Overview of Collaborative Entrepreneurship: An Integrated Approach Between Business Decisions and Negotiations

Abstract

In recent years, the complex, turbulent and changing environment in which firms operate has greatly intensified. A new era of continuous innovation has emerged in which knowledge is the key asset, and whose exploitation determines success for many firms. In this context, it is generally accepted that effective knowledge management depends heavily on a company's ability to collaborate, both inside (Collective Entrepreneurship) and outside (Collaborative Entrepreneurship) the organization. Collaboration enables a firm to be entrepreneurial and continuously innovative by exploring new markets. Continuous innovation and market exploration are the building blocks of collaboration. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to develop the concept of Collaborative Entrepreneurship, linking the most relevant issues with the concept of Collective Entrepreneurship, from a preliminary integrative approach. From this approach, three elementary dimensions are emphasized: strategy, structure and management philosophy. Strategy refers to the shared common project among collaboration partners; Structure concerns the flexibility of structures and adaptation to environmental changes; and Management Philosophy is about trust. Also, networks within the firm and among firms could form the basis of Collaborative Entrepreneurship in the context of negotiation and decision processes. A brief overview of the content of each of the articles included in this special issue on Collaborative entrepreneurship is presented following this article.

Inspired or Foolhardy: Sensemaking, Confidence and Entrepreneurs’ Decision-Making

“…However, instead of consigning new entrepreneurs to the fate of unknown vulnerability (Cressy 2006), one should also consider how risk-aversion, developed through experience, may lead to a creeping conservatism in established entrepreneurs, perhaps artificially holding the firm back from innovation and growth (Herranz et al 2015). The boldness of new entrepreneurs, supported by this study's findings, can be seen as a necessary trait to push the business forward, conceptually linking entrepreneurial confidence to more innovative and forward-looking perspectives of the environment (Ribeiro- Soriano and Urbano 2009;Soriano and Huarng 2013).…”

Revitalizing Entrepreneurship: The Search for New Research Opportunities

“…Corporate entrepreneurship activity, in particular, has used strategic alliances to enter new businesses and compile resources in support of new ventures (Ribeiro‐Soriano and Urbano, 2009; Teng, 2007). Many firms use alliances and acquisitions together as a way of managing resource gaps and to build complementarities with partners (Wiklund and Shepherd, 2009).…”

Towards a new framework for SMEs success: a literature review

“…ideas, knowledge and competence to run the business), they also require complementary resources which they obtain through their contacts (i.e. information, financial capital, labour) to produce and deliver their goods or services (Greve and Salaff, 2003;Ribeiro-Soriano and Urbano, 2009). Global Entrepreneurship Monitoring (GEM) also addresses the significant impact of cultural and social norms on entrepreneurial activity and measures the extent to which social and cultural norms encourage or allow actions leading to new business methods or activities that can potentially increase personal wealth and income (Amoros et al, 2013;Levie and Autio, 2008;Levie et al, 2014).…”