Authors – E16 – Antje Fiedler – Developing venture opportunities amidst rivalry: entrepreneurs’ backgrounds and the governing role of maintaining confidence

This qualitative, longitudinal study of 12 innovative young New Zealand ventures investigates how individual entrepreneurs develop their venture opportunity amidst emerging rivalry. Two phases are identified: the pursuit of the initial opportunity, and developing it under rivalry. Adopting a sensemaking perspective and a social understanding of rivalry, we explain how entrepreneurs’ backgrounds impact opportunity confidence...