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Coping with entrepreneurial failure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2015

Smita Singh ,
Patricia Corner  and
Kathryn Pavlovich
Smita Singh
Affiliation:
University of Waikato Management School, Hamilton, New Zealand
Patricia Corner
Affiliation:
Faculty of Business, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
Kathryn Pavlovich
Affiliation:
University of Waikato Management School, Hamilton, New Zealand
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Abstract

Research on entrepreneurship focuses predominantly on success which ignores the high failure rate of new ventures and precludes a holistic view of the entrepreneurial process. The current study addresses failure by asking three research questions: how do entrepreneurs experience failure, how do they cope with it, and what do they learn from it? Rich interview data is analyzed using multiple frameworks from the literature. Findings suggest that more coping and learning occurs in the economic aspect of failed entrepreneurs' lives in comparison to the social, psychological and physiological aspects. Findings also provide a proposition for testing in future research: Type of coping engaged in by failing entrepreneurs is related to the kind of learning experienced through failure.

Keywords

entrepreneurial failurecopinglearning
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , November 2007 , pp. 331 - 344
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2007

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