Social support timing and persistence in nascent entrepreneurship: exploring when instrumental and emotional support is most effective

Kim Klyver (), Benson Honig () and Paul Steffens ()
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Kim Klyver: University of Southern Denmark
Benson Honig: University of Southern Denmark
Paul Steffens: University of Adelaide

Small Business Economics, 2018, vol. 51, issue 3, No 11, 709-734

Abstract: Abstract This paper investigates how the timing of social support, both emotional and instrumental support, affects entrepreneurial persistence of nascent entrepreneurs. Drawing on social support theory, we hypothesize that the effectiveness of support depends on when, during the venture development process (number of gestation activities completed), it is provided. We also propose that the impact of social support depends on when during the entrepreneur’s life stage (age) that support is made available. Testing our hypotheses using a longitudinal dataset of nascent entrepreneurs, we find that emotional support is most relevant earlier on during venture development, while instrumental support is most relevant for entrepreneurs who begin their businesses in earlier life stages.

Keywords: Nascent entrepreneurship; Social support; Social networks; Emotional support; Timing; M13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (24)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11187-017-9964-5

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