entrepreneurial innovation as a learning system - experience.pdf

ENTREPRENEURIAL INNOVATION AS A LEARNING SYSTEM By Robert M. Gemmell Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Quantitative Research Report in the PhD in Management: Designing Sustainable Systems Degree at the Weatherhead School of Management Advisors: David A. Kolb, Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University Antoinette Somers, Ph.D., Wayne State University CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY December 2011 ENTREPRENEURIAL INNOVATION AS A LEARNING SYSTEM ABSTRACT     We surveyed 172 technology entrepreneurs to explore links between learning style and learning flexibility and decision making behaviors hypothesized to produce entrepreneurial innovation and success. Our findings reveal a system of entrepreneurial learning and innovation with subtle and surprising interactions between learning processes and behavioral mediators. Keywords: Entrepreneurship; innovation; learning; experimentation; decision making; creativity.   2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Literature Review and Hypotheses 5 Research Design and Methods 16 Data Analysis 21 Results 28 Discussion 31 Conclusions and Implications to Practice 33 Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research 34 Appendixes Appendix A: Construct Definitions, Items and Sources 35 Appendix B: Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI) Scale Reliability and Intercorrelation Matrix (Willcoxson Prosser, 1996) 36