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Dimo Dimov

University of Bath, School of Management, Faculty Member

Reykjavik University, School of Business, Faculty Member

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I am Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at University if Bath, UK. My work focuses on entrepreneurial thinking, process, and practice.
Address: Bath, England, United Kingdom

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Papers by Dimo Dimov

Journal of Business Venturing Insights

by Pablo Munoz and Dimo Dimov

Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 2022

In this paper, we put forward a new translational research framework for entrepreneurship, which ... more In this paper, we put forward a new translational research framework for entrepreneurship, which leverages translational research from biomedical science and design science to lay the ground for a new research ecosystem of entrepreneurship. Instead of describing, explaining and predicting, our framework places emphasis on framing, experimenting and interacting. It comprises three modes of translational research, which allow for moving discoveries made in basic entrepreneurship research to entrepreneurial practice (T1), entrepreneurial communities (T2) and entrepreneurship policy (T3). These are alternative modes of research, marking different scientific domains, that can ensure the outcomes of our basic science are understood, adapted to and adopted by stakeholders in the best way possible. This new ecosystem can expand our scope of action as entrepreneurship researchers, open new pathways to materialize the elusive "scholarly impact" and advance the conversation and practice of engaged scholarship.

Value adding in venture capital as a mesh of practices

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, 2022

Purpose-This paper aims to adopt a practice-theory, "site ontology" perspective to understand how... more Purpose-This paper aims to adopt a practice-theory, "site ontology" perspective to understand how venture capitalists (VCs) add value to their portfolio companies (PCs). Design/methodology/approach-The empirical research involves a field ethnographic study of a VC firm in Dubai, focused on revealing what constitutes value and what VCs do to add this value to their PCs. Findings-Value adding is a profoundly social, embedded process interconnected with other ecosystem actors, investment practices and organizations. The value adding threads of VC activity are part of a holistic configuration of practices that span the investment lifecycle and different levels within the firm. Originality/value-This research contributes a rich account of the social, symbolic nature of VC activity, depicting the everyday activities that comprise value adding practices. It is among the first to introduce practice theory to the VC context and open up a new conversation about its social ontology.

Concepts as Mirrors and Torches: Rigor and Relevance as Scholarly Performativity

Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 2022

This article aims to further the rigor and relevance discussion in entrepreneurship studies. It a... more This article aims to further the rigor and relevance discussion in entrepreneurship studies. It argues that tensions arise due to an adherence to a rigor-as-correspondence perspective, which can be addressed through the advancement of a rigor-as-performativity perspective. Entrepreneurship concepts are tools used to define, represent, and explain entrepreneurial experience, yet how these tools hook onto the world is a question of performance and application rather than unambiguous correspondence. We advocate for a view of rigor and relevance that appreciates the torch-like features of concepts-how they help entrepreneurs deal with the world so that they may fulfil their intentions-whilst retaining an understanding that the future is unknowable and change a constant.

Crafting and Assessing Design Science Research for Entrepreneurship

by Dimo Dimov and Markku Maula

Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 2022

Recognizing the importance of various types of artifacts for entrepreneurship, design science (DS... more Recognizing the importance of various types of artifacts for entrepreneurship, design science (DS) has been proposed as an inclusive approach that combines relevance and rigor. By enabling researchers to go beyond their traditional roles as observers and analysts of established artifacts to help design new artifacts, DS can improve the relevance of entrepreneurship research. However, there is a paucity of knowledge on how this type of research can be published in leading entrepreneurship journals. In this editorial, we seek to provide practical guidance on how to craft and assess DS studies that target Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice (ETP) and other top-tier journals.

The Individuality of Opportunity Recognition: A Critical Review and Extension

This paper reviews the literature on opportunity recognition, critiquing the current attempts to ... more This paper reviews the literature on opportunity recognition, critiquing the current attempts to attribute the discovery of opportunities to particular individual characteristics. It further suggests three venues for expanding the theoretical scope and precision of current research: elaborating on the nature of opportunities, incorporating the effects of context, and elaborating on the nature of individual characteristics.

