eThesis - Kauppakorkeakoulun sähköiset gradut

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The purpose of this study is to explore volunteer-based entrepreneurship mentor network and particularly examine the motives of people being part of the network. The framework of this study is a business plan competition called Venture Cup Finland, aiming to contribute to creating new start-up companies. The study aims to create new understanding of non-profit organization in the field of entrepreneurship as well as to study the volunteers taking part in the professional mentor network and their motives. In addition, the Venture Cup central organization is viewed from the perspective of coordinating and managing the entity.

The study comprises a theory review on volunteerism, the motives of volunteers’ and business plan competitions’ contribution to growth entrepreneurship. The empirical data of this study consists of a qualitative case study. The sample for the case study was comprised of the people being part in the Venture Cup mentor network that was completed with interviews of people working for Venture Cup central organization as well interviews from the first and the current chairman of the board.

The study suggests that Venture Cup mentor network is loosely working as a volunteer-based organization but is strongly influenced by the background organizations sponsoring the concept. This leads to the fact that volunteers taking part in the mentor network didn’t have a clear view about their own motives of taking part in the activities. Moreover, their background organization had assigned them extrinsically to be part of the network even without them not having the adequate experience of mentoring and coaching future growth companies.

The study concludes that managing a volunteer-based entrepreneurship mentor network is challenging. The results indicate that this kind of network is not successfully managed with the traditional hierarchic non-profit way by using extrinsic motives. Instead, in the choosing process of a mentor network the relevant competence on entrepreneurship should be emphasized. In addition, intrinsic motives and possibility to influence within the network are key elements in attracting relevant people to the mentor network.