Beyond ‘know-what’ and ‘know-how’ to ‘know-who’: enhancing human capital with social capital in an Australian start-up accelerator

Abstract

Beyond 'Know-What' and 'Know-How' to 'Know-Who'-Enhancing Human Capital with Social Capital in an Australian Start-up Accelerator This study investigates the enhancement of human capital with social capital in a start-up accelerator and how this integration affects the entrepreneurial learning experience. In particular, it examines the relative importance of the three components 'know-what', 'know-how' and 'know-who'. The study involved thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with participants in an Australian start-up accelerator that is delivered using ideas such as Design Thinking, the Business Model Canvas and Lean Start-up methodology. We find that although the programme emphasised 'know-what' and 'know-how', 'know-who' was most significant for participant learning. The results indicate that mentors and experts were especially helpful in shaping learning and in developing entrepreneurial networks. Moreover, our results show that the processes of 'know-what', 'knowhow' and 'know-who' are interrelatedby knowing 'who', participants learnt 'what' and 'how to' through social learning. The research contributes to entrepreneurial learning theory and application particularly in the Asia Pacific context, by providing evidence that 'know-who' closes the learning loop for 'know-what' and 'know-how' as 'know-who' can actually provide entrepreneurs with the means to enhance their entrepreneurial self-efficacy.

Start-up factories, transnational entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial ecosystems: unpacking the lure of start-up accelerator programmes

“…This corroborates other work showing that the main benefit of accelerators is less about hard forms of transactional support such as finance and training (i.e. "know-how") and more about the enhancement of social capital or "know-who" (Seet et al, 2018).…”

“…These types of transactional services are found in nearly all accelerators across a variety of spatial contexts (Bliemel et al, 2018;Goswami et al, 2018). However, most studies examining accelerators find that many start-ups obtain important relational benefits from being involved in these programmes (Seet et al, 2018). Recent empirical examination of accelerators has shown that a key perceived benefit from participation in an accelerator programme is the relational and social capital it confers upon accelerator participants (Seet et al, 2018;Goswami et al, 2018).…”

How business accelerators impact startup’s performance: Empirical insights from the dynamic capabilities approach

“…Our findings indicate that intensive mentorship facilitates and promotes startups' performance. This result corroborates prior research indicating the key role of mentors in acceleration programs (Cohen et al, 2019;Qian, Mulas & Lerner, 2018) and their positive impact in terms of new knowledge acquisition (Battistella et al, 2017;Gonzalez-Uribe & Leatherbee, 2016;Hallen, Cohen & Bingham, 2016;Polo-García-Ochoa, 2020;Qian et al, 2018;Seet, Jones, Oppelaar & Corral de Zubielqui, 2018;Wise & Valliere, 2014). In line with other studies, our results show how learning from mentors enables dynamic capabilities generation resulting in better performance in terms of probability of getting funded (Ambrosini & Bowman, 2009;Hernández-Linares et al, 2018;Li & Liu, 2014;Tsai, 2001;Qian et al, 2018).…”

Critérios utilizados no processo de seleção de startups para programas de aceleração.

“…Além da preocupação com a experiência dos empreendedores envolvidos no processo de desenvolvimento de suas startups, é importante notar também a relevância do papel dos mentores e gestores dentro de um processo de aceleração, uma vez que a prática corporativa e diversos estudos mostram a importância no aprendizado e no desenvolvimento da rede de contatos de empreendedores, startups e empresas estabelecidas. Os mentores e gestores são também responsáveis pela condução do aprendizado em questões como conhecer a solução que a startup está propondo a fazer, como elas podem desenvolver essa solução e para quem ela deve vender e de que forma ela se relacionará em seu meio (SEET et al, 2018). Outro fator importante ao buscar entender a importância da experiência dos times envolvidos se dá em relação a troca de conhecimento e habilidades entre os participantes envolvidos no processo (WISE; VALLIERE, 2014).…”

“…das ideias propostas pelas startups para os demais públicos de interesse das empresas estabelecidas e, finalmente, pelo conhecimento da solução e do mercado de atuação(DROVER et al, 2017;KANBACH;STUBNER, 2016;WAGMAN, 2014;KOHLER, 2016;KUPP;MARVAL;BORCHERS, 2017;MILES et al, 2017;SCHILDHAUER, 2018;SEET et al, 2018).Empreendedores não devem ser confundidos com agentes que se dedicam apenas a gerenciar iniciativas existentes, seguindo regras e parâmetros predefinidos com riscos pessoais bem controlados e baixos(SAXENA;SETHI, 2006). Um empreendedor é um importante impulsionador da mudança econômica e da gestão, utilizando técnicas para…”