Abstract:

User perspective taking is a critical way in which entrepreneurs can identify opportunities and cope with market competition. However, existing studies have ignored its modes, formation mechanism and impact on opportunity belief performance. Considering these issues, first, by introducing structural alignment theory and the attentional engagement model, we identify and deconstruct the modes of user perspective taking from the two perspectives of "the main characteristics of the thinking process" and "the immersion degree of user perspective taking", and these four modes are absorptive, inductive, heuristic and analytical user perspective taking. Second, based on the dual perspective of the “individual-user”, we refine the influencing factors of user perspective taking, which include user-related prior knowledge, flexible role orientation, cognitive complexity, and the uncertainty and fragmentation of user needs. Then, we analyze the positive effects of these factors on the formation of user perspective taking. Third, taking the formation speed and innovativeness of opportunity beliefs as performance indicators, we explain the impact of the modes of user perspective taking on opportunity belief formation performance. This research finds that absorptive and inductive user perspective taking have positive effects on opportunity belief formation speed, while heuristic and analytical user perspective taking have negative effects on opportunity belief formation speed. Moreover, inductive and analytical user perspective taking have positive effects on opportunity belief innovativeness, while absorption and heuristic user perspective taking have negative effects on opportunity belief innovativeness.

Finally, we examine the moderating effects of cognitive management strategies involving adaptation to new information environments and the invocation of the entrepreneur’s own knowledge structure on the modes of user perspective taking and opportunity belief formation performance. This research finds that a cognitive management strategy that adapts to a new information environment strengthens the positive effects of absorptive and inductive user perspective taking on opportunity belief formation speed and weakens the negative effects of heuristic and analytical user perspective taking on opportunity belief formation speed. Moreover, a cognitive management strategy that adapts to a new information environment strengthens the positive effects of inductive and analytical user perspective taking on opportunity belief innovativeness, while the moderating effect of this type of strategy on the relationship between absorptive and heuristic user perspective taking and opportunity belief innovativeness is not significant. A cognitive management strategy that invokes the entrepreneur’s own knowledge structure weakens the negative effects of absorptive and heuristic user perspective taking on opportunity belief innovativeness and strengthens the positive effects of inductive and analytical user perspective taking on opportunity belief innovativeness, while the moderating effect of this type of strategy on the relationship between absorptive, heuristic, inductive and analytical user perspective taking and opportunity belief formation speed is not significant.

This study enriches the understanding of user perspective taking and deeply explores the formation mechanism of user perspective taking and its impact on opportunity beliefs. The theoretical advancement of this research mainly relates to the following aspects. First, the identification and deconstruction of user perspective taking modes have certain reference significance for promoting the operational development of this vague concept. Second, the clarification of the influencing factors of user perspective taking lays a foundation for subsequent research on the antecedents of user perspective taking. Third, this study clarifies the impact of the modes of user perspective taking on opportunity belief formation performance and introduces two different cognitive management strategies that have certain enlightening significance regarding the cognitive process and the boundary conditions of user perspective taking. Moreover, it promotes the development of research related to user perspective taking and opportunity belief.

Regarding the practical significance of this research, entrepreneurs can employ user perspective taking to form opportunity beliefs and identify opportunities. On the one hand, entrepreneurs should be good at distinguishing between the characteristics of different user perspective-taking modes and adopt appropriate user perspective-taking modes according to different conditions. On the other hand, entrepreneurs should actively control the user perspective-taking process and make rational use of two different cognitive management strategies to eliminate the negative impact of "cognitive imbalance".

Key words: entrepreneur's user perspective taking, opportunity belief, cognitive management strategy, entrepreneurial cognition