Research Seminar Series: Professor Paul Steffens

We are thrilled to invite you to the upcoming hybrid session of the Research Seminar Series at the Asia School of Business, featuring Professor Paul Steffens.

Seminar Title:

Beyond Cognitive Evaluation: Opportunity Attitude Construct And Scale Development

Event Details:

📅 Date: 17 November 2025

⏰ Time: 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

📍 Venue: CR-W2-03, Level 2, Asia School of Business

About the Speaker: Professor Paul Steffens is Director of Entrepreneurship at the ECIC, The University of Adelaide. His core areas of research are start-up processes and firm growth. Paul has been a lead investigator for research projects totalling more than AUD 1.5 million and has published over fifty academic publications, including journal articles in leading entrepreneurship, marketing and technology management journals. Previous appointments include Director of the Technology and Innovation Management Centre, University of Queensland, academic positions at University of Queensland and Monash University and visiting positions at University of Kiel, Penn State University and Southern Illinois University. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours I) and a PhD in diffusion of innovations, both from the University of Queensland. Paul has also consulted for a wide variety of both business and public agencies. His clients include Energex, Waitrose (UK), Agribuys (USA), IPAA, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Monsanto, Bunge, Franklins, Solutions Research and the Meat Research Corporation.

Abstract: The opportunity evaluation process is central to our understanding of entrepreneurship. Recent studies have conceptualized the character of first-person opportunity beliefs, culminating as opportunity attractiveness, as an important cognitive precursor to entrepreneurial action. Building on the theory of mind and attitude research, we extend the outcome and measurement of the opportunity evaluation process beyond purely cognitive assessment, to incorporate affective attachment and conative engagement with the opportunity; the three components combining to form opportunity attitude. This paper develops and validates a measurement scale for opportunity attitude. Using four studies, the paper validates a 19-item opportunity attitude scale and confirms the multidimensionality of the opportunity attitude construct. Cognitive assessment, affective attachment and conative engagement are all strongly associated with proximal outcomes of evaluation such as personal goal commitment and implementation intentions. Hence, relying on cognitive evaluation alone provides an incomplete view of opportunity evaluation.

We look forward to your participation in this insightful research seminar.

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