Entrepreneuriat et gestion des organisations

Impact of MBA on Entrepreneurial Success: Do Entrepreneurs Acquire Capacity through the Program or Does MBA Only Signal Gifted Talent and Experience?

Abstract

Matsuda N and Matsuo Y

When people obtains MBA degree, can he/she performs better in founding a firm than ones without it? If so, is it because of prestigious signal of MBA degree or because of acquired capability thorough the MBA program? In order to answer this question, we originally collected a survey of 1503 entrepreneurs in Japan via internet. We divide MBA degree effect on entrepreneurial activity into three effects; gifted talent, occupational experience and acquirement thorough MBA program. Gifted talent and occupational experiences of an individual enable him/he to entry a MBA program while this talent also enhance possibility to be a successful entrepreneur. When only these two effects matter on entrepreneurship, it leads that an MBA program signals that the entrepreneur is talented in nature and occupationally experienced but her/his capability acquired through the program do not matter on entrepreneurship. In our data, however, it is clarified that after controlling the effects of gifted talent and occupational experience, MBA still impacts entrepreneurship. This result implies that acquirement through MBA program positively affects on success of start-ups. This insight is useful for candidates of MBA program, who are also targeting to be entrepreneurs in the future and certificates that the program is worth to be invested for them.