How does entrepreneurs’ socialist imprinting shape their opportunity selection in transition economies? Evidence from China’s privately owned enterprises

• DOI: 10.1007/s11365-017-0485-0
• Publication Date: 2017-11-21T00:48:02Z
• Authors: Weiqi Dai; Yang Liu; Mingqing Liao; Qiao Lin
• Keywords: Imprinting (psychology); Socialist economics

Drawing on imprinting theory and the attention-based view of strategy, this study extends previous literature on the implications of imprinting for opportunity selection by examining how Chinese entrepreneurs’ socialist imprinting from their formative experiences in the Danwei system guides them to pursue lucrative policy-induced opportunities arising from government deregulation, reform, and incentives in certain industries. Using data from 3803 privately owned enterprises in China, we find that (1) privately owned enterprises with entrepreneurs bearing the socialist imprint are more likely to act on policy-induced opportunities to make a quick profit; (2) the relationship between socialist imprinting and the selection of these opportunities is mediated by the entrepreneurs’ attention to government policies; (3) the positive association between socialist imprinting and the selection of these opportunities is less salient for privately owned enterprises located in regions with higher institutional development.