Do entrepreneurs really create entrepreneurial cultures? When intentions do not match actions

Abstract

From the perspective that organizational cultures are shaped by their founders, it is expected that entrepreneurs create entrepreneurial cultures in line with their innovative approach. This paper challenges this expectation by drawing attention to the relationship between entrepreneurs and the cultures they build, with a particular emphasis on the potential challenges that may inhibit entrepreneurs from forming and maintaining innovation oriented cultures as intended. Four traps, identified as the trap of control, the trap of similarity, the trap of preservation, and the trap of individual identity, that act as barriers in the formation of innovative cultures are proposed and discussed in relation to the current literature.