Enterpreneurship is central to the market process, and yet most theories of it fail to tackle the problem of how economic agents learn from their experience. This book redresses this by systematically applying the ideas of Karl Popper. It treats the entrepeneur as a theorist who develops conjectures which are then tested by exposure to the market, in an effort to eliminate errors. This is a critical aspect of the development of new ventures, as most entrepeneurial ideas turn out to be mistakes, at least in their original form.

Autorentext

David Harper currently holds an advisory position with the New Zealand Treasury

Inhalt

Part I Background and introduction 1 INTRODUCTION 2 A BRIEF REVIEW OF POPPERIAN THEORIES OF THE GROWTH OF KNOWLEDGE 3 THE DIMENSIONS OF THE ENTREPRENEUR'S PROBLEM SITUATION 4 THE RATIONALITY AND AIM STRUCTURE OF THE ENTREPRENEUR 5 THE ENTREPRENEUR'S SYSTEM OF THEORIES Part II The methodology of the falsificationist entrepreneur 6 INTRODUCING THE FALSIFICATIONIST ENTREPRENEUR 7 THE TESTING OF ENTREPRENEURIAL CONJECTURES 8 REFUTATIONS: CAUSES AND DIFFICULTIES 9 SOME INSIGHTS INTO THE MARKET PROCESS Part III Agenda and conclusions 10 A POTENTIAL EMPIRICAL TEST OF THE NEW THEORY 11 AGENDA FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE THEORY, AND CONCLUSIONS