Confirmatory search as a useful heuristic? testing the veracity of entrepreneurial conjectures

Dean A. Shepherd, J. Michael Haynie, Jeffery S. McMullen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

53 Scopus citations

Abstract

Researchers have focused attention on the problematic effects of confirmatory search applied to opportunity evaluations, arguing that a confirmatory strategy almost always leads to poor decisions. The implicit assumption of this research is that confirmatory search cannot conclusively falsify an entrepreneurial conjecture. In this article we focus on circumstances where the search for confirming information (positive test strategy) is a superior strategy for testing the veracity of a conjecture.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)637-651
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Business Venturing
Volume27
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2012

Keywords

  • Belief
  • Conjecture
  • Doubt
  • Opportunity
  • Test

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Business and International Management
  • Management of Technology and Innovation

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