).
Entrepreneurship
10. v
Market and economic conditions are key to understanding entrepreneurship, as
the entrepreneur is the ‘disruptive’ force that generates economic growth by
rendering certain industries outdated while creating new ones (Schumpeter 1976).
Digital economy
The entrepreneur is the catalyst for radical economic change.
Recent market and economic conditions have changed due to increased ability
“to process and transfer information instantly and freely and the digitalisation of
processes and activities” (Davidson and Vaast 2010).
These changes have defined a new economy known as the ‘digital economy’.
11. v
Digital entrepreneurship is “a subcategory of entrepreneurship in which some or all of what
would be physical in a traditional organisation has been digitised” (Hull at al. 2007).
While ICT is associated with many organisations’ processes, significantly it is the foundation
and critical infrastructure of digital entrepreneurial activities.
Defining digital entrepreneurship
Mild digital
entrepreneurship
A supplement or
complement to traditional
setting in a digital economy
Moderate digital
entrepreneurship
The foundation of the
enterprise on the basis of the
digital infrastructure
Extreme digital
entrepreneurship
Venturing into the digital
economy in which the entire
venture is digital
12. vDigital And Traditional Entrepreneurship: A Comparison
Ease of entry (digital businesses may take considerably less time to create)
Ease of manufacturing and storing (in the digital world, inventory is meaningless and
manufacturing is not cost-intensive)
Ease of distribution (in the digital marketplace, distribution is more cost-effective
and efficient)
Digital workplace (ICT allows entrepreneurs to take advantage of potential employees
and partnerships worldwide without geographical limitations)
Digital goods (modification of digital products can be established without critically
interrupting the production and sales process)
Digital services (in the digital environment, services can be conducted through an
automated process at a relatively low cost)
Digital commitment (development of commitment in virtual companies may present greater
challenges than in physical companies)
13. v
Entrepreneurs pursue opportunities beyond the resources currently controlled
(Stevenson et al. 1985).
Opportunity formation for entrepreneurs
A classification of opportunities which are interconnected and mutually reinforcing:
Business opportunities, aimed
at generating a financial profit
such as commercialisation of
an innovation
Knowledge opportunities,
aimed at developing, expanding
and circulating a domain-related
knowledge base
Institutional opportunities,
aimed at leveraging resources
in order to create new
institutions or transform
existing ones
14. v
Scholarship has recognised that opportunity formation takes place under conditions of
uncertainty which follow a continuum from total ignorance to “near certainty” (Schumpeter
1976).
Different schools in opportunity formation
Discovery NarrativeCreation
Entrepreneurial
interpretation
Four main schools in opportunity formation have been investigated:
15. v
Opportunities are exogenously given and arise from shocks including
technological, regulatory and political changes (Kirzner 1997).
According to this perspective, ‘alert’ individuals are able to seize opportunities
which already exist in the context independently of the entrepreneur’s efforts
(Shane and Venkataraman 2000).
They are in the external world to be discovered through the mechanism of
‘alertness’ or ‘undirected search’ which is defined as “scanning at all times” (Casson
and Wadeson 2007; Kirzner 1997, p.72).
Prior to the occurrence of any kind of shock, the actor’s situation is one of “utterly
unknown ignorance” (Kirzner 1979, p.72).
Discovery
16. v
Opportunities arise from endogenous shocks and are socially constructed by
entrepreneurs through the mechanism of ‘action and reaction’ (Weick 1979).
According to this perspective, opportunities are produced by the
entrepreneurs’ efforts in a subtext of creative energy (Baker and Nelson 2005;
Garud and Giuliani 2013).
Opportunities are about experimentation, playfulness and creativity which
enable actors to create value from nothing (Aldrich and Kenworthy 1999;
Baker and Nelson 2005).
Prior to the occurrence of endogenous shocks, the actor is in a situation of
“fundamental uncertainty” (Dequech 2006, p.111).
Creation
17. v
Discovery and creation are dynamic forces and meaning-making emerges from
the interaction of relational space and durational time (Garud and Giuliani 2013).
