Formative Experiences, Belief Formation, and Entrepreneurial Success: An Upstream Development Perspective for Entrepreneurship Education

Date of Award

Spring 4-17-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

First Advisor

Dr. Justin T Scott

Abstract

This research examines how formative experiences inform the formation of entrepreneurial beliefs and how those beliefs relate to a practitioner-informed understanding of entrepreneurial success. Using a mixed-methods design, the study began with semi-structured interviews with 25 experienced entrepreneurs. Participants reflected on how they define entrepreneurial success and which formative experiences they associate with achieving it. Inductive thematic analysis produced a practitioner-informed definition of entrepreneurial success and identified twelve formative experiences connected to entrepreneurial development. A subsequent two-round Delphi study engaged these expert participants to further examine the relative importance of the identified experiences and to provide insight into which formative experiences they view as attainable within university entrepreneurship education. Together, the findings from both stages provide empirical visibility into the formative experiences associated with entrepreneurial success and introduce an upstream development perspective and framework for integrating formative experiences into program designs for entrepreneurship education.

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