Creative mindset, innovation capability and entrepreneurial success a case study of thai entrepreneurs in tourism industry

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<b>TON DUC THANG UNIVERSITY </b>

<b>FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION </b>

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VIETNAM GENERAL CONFEDERATION OF LABOUR

<b>TON DUC THANG UNIVERSITY </b>

<b>FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION </b>

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<b>ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS </b>

Firstly, I would like to express my special appreciation and thanks to my advisor, Associate Professor Pham Thi Minh Ly, and Dr. Lobel Trong Thuy Tran (Co-Advisor) for the continuous support of my Ph.D study and related research and for their patience, motivation, and immense knowledge.

I would like to thank Ton Duc Thang University for its generous financial support of my PhD studies. I would like to thank all the lecturers and staff in the Faculty of Business Administration, Ton Duc Thang University, especially Mr. Huang Tuan Nhat, for his great and full support. I also wish to thank Ms. Tran Thanh Truc, my lovely Vietnamese friend, who always supports and encourages me.

Last but not least, I would like to thank my mother, Ms. Yanitha Rajchakom and my Thai friends for supporting me spiritually throughout writing this thesis and my life in general.

Ho Chi Minh City, day month year Author

Natthawut Yodchai

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This dissertation was carried out at Ton Duc Thang University. Advisor: Associate Professor Pham Thi Minh Ly

Dr. Lobel Trong Thuy Tran (Co-Advisor)

<i> </i>

This dissertation is defended at the Doctoral Dissertation Examination Committee was hold at Ton Duc Thang University on / / pursuant to Decision 1683/QĐ-TĐT on 24 / 06 / 2022

Members of the Doctoral Dissertation Examination Committee:

5. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, Ph.D 6. Nguyen Thi Huyen Tran, Ph.D 7. Phung Minh Tuan, Ph.D

Member Member Secretary

Confirmation of the Chairman of the Doctoral Dissertation Examination Committee and the Dean of the faculty after receiving the modified dissertation (if any).

<b>CHAIRMAN DEAN OF FACULTY </b>

<b>………. ……… </b>

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<b>DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP </b>

I hereby declare that this dissertation was carried out by myself under the guidance and supervision of Associate Professor Pham Thi Minh Ly and Dr. Lobel Trong Thuy Tran (Co-Advisor); and that the work contained and the results in it are true by author and have not violated research ethics. The data and figures presented in this dissertation are for analysis, comments, and evaluations from various resources by my own work and have been duly acknowledged in the reference part. In addition, other comments, reviews and data used by other authors, and organizations have been acknowledged, and explicitly cited.

<b>I will take full responsibility for any fraud detected in my dissertation. </b>

Ton Duc Thang University is unrelated to any copyright infringement caused on my work (if any).

Ho Chi Minh City, day month year Author

Natthawut Yodchai

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<b>CREATIVE MINDSET, INNOVATION CAPABILITY AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS: A CASE STUDY OF THAI ENTREPRENEURS IN TOURISM </b>

<b>INDUSTRY </b>

<b>ABSTRACT </b>

This study applies the style of a series of papers in the field of creative mindset, innovation capability, and entrepreneurship success, which mainly consists of the two studies.

The aim of Study 1 was to examine the comprehensive framework and ground the conceptualize of a creative mindset model and innovation capability to build business success. The Study 1 applied a meta-analysis method by using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) program. By means of a meta-analysis of 58 studies (n = 22,427). The results suggest that a growth mindset is positively related to creative self-efficacy, which can influence creative performance and innovation capability, while a fixed mindset has negative effects. More importantly, creative performance and innovation capability can contribute to business success. Thus, these results establish the role of creative mindsets in enhancing business success. All results are supported by meta-analysis; therefore, this study provides scholars and practitioners the necessary evidence for making statistical inferences on creativity-based model and enhancing business success and will help researchers and practitioners use this model in conducting further studies especially, empirical research.

To improve the results of the prior study and create a narrative view of creative mindset and innovation capability. Study 2 adopted implicit theory and investigated the effect of a creative mindset on entrepreneurial success in the context of Thailand’s tourism businesses through innovation capability, using a partial least squares (PLS) analytical technique and a questionnaire protocol with a total of 176 Thai business owners. The results from Study 2 found that entrepreneurs with a growth mindset may reflect and drive entrepreneurial success either directly or indirectly through innovation

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capability. The fixed mindset had no significant impact on entrepreneurial success; however, it might indirectly drive their success through innovation capability. The findings of this study can help entrepreneurs increase managerial effectiveness. Accordingly, this study provides more insight into the probable causation of how creative mindset and innovation capability engage in affecting tourism entrepreneurs’ success. As so, this study contributes a framework to help entrepreneurs’ creativity and performance in achieving their business goals.

KEYWORDS: Business success, Creative mindset, Creative self-efficacy, Creativity, Empirical research approaches, Entrepreneurial success, Implicit theory, Innovation capability, Meta-Analysis, Thai tourism

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<b>TƯ DUY SÁNG TẠO, NĂNG LỰC ĐỔI MỚI VÀ THÀNH CƠNG KINH DOANH: TÌNH HUỐNG NGIÊN CỨU CỦA DOANH NHÂN THÁI LAN TRONG NGÀNH DU LỊCH </b>

<b>TÓM TẮT</b>

Luận văn này bao gồm hai nghiên cứu độc lập, áp dụng phong cách của một loạt báo cáo khoa học trong lĩnh vực tư duy sáng tạo, năng lực đổi mới, và sự thành công trong khởi nghiệp.

Mục đích của nghiên cứu thứ nhất là để nghiên cứu một khung toàn diện và tạo cơ sở cho việc hình thành khái niệm về mơ hình tư duy sáng tạo và năng lực đổi mới để kiến tạo thành công trong kinh doanh. Nghiên cứu thứ nhất áp dụng phương pháp phân tích tổng hợp bằng cách sử dụng chương trình Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) trong việc phân tích tổng hợp 58 nghiên cứu (n=22,427). Kết quả của nghiên cứu thứ nhất cho thấy tư duy phát triển có liên quan tích cực với hiệu quả tự sáng tạo, điều này có thể ảnh hưởng tới hiệu suất sáng tạo và năng lực đổi mới, trong khi tư duy cố định có tác động tiêu cực lên những điều này. Quan trọng hơn nữa, hiệu suất sáng tạo đóng góp nhiều vào sự thành cơng của doanh nghiệp hơn là năng lực đổi mới. Vì vậy, những kết quả này xác lập vai trò của tư duy sáng tạo trong việc nâng cao thành công của doanh nghiệp. Do đó, nghiên cứu này cung cấp cho các học giả và những người thực hành các chứng cứ cần thiết để đưa ra các kết luận thống kê dựa trên mơ hình sáng tạo và nâng cao sự thành công của doanh nghiệp.