Opportunities arise through a recombination process of social and material
components where any act of creation is an act of discovery, and vice versa
(Garud et al. 2010).
Narrative
“The way actors give meaning to available information through the imposition of
an opportunity template on that information set” (Barreto 2012, p.373).
vEntrepreneurial interpretation
18. v
The entrepreneur finds and exploits opportunities through knowing things that
others do not. “What is precarious at one time becomes predictable at another
time because of new information“ (Stinch-combe 1990, p. 7).
Information gathering is therefore essential to opportunity formation. It is also
argued that entrepreneurship in itself is the outcome of information asymmetries
existing in the different segments of the market (Shane 2000).
A network theory has been used to explain how networks affect the quality,
quantity and speed of information and resource acquisition (Barringer and
Ireland 2006).
Information
19. v
Networks consist of interrelated relationships between a set of actors (Hoang and
Antoncic 2003). It has been acknowledged that they are highly valuable resources
(Coviello 2006) as entrepreneurs can be more productive as part of a cooperative
network rather than as solo actors (Casson 1997).
Meaning-making is the result of relations or ties and “the key to success lies in
the ability to develop and maintain a personal network” (Johannisson 1988, p.83).
Defining network theory
The entrepreneurial function exists and develops in a network of relations which
affect each other (Ribeiro and Roig 2007).
20. Business networks comprise those support people, such as bankers, lawyers, accountants, and
business consultants, who provide services to business owners.
(Anderson et al. 1994, p.2).
v
Personal networks are a collection of individuals who may or may not be known to each other and
who, in some way contribute something to the entrepreneur, either passively, reactively or proactively
whether specifically elicited or not.
Personal & business networks
Personal networks consist of social relationships including family, friends and acquaintances
(Klyver and Foley 2013).
Both networks can facilitate opportunity formation through synergistic relationships. They can provide
complimentary resources and information at different stages of the value chain (Nummela 2002) with
the ultimate benefit of decreasing uncertainty.
The quantity, quality and speed of information is influenced by the strength and amount of ties
(relations) that exist in the network. In particular, Granovetter (1973) argued that ‘weak ties’ contribute
more to the entrepreneur than the ‘strong ties’.
21. Network characteristics as identified by Rowley (1997):
• Network density (the relative number of ties in the network that connect
actors together)
• Network centrality (an individual actor’s power in a network)
v
The ‘strength’ of a tie is “a combination of the amount of time, the emotional
intensity, the intimacy (mutual confiding), and the reciprocal services which
characterise the tie” (Granovetter 1973, p.1361).
The power of weak and strong ties
These characteristics affect the flow of information and the relationships between
stakeholders within the network with a knock-on effect on opportunity formation
(Rowley 1997). Stakeholders include competitors, suppliers, customers,
distributors and governments (Sharma and Johanson 1987).
The creation of ties is therefore a time consuming act. Entrepreneurs benefit
from having both many ties and a combination of strong and weak ties.
22. v
“Firms have to take into account and integrate the needs of all its [sic]
stakeholders in the way they operate their business to create and distribute
value” (Schlierer et al. 2012, p.39).
“The focal organisation is more than simply the central point of its own
stakeholders: it is also a stakeholder of many other focal points in its relevant
social system” (Rowley 1997, p.892).
This highlights the shift from know-how to know-who (Stalk 1998) which
involves “the social capability to cooperate and communicate with different
kinds of people and experts” (Lundvall 1998, p.417) in order to form ties.
“If you create your network with trust, diversity and brokerage, you can raise
your level of information from what you know to who you know” (Uzzi and
Dunlap 2006, p.60).
Stakeholder management
23. v
Effective information is gained through the complimentary qualities of ties
whether weak or strong (Hansen 1999). Indeed, “as weak ties transform into
strong ties to capture value from the new knowledge, the diminishing
knowledge benefits from strong ties forces firms to search for new knowledge
through weak ties” (Lowik et al. 2012, p.241).
