Entrepreneurial collaboration: a narrative research study exploring multi-party collaboration practices of Fulbright entrepreneurs in STEM fields.

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20410382

The success of an entrepreneurial venture often hinges on the ability of the leader and staff to collaborate with others. This qualitative narrative research project explored the multi-party collaboration practices of mid-career entrepreneurs in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematical (STEM) fields. In an economy with growing levels of virtual interaction, collaboration practices are evolving, and the collaboration practices of partners in an entrepreneurial team span business units or are cross-sectoral. For data collection, a standard script was used for semi-structured interviews with seven mid-career entrepreneurs; all had scientific backgrounds, had graduate degrees, and were alumni of the Fulbright Exchange Program. Data were analyzed, and five themes were identified from the words contained in participants' responses. The study found that the STEM entrepreneurs frequently referred to certain types of practices, and these practices impacted the conduct of their multi-party collaborations. Results were evaluated in the context of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation's Collaboration Factors Inventory, which was published in 1991 and expanded in 2001 and 2018. The Wilder framework has six domains and 22 factors. Several domains were evident in the multi-party collaboration practices described by the mid-career STEM entrepreneurs, with some being more prominent than others. The themes had strong ties to domains titled Process and Structure, while Environment was less prominent. This outcome is different from that seen in research on other types of multi-party collaborations. Recommendations for research, and implications for practice are presented. --Author's abstract