Title: Comparing the behaviour of opportunity and necessity driven entrepreneurs

Authors: Syed Awais Ahmad Tipu

Addresses: Department of Management, College of Business Administration, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates

Abstract: This paper compares the behaviour of pushed or necessity driven entrepreneurs (NDEs) and pulled or opportunity driven entrepreneurs (ODEs). Drawing upon the behavioural theory of entrepreneurship, a case study approach was employed in order to gain insights into necessity and opportunity driven entrepreneurs' cognitions and actions related to success factors. The results suggest that NDEs and ODEs had similar behavioural patterns in terms of arrangement, willingness, and ability cognitions during the start-up phase of the ventures regardless of their pull or push motives. It is also revealed that ODEs experienced counterfactual thinking. In contrast, NDEs were more close to the reality and did not imagine outcomes other than those which actually occurred. Though NDEs could be forced into the realm of entrepreneurship, they could be equally likely to manage success factors effectively. The findings will potentially help the practitioners and policy makers in nurturing entrepreneurial initiatives of pushed and pulled entrepreneurs.

Keywords: push-pull motives; necessity driven entrepreneurship; opportunity driven entrepreneurship; entrepreneurial cognition; entrepreneurial action; success factors; developing countries; new ventures; Pakistan; case study; startups.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2016.073359

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2016 Vol.27 No.1, pp.84 - 107

Received: 27 Apr 2015
Accepted: 28 Apr 2015
Published online: 30 Nov 2015 *

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