Why Were Innovators Motivated to Be Entrepreneurs? An Empirical Study of Taiwanese Start-Ups
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Update the literature review/references.
Author Response
The author had updated literature related to the role of user community in the field of user innovation. See the [18], [19], [29], and [30]
Reviewer 2 Report
The paper approached an interesting and very relevant topic for certain industries.
The abstract is clear and well formulated. All aspects that should be addressed are covered.
It is recommended to briefly define the key concepts from this article, such as lead users etc. in the Introduction.
The literature review is presented in a comprehensive and coherent way. However, it would be relevant to add some remarks about the industries/ sectors where the presented theories mainly apply. In certain industries users’ entrepreneurial initiatives might face significant challenges. Some insightful practical examples would be also relevant.
It should be mentioned when was conducted the survey.
It should be explained the relevance of the KMO test (a modest value) when deciding to further conduct the factor analysis.
It should be created a link between the existing literature and the factors resulted from the factor analysis.
The regression equation should be explained and commented on its outcome.
Author Response
1. It is recommended to briefly define the key concepts from this article, such as lead users etc. in the Introduction.
Response:
As the reviewer suggested, the author specified the key concepts of this paper in the section of introduction. The lead user was defined in lines: 30-31; The user entrepreneur was defined in lines: 37-38; the user community was defined in lines: 41-42. In addition, a brief introduction of research logic presents in lines: 51-54.
2. The literature review would be relevant to add some remarks about the industries/ sectors where the presented theories mainly apply. In certain industries users’ entrepreneurial initiatives might face significant challenges. Some insightful practical examples would be also relevant.
Response:
The author accepted the suggestion and added the industrial examples in the section 2.1. See lines: 71-77.
3. It should be mentioned when was conducted the survey.
Response:
This research survey was conducted from April 1, 2016 to June 10, 2016. See lines: 233-234.
4. It should be explained the relevance of the KMO test (a modest value) when deciding to further conduct the factor analysis.
Response:
The author added the explanation about the KMO test in the factor analysis in lines: 250-253.
5. It should be created a link between the existing literature and the factors resulted from the factor analysis.
Response:
The author accepted the reviewer’s suggestion to link the extracted five factors to the existing literature. See lines 268-278.
6. The regression equation should be explained and commented on its outcome. More explanation about outcomes of Table 7.
Response:
The author furthermore explained the purpose and results of regression analysis of Table 7 in lines: 297-198, 303-306, and 310-315.
Reviewer 3 Report
Dear Authors,
I received your paper to make the report. I read your paper and I have some suggestions and advice to make that paper clearer for readers.
I don't understand the user community. What is this in your paper? The definition of a user community is: An innovation model where a community of users of a particular product is the main source of innovation and where innovations are normally freely shared within the community. What is the user community in your paper?
Please read some articles related to innovation. What are the types of innovations (using new innovative materials) and what is their significance in the development of enterprises and how do they influence entrepreneurship, e.g. Innovation strategy on the example of companies using bamboo and/or Innovations' influence on SME's enterprises activities.
In Table 1 as well as in the following, the Authors use the question item, but there are affirmative sentences (probably that are respondents' answers). I don't understand this idea, please explain.
What is the meaning of component in the table 3?
What is the number of question items in table 4?
What are "student communities" in the conclusion?
There are some ideas in the paper, which is not clearly presented.
Author Response
1. I don't understand the user community. What is this in your paper? The definition of a user community is: An innovation model where a community of users of a particular product is the main source of innovation and where innovations are normally freely shared within the community. What is the user community in your paper?
Response:
The author explained furthermore and defined the user community in the 2.4 section. See lines: 158-162.
2. Please read some articles related to innovation. What are the types of innovations (using new innovative materials) and what is their significance in the development of enterprises and how do they influence entrepreneurship, e.g. Innovation strategy on the example of companies using bamboo and/or Innovations' influence on SME's enterprises activities.
Response:
The author accepted the suggestion and added literature related to the types of user innovation and industrial examples in the section 2.1. See lines: 71-77.
3. In Table 1 as well as in the following, the Authors use the question item, but there are affirmative sentences (probably that are respondents' answers). I don't understand this idea, please explain.
Response:
Even though all the question items had been shown as affirmative sentences, the respondents were asked to answer the questions with the 5-point Likert scale to specify their level to a statement. See lines: 212-214.
4. What is the meaning of component in the table 3?
Response:
Table 3 shows the results of factor analysis which is an approach to explore the common or underlying element with which several other variables are correlated. Therefore, the complicated variables can be reduced into few but concise components. See the explanation in lines: 263-265.
5.What is the number of question items in table 4?
Response:
According to the extracted 5 components of Table 3, the factor scores of each component, indicating the magnitude of each motivation, had been derived from the corresponding original entrepreneurial properties. The question items mean that the corresponding original entrepreneurial properties which would be adopted to calculated the factor scores. For prevention from confusion with the questions in questionnaire, the author renamed them as associated property Items.
6. What are "student communities" in the conclusion?
Response:
The student communities should be precisely termed as student incubation communities which support students connecting with local communities to scoping, designing and launching innovative new projects to tackle social and environmental issues. The author revised the term as student incubation communities.
7.There are some ideas in the paper, which is not clearly presented.
Response:
The author accepted the reviewer’s suggestion and presented the explanation and definition about key concepts of this paper in the sections of introduction and literature review. See lines, 30-31, about lead user; lines 37-38 about user entrepreneur; lines 41-42 and 158-162 about user community. In addition, a brief introduction of research logic presents in lines: 51-54.
Round 2
Reviewer 3 Report
Thanks to the authors for sending the revised version of the paper. The authors introduced changes, now the paper is easier to understand. I would suggest in the part concerning innovation (lines 71-77 in the new version) mentioning innovations based on new materials. The authors added, inter alia, semiconductor issues, financial services, and now there is also a focus on sustainable development. Green innovation is a very important element and, as I mentioned in the previous report, bamboo can play or even plays a key role. Please read the previously mentioned paper and others related to bamboo as a green material in the industry, and bamboo in the energy sector. I believe that these elements will show green innovations and increase the value of the paper. Good luck
Author Response
The author accepted the suggestion and added the following sentences about the bamboo material and innovation. (see lines 76-82) Recently, user innovation also occurred in the sustainable development and green economies. Borowski [20] asserted that the bamboo micro-enterprises, composed of one employee on average, conducted all innovative activities of entrepreneur, CEO, R&D developer, worker, and user simultaneously. Dai and Hwang [21] articulated there were emerging youth-led brand micro-enterprises established on the bamboo material and design industry in Taiwan.