This ‘dual network’ of key strong ties together with a “periphery of weak ties”
requires increased efficiency in order to achieve completed ties while employing
relatively little time and effort (Hallen and Eisenhardt 2012, p.37).
Stakeholder management
25. v
This exploratory research is influenced by an interpretive worldview (Daymon
and Holloway 2002). Interpretivism seeks to understand the ‘social world’ using
fieldwork to uncover the meanings by which people comprehend their own
experiences, behaviours and communication (Denscombe 2007).
Methodology
The subjective input of participants is the key to exploring the reality as this is
constructed by human beings interacting with each other and giving meanings
to their actions.
This research has used an inductive philosophy in which objectives are
researched in order to create general conclusions or theories (Bryman 2008),
while keeping an open mind towards end results (Perkmann and Walsh 2009).
The adoption of in-depth interviews allowed for adaptation of the interaction
between the interviewer and the participant (Mack et al. 2005). This led to the
revelation of a greater amount of information (Stacks 2002).
27. v
Prevalent view: The digitalisation of processes increases the amount of
opportunities open to the entrepreneur. This is due to the entrepreneur
perceiving a decreased risk in identifying a vast array of opportunities in
digital entrepreneurship as opposed to traditional entrepreneurship.
Less risk, more opportunities
Before I identify an opportunity, I see an idea and think about whether I can
exploit it.
I know that through digital technology things are cheaper and quicker to produce so I
look at the world with different eyes and I am open to more opportunities because the
path to failure is not as daunting as in traditional settings.
28. Prevalent view: Opportunity formation is a three phase process. First, there is a
problem, issue, unmet need, pain point or hurdle that is present in the
environment. From there, an idea is born which, if reputed viable, creates value
and becomes an opportunity.
If it is a problem for me and if it is a problem for my immediate group, there exists a
problem, first of all… Once you have a problem you have to think of a possible solution and you
think, will other people buy it or would other people be happy to have this solutionfor an existing
problem? If I answer yes to all of those questions, to me that’s an opportunity.
vOpportunity formation: a three phase process
In traditional industries things are complicated, expensive and manual. Digitalis an
opportunity for me to automate the process, to pick one service and offer it to people who
didn'thave access to that service previously because of the internetinfrastructure that allows
me to do that.
29. Prevalent view: We aim for opportunities which generate profit as well as
acquire and expand a knowledge base. The focus is on knowledge opportunities
while institutional opportunities are not deemed as valuable.
vGenerate profit and expand the knowledge base
Geo-cultural differences were mentioned as factors affecting the identification of the most
valuable opportunities.
Knowledge is by far the greatestopportunity which ultimately leads to profit…I am sceptical
of institutions just to create institutions. I am much more interested in social structures.
In SiliconValley they don’t really think about the money as long as you manage to meet a need.
In Europe they typically look at the money.
30. Prevalent view: Opportunities arise from the combination of endogenous and
exogenous shocks. Timing is important in identifying an opportunity as the digital
environment is fast moving. Opportunities emerge from the interaction of
relational space and durational time.
Opportunities emerge from talking to people who have experience withina specific field
and being aware of innovation. I talk with my mom about her experiences, for example. That alone
doesn't give me ideas but when I combine that insightwith my background from IT and digital and
innovation.From that an opportunitymight be born.
An opportunity is about time and space. It's about the position in which you are in life. If you
are in an environmentthat doesn't really force you to look at things creatively, you are not going to
find the people that may help you and encourage you to push those ideas along.
vOpportunities emerge in a combination of shocks
31. I think an opportunity always has to be something which is good in terms of revenue
…knowledge and education…andcreating great work in developing your brand. I would always say
that really I aim to have at least 2 of those 3.
.
Prevalent view: Opportunities are not formed fully-fledged and can be created
and discovered through various mechanisms. We tend to apply a pattern when
looking for opportunities.
vApplying a pattern to opportunity formation
Minority view: We look for hidden opportunities by scanning the environment at all times.
