Dispersed knowledge and an entrepreneurial theory of the firm
Author
Dew, Nicholas
Velamuri, S. Ramakrishna
Venkatarama, Sankaran
Date
2004Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
In this article, we propose an entrepreneurial theory of the firm that is based on dispersed knowledge.
We argue that the dispersion of knowledge over people and places and over time leads to uncertainty.
This uncertainty, combined with heterogeneous expectations and the nexus of an individual and
opportunity, explains the emergence of new firms. We then suggest that the theory of the firm proposed
by us answers questions that have been overlooked by alternative theories. The specific question we
discuss in this article is when and why an entrepreneurial opportunity will be taken to market through an
existing firm, and when and why a new firm will be chosen as a vehicle for taking a new idea to market,
i.e., whether the residual will be concentrated in an existing or in a new firm.
Description
The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2003.09.004
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.Collections
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