Trong nghiên cứu thứ hai, tác giả sử dụng lý thuyết ngầm và nghiên cứu sự ảnh hưởng của tư duy sáng tạo lên sự thành công trong việc khởi nghiệp trong ngữ cảnh của Thái Lan. Nghiên cứu thứ hai tìm ra rằng những nhà khởi nghiệp sở hữu tự duy phát triển có thể phản ánh và thúc đẩy sự thành công của việc khởi nghiệp một cách trực tiếp hay gián tiếp thông qua năng lực đổi mới. Tư duy cố định khơng có tác động đáng kể tới sự thành công của việc khởi nghiệp. Tuy vậy, nó có thể gián tiếp thúc đẩy sự thành công thông qua năng lực đổi mới. Kết quả của nghiên cứu này có thể giúp các nhà khởi

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nghiệp tăng hiệu quả quản lý. Theo đó, nghiên cứu này cung cấp hiểu biết sâu về nguyên nhân của cách mà tư duy sáng tạo và năng lực đổi mới góp phần ảnh hưởng đến sự thành công của các nhà khởi nghiệp trong lĩnh vực du lịch. Do đó, nghiên cứu này đóng góp một nền tảng để giúp các nhà khởi nghiệp trong việc sáng tạo và tăng hiệu suất để đạt được các mục tiêu trong kinh doanh của họ.

TỪ KHĨA: thành cơng của doanh nghiệp, tư duy sáng tạo, hiệu quả tự sáng tạo, sự sáng tạo, cách tiếp cận nghiên cứu thực nghiệm, sự thành công của khởi nghiệp, lý thuyết ngầm, khả năng đổi mới, phân tích tổng hợp, nền du lịch Thái Lan.

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<b>CONTENTS </b>

<b>LIST OF FIGURES ... xii</b>

<b>LIST OF TABLES ... xiii</b>

<b>1.9. Organization of the study ... 9</b>

<b>CHAPTER 2: OVERVIEW ON CREATIVE MINDSET, INNOVATION CAPABILITY, ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS AND THAILAND TOURISM .11</b>

<i>3.1.1. The relation between growth mindset and creative self-efficacy ... 27 </i>

<i>3.1.2. The relation between fixed mindset and creative self-efficacy ... 28 </i>

<i>3.1.3. The relation between creative self-efficacy and creative performance ... 28 </i>

<i>3.1.4. The relation between creative self-efficacy and innovation capability ... 29 </i>

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<i>3.1.5. The relation between creative performance and innovation capability .... 30 </i>

<i>3.1.6. The relation between creative performance and business success... 31 </i>

<i>3.1.7. The relation between innovation capability and business success ... 32 </i>

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<i>6.2.2. Practical implications ... 76 </i>

<i>6.2.3. Limitations and future research ... 81 </i>

<b>LIST OF PUBLISHED PAPERS BY AUTHOR ...83</b>

<b>REFERENCES ...84APPENDIX ... civ</b>

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<b>LIST OF FIGURES </b>

<b>Figure 2.1: Number and revenue of domestice travellers ... 22 </b>

<b>Figure 2.2: Number and revenue of international arrivals ... 23 </b>

<b>Figure 3: Research framework (Study 1) ... 33 </b>

<b>Figure 4: Research framework (Study 2) ... 42 </b>

<b>Figure 5: Research model results ... 66 </b>

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<b>LIST OF TABLES </b>

Table 2.1: Relationship between innovation capability and business sector ... 18

Table 3.1: Meta-analysis and research fields ... 33

Table 3.2: Information of scientific database ... 36

Table 3.3: Relevant of combination keywords ... 39

Table 4

: Demographic characteristics ... 49

Table 5.1: Studies used in meta-analysis ... 53

Table 5.2: Meta-analysis results ... 61

Table 5.3: Construct measurement ... 62

Table 5.4: Discriminant validity ... 64

Table 5.5: Hypothesis testing results ... 67

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<b>ABBREVIATIONS </b>

AVE ASEAN

Average Variance Extracted

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

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<b>CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION </b>

<b>1.1. Problem Statement </b>

Creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship are acknowledged as vital components for cultivating an entrepreneurial culture (Edwards-Schachter et al., 2015). To effectively build and improve their organizations, entrepreneurs must embrace a creative mindset, which is a key characteristic of their individuality (Tang et al., 2016). The creative mindset serves as a vital source of organic growth and revitalization, ultimately leading to increased market and revenue growth (Staniewski & Awruk, 2018). As such, a strong contextual orientation toward creativity and innovation is critical for entrepreneurs to uncover new business opportunities.

Innovation capability (IC) can be considered as technical innovation and managerial innovation, which are the main innovation capabilities and activities of any organization (Maldonado-Guzmán et al., 2019). Existing tourism industry research shows that ensuring growth and sustainability in the tourism sector also relies on innovation and the development of new services (Cem et al., 2019). In this situation, innovation capability is something connected to business processes that firms may use to establish and retain competitive advantage. Many creative and innovative businesses (e.g., Apple, Amazon) have placed a high priority on the development of innovation capabilities in order to achieve firm performance (Wang & Dass, 2017), or even big retail companies are still focusing on the possibility of innovation such as Smart Labels and Unique Identifiers (Foroudi et al., 2016).

