Emergent learning and change in strategy: empirical study of Chinese serial entrepreneurs with failure experience

• DOI: 10.1007/s11365-018-0554-z
• Publication Date: 2018-12-13T03:22:40Z
• Authors: Song Lin; Yasuhiro Yamakawa; Jing Li
• Keywords: Incrementalism; Empirical Research

The risk and uncertainty of entrepreneurial activity is high, and failures are common. The existing literature has emphasized that serial entrepreneurs can learn from failures, but studies on how learning affects strategic actions in subsequent entrepreneurship activities are rare. This paper uses the strategic incrementalism perspective to focus on emergent learning and changes in strategy for serial entrepreneurs with failure experience. The empirical results demonstrate that with more intensive emergent learning, serial entrepreneurs make more substantial strategic changes in subsequent entrepreneurship endeavors, and entrepreneurial performance can moderate such relationships.