Entrepreneurial Competencies: An Extended Construct

Abstract

When involved in entrepreneurship activities, the competencies of entrepreneurs are made tangible as entrepreneurs interact with their environment. This study focuses on a framework for entrepreneurial competencies. The entrepreneurial competencies held by entrepreneurs are explored from the perspectives of conative, social, and cognitive competencies. The multidimensional construct of entrepreneurial competencies is extended based on these perspectives, past studies, and an empirical study that uses data concerning entrepreneurs in China. This study contributes to science by developing a three-component construct of entrepreneurial competencies that has four elements (cognitive–education, cognitive–experience, conative, and social).