Técnicas para el estudio de la variabilidad

In the field of entrepreneurship, two issues have engaged the attention of researchers: the motivation and impact of entrepreneurship. Thus, attention has been focused on opportunity recognition and process of deciding to act on opportunities. However, in traditional theories entrepreneurship, opportunity is taken as given. Searchlight is beamed on individual characteristics like disposition to autonomy, risk-taking propensity, access to resources – human, social and financial. These factors, it is argued, are responsible for variation in propensity to become entrepreneurs.

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In contrast, knowledge spill over theory of entrepreneurship contends that context could induce decision to become an entrepreneur (Acs, Audretsch and Lehmann, 2013).

KSTE throws light on why some people become entrepreneurs due to knowledge spill over why some other people do not. KSTE contend that the source of entrepreneurial opportunity is new knowledge or business idea generated from incumbent firms which is then exploited in a new firm. Knowledge spill overs (KS) are ‘’unintentional flows of knowledge from one network party to another’’ (Ko and Liu 2015: 663). Entrepreneurial opportunity is defined as ‘’ a set of ideas, beliefs and actions that enable the creation of future goods and services in the absence of current markets for them.’’ (Sarasvathy et al. 2003, p. 142)

KSTE argues that by establishing entrepreneurial firms to exploit ideas generated from incumbent firms, this strengthen innovation and improved economic performance (Acts, Audretsch and Lehmann, 2013).

Knowledge spill over strategic entrepreneurship is defined ‘’as unintentional knowledge flows that can be used for strategic purposes to network entities other than the creators for innovative, risk taking, proactive and competitive business reasons’’ (Ferreira, Ratten and Dana, 2017:162). The field of knowledge spill over strategic entrepreneurship addresses how firms employ entrepreneurial action to create new opportunities to gain competitive advantage.

There are considerable empirical research indicating high propensity among employees of small businesses leaving paid employment for self-employment. In the corporate and entrepreneurship literature, three theories have been propounded for the reason why small firms, more than big firms, spawn new businesses. Namely, a self-selection theory, a knowledge spillover model, and a blocked mobility approach. This is known as small firms effect, implying that certain factor in the small firms encourage entrepreneurial efforts on the part of incumbent employees (Gast, Werner and Kraus, 2017).

Self-selection theory argues that individuals who leave paid employment for entrepreneurial business have some innate qualities that predispose them to starting a new firm.

Knowledge spill over model on the other hand contends that employees who benefit from knowledge spilled over from incumbent firms embark on entrepreneurial firms. Three reasons have been advanced as responsible for easy transmission from employee to entrepreneurs. One is that this category of employees are taught the skills and they gain expertise to discern

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opportunities, which they leverage on to start their own small firms. Two, the working conditions in small firms are conducive to gaining necessary business experience. Furthermore, in small firms, employees are able to easily access important resources and network, which make it possible for them to expand their networks with suppliers and customer. Three is that small firms provide avenue for employees to gain pro-entrepreneurial attitudes since they relate closely with the owners who become their role models. As role models, entrepreneurs which whom they work and closely interact sometimes provide knowledge, support and encouragement that goad employees into starting their own firms. The block mobility approach attributes higher probability of employees of small firms starting their own business to low possibility of advancement concerning higher wages and positions. There are some small firms work place characteristics - such as limited advancement and low or poor wages- which make them amenable to those firms’ employee to look for other means in the form of switching to a big firm or becoming entrepreneurs (Gast, Werner and Kraus, 2017).

Qian and Acs (2013) argued that Knowledge spill over is important in the knowledge production which is a key determinant of innovation especially in the private sector. In addition, the extent of knowledge spill over determines the stock of public knowledge, which plays a significant role in economic development.

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3.0. Introduction

The last chapter reviews and synchronises the extant bodies of literature on innovation generally and from the developing economies in particular. The chapter concludes that innovation and the field of innovation studies are heavily influenced by origin. The effect of this is that the metrics of measuring innovation that have become universal and law-like in the study of innovation were developed in advanced countries using big multinational firms. However, these measures are unfit for the context of this study – micro and small firms in developing countries. Thus, this necessitates a study that distances itself from the over ridding western imposed metrics and diving into real-life lived experience of micro and small business in this content.

This chapter thus discusses the methodology adopted in this study to unravel the true nature of innovation in the Nigerian MSEs. Specifically, section 3.1 presents the philosophical underpinning of the study; 3.2 presents the underlying research paradigm that underpins the entire research project. It commences with stating the philosophical discourse and explicating the research paradigm. The reason for the choice of the research paradigm is stated, research design outlined and sampling and case selection discussed. The research setting is explicated, data collection instrument described and finally the issue of research quality assessment is addressed.

3.1. Philosophical Underpinning

Research generally, and in particular social and management sciences, is driven by certain philosophical assumptions underpinning the study. These assumptions influence what is searched for, how it is found, and how it is reported (Crowther and Lancaster, 2009). That is, they underpinned the conduct of a scientific research. Easterby-Smith et al (2012) identify three reasons why it is important to explore knowledge of philosophy with particular reference to a research methodology before conducting the research. First, the knowledge of philosophy helps a researcher to clarify his overall research strategy and define specific