Entrepreneurial behavior during industry emergence: An unconventional study of discovery and creation in the early PC industry

Abstract

Acting entrepreneurially in nascent industries is a complex endeavor characterized by uncertainty and ambiguity. Nevertheless, entirely new industries do emerge, often as a direct result of entrepreneurial behavior. We extend and apply discovery and creation approaches to study entrepreneurial behavior during industry emergence by means of qualitative analysis of a film about the personal computer (PC) industry℉s formative years. We find that discovery and creation behavior are fundamentally interrelated and share a common element: bricolage. Moreover, ideological activism is a major component of entrepreneurial behavior in a new industry℉s formative years during both creation and discovery processes. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Citation

Gupta, A., Streb, C., Gupta, V.K. and Markin, E. (2015), "Entrepreneurial behavior during industry emergence: An unconventional study of discovery and creation in the early PC industry", New England Journal of Entrepreneurship, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 61-79. https://doi.org/10.1108/NEJE-18-02-2015-B005