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cific psychological characteristics of these individuals. This early scholarly work proved more descriptive than explanatory. The research attempted to discern the differences in the traits, tendencies, behaviors, and actions of these individuals with some success (Danielson, 1960; Roberts & Wainer, 1971; Litvak & Maule, 1973; Samsom, 1990). Researchers also documented the specific problems for new scientific ventures including ineffectual business management causing organizational problems (Ahn, 2008), the inability to grow (Kenney, 1986), and insufficient business education and training (Bell & McNamara, 1991). These researchers suggest that scientific entrepreneurs witness specific business related issues and that these influence their decision to engage in and sustain the various new venture creation activities. This further suggests that failure rates of these ventures might be even more disconcerting than the overall entrepreneurial failure rates. Yet, relatively little is known about scientific entrepreneurs, and even less about the triggers and motivations that cause them to enter into the new venture creation process.

A better understanding of the phenomenon that is the environmental entrepreneur's experience as they transition from a scientist to a businessperson and from employee to entrepreneur is warranted. This phenomenon necessitates further study because of its importance in the modern day and little research has been dedicated to these scientific businesspersons, their experiences, and their motivations. This research explores the existing literature relative to this phenomenon, describes the motivations of these scientists-turned-entrepreneurs, and provides a salient understanding as to the lived experience of the environmental entrepreneur as they deliberate and engage in the new venture creation process.

LITERATURE REVIEW

The seminal literature regarding motivational theory offers insight into why entrepreneurs undertake the effort of new venture creation. This is important because it provides information as to the rationale of this process. Specifically, an understanding of the triggering mechanisms and motivations is of paramount importance to the comprehension of why individuals undertake a basic shift in perspective such as that which occurs in the case of the environmental entrepreneur. This is especially relevant in the new venture creation process because entrepreneurs must motivate themselves to leave their existing position, undertake the countless actions necessary for the process, and succeed over numerous challenges in creating their new venture. The following explores some of the significant developments in motivational and scientific entrepreneurship theory from the turn of the twentieth century to the present.

The Evolution of Early Motivational Theory

Maslow's (1954) early work suggested that man was cognizant of his motivations and that the substance of human nature was not as simplistic as the reactionary response provided by Pavlov (1928) or unconscious as suggested by Freud (1938). He believed in a holistic approach to human nature where the self is independent as well as a part of society and that the individual was aware of both. This was a departure from both the Freudian philosophy and the behavioralist philosophy in that cognition added to the complexity of motivation.

Maslow postulated that