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The role of empathy in entrepreneurial opportunity recognition: An experimental study in Japan and Pakistan

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  • Khalid, Saddam
  • Sekiguchi, Tomoki

Abstract

The paper investigates the role of perspective taking and empathic concern as cognitive and affective components of empathy in entrepreneurial opportunity recognition. The results of the scenario-based experimental study using the samples of undergraduate business students in Japan and Pakistan suggest that, although the use of perspective taking in the entrepreneurial context helps individuals in recognizing opportunities as the previous study found, the use of both perspective taking and emphasizing empathic concern increases the ability of opportunity recognition more than the use of perspective taking only. We discuss theoretical and practical implications and future research directions.

Suggested Citation

  • Khalid, Saddam & Sekiguchi, Tomoki, 2018. "The role of empathy in entrepreneurial opportunity recognition: An experimental study in Japan and Pakistan," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 9(C), pages 1-9.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobuve:v:9:y:2018:i:c:p:1-9
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbvi.2017.11.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. J. Michael Haynie & Dean A. Shepherd & Jeffery S. McMullen, 2009. "An Opportunity for Me? The Role of Resources in Opportunity Evaluation Decisions," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(3), pages 337-361, May.
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    Cited by:

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    6. Packard, Mark D. & Burnham, Thomas A., 2021. "Do we understand each other? Toward a simulated empathy theory for entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(1).
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    8. Filser Matthias & Tiberius Victor & Kraus Sascha & Zeitlhofer Tanita & Kailer Norbert & Müller Adrian, 2023. "Opportunity Recognition: Conversational Foundations and Pathways Ahead," Entrepreneurship Research Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 13(1), pages 1-30, January.
    9. Zeng, Huixiang & Lu, Wenjia & Zhou, Jian & Kong, Dongmin & Cheng, Xu & Huang, Luqi, 2025. "Collective empathy could leap through time: War heritage and corporate green innovation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).

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