The process of finding an idea or an opportunity is like groping in the dark. You don’t know
what you are lookingfor…you feel there is somethingyou are curious about.
If there are three obvious good reasons to do something and no obvious bad reasons not to
do it then it’s worth putting it in the list of opportunities.
32. Prevalent view: Information acquisition in the digital economy is easier and faster
than ever before.
Social media changed the way I seek information. I don't proactively look for information
anymore [it] comes to me from a circle knowledge of people that exposes me to the informationI
need to know.
In Investment Managementthey always say cut your losses and let your profits run and I think,
similarly, if you abstract enough informationas an entrepreneur, you make decisions quickly.
Nowadays I am usually only one click removed from who I want to be speaking to.
Prevalent view: The quality and quantity of information is important to gain insight
into the macro and micro environment but the speed with which meaning-making
emerges is paramount.
vInformation to gain insight into macro and micro environment
33. Prevalent view: Peer validation is a significant first step in opportunity formation.
However, to make sense of a set of information that is by its nature incomplete,
we believe that the entrepreneur’s interpretation is ultimately the key.
It used to be that I would do a lot of research… but that doesn’t work anymore.Today…
we have come used to looking at somethingthat isn’t quite done using what it’s there.
Gut feeling is the launchingpad to move forward. The difference between an entrepreneur
and a business intelligence person is to turn the informationyou have into action.
vPeer validation as a first step
34. Prevalent view: Networks exist online and offline and serve different purposes. It
is beneficial to be a member of numerous formal and informal networks as they
add different value.
Different needs make us belong to different networks. All are essentialand have different
strengths and it’s important to know which one to use depending on what you want to achieve.
You shouldn'thave a coffee with someone just for a chat. You must have a need upfront. You
can always meet with people and find opportunities but statistically in most cases you are wasting
your time. Those are called party entrepreneurs.
It is about choosing the right parallels, the right proxies.
Minority view: Networks need to be nurtured as long as they serve a foreseeable purpose.
vNetworks in a continuum
35. Networks vary from: networks of founders; professional associations; interest networks;
friends and family; alumni networks; previous employers to former colleagues. Membership
of networks is influenced by the entrepreneur’s past experience as much as the present
situation.
This is due to the increase in the number of networks available to entrepreneurs which in
turn require stronger relations in order to make them relevant and valuable.
I don't see a separationbetween the two. I am an entrepreneur all day long. If I can leverage
my grandmother’s sister’s brother for some kind of information, I'll do that.
vMerging personal and business networks
Prevalent view: Business and personal networks are merging or have already
merged.
36. Prevalent view: Different networks are used at different stages as either a
sounding board, a source of information or to maintain focus in opportunity
formation.
Family is the critical source to sober you up. Friends tend to cheer you up rather than
giving the best advice.
Ideas grow on trees. It’s a matter of what kind of fruit you are going to pick and if you
have the time to eat it. It’s not easy. You have to bring it down. You have to collect the ladder,
you have to climb, you have to get down, you have to have some kind of approval to do that, you
have to access the garden to do that and so on.
You end up testing the water with all of your networks. The first person would be a
friend or family, someone very close to you on a personal level regardless of the industry.Then
you reach out to your business network.
vIdeas grow on trees: test the water with your networks
37. Prevalent view: The quality and quantity of relations within a network is
important. To build stronger relations, the network should be open and an
entrepreneur should always be giving as much as taking. This helps to establish
the level of trust necessary to move relationships from weak to strong which in
turn enhances the quality and speed of information.
.
One of the things that I have got very used to is seeing opportunities, and filtering
them by three paths in the beginning and then probably 75% of them not being appropriate
for me.
What I like to be able to do is to find other people that they might be appropriate for. I
would probably say that I action or chase 25% of opportunities I see. I probably pass on 25%
to other people and then the other 50% I would probably still classify as being valuable.
vBe open and give as much as you take
38. Minority view
It’s about giving to the network what they want. Obviously the normal top three,
pint, dinner or a drink doesn’t hurt.
