Abstract:   The parent company′s proactive spin-off start-ups have an advantage in the inheritance of established routines. However, the specific methods and pathways through which its routines are formed remain unclear. With the help of entrepreneurial learning theory, this study conducted a double case comparative study on the organizational convention formation process of two different types of spin-off start-ups initiated by the parent, and summarized the organizational convention formation process model of spin-off start-ups from the perspective of entrepreneurial learning. The study found that: (1) The formation path of the organizational routines in parent-initiated spin-off start-ups includes two distinct routes: “exploring in conjunction with the parent company and then choosing to utilize” and “imitating the parent company and then adjusting through trial and error”. (2) The process of routine formation includes three stages, namely origination, development, and stabilization, and they correspond to the triggering context of the routine, formation of collective consensus, and establishment of organizational norms. (3) The routine formation process of parent-initiated spin-offs is also a process in which large, medium and small enterprises play their own advantages. The conclusions of this study will enhance the grasp of spin-off entrepreneurship′s unique dynamics and expand the research on organizational routines and entrepreneurial learning. They will also bear substantial theoretical and practical significance for the innovation-driven integration and growth of enterprises across scales, fostered by spin-off entrepreneurial initiatives.

Key words: spin-off entrepreneurship, organizational routine, entrepreneurial learning, dual case study