ROLE OF ENTERPRENEURIAL HABITUATION IN VENTURE EMERGENCE: A MULTIPLE CASE STUDY

Abstract

ABSTRACT The study explores the phenomenon of Habituation, in terms of Entrepreneurial Cognition and Behavior. It specifically sought to understand the role played by the phenomenon in the process of venture emergence, particularly as it relates to yielding successful outcome. Retroductive reasoning is employed in the synthesis of ideas that have been sourced from diverse disciplinary orientations, on the basis isomorphism. This results into a theoretical process model for entrepreneurial habituation, or the EHP Model. The Model purports the existence of entrepreneurial habituation mechanism, which is assumed to drive a chain of causal processes towards successful consummation of entrepreneurial intent. The study then adopts a qualitative multiple case study design to investigate this mechanism, and purposively selects three entrepreneurs operating within Sokoto metropolis, to serve as cases and units of analysis. An interview matrix, which contains a set of semi-structured questions, was utilized in obtaining the narrative data, using audio visual devises. The study then utilizes deductive category assignment in treating the data, which it interprets using triangle of meaning, so as to provide standard for replication. The logic of process tracing is also employed by applying the techniques of hoop and smoking gun tests in the analysis of findings. The findings support the existence and mediation of entrepreneurial habituation mechanism in the success of emergent ventures, within the context of the cases examined. Hence, the study recommends the adoption of EHP-model as viable option for instruction, in the effort towards developing entrepreneurial culture in Nigeria, particularly in tertiary institutions of learning.