OB and entrepreneurship: The reciprocal benefits of closer conceptual links

One widely accepted definition of the field entrepreneurship (Venkataraman, 1997, p. 6) suggests that it is "A scholarly field that seeks to understand how opportunities to bring into existence future' goods and services are discovered, created, and exploited, by whom, and with what consequences." This definition indicates that entrepreneurship involves a complex process in which specific individuals recognize opportunities and then act to convert them into tangible economic benefits (e.g. by creating new ventures). It is the central thesis of this paper that entrepreneurs play a key role in this process and that because they do, OB - the branch of management science that focuses on human behavior - can contribute much to understanding the entrepreneurial process. More specifically, OB can help answer questions long addressed by entrepreneurship researchers such as these: (1) Why do some persons but not others choose to become entrepreneurs? (2) What factors influence entrepreneurs' success? and (3) Why do some persons, but not others, recognize economically advantageous opportunities? The discussions that follow explore specific ways in which the findings, concepts, and theories of OB can be useful in answering these and related questions. In addition, ways in which OB can benefit from closer conceptual ties to entrepreneurship are also considered.