Information: The source of entrepreneurial activity

Abstract

This article seeks to explore the influence of information and managerial perception on the development of business capabilities and entrepreneurial activity. For this purpose, we apply an exploratory analysis adopting a qualitative approach. Specifically, we study one emerging sector – personal food shopper – by means of news in media and interviews with entrepreneurs in the sector, in an attempt to examine how information shapes the dynamic capabilities which steer entrepreneurial activity. By examining the answers provided by the entrepreneurs, we pinpoint which topics make up their attention focus and that lead them to act selectively when faced with a variety of informative stimuli. Finally, we highlight the central role played by information as a resource to guide and shape entrepreneurial activity. The link between information and the creation of any new activity is increasingly being recognized through the dynamic capabilities approach. Nevertheless, the empirical evidence supporting these formulations remains scarce due to the difficulty inherent in representing such notions. Our paper contributes towards furthering current understanding of this empirical strand by conducting an exploratory study and adopting a qualitative methodology.