Entrepreneurial Opportunity Recognition Through Social Networks

Chapter 1. Introduction Entrepreneurial Opportunities: A Definitional Discussion Chapter 2 Introduction; Prior Conceptions and Definitions of Opportunity; Ideas, Desirability, and Feasibility; Environmental Sources of Opportunity Creation; A Conceptual Definition of Opportunity Chapter 3: Opportunity Recognition Literature Review Introduction Opportunity Recognition: Process or Enlightenment? Prior Experience and the "Corridor Principle" Cognitive Factors for Opportunity Recognition; Social Networks and Opportunity Recognition; Concept of the Opportunity Recognition Process in this Study; Discussion and Concluding Remarks Chapter 4. Opportunity Recognition and Social Networks Introduction Direct Relevant Related Literature; Weak Ties; Strong and Weak Ties Combined; Structural Holes; Network Diversity; Opportunity Recognition: Before or After the Intention to Found a Firm? Network Opportunity Recognition and Firm Performance Chapter 5. Research Methods Survey Questionnaire; The Chose Survey Sample; Survey Procedure; Variables Used in the Statistical Analyses; Statistical Methods Used to Test Hypotheses Chapter 6. Summary of Respondents and Study Sample Chapter 7. Ideas VS. Opportunities: Empirical Data Results; Numbers of Ideas Identified and Opportunities Recognized; Sources of Ideas; Turning Ideas into Opportunities; Timespan Between Initial Idea and Opportunity Recognition; Timespan Between Opportunity Recognition and Firm Founding; Modification of Initial Venture Idea Before Opportunity Recognition; Modification of Initial Venture Idea Before Firm Founding; Role of Social Contacts in the Opportunity Recognition Process Concluding Remarks about Chapter 7 Chapter 8: Empirical Results: Tests of Hypotheses Examining the Numbers of New Venture Ideas Identified; Examining the Numbers of New Venture Opportunities Recognized; Effects of Network Size on Numbers of Opportunities Pursued; Effects of Network Size and Characteristics on Range of Opportunities Recognized; Alertness and Prior Experience Levels of network Entrepreneurs; Intention to Found a Firm and then Recognizing the Opportunity vs. Recognizing the Opportunity and then Founding a Firm; Utilizing Strong and Weak Ties to Recognize Opportunities; Effect of Opportunity Recognition Through Social Networks on Firm Size and Performance; Summary of Results for Tests of Hypotheses Chapter 9: Discussion of Empirical Results and Research Model Size of an Entrepreneur's Social Network; Effect of Weak Ties; Benefit of Having a Mix of Strong and Weak Ties; Social Networks, Opportunity Recognition and Performance; Structural Holes and Alter Heterogeneity; Discussion of Other Results; The Effect of Cofounders; Discussion of the Models Developed in this Study; Limitations; Conclusion Chapter 10. Supplementary Analyses of Data Differences Between Study Sample and Respondents who did not Agree with (or Understand) the Overarching Research Model;