A Study on Environmental Dynamism, Entrepreneur Cognitive Styles, Learning from Failure and Attitude Towards Risk in Emerging Economy. A Case Study of Nigeria Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs play a fundamental role in the economy of countries, which affects the overall outlook country. However, the role of cognitive thinking styles, and in particular how this affects their ability to learn from failure, remain limited within a developing economy context. Thus, the current research aims to examine the relationship between environmental dynamism as the independent variable and learning from failure as the dependent variable within the context of a developing economy context. It does so by taking the three cognitive thinking styles as the mediating variable in the cognitive experiential self-theory to develop the conceptual framework for the study. Using a survey, data was collected from entrepreneurs in Nigeria, reached through the chambers of commerce. 677 responses, representing a response rate of 84%. A set of hypotheses were tested using the structural equation modelling. The empirical results demonstrate that environmental dynamism has a direct relationship with learning from failure. Similarly, entrepreneurs' cognitive thinking styles, mainly influenced by their characteristics, positively mediated the relationship between environmental dynamism and learning from failure. Meanwhile, attitude towards risk does not significantly moderate this relationship. The findings provide a theoretical contribution by incorporating the three thinking styles in the CEST theory as mediators in a relationship between environmental dynamism and learning from failure. Thus, extending the current understanding of these thinking styles and their effects on learning from failure. Similarly, a practical recommendation from this study is attainable to policy-makers, one that allows them to understand and accentuate the development of programmes to encourage knowledge and skills sharing between entrepreneurs, to ultimately affect learning.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Bradford

Author dc:creator

• Moses, Olanrewaju

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Adomako, Samuel
• Adams, Kweku
• Trivedi, Rohit

• Environmental dynamism
• Entrepreneurs
• Cognitive Style
• Failure
• Attitude towards risk
• Developing economy contexts
• Nigeria

Statement dc:rights

• <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/">Creative Commons Licence</a>.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

https://bradscholars.brad.ac.uk/handle/10454/20688

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/20688