Time and the Entrepreneurial Journey: The Problems and Promise of Studying Entrepreneurship as a Process

by Jeffery S McMullen and Dimo Dimov

We examine the growing disconnect between the process-oriented conception of entrepreneurship tau... more We examine the growing disconnect between the process-oriented conception of entrepreneurship taught in the classroom and theorized about in premier journals and the variance-oriented conception of entrepreneurship that characterizes empirical studies of the phenomenon. We propose that a shift in inquiry from entrepreneurship as an act to entrepreneurship as a journey could facilitate process-oriented research by initiating a dialogue about the nature of the entrepreneurial journey, when it has begun and ended, whether it might be productively subdivided into variables or events, and what if anything remains constant throughout the process. Finally, we propose that a clearer understanding of the entrepreneurial journey is necessary to distinguish the field horizontally from research on creativity and strategy, and vertically from research on more practical business functions or more abstract systems-level concepts.

When Venture Capital Syndication Goes Bad: The Social Network Consequences of Failed Invesments (Summary)

Frontiers of Entrepreneurship …, 2009

Despite the high prevalence of VC syndication, there is still relatively little understanding of ... more

In the heat of the game: Analogical abduction in a pragmatist account of entrepreneurial reasoning

Journal of Business Venturing, 2021

We draw on Searle's philosophy of language to distinguish between “opportunities” as intentional ... more We draw on Searle's philosophy of language to distinguish between “opportunities” as intentional content directed towards a preferred future that entrepreneurs aim to fulfill and opportunities as conditions to be met for their satisfaction. We maintain that studying the former requires adopting a player stance rather than the analyst stance that prevails in the current literature. We build on pragmatist conceptions of truth and imagination to elaborate on the player stance and propose analogical abduction as a mechanism for conceiving and fulfilling “opportunities”. We develop a pragmatist process model of entrepreneurial reasoning that balances the two stances, and derive action principles for entrepreneurs from it.

Mixing Oil with Water: Framing and Theorizing in Management Research Informed by Design Science

Designs, 2021

Design science (DS) approaches have been emerging in engineering, management and other discipline... more Design science (DS) approaches have been emerging in engineering, management and other disciplines operating at the interface between design research and the natural or social sciences. Research informed by DS is challenging because it involves “mixing oil with water”, using a famous phrase of Herbert Simon. A key challenge here is the dual role of theory: one can develop a “theory of” any empirical phenomenon to explain its characteristics and outcomes, or alternatively, develop a “theory for” generating this phenomenon, focused on solving problems and enlarging possibilities. To clearly distinguish these two perspectives, we talk about theorizing in relation to theory-of and framing related to theory-for. A state-of-the-art review of how DS is applied by management researchers results in two main findings. First, explicit (re)framing efforts appear to be highly instrumental in challenging a given theoretical paradigm and thereby reduce the risk of being constrained to it; these fi...

Moral Intensity as Catalyst for Opportunities for Sustainable Development

The World Scientific Reference on Entrepreneurship, 2016

How entrepreneurs develop opportunities for sustainable development represents an important quest... more How entrepreneurs develop opportunities for sustainable development represents an important question. Current conceptions based on prior knowledge tend to overlook the nature and magnitude of the sustainability problem that the entrepreneur is trying to solve. Using an experimental design, we demonstrate that the moral intensity (MI) of the sustainability issue in question plays an instrumental role in guiding perceptions and inspiring action. MI moderates the relationship between prior knowledge and opportunity intention; participants with prior knowledge intend to pursue an opportunity only to the extent that they faced high level of MI. This finding offers important insights for further theoretical development and empirical research

Entrepreneurship Education as a First-Person Transformation

Journal of Management Inquiry, 2020

As entrepreneurship education spreads and aims to transform mindsets, its theories and methods ne... more As entrepreneurship education spreads and aims to transform mindsets, its theories and methods need to be attuned to the first-person perspective of the learner. We provide a map for entrepreneurship education that bridges the subjective, inter-subjective, and objective as distinct varieties of knowledge and turns the classroom into a space for practical reasoning. It focuses on the world as it could be, brought alive in the first-person sense of possibility and shaped by new ways of seeing and doing.

