From zero to hero : entrepreneurial experience and its motivational dynamics

This dissertation proposes a theoretical framework of how personal and external motivations may shape entrepreneurs' early venture creation experience, conceptualized as a simultaneous pursuit of the dual goals of venture uniqueness and commercial viability, throughout the founding and growth phases of venture creation. I then develop propositions on how such a psychological and behavioral experience may provide the learning context where entrepreneurs clarify their role schema and the relationship among their multiple role identities. Based on this reasoning, I then develop additional propositions and hypotheses regarding the moderating role of entrepreneurial experience on how role identities motivate entrepreneurs' cognition and behavior, specifically, when generating and evaluating creative business ideas. Across three studies, I found preliminary support for this framework. Particularly, entrepreneurial experience moderates the relationship between role identities and creative behavior such that role identification predicts creativity evaluation criteria consistent with the role schema, only among experienced entrepreneurs but not among nascent entrepreneurs. Moreover, when one (but not the other) role is made salient, experienced entrepreneurs (but not nascent entrepreneurs) still fulfill the schema of the nonsalient role. This work contributes to the literatures on entrepreneurial experience, entrepreneurial motivation, and creativity. Practical implications and future directions are discussed.Doctor of Philosophy (NBS