The study meta-analytically integrates results from three decades of human capital research in entrepreneurship. Based on 70 independent samples (N = 24,733), we found a significant but small relationship between human capital and success (r c = .098). We examined theoretically derived moderators of this relationship referring to conceptualizations of human capital, to context, and to measurement of success. The relationship was higher for outcomes of human capital investments (knowledge/skills) than for human capital investments (education/ experience), for human capital with high task-relatedness compared to low task-relatedness, for young businesses compared to old businesses, and for the dependent variable size compared to growth or profitability. Findings are relevant for practitioners (lenders, policy makers, educators) and for future research. Our findings show that future research should pursue moderator approaches to study the effects of human capital on success. Further, human capital is most important if it is task-related and if it consists of outcomes of human capital investments rather than human capital investments; this suggests that research should overcome a static view of human capital and should rather investigate the processes of learning, knowledge acquisition, and the transfer of knowledge to entrepreneurial tasks.

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A model of business success was developed with motivational resources (locus of control, self-efficacy, achievement motivation, and self-reported personal initiative) and cognitive resources (cognitive ability and human capital) as independent variables, business owners' elaborate and proactive planning as a mediator, and business size and growth as dependent variables. Three studies with a total of 408 African micro and small-scale business owners were conducted in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Structural equation analyses partially supported the hypotheses on the importance of psychological planning by the business owners. Elaborate and proactive planning was substantially related to business size and to an external evaluation of business success and was a (partial) mediator for the relationship between cognitive resources and business success. The model carries important implications for selection, training, and coaching of business owners.

The study examines antecedents and outcomes of deliberate practice activities in South African small businesses. Deliberate practice consists of individualized self‐regulated and effortful activities aimed at improving one's current performance level. Interview and questionnaire data from 90 South African business owners showed a direct impact of deliberate practice on entrepreneurial knowledge as well as an indirect effect on business growth via entrepreneurial knowledge. Cognitive ability and education were identified as antecedents of deliberate practice. Findings underline the importance of continuous proactive learning efforts in small business. The results of this study are relevant for policy makers, consultants, and credit providers.

Informal learning activities are increasingly acknowledged as significant for learning and development in modern workplaces. Yet, systematic research on effects of informal learning on work‐related outcomes remains scarce. The present research focuses on deliberate practice—a construct from cognitive‐psychological expertise research that describes effortful practice activities specifically designed to improve one's performance. We propose that deliberate practice can be applied informally at work and, in the context of entrepreneurship, may contribute to entrepreneurial success. In a longitudinal study with 132 small business owners in Germany, we found partial support for the notion that success is increased in entrepreneurs who engage in self‐regulated and informal deliberate practice. In addition, deliberate practice interacted with environmental dynamism, indicating that deliberate practice pays off particularly in dynamic environments and may be detrimental in stable environments. This research not only informs entrepreneurial research as it sheds light on how entrepreneurs learn and develop their capabilities outside systematic training. It may also have broader implications for work and organisational psychology as self‐regulated deliberate practice may be a useful informal learning activity for a wider range of occupations and across work tasks, particularly those with rapidly changing work requirements.

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a b s t r a c tThe entrepreneurship literature recognizes the substantial contributions of networks to firm performance. However, the circumstances under which cohesive versus diversified networks drive firm performance remain unclear. To rectify this situation, the present meta-analysis integrates the results of 68 independent samples (N = 16,364). The findings indicate both cohesive and diversified networks relate to performance (r c = .164 and r c = .182). Moderator analyses suggest that diversified networks are particularly effective for large firms, firms competing in innovative industries and in well-developed financial markets. Cohesive networks relate to performance in small firms but not in large firms. These findings suggest that the relationship between networks and performance is context-dependent.

a b s t r a c tEntrepreneurship holds the key to poverty alleviation and economic development. We find entrepreneurial impact as indicated by the number of jobs created by an entrepreneur is predicted by a biological factor -prenatal exposure to testosterone and a psychological factor -need for achievement. In a sample of 64 male German entrepreneurs we find that the interaction between prenatal exposure to testosterone and need for achievement predicted entrepreneurial impact. This study supports the idea that biological and psychological approaches need to be combined to explain social phenomena.