Learning behaviors across levels in new ventures and innovation outcomes

ABSTRACT

This study examines how learning behaviors in new ventures lead to innovation. Mediation analysis of the relationships between individual co-founders’ learning behaviors, firm-level exploration/exploitation learning activities, and innovation suggests a complex view about how firm-level knowledge emerges. The results show that individual learning behaviors of entrepreneurs impact firm-level exploratory and exploitative learning activities, and indirectly affect firm innovation. Co-founder trust strongly predicts entrepreneurial learning activities and firm-level learning activities. Unexpectedly, co-founder experience heterogeneity reflecting prior knowledge has mixed effects on learning behaviors and innovation activities. The research draws on technology entrepreneurs who started their firms with trusted co-founders.

Notes

¹ Our rationale for this partner focus in this study is provided in the Methodology section which follows, but the basic ideas might also apply to lone entrepreneurs dealing with other members of their top management teams or important external constituencies.