VentureMate is a research platform designed to investigate how AI can support the development of ethical reasoning in technology entrepreneurship, especially during the process of developing business ideas.
Ethical considerations are an important part of technology entrepreneurship, where decisions can involve competing priorities and potential impacts on different stakeholders. However, ethical reasoning is not always explicitly addressed within entrepreneurship education. This research explores how AI supported approaches may contribute to the development of ethical reasoning and reflection in technology entrepreneurship contexts.
Getting Your Participant ID
Your unique participant ID was sent to you in a confirmation email. This research uses only your participant ID and not your personal details. Therefore, it is important that you keep this ID safe and use it consistently for all three parts of the study. If you need to access or save your participant ID again, you can click on the participant ID on this platform and you will have the option to copy it to your clipboard, download it as a document, or email it to yourself.
Study Overview
Duration: Approximately 25-40 minutes
This study comprises three sequential components:
Part 1: Ethics Baseline (5-10 minutes) - You will respond to open ended questions designed to establish your current ethical reasoning patterns and perspectives on technology entrepreneurship.
Part 2: Ideation (15-20 minutes) - You will engage in a structured conversation with VentureMate, an AI chatbot, about developing an ethical approach to a technology business idea.
Part 3: Reflection (5-10 minutes) - You will complete a set of questions to assess whether the intervention influenced your approach to ethical reasoning in business contexts.
Evaluating AI-Supported Ethical Reasoning Development Among Technology Entrepreneurs During Business Ideation
Institution: Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick
Project: STEER (Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Education and Research)
Timeline: 2026/2027
Context
Technology entrepreneurs operate within complex environments characterised by competitive and financial pressures. Decision making in early stage ventures can involve competing priorities and potential trade-offs between commercial objectives and wider ethical considerations. Despite the importance of these considerations, entrepreneurship education often places greater emphasis on areas such as market analysis and venture creation, with less attention given to ethical reasoning.
At the same time, AI and conversational technologies are increasingly being explored within education and learning. While these technologies have the potential to support different forms of learning and reflection, there remains a need for further research into how AI may contribute to the development of ethical reasoning within technology entrepreneurship contexts. This research explores the potential role of AI supported approaches in aiding ethical reasoning during the development of technology based business ideas.
Data Management and Ethics
Anonymisation and Confidentiality
Each participant will have a unique participant code (for example: P001). This code will be used to identify participants in the research data, and only the participant code will be used in the analysis and reporting of study findings.
A separate record linking participant codes to participant contact details will be maintained securely by the research team solely for purposes such as contacting participants about the study or responding to requests relating to their participation. This record will not be used as part of the research analysis.
Research findings will be reported in a way that does not identify individual participants.
Data Security
Conversation logs and research responses will be stored securely using encrypted systems. Access to research data will be restricted to authorised members of the research team. The participant contact record will be stored separately from the research data and will not be used for analysis.
Data will be retained and securely deleted in accordance with University of Limerick research data management and data protection requirements.
Participant Rights
Participation in this study is voluntary. You may withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. You may also request information about how your data are being used and, where applicable, request deletion of your research data.
If you wish to withdraw or have questions about your participation or the use of your data, please contact Don Kaluarachchi at .
Research Ethics Approval
This study has received formal approval from the Research Ethics Committee, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick.
If you have concerns regarding the ethical conduct of this research or if you believe your rights as a research participant have not been adequately respected, please contact the Research Ethics Committee at .
Data Protection
The University of Limerick is responsible for the appropriate management and protection of personal data collected as part of this research. Data will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and University of Limerick requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
This research is designed for students and professionals with an interest in technology entrepreneurship and ethical decision making. You do not need to have prior business experience.
Yes. This is doctoral research being conducted at the Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, as part of the STEER (Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Education and Research) project. The research has received formal approval from the Research Ethics Committee, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick. Findings will be disseminated through academic publications and conference presentations.
VentureMate is an AI supported chatbot being used as part of this research. It provides a structured conversation around technology business ideas and ethical considerations. The chatbot will ask questions and follow up on your responses to encourage you to consider different aspects of your idea and the decisions involved in developing it.
