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Cognitive Maps in Entrepreneurship: Researching Sense Making and Action

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Book cover Revisiting the Entrepreneurial Mind

Part of the book series: International Studies in Entrepreneurship ((ISEN,volume 35))

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Abstract

In this chapter, we show that cognitive maps are a viable way of both examining the cognitive structures of entrepreneurs and understanding the differences between entrepreneurs and managers in their cognitive structures. We demonstrate that these maps differ in their use and differ based on prior experience and perceptions. We tie this research stream in organizational behavior and strategic management to a potential research approach in the study of the cognitions of entrepreneurs. We also demonstrated how maps are tied to goals and to actions and thus to entrepreneurial motivations and perceptions. We also conclude that this stream of research into the cognitive maps of entrepreneurs has yet to be fully explored. Certainly maps can yield significant new insights into how entrepreneurs view their world and translate that either into successful or into unsuccessful new ventures. Finally, we demonstrate that entrepreneurial researchers likewise have such cognitive maps that influence, sometimes without awareness, their own views of the world.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This quote is one of the author’s translation from the book Slaget om verkligheten (Kristensson 2002; the title would translate as The battle about reality), which is currently available only in Swedish.

  2. 2.

    The translations are made by one of the authors.

  3. 3.

    These were chosen as they cover the top entrepreneurship journals.

  4. 4.

    In The Early History of Entrepreneurial Theory Hoselitz (1951) points out that the earliest use and meaning of entrepreneur was formed during the Middle Ages, i.e., long before Cantillon or Say, and was celui qui entreprend quelque chose—a person who gets things done.

  5. 5.

    Functional food contains an ingredient, a micro-nutriment, or a natural chemical product for which we have scientific results showing either significant and beneficial interactions with the bodily functions or a reduced risk of developing certain diseases. Functional food must remain foods and must demonstrate their effects in amount that can normally be expected to be consumed in the diet: they are not pills or capsules, but part of a normal food pattern.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Åbo Akademi University, School of Business and Economics, Henriksgatan 7, 20500, Åbo, Finland

    Malin Brännback & Alan Carsrud

Authors
  1. Malin Brännback
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  2. Alan Carsrud
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Correspondence to Malin Brännback .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business and Economics, Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland

    Malin Brännback

  2. School of Business and Economics, Åbo Akademi University, Abo (Turku), Finland

    Alan L. Carsrud

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Brännback, M., Carsrud, A. (2017). Cognitive Maps in Entrepreneurship: Researching Sense Making and Action. In: Brännback, M., Carsrud, A. (eds) Revisiting the Entrepreneurial Mind. International Studies in Entrepreneurship, vol 35. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45544-0_9

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