Jaiswal and Dhar (2015) established a link between innovation capability and creativity, however, there is still a need to further study the relationship of creative mindset on entrepreneurial success. Additionally, non-technical innovation has not been explored in detail and requires further examination (Kafetzopoulos & Psomas, 2016). Existing research on entrepreneurial success has primarily focused on the business and firm level, leaving business practitioners without explicit guidance on the definition and impact of a creative mindset on innovation capability and entrepreneurial success (Angel et al., 2018). In addition, the findings of previous studies (Divisekera & Nguyen, 2018; Puente‐Diaz & Cavazos‐Arroyo, 2017) has primarily concentrated on direct

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effects and has been carried out in developed economies. Therefore, to address these gaps, the author has developed a creative mindset model specifically for the tourism industry in Thailand.

Tourism has become an increasingly important source of income for Thailand. The country is known for its stunning beaches, vibrant culture, delicious food, and affordable prices, making it a popular destination for tourists from all over the world. Furthermore, Thailand’s tourism industry is considered one of the highest income industries for Thailand, and both international tourists and domestic travelers are enjoy exploring various destinations in Thailand (Leelawat et al., 2022).

In 2019, Thailand was in the eighth position globally in the number of international tourist arrivals. Moreover, Thailand’s tourism industry, particularly its SMEs created around 36 million jobs and several business opportunities in the country between 2014 and 2019 (Aditya, 2022). The SMEs are the foundation of tourism development, and through them, both tour operators and tourism service providers construct a vast network that aids in the widespread distribution of tourism’s economic gains (Srinamphon et al., 2022).

There is a great interest in published articles that have extensively focused on creativity in connection to the performance of entrepreneurs and its implementation in the tourism sector. However, the most relevant ones are focused in developed countries such as Germany (Tang et al., 2016), the United States (Sipe, 2016), and Australia (Divisekera & Nguyen, 2018). In addition, creativity and innovation can be crucial for achieving sustainable competitive advantage. According to Sutapa et al., (2017), investigating the correlation between creativity and innovation remains an intriguing area of study (Sutapa et al., 2017).

In this study, the author faced the problem of the research questions being substantially different in terms of business and entrepreneurial success contexts. Views on business discipline must be grounded in a conceptual framework, whereas the issue of entrepreneurial success necessitates a process-oriented approach. Then, a single research method could not accommodate both views. Therefore, the author conducts multiple methods studies in order to explore the creative mindset, innovation capability, and entrepreneurial success of Thai entrepreneurs in the tourism industry.

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To begin with, the author uses the meta-analysis method to ground the comprehensive framework and examine the conceptualization of the creative mindset model and innovation capability in order to build up business success (Study 1).

Meta-analysis is a statistical technique used in research to combine and analyze data from multiple studies (Vetter et al., 2013) including educational, social, medical sciences, and business (Cheung, 2015). It is a valuable tool for summarizing research findings and identifying patterns and relationships across studies. In business, meta-analysis has been utilized to inform practice and improve business performance. In the context of creative mindset and innovation capability, Study 1 aims to provide a comprehensive model of their relationship with business success, including creative self-efficacy, creative performance, and innovation capability. However, it is important to note that some dimensions such as innovation capability may overlap or be multifaceted.

Building on the findings of Study 1, the author presents a narrative model of a creative mindset with implications for entrepreneurial success in the context of Thailand’s tourism industry in Study 2. The literature on tourism and entrepreneurship emphasizes the importance of evaluating creativity and innovation in order to enhance tourism businesses (Ateljevic & Page, 2017). The author also examines the mediating role of innovation capability in the relationship between a creative mindset and entrepreneurial success, as depicted in the hypothesized relationships.

<b>1.2. Motivation </b>

The term of “creative mindset” pertains to one’s perspective on the characteristics of creativity, particularly the viewpoint on fixed or growth mindsets regarding abilities, motivations, and personality traits (Karwowski, 2014). Creative mindset has been associated with beliefs, goals, and behaviors, resulting in a seemingly dichotomous motivation pattern (Yu & McLellan, 2020). Furthermore, they are associated with psychopathology, goals, and self-perception (Schroder et al., 2019).

In the age of technology and innovation, there is a strong need for entrepreneurs to tackle strategic and operational practices, challenging them to search for new ideas and engage in innovation in order to achieve business goals and objectives. In so doing, a

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creative mindset plays a key role in adopting new ideas for the firm’s development and refinement process (Tang et al., 2016). Degraff and DeGraff (2020) also posit that a creative mindset makes a chance or opportunity for innovation in daily life and always drives us to look for that potential and opportunity to innovate. Previous research has found that most studies linking creative mindset to creativity literature, such as Royston and Reiter‐Palmon (2019), education, such as Paek and Sumners (2019), Vongkulluksn et al. (2021), and social, personal and clinical psychology field, such as Schroder et al. (2019). However, there is a lack of research that has explored the connection to innovation and business fields.

Creative mindset defined as a set of beliefs about nature of creativity, and the creativity factor is fundamental for new venture competitiveness and entrepreneurial creativity can be demonstrated in organization and firms (Khedhaouria et al., 2015). Entrepreneurs with creativity reflect on their employee performance by delivering creative and innovative directions. As we know, creativity has long been at the heart of human endeavor and is recognised as a key strength in building competitive advantage through innovation (Bouty & Gomez, 2013). Moreover, creativity plays a crucial role in entrepreneurial processes as it enables the discovery of novel business opportunities, ultimately contributing to organizational success. Fleck and Asmuth (2021) argue that creativity is complex in nature, forming four elements such as fluency, originality, elaboration, and flexibility relating to creativity activity and an important role in the entrepreneurial process.

Innovation is a crucial factor in achieving success in the business world, and creativity plays a pivotal role in driving innovation by generating valuable ideas and translating them into effective action (Ferreira et al., 2020). However, despite its importance, there is a lack of research examining the relationship between creativity and innovation, as pointed out (Stojcic et al., 2018). While some studies have highlighted the impact of a creative mindset on creative achievement and effort, this literature is often overlooked (Hass et al., 2016; Karwowski, 2014; O’Connor et al., 2013). Additionally, there is a dearth of research investigating the link between creativity, innovation, and business success (Bouty & Gomez, 2013). Nevertheless, recognizing the relationship between creativity and innovation can provide a

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competitive advantage for companies striving for success.