JBVI on its 5th birthday: Reflections on place and journey

Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 2020

In this editorial, we take stock of the Journal of Business Venturing Insights (JBVI) as it turns... more In this editorial, we take stock of the Journal of Business Venturing Insights (JBVI) as it turns five years old. We reflect on the unique niche that JBVI fills in the realm of journals focused on research in entrepreneurship and highlight the papers that have gained the most traction within this short period. We reflect on the role that JBVI can play in the landscape of the entrepreneurship research and outline the types of papers that can drive the journal forward.

Look Who Is Talking … and Who Is Listening: Finding an Integrative “We” Voice in Entrepreneurial Scholarship

Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 2020

This paper explores the relationship between the study of entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurs we ... more This paper explores the relationship between the study of entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurs we study. While scholars typically adopt a detached, third-person stance for the purpose of explaining and predicting entrepreneurial action, entrepreneurs instead operate in a first-person stance of deciding what to do. The two stances cannot be reduced to one another. We argue that an engaged dialog—a second-person stance—can bring scholars and entrepreneurs together into a unifying practical decision-making perspective. By working to develop this integrative voice in scholarship, we can collapse the dualism of rigor and relevance.

Recursive and Discursive Model of and for Entrepreneurial Action

European Management Review, 2020

This paper proposes a model of entrepreneurial action that integrates three distinct elements. Fi... more This paper proposes a model of entrepreneurial action that integrates three distinct elements. First, it brings together action and time to articulate a recursive relationship between perception and action, mediated by consequences. Second, it brings together action and context to ground the entrepreneur's perceptions and actions in a mesh of social orders and practices. Third, it articulates the content of perceptions and actions as discursive entries and exits in a social language game of giving and asking for reasons. We discuss a number of implications for a systematic understanding of different manifestations of entrepreneurship.

Opportunities, Language, and Time

Academy of Management Perspectives, 2020

Opportunity has different meanings in entrepreneurial practice and academic scholarship, entwined... more Opportunity has different meanings in entrepreneurial practice and academic scholarship, entwined with the distinct activities of dealing with practical contingencies and capturing theoretical necessities. The language and time of an academic stance sidestep defining aspects of the entrepreneurial experience: its indeterminate situations, instrumental role of language, and role of knowledge as guide to action. Seeking attunement with these aspects, the paper outlines the evolution of opportunity from language dependence to language independence within a process of transition from individual aspirations to social structure. This opens up promising research directions, in which the scholar-entrepreneur relationship is redefined in terms of solidarity rather than objectivity. Alongside the traditional emphasis on theoretical contribution, research could seek design and phronetic contributions, in an open-ended search for better ideas for coping with a contingent reality.

Entrepreneurship: Frameworks And Empirical Investigations From Forthcoming Leaders Of European Research

Advances in Entrepreneurship, Firm Emergence and Growth, 2006

Enterprise Planning and Development outlines the options and risks involved in setting up a busin... more Enterprise Planning and Development outlines the options and risks involved in setting up a business. It shows how to avoid this failure by focusing on the planning stage and building on this framework as the business develops. The book contains all the underpinning factual information required to prepare a successful Business Plan for presentation to a bank manager, or an alternative potential source of finance, or for use in an NVQ portfolio. It is in line with the major syllabuses for Business Start-Up, and can be used as a course book for ...

