Lans, T., M.A. van Galen, J.A.A.M. Verstegen, H.J.A. Biemans and M. Mulder (2014). Searching for entrepreneurs among small business ownermanagers in agriculture. In: NJAS – Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences. Download from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1573521413000687
Mark article history: Received 8 June 2009; Received in revised form 21 July 2011; Accepted 3 December 2013; Published: 2014.
Abstract (as published):
‘The relationships between entrepreneurial competence, competence development and entrepreneurialperformance in small firms represent an area that has fascinated researchers for decades. Identifyingsuch linkages is also important for agricultural research and practice. In this study modern conceptsof individual competence were integrated with entrepreneurship and organizational learning theory,leading to the following research question: How do high- and low-performing small agricultural firmsdiffer in terms of the extent to which their owner-managers develop and use specific entrepreneurialcompetence? A multiple-source case study was conducted in which quantitative and qualitative datafrom 19 horticultural firms in the Netherlands were combined. Based on the differences between high-and low-performing firms, seven propositions were formulated that further specify the relationshipsbetween entrepreneurial performance, the owner-managers’ competence and the development of thiscompetence. The results indicate that the relationship between entrepreneurial performance and com-petence is influenced by business goals and the owner-managers’ competence awareness. It is proposedthat entrepreneurial performance is correlated with the development of competence associated with thefirst phase of the identification and pursuit of an opportunity. Furthermore, the results suggest inter-dependence between existing competence and competence development within competence domains(horizontal development), and between competence domains (vertical development).’
