INNOSTART
The key aspects for economic growth and improved productivity lies in the entrepreneurial capacity of an economy (Prodi, 2002). In Spain, the 2.9 million SMEs and the self-employed contribute 65% of GDP and 75% of jobs (MINCOTUR, 2020). Unfortunately, COVID-19 is having serious consequences on business activity of all types of companies, and especially for the entrepreneurial population (GEM, 2020). The entrepreneurial population is a special group at risk due to the fragility with which they face crises. On the one hand, its financial and human resources are limited. On the other, they have a responsibility for their workers and organizations that magnifies the emotional and economic burden suffered in especially complex situations (Wach et al., 2020).
Entrepreneurship was important before the crisis, however, now it is essential to guarantee not only survival, but also to emerge stronger. This project focuses on a particular type of entrepreneurial initiatives, startups: organizations in the initial phase of their operations, working to solve a problem for which there is no obvious solution, with a strong technological component and high growth potential (Michelino et al., 2017). Its small size and youth imply a shortage of financial and technical resources for the development of new technologies and their launch on the market. Therefore, its innovation and success depend on other types of resources. Thus, the General Objective proposed in this proposal is: to contingently analyze how the individual characteristics of the entrepreneur that lead to creativity (having as a antecedents their gender, age and socioeconomic origin; and cognitive and emotional factors such as psychological capital, psychosocial well-being and stress), those of the founding team (intellectual capital and demographic and functional diversity) and participation in acceleration programs influence the innovation and success of startups.
This objective is aligned with Challenge 6 of the State Plan, contributing to the understanding and generation of knowledge about a part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, incorporating the gender perspective, in its role as a generator of innovation and growth.
Starting from a wide database of startups and Spanish accelerators (already available by the members of the proposal), the project includes a longitudinal study (including a multi-case study, online surveys and daily short telephone interviews for 10 consecutive days in two moments of time) to support the initial hypothesis and to achieve the general and specific objectives detailed in the proposal. The proposal is novel because:
1) Compared with previous partial studies, it combines individual, organizational and contextual elements to explain the phenomenon of innovation and the success of Startups.
2) It explains that entrepreneurial creativity, one of the determinants of Startup innovation and success, is a changing state that can be increased by influencing the variables that impacts it.
3) It carries out an analysis of the main characteristics of the founding team that favor innovation and success in Startups.
4) It analyzes the differential impact of participation in acceleration programs from the perspective of Startups.
5) It applies the longitudinal methodology to be able to identify modifications in the variables.
Aims
- To analyze the antecedents that determine the “creativity trait” and the situations that promote or restrict the “creativity state” of the entrepreneurs needed to innovate and to be success in startups.
- To analyze the impact of the characteristics of the founding team (human capital, demographic and functional diversity, and social capital) on the innovation and success of the startup.
- To analyze the intermediary role of the acceleration program in the development of innovation and the success of the startup
- Analizar el papel de distintos tipos de innovación sobre el éxito de la startup.
Expected impact
Scientific-technical impact: the project contributes to the development of knowledge about the determinants of innovation and the success of a particular type of organization, startups, with a proven impact on economic growth. The multidisciplinary (Business Organization, Psychology, Marketing and Economics) and international perspective adopted, and the methodological proposal made, provide a better understanding of the phenomenon of the innovative activity of startups. In relation to Challenge 6, in which our project is framed, it contributes from the field of Social Sciences to generate knowledge about the business environment and about how startups can be more innovative and successful. In this way, we align ourselves with the key role that the EECTI 2021-2027 attributes to innovative companies, entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems. In addition, a gender perspective is adopted, in line with the State Plan and the demands of today’s society.
The scientific-technical impact materializes in its dissemination and transfer plan.
Dissemination plan: publication in prestigious international journals (Q1 WoS) is contemplated, among which we highlight: AMJ, JIBS, Journal of Applied Psychology, ETP, JBV, SEJ or JPIM (in which the members of the proposal have previous experience); and the dissemination of the knowledge acquired in activities programmed by scientific associations such as ACEDE, AOM, SMS… and national and international universities,
Transfer: the results will be reflected in:
- Informative reports and publications (printed in journals and online such as the Inn-Lab and ECREABIEN websites) aimed at entrepreneurs, those responsible for public policies and other agents in the ecosystem, which will include recommendations for improving innovation and the success of startups.
- Personalized reports for the participating startups: brief descriptive study that allows them to know their relative situation with respect to the sample analyzed as a whole.
- Workshops and meetings with agents of the entrepreneurial ecosystems, in which progress is made in knowledge and improvement of the innovation results of startups.
The research data management plan contemplates the merge of secondary data with primary data (which will be safeguarded following all current data protection regulations) to create a complete database that will be shared through ECREABIEN and Inn-Lab together with the questionnaires.
Social and economic impact and implications of the project:
Entrepreneurs and founding teams of startups can acquire precise knowledge about the aspects that determine the different types of innovation in new businesses. This knowledge will allow modulating the variables that can improve their innovation results.
Those responsible for acceleration programs will be able to learn about a set of “good practices” related to their internal and external social capital, and the services they provide to startups, as well as learn about the relative impact of each one on the innovation and success of startups. startups.
Those responsible for public policies will have information for the design of measures to support entrepreneurship and female entrepreneurs that take into account the role of individual and organizational variables and those related to acceleration programs. In particular, it may have important implications for fostering individual creativity and well-being at all educational levels.
Funding
Grant PID2020-114751RB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033
PRINCIPAL RESEARCHERS
Antonio Carmona-Lavado
Universidad Pablo de Olavide
Ana Pérez-Luño
Universidad Pablo de Olavide
PROJECT RESULTS
Coming soon
