Linking complex problem solving to opportunity identification competence within the context of entrepreneurship

Abstract

Today’s working life is increasingly characterized by entrepreneurial challenges. Entrepreneurial challenges start at an individual level with the identification of entrepreneurial opportunities, which is acknowledged as one of the key competencies for lifelong learning. Since the identification of entrepreneurial opportunities relies heavily on the opportunity identification competence (OIC) of individuals, understanding the meaning of OIC is relevant. Until now, OIC has been explored in the young entrepreneurship research field. However, entrepreneurship researchers until now have not fully explored OIC. According to several authors, the research on complex problem solving (CPS) in the cognitive research field might contribute to understanding OIC. In this paper, we review the link between OIC and CPS by comparing the cognitive and entrepreneurship research fields. We argue that those who excel in identifying opportunities share core characteristics with high-level complex problem-solvers. We propose to conduct empirical research in the future to investigate the relation between OIC and CPS within a work context in order to gain more insight into OIC. We believe that the cognitive research field contributes to the entrepreneurship research field and provides a deeper understanding of the initial steps of the entrepreneurial process.

Keywords:

• entrepreneurship
• opportunity identification competence
• complex problem solving
• innovation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

Conceptual paper: Contribution to the special issue on complex problem solving of the International Journal of Lifelong Education

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the FP-7 research project LLLight'in'Europe of the European Union [Grant number 290683].

Notes on contributors

Yvette Baggen

Yvette Baggen is a PhD candidate at Education and Competence Studies, Wageningen University. She has a background in educational sciences. Her research interest is the importance of human capital for organizational learning and innovation. In her research project, she looks at the relationships between opportunity identification competence of employees, organizational learning and the innovative performance of organizations.

Jakob Mainert

Jakob Mainert is a research assistant and PhD candidate at University of Luxembourg since September 2013. He is member of the psychometricians’ team responsible for the assessment of complex problem solving skills, led by ATTRACT research fellow Dr Samuel Greiff. His research interests are cognitive abilities and their relationship to occupational performance and innovation on the individual, group and organizational level. Furthermore he is interested in cognitive and strategic skill trainings and organizational stocks and flows of learning.

Thomas Lans

Thomas Lans, PhD, is an assistant professor at Education and Competence Studies, Wageningen University. His research interests include entrepreneurship education and (situated) entrepreneurial learning. From 2012 to 2015, he is one of the work package leaders in the European LLLight’in’Europe FP7 research programme, in which the relationships between learning situations (and their interactions), and learning and innovative performance in the food industry are studied. Furthermore, he coordinates the master track entrepreneurship and is actively involved in entrepreneurship awareness and acceleration programmes.

Harm J. A. Biemans

Harm J. A. Biemans, PhD, is associate professor at the Education and Competence Studies group of Wageningen University in the Netherlands. He has a background in educational psychology. He carried out and supervised many projects in different domains, such as learning and instruction, competence-based education and training, professional development and organizational learning.

Samuel Greiff

Samuel Greiff, is research group leader principal investigator, and ATTRACT-fellow at University of Luxembourg. He holds a PhD in cognitive and experimental psychology from the University of Heidelberg (passed with distinction) and has studied at Marburg University and Heidelberg University, Germany and at the University of Bergen, Norway. Samuel has been awarded several national and international research funds by the German Ministry of Education and Research and by the European Union, is currently fellow in the Luxembourg research programme of excellency; has published articles in national and international scientific journals and books; and has an extensive record of conference contributions and invited talks.

Martin Mulder

Martin Mulder is professor and head of the chair group of Education and Competence Studies at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and a specialist in competence theory and research. He was (key-note) speaker at international conferences in Europe, Northern and Latin America, Asia and Africa and published over 400 articles, chapters and books with his co-workers on training, human resource development, competence development and educational research (see also www.mmulder.nl).