Paper Type
Complete
Abstract
Emerging technology (ET) ventures operate in environments defined by volatility, ethical ambiguity, and strategic uncertainty. Founders must routinely make consequential decisions under pressure, often with incomplete information and high societal impact. While entrepreneurial courage (E‑Courage) has been recognized as critical leadership competency, existing research treats it as a fragmented set of traits rather than a structured, developmental capability. Building on prior work that conceptualized E‑Courage as a multidimensional construct of moral, ethical, strategic, resilience, and emotional dimensions, this paper extends the framework by introducing the Entrepreneurial Courage Capability Maturity Model (EC CMM). Adapted from capability maturity logic, the EC CMM positions courage as a capability that evolves through five maturity levels. Through conceptual synthesis and extension of prior empirical insights, this paper offers a developmental model that enables founders, accelerators, and investors to assess and cultivate courageous leadership in high velocity innovation ecosystems. The EC CMM contributes a novel theoretical lens for understanding responsible innovation and provides a practical roadmap for strengthening founder readiness in ET ventures.
Paper Number
1305
Recommended Citation
Badr, Nabil, "Entrepreneurial Courage as a Dynamic Capability: A Model for Leadership in Emerging Technology Ventures" (2026). AMCIS 2026 Proceedings. 1.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2026/sig_lead/sig_lead/1
Entrepreneurial Courage as a Dynamic Capability: A Model for Leadership in Emerging Technology Ventures
Emerging technology (ET) ventures operate in environments defined by volatility, ethical ambiguity, and strategic uncertainty. Founders must routinely make consequential decisions under pressure, often with incomplete information and high societal impact. While entrepreneurial courage (E‑Courage) has been recognized as critical leadership competency, existing research treats it as a fragmented set of traits rather than a structured, developmental capability. Building on prior work that conceptualized E‑Courage as a multidimensional construct of moral, ethical, strategic, resilience, and emotional dimensions, this paper extends the framework by introducing the Entrepreneurial Courage Capability Maturity Model (EC CMM). Adapted from capability maturity logic, the EC CMM positions courage as a capability that evolves through five maturity levels. Through conceptual synthesis and extension of prior empirical insights, this paper offers a developmental model that enables founders, accelerators, and investors to assess and cultivate courageous leadership in high velocity innovation ecosystems. The EC CMM contributes a novel theoretical lens for understanding responsible innovation and provides a practical roadmap for strengthening founder readiness in ET ventures.
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