EMNES Working paper 023
Innovative entrepreneurship is typically classified as high growth entrepreneurship, as innovation is, in many cases, behind a venture’s success and represents the key to expansion and job creation. As such, it is considered to be an engine for economic growth and development. This study builds on the result of in-depth interviews conducted over a sample of 72 innovative nascent and early stage entrepreneurs in Jordan and Morocco and, herewith, provides an overview of the main characteristics of innovative startups and young ventures in these two countries. This provides useful insights into entrepreneurial traits, the challenges and potential strengths of startups in the region. The specific focus of the study is to try to understand the skills profile of innovative nascent and young entrepreneurs in the region and to test compelling theories into the origins of skills. It is, in particular, focused on the investment and endowment hypotheses. The results point to the importance of balanced skills and provide support for the endowment hypothesis.
