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he triggers and motivations that lead to new venture creation. The phenomenon whereby these individuals conceptualize and transition from scientist to businessperson and employee to entrepreneur is important because it is common to other scientific entrepreneurs, imparts meaning to their experience, and contributes to the body of knowledge of entrepreneurship. The importance of their contribution to society, the importance to technological advancement, and the importance to scientific entrepreneurship made by these individuals are germane to furthering the body of knowledge of entrepreneurship.

The Applicability of Phenomenological Inquiry

The study used phenomenological inquiry to explore the triggers and motivations of environmental entrepreneurs as they transition into their new ventures. Phenomenological inquiry is particularly well suited for exploring the understanding of various aspects of the essence of a phenomenon (Creswell, 2007). In this exploratory research, discovery, insight, and understanding were discerned from the perspective of the environmental entrepreneur. Qualitative research in general, and phenomenology, specifically, is particularly effective in entrepreneurial research because it helps explain the causal links in everyday life, which are too complex for a survey or other quantitative, experimental strategy (Creswell, 2002).

Phenomenology is an appropriate platform for understanding the triggers and motivations related to the new venture creation experience of environmental entrepreneurs. In the search for exploratory information, Husserl (1948) suggests that researchers not seek quantitative descriptions but rather return to the meaning of the experience or phenomenon to humans. This is because the human experience of the phenomenon is the true reality in the context of the human mind. Therefore, it is important to seek the essence and nature of the triggers and motivations from the perspective of those successful scientific entrepreneurs that have started and sustained it. The research design fits this methodological perspective.

Phenomenological inquiry allows for making significant contributions to the knowledge base and practice of scientific entrepreneurship by gaining the retrospective perspective of the participants. The study used inductive reasoning so that patterns, trends, or themes, emerged during the data collection and analysis of the research (Creswell, 2007). Analysis, conclusions and themes, were drawn from interview data and new information specific to environmental entrepreneurs was identified. In summary, this phenomenological research was designed to explore the triggers and motivations of environmental entrepreneurs during the new venture creation process.

Research Question, Design, and Context

The conceptual framework for this research included interviewing successful, for-profit environmental scientists that have founded their own environmental ventures. These individuals were qualitatively studied to determine their retrospective assessment of the triggers and motivations that they deemed important in the creation and establishment of their new business ventures. The research contributes a better understanding of the phenomenon of environmental entrepreneurs in the new venture creation process.

The participants for this study were purposively selected from participants in Ohio. The pa