How Stress, Emotional Intelligence and Technology Impacts Managers at Large Organizations Compared to Entrepreneurs

The latest Creative Distillation research podcast delivers a spirited discussion on creating a sense of shared ownership and a pop-quiz on research from the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal.

What if “try walking in my shoes'' was more than a lyric but an actual approach to building a business? The famous idiom takes on a whole new meaning in Episode 22 of the Creative Distillation research podcast. 

Hosts Jeff York and Brad Werner, from the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at the Leeds School of Business, talk people and craft brewing with a Boulder-based brewery whose entire business model is centered on their culture and team respect. York also takes Werner through a pop-quiz style breakdown of "Entrepreneurship at a crossroads: Meta-analysis as a foundation and path forward," an article from a Special Issue on Meta-analysis published earlier this year by the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. It's authored by James G. Combs, T. Russell Crook, David J. Ketchen and Mike Wright.

Episode 22 was hosted at Boulder's Under the Sun, one of several locations owned by Mountain Sun Breweries and employing their unique business model. In what they describe as a “team system” everyone is trained to do nearly all of the different roles and everyone gets paid the same. And tips are distributed evenly throughout the house.

This approach creates a greater sense of shared ownership according to manager Matt Rowley.

While providing a guided tour through a few of their craft offerings, Rowley paints a colorful picture of the Sun’s humble beginnings brewing in a confined space on historic Pearl Street in downtown Boulder, and how that model has expanded to several locations in the local area and in Denver.

Meta-analysis and research distillation

Pivoting to the research, York and Werner take a new approach to distilling this meta-analysis of studies. York presents Werner with questions to compare the research findings to the savvy insights Werner offers. Select topics include the difference stress, emotional intelligence, technology and other aspects have on employees in large companies compared to entrepreneurs. And the results paint the stark contrast between the mindset of an entrepreneur and their counterparts in larger organizations.

“Brad, when hiring do you want the general mental ability or emotional intelligence for entrepreneurs?” asks York. For Werner the answer is simple, emotional intelligence. However, that is different from a manager at a large organization.

This is just one example of significant differences entrepreneurs face in comparison to managers in organizations and only part of the conversation between York and Werner.

Takeaways and insights

Listeners are invited to enjoy the rest of the conversation and analysis including when stress can actually be beneficial and the intersectionality between taking venture capital and dependency on innovation. 

Regarding stress, the hosts agree that if you embrace uncertainty you will do much better regardless if you are a manager or entrepreneur. They also agree that corporate venture capital is better taken by firms that are not dependent on their innovations for success.
 
Learn more by listening to the entire episode: 

Creative Distillation background

Creative Distillation is a research podcast co-hosted by Associate Professor Jeff York, Research Director, and Instructor Brad Werner, Teaching Director for the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship. Each episode distills academic research on entrepreneurship into actionable insights. This season, Jeff and Brad connect with researchers from around the globe to discuss sustainability, yoga, cannabis, Food Trucks, university entrepreneurship programs and accelerators.

Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note at CDpodcast@colorado.edu