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ABIODUN SAMUEL

ADEGBILE

Mobilizing resources to start a new venture a whole life-changing event and unforget-
is hard, but in the resource-constrained table experience, full of great memories DISSERTATION TOPIC
environment of developing economies, it’s where I made new friends and learned the Linking Resource Mobilization
even harder. My time in the DCR Doctoral German language. The memories and expe- Approaches and Performance
in Nigerian Entrepreneurial
Program as a PhD and post-doctoral rience cannot be taken away from me, and Ventures: A Social Network
can didate enabled me to address this issue. I will always dream, talk, and write about it,
For entrepreneurs to overcome resource and carry it with me until my last days. PERIOD OF STAY
constraints in developing economies and 04/2015 – 03/2018,
04/2018 – 08/2018 as
increase chances of survival, growth and Both at a professional and personal level, Postdoctoral Researcher
performance, my empirical study of Nigerian doing a PhD in Germany has taught me a
new ventures in the agricultural industry great deal and prepared me to be an effec- CURRENT POSITION
suggests that new ventures can use friends tive researcher and teacher. Perhaps the Lecturer in International
Business | Associate Course
and family to obtain undervalued or dis- most rewarding aspect of this journey is a Director FBL Erasmus
carded resources and recombine them in large number of people who helped in so Program at the School
creative ways at the start of the venture many different ways. I am therefore using of Strategy and Leadership,
and, as the venture grows, use external this opportunity to express my gratitude Faculty of Business and Law,
resource providers to obtain established from the bottom of my heart to all of them Coventry University
resources to achieve efficiency and per­ for their help and support. I am forever
formance. grateful to the Dieter Schwarz Foundation
for funding my research and to professors
Doing my PhD in Germany was a big deci- and colleagues who provided one support
sion, considering the language barrier. or the other and equipped me with neces-
Prior to coming to Germany, I had my sary skills throughout my stay in the DCR
bachelor’s degree from Nigeria (my home program. As one measure of success, my
country) and my master’s degree from the research has appeared in top international
UK, where life outside the university was journals and at conferences. Indeed, the
pretty easy because I could speak English support received and skills gained have
fluently. Although my PhD was in English, allowed me to be competitive internation-
I knew that it might be quite challenging to ally and pursue my research interest in the
navigate life outside the university environ- field of entrepreneurship and international
ment. Upon reflection, I’m glad I made that business in developing economies and
decision and it was worth it after all. It was emerging markets.
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