Beyond bridging rigor and relevance: The three-body problem in entrepreneurship

Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 2018

There is of course a range of more relativist positions, but so long as truth is seen as relative... more

Action! Moving beyond the intendedly-rational logics of entrepreneurship

Journal of Business Venturing, 2018

Entrepreneurial action is central to entrepreneurship theory, and is broadly seen to arise as a c... more Entrepreneurial action is central to entrepreneurship theory, and is broadly seen to arise as a consequence of intendedly rational logics (whether causal or effectual), reflecting reasoned judgment. But, is this always the case? While entrepreneurial action may often be the result of a judgmental decision (between alternative courses of action/inaction), the presumption that reasoned judgment encompasses all the motives, modes and mechanisms leading to entrepreneurial outcomes seems dubious. Building on an emerging literature that seeks to address the boundaries of reasoned entrepreneurial action, we develop the notion that nondeliberative impulse-driven behavioral logics can also be the basis for business venturing. Our framework offers a complementary perspective to the intendedly-rational, deliberate logics perspective, opening novel pathways for future research and theory-building.

New Venture Survival: External Shocks, Exploration and Exploitation Alliances

Academy of Management Proceedings, 2013

Entrepreneurship and psychological disorders: How ADHD can be productively harnessed

Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 2016

Amidst predominant focus on positive traits for entrepreneurship, this paper explores how disorde... more Amidst predominant focus on positive traits for entrepreneurship, this paper explores how disorders such as ADHD influence the decision to engage in entrepreneurial action and the success of entrepreneurial action. Based on a multiple case study of fourteen entrepreneurs previously diagnosed with ADHD, our inductive model highlights impulsivity as a major driver of entrepreneurial action and hyperfocus as a major catalyst for its consequences, both positive and negative. By drawing attention to the positive implications of symptoms commonly seen as negative, the paper opens several major avenues for future theoretical development and empirical research.

Journal of Business Venturing Insights

by Pablo Munoz and Dimo Dimov

Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 2022

In this paper, we put forward a new translational research framework for entrepreneurship, which ... more In this paper, we put forward a new translational research framework for entrepreneurship, which leverages translational research from biomedical science and design science to lay the ground for a new research ecosystem of entrepreneurship. Instead of describing, explaining and predicting, our framework places emphasis on framing, experimenting and interacting. It comprises three modes of translational research, which allow for moving discoveries made in basic entrepreneurship research to entrepreneurial practice (T1), entrepreneurial communities (T2) and entrepreneurship policy (T3). These are alternative modes of research, marking different scientific domains, that can ensure the outcomes of our basic science are understood, adapted to and adopted by stakeholders in the best way possible. This new ecosystem can expand our scope of action as entrepreneurship researchers, open new pathways to materialize the elusive "scholarly impact" and advance the conversation and practice of engaged scholarship.

Value adding in venture capital as a mesh of practices

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, 2022

Purpose-This paper aims to adopt a practice-theory, "site ontology" perspective to understand how... more Purpose-This paper aims to adopt a practice-theory, "site ontology" perspective to understand how venture capitalists (VCs) add value to their portfolio companies (PCs). Design/methodology/approach-The empirical research involves a field ethnographic study of a VC firm in Dubai, focused on revealing what constitutes value and what VCs do to add this value to their PCs. Findings-Value adding is a profoundly social, embedded process interconnected with other ecosystem actors, investment practices and organizations. The value adding threads of VC activity are part of a holistic configuration of practices that span the investment lifecycle and different levels within the firm. Originality/value-This research contributes a rich account of the social, symbolic nature of VC activity, depicting the everyday activities that comprise value adding practices. It is among the first to introduce practice theory to the VC context and open up a new conversation about its social ontology.

Concepts as Mirrors and Torches: Rigor and Relevance as Scholarly Performativity

Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 2022

This article aims to further the rigor and relevance discussion in entrepreneurship studies. It a... more This article aims to further the rigor and relevance discussion in entrepreneurship studies. It argues that tensions arise due to an adherence to a rigor-as-correspondence perspective, which can be addressed through the advancement of a rigor-as-performativity perspective. Entrepreneurship concepts are tools used to define, represent, and explain entrepreneurial experience, yet how these tools hook onto the world is a question of performance and application rather than unambiguous correspondence. We advocate for a view of rigor and relevance that appreciates the torch-like features of concepts-how they help entrepreneurs deal with the world so that they may fulfil their intentions-whilst retaining an understanding that the future is unknowable and change a constant.