Opportunities come from 2nd degree connections. They bring the unexpected and
provide more inspiration. First degree you usually pretty much know what to expect. The new
usually comes from people I share contacts with. The more you move away from the people you
know, the more insight you will get.
vFeed the network
39. Prevalent view: To build stronger and more valuable relationships,
communication is needed in a way that is personalised to the individual. This
process is increasingly time-consuming due to the expansion of networks. Social
media act as a facilitator when face-to-face conversations are not possible.
It takes diligence and over-communication. It’s about adding value. Rather than spamming.
Lots going on because I have so many networks. It takes a lot of organisation and purpose.
Each network has got its own language and delivers particular benefits. It's just a matter of
understanding before starting, make a planwith clear objectives, adaptbut follow it. It needs
continuity.
vCommunication personalised to the individual
40. Prevalent view: In stakeholder management, there is a need to align stakeholders
with the entrepreneur’s vision in order to favour dynamism and induce a joint
effort towards increased opportunity formation.
Managing stakeholders is very delicate and you learn over time. The most important
thing is aligning them with your vision, objectives, timeline, deadline, roles, what it's involved
etc. I give a lot of flexibility to them as I would expect some flexibility from them.
vAlign stakeholders to your vision
41. Prevalent view: An entrepreneur should aim to manage opportunities with
stakeholders in a transparent and open manner, thus making them feel valued and
building a higher degree of trust. This is to ensure an effective flow of information
from both parties in the relationship which results in stronger relations.
If we keep them updatedon what we are working on, because we know it best, it makes it
easy for them to present then opportunities to us… It becomes a question of openness because the
more I am sharingand forthcoming with information from my side; the easier it is for everybody
else to give a quick opinionbut also the opportunity to help.
By sharinginfo with them, you build a high degree of trust which is very importantand also,
it helps to solve doubts. They help me to stay focused and to stay all on the same page as a team.
vManage stakeholders in an open and transparent manner
42. Prevalent view: The depth of information that should be shared varies according
to the stakeholder involvement.
It is only right to give the right people the knowledge and the content that they need to know.
It’s strategic. There is a need to know basis…if it’s not in your remit, why would you need to be
involved in this? It causes the risk of missed opportunities, I think.
vShare depending on stakeholder involvement
43. Minority view
I am a bit of a mercenary about stakeholders, they are something you have to live
with, you don't decide to live with as opposed to my networks I choose to be involved in.
Most of the time, it could be a pain. With my networks, they feed me, with stakeholders I
feed them.
[They] are not necessarily important to discover opportunities but for validating and
executing. A good network is extremely important and actually totally necessary.
vDifferences between stakeholders and entrepreneurial networks
Prevalent view: Stakeholder networks contribute to opportunities at different
stages and in different ways.
.
44. Prevalent view: Stakeholders can contribute to testing ideas and help the
entrepreneur to scan the environment.
I discuss ideas, partly to listento myself, partly to get feedback and then I presentthem again
to get a fresh view. The more hit rate I get, the closer I feel that this is an opportunity.
My strategy now is little and often so very, very concise pieces of information are deliveredat
high frequency and because of that, it is quite habitual now.
I like to work with them in person. I just think that there is so much room for misinterpretation in
digital communications especially in email that is too risky to put the really importantdialogue within
those relationships into a medium that could be misunderstood.
Prevalent view: Primary stakeholders need special attention and care, regular
communication and a clear strategy.
vSpecial attention, regular communication and a clear strategy
45. It is suggested that the increased importance of efficient stakeholder management is due
to the shift from know-how to know-who which was acknowledged by most participants.
There is always someone that can do it better, differently and online opens up this
infinite resource. You are not just dealing with people on your doorstep, you are dealing
globally. There is a massive network there available to you...even if they are not necessarily
involved in your network directly, you can create a new network with them if you have a
shared interest.
vThe shift from know-how to know-who
46. v
Share this presentation if you liked it and get in touch with any
suggestions to continue, expand and evolve the research.
You can usually grab me for a chat in London or you can find me in the
United States and Canada in May and June 2014.
