Abstract
Purpose: This study explores how aspiring entrepreneurs navigate between their own individual self-concept and the organisational identity of the new venture during the process of new venture creation.
Design/methodology/approach: The study draws on three cases of aspiring entrepreneurs within a UK-based university incubator in the process of ‘becoming’ entrepreneurs. Semi-structured interviews and secondary data were collected and analysed using a flexible pattern matching approach.
Findings: The data illustrated parallel identity and sensemaking processes occurring as the aspiring entrepreneurs navigated towards new venture formation. For the organisational identity process, three key stages were found to occur: referent identity labelling, projection, and identity reification. Concurrently the sensemaking process made up of creation, interpretation and enactment were seen to enable identity transitioning mechanisms: cue identification, liminal sensegiving and recognition of formal venture boundaries, which led to the organisational identity being formed.
Originality: By extricating the stages of organisational identity formation, often hidden within the new venture creation process, this study has framed new venture creation as a liminal experience and a visible site of identity work. This study presents a process model of the key identity transitioning stages and mechanisms in new ventures, by illustrating how aspiring entrepreneurs’ sensemaking influences identity transitions during the process of venture creation.
Design/methodology/approach: The study draws on three cases of aspiring entrepreneurs within a UK-based university incubator in the process of ‘becoming’ entrepreneurs. Semi-structured interviews and secondary data were collected and analysed using a flexible pattern matching approach.
Findings: The data illustrated parallel identity and sensemaking processes occurring as the aspiring entrepreneurs navigated towards new venture formation. For the organisational identity process, three key stages were found to occur: referent identity labelling, projection, and identity reification. Concurrently the sensemaking process made up of creation, interpretation and enactment were seen to enable identity transitioning mechanisms: cue identification, liminal sensegiving and recognition of formal venture boundaries, which led to the organisational identity being formed.
Originality: By extricating the stages of organisational identity formation, often hidden within the new venture creation process, this study has framed new venture creation as a liminal experience and a visible site of identity work. This study presents a process model of the key identity transitioning stages and mechanisms in new ventures, by illustrating how aspiring entrepreneurs’ sensemaking influences identity transitions during the process of venture creation.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1741-1762 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| Journal | International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| Early online date | 4 Sept 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 6 Oct 2023 |
Bibliographical note
'This author accepted manuscript is deposited under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC) licence. This means that anyone may distribute, adapt, and build upon the work for non-commercial purposes, subject to full attribution. If you wish to use this manuscript for commercial purposes, please contact [email protected].'Keywords
- Identity
- Qualitative
- Transitions
- liminality
- new venture creation
- Sensemaking