No. While having a business idea in mind may be helpful, it is not required. If you do not have a specific idea, you can develop or explore one during the VentureMate conversation. The chatbot can be used with ideas at different stages of development, from early concepts to more developed propositions. You can also discuss a hypothetical idea or a revised version of an existing idea.
The entire study is expected to take approximately 25-40 minutes from start to finish. This includes the baseline questions, the VentureMate conversation, and the post conversation reflection.
The participant ID is stored in cookies on the device you use to access VentureMate. If you are using a shared device and the previous participant's data is still cached, you may not see the participant ID entry screen. To resolve this, clear your browser cache and cookies, use an incognito or private browsing window, or use a different web browser. This will ensure you get a fresh session and can properly enter your participant ID.
Please access VentureMate from a desktop or tablet device. The mobile version is not supported and will not function efficiently for this study. The chatbot is optimised for larger screen sizes to ensure you have a smooth experience throughout the conversation.
You are not required to answer any question that you do not wish to answer. You may also pause or leave the study at any point without penalty. If you decide to withdraw from the study, you can contact Don Kaluarachchi at .
This research is considered minimal risk. Participation involves reflecting on your views about ethical decision making and discussing a technology business idea. However, you may find some questions uncomfortable or may prefer not to discuss certain topics. You can skip any question or withdraw from the study at any time.
Yes. You may withdraw from the study at any point without penalty. You may also request that your research data be deleted, subject to the circumstances and requirements of the study. To withdraw or request deletion of your data, please contact Don Kaluarachchi at .
Yes. Your research data will be identified using a unique participant code rather than your name. A separate record linking participant codes to contact details will be maintained securely by the research team and will not be used in the research analysis. Findings will be reported in a way that does not identify individual participants.
If you encounter technical difficulties during the study, please contact Don Kaluarachchi at . The research team will work to resolve any technical issues that may affect your participation.
Individual participant feedback will not be provided, as the research focuses on patterns across participants. However, a summary of the key findings will be made available to interested participants following completion of the research. If you would like to receive a summary, please contact Don Kaluarachchi at .
No monetary compensation is offered for participation in this study. Your participation will contribute to research into ethical reasoning in technology entrepreneurship and may help inform future entrepreneurship education and the use of AI supported approaches in education.
The findings will be used to develop a better understanding of ethical reasoning in technology entrepreneurship and the potential role of AI supported approaches in entrepreneurship education. Results may be disseminated through academic publications, conference presentations, and recommendations for educational practice. No commercial use of participant data is intended.
Part 1: Ethics Baseline
Part 2: Ideation
Part 3: Reflection
Thank you for participating in the VentureMate study. Your responses have been recorded.
Contact Information
For questions regarding this research please contact:
Primary Contact
Don Kaluarachchi
Email:
Use this contact for:
Questions regarding the research study
Clarification regarding your participation or participant rights
Requests to withdraw consent or delete your data
Technical issues or troubleshooting with the VentureMate platform
Feedback on your experience with the study or the chatbot interface
Research Ethics
If you have concerns regarding the ethical conduct of this research, or if you believe your rights as a research participant have not been adequately respected, please contact:
Research Ethics Committee, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick
Email:
Supervisory Team
Dr Roisin Lyons, Department of Management & Marketing, University of Limerick
Dr Christina F. O'Connor, Department of Management & Marketing, University of Limerick
Prof Chris Exton, Department of Computer Science & Information Systems, University of Limerick
Research Study Consent
Purpose: This chatbot is part of a research study on entrepreneurship education.
Data collected: Your messages, timestamps, and interaction patterns may be recorded. Technical information such as cookies, IP address, device/browser information and error or server logs may also be processed where generated by the platform.
Use of data: Data will be used for academic research.
GDPR: Your research data are pseudonymised. Your participant ID is used to identify your responses during analysis, while your contact details are kept separately and securely for study related matters (including withdrawal requests). Your personal details are not used in the analysis.
Your rights: You may withdraw consent at any time. For full details, see our About page.