Toward a dynamic process model of entrepreneurial networking under uncertainty

Abstract

Although research has begun to acknowledge the strategies by which entrepreneurs form and maintain network ties, most efforts to date present an incomplete picture of entrepreneurs as heroic network architects who search, plan, and pursue contact with targeted ties. Herein, we briefly review this nascent literature, argue that it has so far overlooked alternatives in favor of an overly planned and instrumental perspective, and consider the implications of incorporating the notion of uncertainty into investigations of how entrepreneurs engage in networking. We therefore take a novel perspective on entrepreneurial networking and theorize about how entrepreneurs act when desired ties cannot be identified in advance, networking outcomes cannot be predicted, and ongoing social interactions fuel the emergence of new objectives. Overall, we add important insights to the literature, as we flesh out a dynamic networking process that unfolds alongside efforts to create a new venture. We then discuss how this model, which highlights distinctive elements such as altruism, pre-commitment, serendipity, and cocreation, can stimulate a broader research agenda focused on the inquiry of networking agency under uncertainty.

Past Career in Future Thinking: How Career Management Practices Shape Entrepreneurial Decision Making

“…In contrast, career practices that emphasize career investments rather than career planning are linked to more‐effectual decision making. These findings provide answers to recent calls to gain a better understanding of entrepreneurs’ cognitive differences (Grégoire et al ., ; Grégoire et al ., ; Mitchell et al ., ) and speak to ongoing efforts to clarify the origins of effectual thinking (Baron, ; Dew et al ., ; Engel et al ., ; Engel, Kaandorp, and Elfring, ; Gabrielsson and Politis, ) by showing that an important source can be found in the study of careers.…”

Formation and Constitution of Effectual Networks: A Systematic Review and Synthesis

“…While not unique to effectuation, the development and nature of networks under effectuation may differ from networks in entrepreneurship more generally (Engel et al . ; Sarasvathy and Dew ). This leads us to suggest that the robust literature on networks in entrepreneurship provides a useful backdrop against which our understanding of networks in effectuation can be assessed.…”

“…This is important to both effectuation and network theory because predominant deterministic explanations surrounding network development may break down under the conditions of uncertainty and ambiguity characteristic of the effectual problem space (Engel et al . ; Sarasvathy and Dew ). This leads us to question: What networks develop under effectuation and why and how does that development occur?…”

An assembly perspective of entrepreneurial projects: Social networks in action

“…The recent effectuation literature references networks in use. For example, Engel, Kaandorp, and Elfring (, p. 41) emphasize the relative absence or “at best ambiguous” nature of the entrepreneur's goals as a point of departure and present the entrepreneur as engaging both new and existing ties to assess the available resources and develop their goals.…”