<b>1.3. Research Proposes </b>

In this study, the author develops a study of creative mindset, innovation capability, and its implication for success. The aims of this study are twofold: firstly, to investigate the concept of creative mindset, innovation capability in the business contexts, and secondly, to explore the relationship between creative mindset, innovation capability, and entrepreneurial success among Thai entrepreneurs in the tourism industry. The purpose of using multiple methods or more than one method is to develop and offer the potential for deeper understandings of the creative mindset in business context and entrepreneurial success discipline. Therefore this study consists of two main studies.

1. Study 1 uses a meta-analysis to conceptualize a comprehensive framework of creative mindset, innovation capability, and its implication for business success.

2. Study 2 is a development of the results from Study 1. The study 2 aimed to provide a narrative view of creative mindset, innovation capability, and entrepreneurial success in the context of Thailand’s tourism businesses, using an empirical research approach based on the PLS technique.

<b>1.4. Objective </b>

This research employs a multiple method approach consisting of two separate studies (Study 1 and Study 2) to investigate the design of a creative mindset, innovation capability, and entrepreneurial success in the context of Thailand’s tourism businesses.

Study 1 employs a meta-analysis technique using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis program (CMA) to explore the relationship between innovation capability and business success, as well as to ground the comprehensive framework and examine the conceptualization of the creative mindset model. The study investigates the relationship between creative mindset and business success, which includes creative self-efficacy, creative performance, and innovation capability.

In Study 2, the author makes a further development from the results of Study 1. The author uses PLS as an empirical research approach technique and aims to provide

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a narrative view of a model of a creative mindset, innovation capability, and business success by investigating entrepreneurial success in the context of Thailand’s tourism businesses which includes creative mindset (fixed and growth mindset), innovation capability (technical and non-technical innovation capability) and entrepreneurial success.

<b>1.5. Data </b>

In Study 1, a meta-analysis method was employed, which involved collecting 58 relevant studies from journals covered in the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases. The total sample size for the study was 22,427, with varying sample sizes for each hypothesis, ranging from 1,915 samples to 6,840 samples. The studies were conducted between 2002 and 2020.

On the other hand, Study 2 utilized an empirical research approach, where participants were recruited using convenience sampling. The final sample comprised 176 entrepreneurs who had been in the tour and travel business for at least one year, held a travel agency business license from the Department of Tourism in Thailand, and completed a structured questionnaire.

<b>1.6. Methodology </b>

The author employed a multi-method approach in this study to investigate a research topic. The use of multiple methods allowed for a more comprehensive understanding of the creative mindset within the business context, particularly in the entrepreneurial success context. First, the author conducted a meta-analysis to set a comprehensive framework and ground the conceptualize of a creative mindset model and innovation capability in order to build business success. Then, the author participated in a sample collection to validate the results further by focusing in entrepreneurial success discipline.

Meta-analysis is a systematic and efficient approach to synthesizing a large body of literature objectively. By integrating results from various studies, it helps to uncover cumulative knowledge and general principles. In this study, a meta-analysis will be conducted to identify relevant empirical studies from diverse scientific databases. The

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data will be collected from electronic sources various including management, marketing, psychology, social science, business, technology, and innovation management. This technique is a powerful research summary method for summarizing research findings across studies. It is also helpful in identifying and exploring sources of bias, quantifying differences between studies, and distinguishing genuine heterogeneity from bias, especially in dimensions such as innovation capability, which may be multiple.

The Study 1 will be the quantitative meta-analysis of creative mindset and business success. Themes from this meta-analysis results will be developed into empirical research about entrepreneurial success in Study 2.

The Study 2 is a development from Study 1, and focuses on a narrative view of the results of Study 1. This Study 2 applies a quantitative method and is carried out by a questionnaire survey. By means of the PLS technique, the author has modelled the indirect and direct effects of creative mindset, innovation capability, and entrepreneurial success in the tourism businesses in Thailand.

<b>1.7. Research findings </b>

The research topic in this study was approached using a multimethod design, which involves the use of two or more independent studies to address research questions, hypotheses, or a program (Martha et al., 2007). Then, each study is planned and conducted separately to answer specific sub-questions. The results of Study 1 reveal that all hypotheses are supported, with a positive correlation between growth mindset and creative self-efficacy and a negative correlation between fixed mindset and creative self-efficacy. Additionally, creative self-efficacy has a positive correlation with both creative performance and innovation capability. Furthermore, creative performance is positively correlated with both innovation capability and business success, while innovation capability is positively correlated with business success. Consequently, the results of Study 1 can serve as a conceptual framework for creative mindset, innovation capability, and business success in a business context.

In Study 2, based on these findings, the author concluded that entrepreneurs with a growth mindset might reflect and drive entrepreneurial success either directly or

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indirectly through innovation capability. The fixed mindset does not have impact or significantly impact on entrepreneurial success. Nevertheless, it may be able to drive their success indirectly through its innovation capability. Accordingly, the findings highlight the importance of focusing on growth mindset and innovation capability as part of entrepreneurial success.

<b>1.8. Contributions </b>

The objective is to examine creative mindset, innovation capability, and entrepreneurial success in the context of Thai entrepreneurs in the tourism industry, which is mainly composed of two studies. Study 1 provides a comprehensive model of the creative mindset based on implicit theory in business success by Meta-analysis. Then, Study 2 is a narrative review by empirical research approach, which provides a model of a creative mindset, innovation capability, and entrepreneurship success in the context of Thailand’s tourism businesses. Thus, the dissertation generally adds several contributions to its field.

In Study 1, all results are supported by analysis, revealing that meta-analysis techniques can be applied to the business sector. This study will help researchers and practitioners use this model in conducting further studies, especially empirical research. The results of Study 1 will aid business management in the process of developing, implementing, and measuring strategies for their firm’s performance or activities.

The results of Study 2 reveal a model of creative mindset for achieving entrepreneurial success. This study offers a deeper understanding of how the creative mindset and innovation capability contribute to the success of tourism entrepreneurs. The application of the creative mindset model is grounded in the implicit theory, which can be utilized to assess research models based on creativity and innovation within a business context. The implications of the findings from this study can be useful in assessing the efficacy of these models in fostering business success.

In addition, previous studies have investigated the creative mindset. However, there are very few studies that examine the creative mindset that drives innovation capability, especially in the context of entrepreneurial success in the tourism industry.

