I am a Newcomer: Exploring the Micro-Process of Nascent Entrepreneurs Forming Entrepreneurial Teams

This research paper delves into inexperienced entrepreneurs' nuanced process of forming entrepreneurial teams (ETs), mainly focusing on nascent entrepreneurs taking the early steps in translating their ideas into a bigger picture. Despite the increasing population of nascent entrepreneurs, limited attention has been devoted to understanding the intricacies of those entrepreneurs initiating their first entrepreneurial teams, as most studies have focused on examining ET in established ventures. To address this research gap, we adopt an inductive approach by relying on the social network perspective to examine nascent entrepreneurs' actions in forming nine ETs. We discovered significant findings regarding nascent entrepreneurs' team formation. First, we identify distinct stages in their actions, with the phases varying based on the network context. Second, we show that skills and interpersonal relations are interlinked, and their consideration is influenced by the phase of ET formation and the network setting. Third, we unveil that nascent entrepreneurs employ either a systematic approach or a spontaneous, unplanned method when forming their entrepreneurial teams.