The research team has interviewed over 230 entrepreneurs based in the Vancouver Lower Mainland in order to determine how these businesses were started, what types of partnership arrangements were made, and what sort of human resource practices these businesses employ. This project also considers the issue of whether family members are employed in these businesses, and attitudes concerning family member employment succession. One aspect of this project is an attempt to understand why men and women entrepreneurs have different success rates for their businesses. To date, we have found that women seem to want to keep their businesses at a more manageable size, suggesting that male and female entrepreneurs have different goals for their businesses. The entrepreneurs in this study will be followed for the next three years so that we can learn more about changes in business structures over time, how these changes occur, and what impact these changes have on the success of businesses.
Graduate students play a vital role in research and dissemination.
A Business and Government Advisory Board provides ongoing guidance and feedback to the research teams. The collaborative network of leading Canadian and international scholars and institutions marshalled by the ERA will provide for the most comprehensive examination yet undertaken of entrepreneurial success and failure. The structure of the ERA , which fosters frequent exchanges and dialogues between academics, practitioners and policy makers, provides a unique opportunity to combine the research base available at universities with the experience, knowledge and insights of practitioners. This partnership will facilitate a better comprehension of the problems and enhance the relevance and usefulness of the research outputs. Effective dissemination of the research findings will facilitate an immediate and long lasting impact on the practice of entrepreneurship.