Entrepreneurial Learning Process Model, Based On Network Analysis

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are playing an important role in global economy, which has arised the inspirations of both researchers and practitioners. Theoretically, the sustainable growth of SME is largely determined by the growth of its entrepreneur, and entrepreneurial network is the key approach for SMEs to obtain the resources, information and experiences to support the SMEs' growth.Yet, the different business generation can be characterized by the different entrepreneurial network, and then it is the important issue to analyze how to draw support from network and put up the different learning patterns to adjust and handle the suffering when business grows to maturity. This dissertation constructs a basic thinking terrace for entrepreneur self-learning and the growth of business, thereby, SMEs' sustainable development is finally promoted.In the entrepreneurial network era, the dissertation puts forward the four core factors of entrepreneurial network, which are named as dimensions of content, cognition, relationship and structure. Founded on these hypotheses and life cycle-based view, first, it researches the features of network on different business generations, and describes the evolutionary routes of entrepreneurial network. Second, the motivation mechanism of entrepreneur's networking and learning is also discussed.From the network analysis, we focus on patterns of entrepreneurial learning process based on entrepreneurial network. Moreover, with in-depth case analysis, the dissertation put up the different learning patterns at different business stages. In the empirical part of this research, we induce some hypotheses from our previous theoretical discussion and try to prove them with empirical data collected by questionnaire. Results confirm most of our hypotheses and also point out some alternations for the model.On the discussions above, policy implications are outlined from two levels: individual, and government, to improve entrepreneurial learning based on network efficiency. And accelerate the evolutionary of SME's entrepreneurial network. Finally, research conclusions are summarized and future research directions are also noted.