I will be in New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and Toronto, so give
me a shout if you fancy a chat or think there is someone interesting and
inspiring I should meet along the way.
Get in touch
17-19 May New York
19-23 May Boston
24 May-4 June Miami
4-18 June San Francisco
19-21 June Toronto
22 June London
exploringdigital@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/mariomorello
@morellopr
Mario Morello
48. v
The first step in the process is the identification of problems or unmet needs, which are usually found
in traditional industries. Those problems can evolve into ideas which digital entrepreneurs transform
into opportunities. In order to complete this process, entrepreneurs need information which it is easier
to find than ever before.
The quality and quantity of information acquisition are important and its speed is paramount as the
digital environment is fast moving. In order to give meaning to available information, which is
incomplete by nature, the entrepreneurs interviewed tend to impose an opportunity template on that
information set.
Finally, through peer validation and their own interpretation, they decide whether what they are
presented with is an opportunity or not.
Conclusions
Prevalent view: Opportunities come from the combination of endogenous and exogenous
shocks through a process whereby every act of creation is an act of discovery and vice versa.
Opportunities come into existence from the recombination of relations and time in a continuum.
49. Interestingly, business and knowledge opportunities are believed to be mutually reinforcing and more
valuable than institutional opportunities. Their relative value is influenced by geo-cultural factors.
The research also suggests that the digitalisation of processes increases the number of opportunities
the entrepreneur is able to recognise or create as digital entrepreneurship requires fewer resources
than traditional entrepreneurship, thus the potential path to failure is less daunting. This affects
entrepreneurs’ opportunity realisation significantly.
When exploring the role of networks in opportunity formation, this study found that the digital
entrepreneurs interviewed belong to numerous and varied online and offline networks, which are both
formal and informal. Those networks add different value while serving different purposes such as
source of information or sounding board for ideas.
The quality and quantity of relations within networks were found to be important in opportunity
formation because those characteristics influence the quality, quantity and speed of information
needed to make more informed decisions and see the environment through different lenses. In
particular, strong relations were found to deliver greater benefits than weak relations as they enhance
the flow of information.
vConclusions
50. The proliferation of networks aided by ICT makes networks challenging to manage. This is also
identified in the management of individual relations. The digital entrepreneurs interviewed seek to
make networks open in order to develop and maintain strong relations. This is achieved by giving as
much as taking from the network.
Communications which are personalised to the individual are a key aspect in developing and
maintaining strong relations. However, this process is increasingly time-consuming even though social
media act as a facilitator when face-to-face conversations are not possible.
As a result, considering strong relations to be the most valuable ones, the entrepreneurs interviewed
seek to move business relations to social relations. It is unsurprising then that the study found that the
boundaries between personal and business networks have merged or are merging as entrepreneurs
attempt to do so.
vConclusions
51. Regarding stakeholder management, there is a need to align stakeholders with the entrepreneur’s
vision in order to favour dynamism and induce a joint effort towards increased opportunity formation.
In order to do so, stakeholders should be managed in an open and transparent manner through
special attention, regular communication and a clear strategy.
This will ensure an effective flow of information from both sides of the relationship, resulting in
stronger and trustworthy relations. In addition, this is important to enable stakeholders to contribute
to opportunity formation, depending on their involvement. In line with the shift from know-how to
know-who, effective stakeholder management is increasingly essential, as networks with trust and
diversity can raise the entrepreneurs’ acquisition of information.
vConclusions
52. v
Share this presentation if you liked it and get in touch with any
suggestions to continue, expand and evolve the research.
You can usually grab me for a chat in London or you can find me in the
United States and Canada in May and June 2014.
I will be in New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and Toronto, so give
me a shout if you fancy a chat or think there is someone interesting and
inspiring I should meet along the way.
Get in touch
17-19 May New York
19-23 May Boston
24 May-4 June Miami
4-18 June San Francisco
19-21 June Toronto
22 June London
exploringdigital@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/mariomorello
@morellopr
Mario Morello