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This study addresses this gap in existing literature by giving an understanding of the creative mindset in a business context. Empirical evidence presented here establishes a correlation between a creative mindset and innovation capability, shedding light on the role of successful entrepreneurs. The results underscore the significance of prioritizing the development of growth mindset and innovation capability in entrepreneurial pursuits.

In the tourism industry, tourism has a significant impact on the economy for future growth, but there is a need for more empirical research and quantitative analysis. Thus, a study of tourism entrepreneurs can provide the tourism business with various and insightful information. Furthermore, there is a great interest in published articles that have extensively focused on creativity in connection to the performance of entrepreneurs and its implementation in the tourism sector. However, the most relevant are focused in developed countries. Therefore, the findings of this study will help the development of tourism in developing countries, especially in Thailand.

<b>1.9. Organization of the study </b>

In Chapter 1, the study will start with the introduction, where the problem statement will be presented. Accordingly, the author will explain the problem statement, motivation, and information from the two studies, which are Study 1 and Study 2, and include the organization of the study.

In Chapter 2, the author reviews the overview literature of implicit theory, creative mindset, innovation capability, entrepreneurial success, and Thailand tourism. In Chapter 3, the author provides and outlines of Study 1, which includes the study hypothesis development, methods, including applied techniques and procedures undertaken. This study will present a meta-analysis including research design, selection of studies, and analytical technique.

In Chapter 4, the author provides the outlines of Study 2, which includes hypothesis development, methods, including applied techniques and procedures undertaken. This study will present an empirical research approach technique, that includes survey design, data collection, and analytical technique.

In Chapter 5, the author provides and outlines the data analysis and results of

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Study 1 and Study 2.

In Chapter 6, the author indicates the conclusion of Study 1 and Study 2. Theoretical contribution and practical implications, and limitations of this study are also presented.

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<b>CHAPTER 2: OVERVIEW ON CREATIVE MINDSET, INNOVATION CAPABILITY, ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS AND THAILAND TOURISM </b>

<b>2.1. Implicit Theory </b>

Creativity can be explained as either an explicit theory or an implicit theory. An implicit theory of creativity is the construction of laypeople regarding their belief systems about creativity (Chan & Chan, 1999). The implicit theory of creativity is related to the understanding and perception of creativity aspects such as what is creativity, who is creative, etc. (Li et al., 2021).

Implicit theory consists of two systems of an individual mindset; one is an entity mindset and the other one is an incremental mindset. According to entity mindset, the ability could be referred that creativity is fixed, failure is innate, criticism is negative, and it is unchangeable. While an incremental mindset could be referred to the dynamics, seeing failure as an opportunity, taking criticism as constructive, and being beneficial to future creative activities and creative success (Karwowski & Brzeski, 2017) .

Implicit theory holds important consequences for motivation, attributions, achievement goals, and academic performance. In existing literature and documents, it is posited that the implicit theory is an enduring source that can explain behavior and creativity (Puente-Díaz & Cavazos-Arroyo, 2017). Research on implicit theories focuses on what people believes and the nature of human attributes. The entity theorist believes that human characteristics are fixed, whereas the incremental theorist believes that human characteristics are trainable and can be developed (Carr et al., 2012). However, some studies referred to others’ conceptions of the creative person, but some studies concerned creative mindset (Li et al., 2021).

Puente-Díaz and Cavazos-Arroyo (2017) highlighted that the concept of entity belief is associated with the notion of a fixed intelligence, while the incremental belief is linked to the dynamic and malleable nature of intelligence, particularly in the context of creative activities and creative achievements. In other words, the entity belief framework perceives intelligence as static and unchangeable, whereas the incremental belief framework views intelligence as flexible and adaptable. As a result, incremental belief-based individual has a positive affect as a consequence with the effectiveness in

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solving insightful tasks while entity mindset acts as a negative predictor.

Following Hass and Burke (2016), the implicit theory offers a visual perception of creative achievement, and the implicit theory also leads an individual or people to produce a superior performance, or even create superior creative tasks and solutions. Additionally, when evaluating new business proposals, venture capitalists depend on their personal implicit beliefs or theories regarding the qualities that a promising business should possess (Riquelme & Watson, 2002). Generally, managers with incremental beliefs would exert better performance in a range of work and social tasks.

Previous studies have suggested an implicit theory in a business context. For example, Rai and Lin (2019) recommend that financial institution marketers aim to instill implicit self-theories of personality (an incremental mindset) in their commercials in order to encourage positive appraisals of risky investments. Montford et al. (2019), found the likelihood of taking risks is lower among entity theorists when the potential for financial loss is apparent. Allan et al. (2022), found implicit self-theories can shape individuals’ perceptions of emerging social robots intended for everyday use.

The implicit mindset also plays a critical role in tourism-related innovation. According to Fong et al. (2018), their implicit theory, individuals who adhere to incremental theories of intelligence exhibit lower risk perceptions and more positive attitudes towards using mobile apps for hotel reservations. As a result, their implicit theory predicts a greater likelihood of continuing to use apps for hotel bookings, employing the concept of information technology continuance. According to Ly et al. (2021), based on positive prior experiences and perceived value for money, a majority of homestay guests who adhere to entity theories of intelligence are likely to use homestays again. These studies demonstrate the potential of implicit theory in grounding business, particularly in tourism contexts. Therefore, this study generates fresh insights for the existing literature on the utilization of implicit theoryby expanding the range of its application to include a framework for a creative mindset in the context of achieving business success.

Runco (1999) notes that implicit theories enable us to assess creative behavior even if we lack a precise definition of creativity. Implicit theories of creativity are more easily shared than formal definitions of the concept, and understanding them can aid in

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both the planning and evaluation of efforts to promote creativity (Lim & Plucker, 2001). However, some studies referred this with others’ conceptions of the creative person, but some studies concerned creative mindset (Li et al., 2021).

