Projekt

The overarching aim of the research project is to draft a theory of entrepreneurial group dynamics. Current research suggests that founding a business is a collective action undertaken by groups - not individuals. A theory of entrepreneurial group dynamics highlights internal coordination processes among group members over time that affect how businesses are structured, recomposed or eventually closed; and affect entrepreneurial career trajectories. The research plan intends for three subprojects that (1) examine changes in group composition over a long time period on the bases of a pioneering longitudinal database crowdsourced via a student competition; (2) analyze how such groups redefine roles and allocate resources in large scale innovation projects drawing from group interviews and document analysis; (3) investigates the collective exit from a business through participant observations and expert interviews. Entrepreneurial group dynamics offer a powerful new perspective on the social embeddedness of entrepreneurship that moves away from an overly pronounced emphasis on founding. The daring research design explores new avenues to elegantly combine datacollection and student learning. Beyond academia, the project findings will alert policy-makers to the needs of experienced entrepreneurial groups to nurture entrepreneurial activity over time.

• Dr. Isabell Stamm

  Max-Planck-Institut für
  Gesellschaftsforschung
  Köln