Cliff Hurst's Dissertation on Entrepreneurship

Abstract

The Hartman Institute encourages the continued use of the Hartman Value Profile (HVP) in academic research. This article reviews one such endeavor by Clifford G. Hurst, his Ph.D. dissertation, Discerning Entrepreneurial Judgment as Reflected in Entrepreneur’s Responses to Feedback. In it, Cliff made a compelling case for the need to identify more accurately the judgment capacity of entrepreneurs, for they can be a driving force in today’s economy. Potential investors have difficulty not only in identifying a good start up idea but also the entrepreneurs who have the judgment capacity needed to be successful. Finding ways to help both entrepreneurs and investors identify key judgment areas and better decision making strategies could improve the success rate of startup businesses. Cliff’s most significant find- ings shows both the power of the HVP for prediction and the greatest problem that executive coaches face today. “Participants with the greatest capacity for solving practical problems for themselves were the most open to feedback, and those partici- pants with less capacity for solving practical problems for themselves were the most likely to deflect feedback. Those who need it least seek it more than those who need it more” (Hurst , 2112, 131). This review summarizes Hurst’s literature review and his justification for using the HVP in his research. It explores his methods, findings, and reflections on future research using the HVP.