<b>2.2. Creative mindset </b>

Creative mindset can be explained as a product of nature and connected with the talent and ability of people, thus dominating people’s achievement and intelligence (Dweck, 2009). According to Yu & McLellan (2020), individuals tend to have either a fixed or growth mindset about their abilities. Those with a fixed mindset (or an entity theory), believe that their ability is a fixed trait. On the other hand, those with a growth mindset (an incremental theory), view their ability as a flexible quality that can be developed and improved over time. A creative mindset represents a specific form of implicit theory, which concerns a person’s own creative capabilities and involves explanations for their own personal traits (Hass et al., 2016). A person’s implicit theory about fixed (or entity mindset) where the ability to be creative is set and unchangeable, or growth (or incremental mindset) where creative ability can be nurtured (Pretz & Nelson, 2017).

2.2.1 Fixed mindset

According to Yu & McLellan, (2020), individuals with a fixed mindset belief their ability as a fixed traitand may perceive effort in a negative light. Such individuals may believe that there is little room for improvement in their creative skills and, as a result, may not invest additional effort in developing them (Puente-Díaz & Cavazos-Arroyo, 2017). Those with a fixed mindset tend to attribute their task achievements to their inherent intelligence, rather than their ability to develop their thinking by putting more effort into practice. As a result, they are less likely to exert additional effort when faced with challenging tasks or risks (Dweck, 2006). In a fixed mindset, people believe that their qualities, including intelligence, personality and moral character, are fixed (Dweck, 2009). Fixed mindset can be related with a negative forecasting, solving insight problems (Karwowski, 2014) and creative behavior (Tang et al., 2016).

However, Murphy and Dweck (2016) found managers in the business context to

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prioritize their personal and professional reputation, seek compliments, and focus on performance goals, ultimately turning people off. Previous studies have demonstrated the significance of researching fixed mindsets. For example;

Hass et al. (2016), found fixed mindset had less and negative influence on creative identity and also on self-efficacy. Puente‐Diaz and Cavazos‐Arroyo (2017), show that a latent class analysis, which considers different levels of fixed and growth mindsets, is expected to reveal varying degrees of personal creative identity and likelihood of engaging in social comparison. Steele et al. (2018), found no significant correlation between fixed creative mindsets and idea evaluation self-efficacy. The result from Rai and Lin (2019) study show that those with a fixed mindset, also known as entity theorists, tend to prefer investments with lower levels of risk.

2.2.2 Growth mindset

A growth mindset, also known as an incremental theory, and people who possess a growth mindset hold the belief that their skills and intellect can be cultivated through persistent effort and commitment (Yu & McLellan, 2020). People with a growth mindset believe in their intelligence’s development and are more inclined to persevere and participate in effortful behavior when faced with new, difficult activities, including seeing their abilities as changeable through learning, learning from failure or success (Dweck, 2006). Those who hold a growth mindset are related to their initial talents, aptitudes, interests, and temperaments such as motivation for learning behavior (Vongkulluksn et al., 2021), learning approach goals (Burnette et al., 2013). In terms of an organization, managers with a growth mindset are seeking learning goals and focusing on competence and seeing effort as the path to mastery, such as seeing feedback as constructive and seeing failures as an opportunity to grow (Murphy & Dweck, 2016).

Some examples of relevant studies on growth mindset include researches such as Hass et al. (2016) found the impact of creative identity and self-efficacy was moderated by the presence of a growth mindset. Pretz and Nelson (2017) posited that there was a positive correlation between having a growth mindset and being rated as creative, as well as exhibiting creative performance. Rai and Lin (2019) mentioned that consumers

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who believe in the malleability of personality traits (i.e., incremental theorists) tend to prefer investments with higher levels of risk. Tenemaza Kramaley and Wishart (2020) suggested that chess players who exhibit a growth mindset were found to have longer study sessions and be more focused and serious during competitions. Overall, these studies suggest that adopting a growth mindset can lead to improved performance and academic achievement, and that the beliefs and attitude.

According to the implicit theory, an individual’s fixed mindset is characterized by an entity belief, while a growth mindset is associated with an incremental belief. Those with a fixed mindset believe that their personal attributes, such as creativity or intelligence, are unchangeable, whereas a growth mindset recognizes that effective strategies can lead to personal development (Burnette et al., 2020).

Karwowski and Brzeski (2017) suggest that fixed and growth mindsets are two ends of a single continuum, but they are negatively correlated. However, due to the complexity of nature’ s creativity, Karwowski (2014) found that the correlation between both mindsets was weak, assuming their association independence. As a result, individuals can hold both fixed and growth mindsets because creative mindsets are about beliefs, and if beliefs are perceived as changeable, then people of all levels of ability can hold both, but as time passes, individuals with a growth mindset tend to perform better than individuals with a fixed mindset. From the perspective of tourism human resources, entrepreneurial human capital is associated with business and is more probable to disclose an opportunity and be successful. Entrepreneurs typically embody vision, creativity, and innovation, which are key factors contributing to superior business or firm performance (Kallmuenzer et al., 2021). In the tourism industry, creativity can be transformed into innovation through the adoption of new technologies, allowing businesses to enhance their operations and adapt to changing environmental conditions (Divisekera & Nguyen, 2018).

From a business perspective, the presence of creative mindsets holds significant implications for business education. Individuals with a high level of creative mindset tend to approach and complete tasks more effectively (Qin et al., 2020). Such a mindset helps individuals build their creative personal identity, creative self-efficacy (also

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referred to as creative self-concept) (Royston & Reiter‐Palmon, 2019), and problem-solving capabilities, which are essential for competitiveness in an entrepreneurial context (Fleck & Asmuth, 2021).

<b>2.3. Innovation capability </b>

Many researchers have given the definition of innovation capability. According to Ngo and O'cass (2013), innovation capability is a complex concept that consists of multiple facets. They propose that there are two main types of innovation: technical and non-technical. Technical innovation involves the development of new services, service operations, and technologies. Non-technical innovation, on the other hand, encompasses innovations in managerial practices, market strategies, and marketing tactics.

Saunila (2014) proposed a more comprehensive framework for innovation capability, which comprises seven distinct aspects. These include participatory leadership culture, which refers to the organizational environment that fosters innovation and leadership development. Ideation and organizing structures are also crucial, as they provide the necessary structures and systems for generating, developing, and implementing innovative ideas. Work climate and well-being are vital for employee satisfaction and creating a positive environment for innovation, collaboration, and values. Know-how development involves utilizing employee skills and knowledge, as well as improving them. Regeneration refers to an organization’s ability to learn from past experiences and use them to create new innovations. External knowledge is also essential, as it involves leveraging external networks and knowledge to enhance organizational innovation capability. Lastly, individual activity concerns the individual innovation capability and activity of employees.