Crafting and Assessing Design Science Research for Entrepreneurship

by Dimo Dimov and Markku Maula

Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 2022

Recognizing the importance of various types of artifacts for entrepreneurship, design science (DS... more Recognizing the importance of various types of artifacts for entrepreneurship, design science (DS) has been proposed as an inclusive approach that combines relevance and rigor. By enabling researchers to go beyond their traditional roles as observers and analysts of established artifacts to help design new artifacts, DS can improve the relevance of entrepreneurship research. However, there is a paucity of knowledge on how this type of research can be published in leading entrepreneurship journals. In this editorial, we seek to provide practical guidance on how to craft and assess DS studies that target Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice (ETP) and other top-tier journals.

The Individuality of Opportunity Recognition: A Critical Review and Extension

This paper reviews the literature on opportunity recognition, critiquing the current attempts to ... more This paper reviews the literature on opportunity recognition, critiquing the current attempts to attribute the discovery of opportunities to particular individual characteristics. It further suggests three venues for expanding the theoretical scope and precision of current research: elaborating on the nature of opportunities, incorporating the effects of context, and elaborating on the nature of individual characteristics.

Time and the Entrepreneurial Journey: The Problems and Promise of Studying Entrepreneurship as a Process

by Jeffery S McMullen and Dimo Dimov

We examine the growing disconnect between the process-oriented conception of entrepreneurship tau... more We examine the growing disconnect between the process-oriented conception of entrepreneurship taught in the classroom and theorized about in premier journals and the variance-oriented conception of entrepreneurship that characterizes empirical studies of the phenomenon. We propose that a shift in inquiry from entrepreneurship as an act to entrepreneurship as a journey could facilitate process-oriented research by initiating a dialogue about the nature of the entrepreneurial journey, when it has begun and ended, whether it might be productively subdivided into variables or events, and what if anything remains constant throughout the process. Finally, we propose that a clearer understanding of the entrepreneurial journey is necessary to distinguish the field horizontally from research on creativity and strategy, and vertically from research on more practical business functions or more abstract systems-level concepts.

When Venture Capital Syndication Goes Bad: The Social Network Consequences of Failed Invesments (Summary)

Frontiers of Entrepreneurship …, 2009

Despite the high prevalence of VC syndication, there is still relatively little understanding of ... more

In the heat of the game: Analogical abduction in a pragmatist account of entrepreneurial reasoning

Journal of Business Venturing, 2021

We draw on Searle's philosophy of language to distinguish between “opportunities” as intentional ... more We draw on Searle's philosophy of language to distinguish between “opportunities” as intentional content directed towards a preferred future that entrepreneurs aim to fulfill and opportunities as conditions to be met for their satisfaction. We maintain that studying the former requires adopting a player stance rather than the analyst stance that prevails in the current literature. We build on pragmatist conceptions of truth and imagination to elaborate on the player stance and propose analogical abduction as a mechanism for conceiving and fulfilling “opportunities”. We develop a pragmatist process model of entrepreneurial reasoning that balances the two stances, and derive action principles for entrepreneurs from it.

Mixing Oil with Water: Framing and Theorizing in Management Research Informed by Design Science

Designs, 2021

Design science (DS) approaches have been emerging in engineering, management and other discipline... more Design science (DS) approaches have been emerging in engineering, management and other disciplines operating at the interface between design research and the natural or social sciences. Research informed by DS is challenging because it involves “mixing oil with water”, using a famous phrase of Herbert Simon. A key challenge here is the dual role of theory: one can develop a “theory of” any empirical phenomenon to explain its characteristics and outcomes, or alternatively, develop a “theory for” generating this phenomenon, focused on solving problems and enlarging possibilities. To clearly distinguish these two perspectives, we talk about theorizing in relation to theory-of and framing related to theory-for. A state-of-the-art review of how DS is applied by management researchers results in two main findings. First, explicit (re)framing efforts appear to be highly instrumental in challenging a given theoretical paradigm and thereby reduce the risk of being constrained to it; these fi...

