Early-stage entrepreneurs’ communicative strategies in managing knowledge ambiguity

Wei Shi

Journal of Small Business Management, 2025, vol. 63, issue 4, 1594-1622

Abstract: Prior research demonstrates the importance of knowledge seeking on startup performance, but the process of accessing knowledge is less studied. Knowledge ambiguity in entrepreneurship is embedded in the complexities and interconnectedness of knowledge sources, knowledge components, knowledge transfer mechanisms, and knowledge adaptation processes. This study explores the communicative strategies entrepreneurs use to cope with knowledge ambiguity, specifically with the use of online and offline channels. Interview data were collected from 20 early-stage entrepreneurs in the knowledge-intensive industries in the New York metropolitan area. Five strategies emerged from the data: manage public visibility, optimize knowledge relevance, enhance communication efficiency, expand knowledge awareness, and access indirect knowledge. This research contributes to the knowledge of how communication and media use unfold in resource-constrained environments and to the growing literature of entrepreneurial bricolage (make do with what is at hand) in knowledge management.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/00472778.2024.2397411

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