Taherparvar et al. (2014) proposed that innovation capability can be evaluated based on two critical dimensions. First, innovation speed refers to the time elapsed between the initial development and the ultimate commercialization of new services, technologies, equipment deployment, and problem-solving initiatives. Second, innovation quality is determined by how well the launched products and services meet the needs and expectations of customers, which reflects the novelty, creativity, and

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effectiveness of new ideas, services, processes, technologies, equipment, and problem-solving approaches.

Oura et al. (2016) defined innovation capability as a construct consisting of seven dimensions: research and development capacity (e.g., new technologies, product development), marketing capacity (e.g., marketing tools, new pricing methods, new sales channels), manufacturing capacity (e.g., quality of product manufacturing or production, advanced technologies in manufacturing or production), learning capacity (technological trends, new skills or technologies), organizational capacity (e.g., a flexible organizational structure, new management techniques), resource exploitation capacity (e.g., a continuous flow of financial resources), and strategic capacity (e.g., strategy formulation, connection between innovation and value).

Weber and Heidenreich (2018) put forth a framework for evaluating a firm’s innovation capabilities, which includes five sub-dimensions. These sub-dimensions are as follows: 1) Innovation portfolio management, 2) Innovation process management, 3) Innovation culture, 4) Internal learning, and 5) External learning.

Maldonado-Guzmán et al. (2019) proposed that innovation capability can be viewed in terms of two main categories: technical innovation and managerial innovation. Technical innovation pertains to the development of new products and processes, while managerial innovation involves new approaches to marketing and management. These two types of innovation capabilities are critical activities that organizations engage in to stay competitive and enhance their overall performance.

Therefore, innovation capability can be referred to a company's capacity to utilize the inventive potential of its workforce by establishing conducive settings for the cultivation of knowledge and ideas, and the successful execution of innovative strategies aimed at improving business processes.

Additionally, the innovation capability increases the ability to organize or carrying out an action that may develop and allow the implementation of successful in terms of innovation context. Importantly, a wide variety of research topics in the relationship between innovation capability and firm performance were supported. Such as, Calantone et al. (2002); Maldonado-Guzmán et al. (2019); Taherparvar et al. (2014); Wang and Dass (2017); Yang et al. (2009). Moreover, innovation capability has a

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significant influence on different business factors such as sales performance (Kafetzopoulos & Psomas, 2015), financial and operational performance (Saunila, 2014), business performance (Taherparvar et al., 2014), export performance (Oura et al., 2016), and firm success (Weber & Heidenreich, 2018). Table 2.1 illustrates how innovation capability is linked to different sectors of firms or businesses.

<b>Table 2.1. Relationship between innovation capability and business sector. </b>

Kafetzopoulos and Psomas (2015)

The correlation between a

company’s ability to innovate and the quality of its products, as well as its operational and financial performance.

Manufacturing firms

innovation capacity, its perceived need for innovation, and its overall organizational performance.

IT manufacturing companies

Ferreira et al. (2020) The association between a company's innovation capability and its ability to gain a

competitive edge and achieve overall business success.

Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs)

company’s innovation capacity and its level of collaboration with other firms, and how this impacts its overall performance.

Handicraft micro firms

Lam et al. (2021) Collaboration between organizational cultures

High-tech firms

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knowledge management and innovation capabilities within an open innovation environment

Source: created by author Extensive literature indicating that entrepreneurship plays a critical role in driving economic development, particularly when entrepreneurs effectively leverage innovative technologies to enhance productivity and performance among their employees (Ferreira et al., 2019). In the hospitality section, it is essential for firms to keep up with periodic innovation and make innovation capability a core competence (Wang & Dass, 2017). As a result, hospitality businesses have a wealth of options for enhancing services and customer experiences through innovation (Pascual-Fernández et al., 2020). To put it another way, innovation is a key strategy for long-term success in the hospitality industry (Ouyang et al., 2021).

The current entrepreneurship literature on tourism highlights the importance of innovation capability, which facilitates the generation of new ideas, novel processes, and creative solutions that can lead to the development of new products, services, and technological processes (Kallmuenzer et al. 2019). Interestingly, entrepreneurs are often seen as innovators who make use of corporate resources to produce innovative products and services that capitalize on market opportunities and enhance their business performance (Farmaki et al., 2020).

It’s widely accepted that there is a pressing need for greater quantitative evidence of innovation in tourism. In order to attain and maintain a company's performance, the ambition to develop an innovation capability will establish the essential organizational culture and learning. Non-technical and technical innovation capability are regarded as being part of the same innovation capacity.

In the first place, technical innovation capability (TIC) refers to the ability to generate new ideas and knowledge to develop new services, service operations, and technologies (Ngo & O'cass, 2013). Secondly, non-technical innovation capability (NTIC) is characterized by a company’s attributes that support its managerial, market, and marketing activities, including managerial, market, and marketing innovations

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(Ngo & O'cass, 2013). Non-technical innovation capability can be described as the application of new ideas to enhance organizational structures, systems, and processes. Therefore, firms must consider both technical innovation capability and non-technical innovation capability to benefit the organization and remain competitive in the marketplace (Kafetzopoulos & Psomas, 2016).

<b>2.4. Entrepreneurial success </b>

Entrepreneurs are the leaders of their enterprises because they can readily transfer or distribute resources between entrepreneurial situations (Powell & Eddleston, 2013). Entrepreneurs are recognised as individuals who make independent business decisions and contributions related to managing a business (Tajeddini et al., 2017). Entrepreneurs may take on various roles and duties to fulfil and perform tasks such as conceptualising business visions and processes, planning and implementing business operations (Przepiorka, 2017). Therefore, an entrepreneur is an individual or person who organizes and operates a business (or businesses) by using their own decisions and contributions to manage and fulfil a business.

The process of contributing to those business processes is known as entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is an opportunity to seek business activities through the promotion of economic development both by the individuals, governments, and society (Ramadani et al., 2015). Entrepreneurship is a characteristic of managers and business owners who develop innovations to apply to the uncertainty of the environment (González‐Benito et al., 2009).