Moral Intensity as Catalyst for Opportunities for Sustainable Development

The World Scientific Reference on Entrepreneurship, 2016

How entrepreneurs develop opportunities for sustainable development represents an important quest... more How entrepreneurs develop opportunities for sustainable development represents an important question. Current conceptions based on prior knowledge tend to overlook the nature and magnitude of the sustainability problem that the entrepreneur is trying to solve. Using an experimental design, we demonstrate that the moral intensity (MI) of the sustainability issue in question plays an instrumental role in guiding perceptions and inspiring action. MI moderates the relationship between prior knowledge and opportunity intention; participants with prior knowledge intend to pursue an opportunity only to the extent that they faced high level of MI. This finding offers important insights for further theoretical development and empirical research

Entrepreneurship Education as a First-Person Transformation

Journal of Management Inquiry, 2020

As entrepreneurship education spreads and aims to transform mindsets, its theories and methods ne... more As entrepreneurship education spreads and aims to transform mindsets, its theories and methods need to be attuned to the first-person perspective of the learner. We provide a map for entrepreneurship education that bridges the subjective, inter-subjective, and objective as distinct varieties of knowledge and turns the classroom into a space for practical reasoning. It focuses on the world as it could be, brought alive in the first-person sense of possibility and shaped by new ways of seeing and doing.

JBVI on its 5th birthday: Reflections on place and journey

Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 2020

In this editorial, we take stock of the Journal of Business Venturing Insights (JBVI) as it turns... more In this editorial, we take stock of the Journal of Business Venturing Insights (JBVI) as it turns five years old. We reflect on the unique niche that JBVI fills in the realm of journals focused on research in entrepreneurship and highlight the papers that have gained the most traction within this short period. We reflect on the role that JBVI can play in the landscape of the entrepreneurship research and outline the types of papers that can drive the journal forward.

Look Who Is Talking … and Who Is Listening: Finding an Integrative “We” Voice in Entrepreneurial Scholarship

Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 2020

This paper explores the relationship between the study of entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurs we ... more This paper explores the relationship between the study of entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurs we study. While scholars typically adopt a detached, third-person stance for the purpose of explaining and predicting entrepreneurial action, entrepreneurs instead operate in a first-person stance of deciding what to do. The two stances cannot be reduced to one another. We argue that an engaged dialog—a second-person stance—can bring scholars and entrepreneurs together into a unifying practical decision-making perspective. By working to develop this integrative voice in scholarship, we can collapse the dualism of rigor and relevance.

Recursive and Discursive Model of and for Entrepreneurial Action

European Management Review, 2020

This paper proposes a model of entrepreneurial action that integrates three distinct elements. Fi... more This paper proposes a model of entrepreneurial action that integrates three distinct elements. First, it brings together action and time to articulate a recursive relationship between perception and action, mediated by consequences. Second, it brings together action and context to ground the entrepreneur's perceptions and actions in a mesh of social orders and practices. Third, it articulates the content of perceptions and actions as discursive entries and exits in a social language game of giving and asking for reasons. We discuss a number of implications for a systematic understanding of different manifestations of entrepreneurship.

Opportunities, Language, and Time

Academy of Management Perspectives, 2020

Opportunity has different meanings in entrepreneurial practice and academic scholarship, entwined... more Opportunity has different meanings in entrepreneurial practice and academic scholarship, entwined with the distinct activities of dealing with practical contingencies and capturing theoretical necessities. The language and time of an academic stance sidestep defining aspects of the entrepreneurial experience: its indeterminate situations, instrumental role of language, and role of knowledge as guide to action. Seeking attunement with these aspects, the paper outlines the evolution of opportunity from language dependence to language independence within a process of transition from individual aspirations to social structure. This opens up promising research directions, in which the scholar-entrepreneur relationship is redefined in terms of solidarity rather than objectivity. Alongside the traditional emphasis on theoretical contribution, research could seek design and phronetic contributions, in an open-ended search for better ideas for coping with a contingent reality.

