| Taking History to Heart: How Sensemaking Mediates between Institutional Change and Entrepreneurial Networking |
Received:October 09, 2017 Revised:October 09, 2017 |
Key Words: Sensemaking, History, Entrepreneurship, Networks, Institutional change |
| Author Name | Affiliation | | Chenjian Zhang* | University of Bath | | Tao Wang | GRENOBLE ECOLE DE MANAGEMENT |
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Abstract: |
| Networking is vital for entrepreneurial success. Prior research leaves unclear about how entrepreneurs navigate their networking behaviors during environmental shift. Adopting a sensemaking perspective, this paper examines how does sensemaking of the past, present, and future shape and differentiate entrepreneurs’ networking behaviors during institutional change? Empirically, we examine how and why incumbent entrepreneurs and new entrepreneurs adopted distinctive networking behaviors during institutional transition in China from 1992-2009. We identify three sensemaking themes-scrutinizing reform, discerning connectivity and self-positioning-and uncover two cognitive mechanisms-evaluation of change coherence and assessment of self-efficacy- leading to backward-looking and forward-looking networking behaviors. Our research advances historically informed strategy research by revealing entrepreneurs’ internal cognitive processes, which lays the microfoundation for variation of strategic behaviors. |
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