Entrepreneur strategy and successful entrepreneurs have been the subject of extensive research studies. Many researches have given various definition of success for individual entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurial success is the career success of an entrepreneur that is related to work-related outcomes that entrepreneurs have accumulated (Lau et al., 2007). Entrepreneurial success was measured in terms of business and in comparison to competitors (Przepiorka, 2017). Entrepreneurial success is an assessment of the achievements of entrepreneurs, measured by economic and entrepreneurial satisfaction with experience. In several research, different measures of success were employed to assess entrepreneurial success. For example, Entrepreneurial

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success was evaluated through economic indicators and assessments of how satisfied individuals were with their entrepreneurial experience (Powell & Eddleston, 2013).

Entrepreneurs in different sectors may judge their career success in different ways. Entrepreneurial success is used to refer to a company or entrepreneur. Fisher et al. (2014) found that entrepreneurial success can be used to refer to a firm/company or an individual entrepreneur, and the success criteria can be determined in terms of objective and subjective. The present study adopted the concept of entrepreneurial success as defined by Staniewski and Awruk (2018), encompassing both subjective and objective indicators. Regarding subjective indicators, they pertain to the degree of contentment experienced in connection with the progress of the business, the client base size, the quality of employee performance, the competitiveness of the organization, and the achievement of predetermined business development objectives. On the other hand, an objective indicator can be defined as specific outcomes such as meeting profit targets, having a registered business address, employing staff, creating job opportunities, sustaining financial stability, providing employee benefits, and establishing lasting relationships with clients.

<b>2.5. Thailand tourism </b>

The tourism industry is playing an essential role and expanding significantly, leading to rapid growth and substantial economic growth. The contribution of travel and tourism makes the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economy grows 11% of region’s gross domestic product (GDP). By 2025, the GDP contribution of ASEAN tourism could be increased from 12% to 15%, demonstrating the growing importance of tourism, especially in Thailand, where tourism contributes to significant employment in their economies (ASEAN, 2015).

Tourism is an economic contributor to Thailand’s tourism industry, which is strongly recognized for its naturally well-endowed, hospitality, infrastructure, and variety of attractions. Thailand’s appeal as a travel destination is not limited to foreign tourists; locals also take pleasure in exploring their own country. For example, Bangkok as the capital city, Chiang Mai in the north and Phuket in the south are also well-known tourist hotspots within Thailand (Leelawat et al., 2022). The number of domestic

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travellers reached 167 million people in 2019, bringing in 1,084 million THB of revenue (see Figure 2.1). Moreover, the number of international arrivals is much higher and increasing year by year, with 39.8 million tourist bringing 1,933 million THB (see Figure 2.2).

<b>Figure 2.1. Number and revenue of domestic travellers. </b>

Source: Ministry of tourism and sport

Exchange rate 1 US$ = 32.31 Baht

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<b>Figure 2.2. Number and revenue of international arrivals. </b>

Source: Ministry of tourism and sport

Exchange rate 1 US$ = 32.31 Baht

In 2013, the third industrial revolution (Industrial 3.0) has changed to the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0), where the concept represents the current trend and importance of technology such as IoT or the Internet of Things (Xu et al., 2018). The German Federal Government first introduced Industry 4.0, which was well-accepted both in the academic and industrial sectors, and it spread from Europe to America and Asia, including the United States, United Kingdom, Taiwan, and Japan (Oztemel & Gursev, 2020). Thailand is also moving toward industrial 4.0. The concept of Industry 4.0 has emerged in Thailand’s economic agenda as called Thailand 4.0 (Schmidt, 2019). The economic model of Thailand 4.0, or the Thai version of Industry 4.0, is based on creativity and innovation (Jones & Pimdee, 2017). In so doing, as Thailand undergoes a transition towards a digital economy, entrepreneurs in the tourism industry must prioritize the cultivation and ongoing support of creativity and technological innovation. Moreover, it is highly imperative for entrepreneurs in Thailand to acknowledge the importance of nurturing a creative mindset in order to bring their

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businesses to fruition. This strategy is crucial for achieving their business objectives and contributing to the transition of Thailand’s economic landscape towards Thailand 4.0.

Tourism holds immense significance for Thailand’s economy, as evident from the huge revenue it generates. In 2018, Thailand welcomed 38.3 million foreign tourists, constituting approximately 16% of GDP. The tourism sector is replete with numerous SMEs that cater to the needs of tourists, thus contributing significantly to job creation, poverty reduction, and the production of local products like souvenirs and services. SMEs form the backbone of tourism development, and through their network, tour operators and tourism service providers can distribute economic benefits widely (Srinamphon et al.2022).

In 2019, the nation welcomed 40 million tourists, with accommodation (28%), shopping (24%), and food and beverages (21%) being the leading expenditure categories for inbound visitors. Furthermore, between 2014 and 2019, the tourism sector in Thailand created approximately 36 million jobs and numerous business opportunities in the country. Unfortunately, the outbreak of the pandemic and the resulting limitations have exerted a considerable influence on Thailand’s economy, particularly the tourism sector, which witnessed a drastic drop in international travel within a year. In 2021, there was a significant drop in the number of passengers on international flights to Thailand, with a 95% decrease compared to 2020. Moreover, the decline was even more pronounced when compared to 2019. (Aditya, 2022).

In addition, recent studies have acknowledged and endorsed the connection between creativity and innovation. However, most relevant are focused in developed countries such as Germany (Tang et al., 2016), the United States (Sipe, 2016), Australia (Divisekera & Nguyen, 2018). Therefore, it is crucial to conduct research in emerging economies, particularly in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, where a deficiency in knowledge and incentives for innovation is apparent (Chen, 2018), to obtain further quantitative evidence and empirical research. Furthermore, Divisekera and Nguyen (2018) highlighted the need for increased empirical research and quantitative evidence in tourism innovation, given the rapid expansion of the tourist industry in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Wong et al., 2011). Despite this,

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there is lack empirical support (Sipe, 2016). Hence, the author plans to compare the results of creative mindset, innovation capability and entrepreneurial success with case study of entrepreneurs in tourism industry of Thailand.

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