PhD Defence: Pourya Darnihamedani
In his dissertation ‘Individual Characteristics, Contextual Factors and Entrepreneurial Behavior’ ERIM’s Pourya Darnihamedani contributes to our understanding of the heterogeneity of entrepreneurship. His thesis concerns research topics involving entrepreneurship, in general, and innovative entrepreneurship, in particular.
Pourya defended his dissertation in the Senate Hall at Erasmus University Rotterdam on Friday, 9 September 2016 at 9:30. His supervisor was Prof. A.R. Thurik and his co-supervisor was Dr S.J.A. Hessels. Other members of the Doctoral Committee were Prof. J.H. Block (University of Trier), Prof. H.P.G. Pennings, (ESE), and Prof. W.A. Naude (MSM).
About Pourya Darnihamedani
Pourya Darnihamedani (1985) completed a bachelor in industrial engineering at Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran in 2007. He did a master in international business at Maastricht University and a research master in strategic management at Rotterdam School of Management. Pourya worked as a business consultant for more than a year before coming back to academia. In 2012, he started his PhD research at the department of Applied Economics, Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam under the supervision of Professor Roy Thurik and Doctor Jolanda Hessels.
His research focuses on determinants of entrepreneurship at various levels, antecedents of business growth and launching an innovative venture. Pourya presented his work in a number of prestigious entrepreneurship conferences such as Babson College Entrepreneurship Conference and RENT. He is an ad hoc reviewer of several entrepreneurship journals and management conferences such as Small Business Economics and Academy of Management Meetings. Pourya is continuing his career as an assistant professor of entrepreneurship and innovation management at NEOMA Business School, France.
Thesis Abstract
This thesis concerns research topics involving entrepreneurship, in general, and innovative entrepreneurship, in particular. It contains four essays on individual and environmental determinants of entrepreneurial entry and entrepreneurs’ propensity to innovate. The first two essays in this thesis analyze the effects of individual characteristics, such as human capital, on: entrepreneurial entry by the unemployed (Chapter 2) and necessity entrepreneurs’ propensity to innovate (Chapter 3). The latter two essays focus on entrepreneurs’ propensity to innovate and the role of: competition intensity (Chapter 4) and costs imposed on entrepreneurs by regulations (Chapter 5). Overall, this thesis contributes to our understanding of the heterogeneity of entrepreneurship.
Photos: Chris Gorzeman / Capital Images