Entrepreneurship: Frameworks And Empirical Investigations From Forthcoming Leaders Of European Research

Advances in Entrepreneurship, Firm Emergence and Growth, 2006

Enterprise Planning and Development outlines the options and risks involved in setting up a busin... more Enterprise Planning and Development outlines the options and risks involved in setting up a business. It shows how to avoid this failure by focusing on the planning stage and building on this framework as the business develops. The book contains all the underpinning factual information required to prepare a successful Business Plan for presentation to a bank manager, or an alternative potential source of finance, or for use in an NVQ portfolio. It is in line with the major syllabuses for Business Start-Up, and can be used as a course book for ...

Beyond bridging rigor and relevance: The three-body problem in entrepreneurship

Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 2018

There is of course a range of more relativist positions, but so long as truth is seen as relative... more

Action! Moving beyond the intendedly-rational logics of entrepreneurship

Journal of Business Venturing, 2018

Entrepreneurial action is central to entrepreneurship theory, and is broadly seen to arise as a c... more Entrepreneurial action is central to entrepreneurship theory, and is broadly seen to arise as a consequence of intendedly rational logics (whether causal or effectual), reflecting reasoned judgment. But, is this always the case? While entrepreneurial action may often be the result of a judgmental decision (between alternative courses of action/inaction), the presumption that reasoned judgment encompasses all the motives, modes and mechanisms leading to entrepreneurial outcomes seems dubious. Building on an emerging literature that seeks to address the boundaries of reasoned entrepreneurial action, we develop the notion that nondeliberative impulse-driven behavioral logics can also be the basis for business venturing. Our framework offers a complementary perspective to the intendedly-rational, deliberate logics perspective, opening novel pathways for future research and theory-building.

New Venture Survival: External Shocks, Exploration and Exploitation Alliances

Academy of Management Proceedings, 2013

Entrepreneurship and psychological disorders: How ADHD can be productively harnessed

Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 2016

Amidst predominant focus on positive traits for entrepreneurship, this paper explores how disorde... more Amidst predominant focus on positive traits for entrepreneurship, this paper explores how disorders such as ADHD influence the decision to engage in entrepreneurial action and the success of entrepreneurial action. Based on a multiple case study of fourteen entrepreneurs previously diagnosed with ADHD, our inductive model highlights impulsivity as a major driver of entrepreneurial action and hyperfocus as a major catalyst for its consequences, both positive and negative. By drawing attention to the positive implications of symptoms commonly seen as negative, the paper opens several major avenues for future theoretical development and empirical research.

The Entrepreneurial Scholar

Dimo Dimov’s innovative book examines what it means to be an entrepreneurial scholar, drawing on ... more Dimo Dimov’s innovative book examines what it means to be an entrepreneurial scholar, drawing on a range of philosophical ideas to investigate the study of entrepreneurs. Dimov makes the case for entrepreneurial scholarship to become more future-oriented and creates a framework, highlighting four styles and approaches to the field: theoretical, integrative, craft and clinical. This thought-provoking book will be a stimulating read for academics and students of entrepreneurship, and its accessible format will also appeal to reflective practitioners.

The Reflective Entrepreneur

In a world where entrepreneurial success often seems deceptively accessible, it is not always cle... more In a world where entrepreneurial success often seems deceptively accessible, it is not always clear what makes a person entrepreneurial. In this book, Dimo Dimov offers a reflective insight into the entrepreneurial journey, striking up a conversation about entrepreneurship in order to challenge and untangle existing preconceptions. A discussion of challenges and tensions such as idea versus opportunity, genius versus lunatic, and skill versus luck forms the foundation of the book, while the second part offers actions and considerations which can help the reader to seek opportunities in a fractious environment. The final part of the text focuses on the collective spirit in entrepreneurship, arising from the interplay between participation and outcomes. The author brings a succinct diversity to the field, making this book essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students on entrepreneurship courses, as well as scholars, researchers, and practitioners looking for a new perspective on entrepreneurship.