Reconceptualization of entrepreneurial expertise

Knowledge about entrepreneurial expertise, how experts think and make decisions have progressed in the last decade. Despite this advancement, studies have difficulties in providing a general conceptual model of expertise that is empirically validated. We attribute these limitations to the lack of existing conceptualizations of entrepreneurial expertise to take into consideration the entrepreneur’s dual systems of information processing. Therefore, in this study, we advance a default-interventionist perspective of entrepreneurial expertise consisting of fast and slow-thinking expertise. We suggest that the two types of expertise coexist and interact during the decision-making process except in the decisions characterized by true uncertainty. Furthermore, taking into consideration that expertise is domain-specific, we suggest three broad sub-domains of entrepreneurial knowledge that are malleable to the specific sector in which an entrepreneur operates.

We attribute these limitations to the lack of existing conceptualizations of entrepreneurial expertise to take into consideration the entrepreneur’s dual systems of information processing. Therefore, in this study, we advance a default-interventionist perspective of entrepreneurial expertise consisting of fast and slow-thinking expertise.

We suggest that the two types of expertise coexist and interact during the decision-making process except in the decisions characterized by true uncertainty. Furthermore, taking into consideration that expertise is domain-specific, we suggest three broad sub-domains of entrepreneurial knowledge that are malleable to the specific sector in which an entrepreneur operates.