Information exposure, opportunity evaluation, and entrepreneurial action: An investigation of an online user community

Erkko Autio, Linus Dahlander Esmt, Lars Frederiksen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

242 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

We study how an individual's exposure to external information regulates the evaluation of entrepreneurial opportunities and entrepreneurial action. Combining data from interviews, a survey, and a comprehensive web log of an online user community spanning eight years, we find that technical information shaped opportunity evaluation and that social information about user needs drove individuals to entrepreneurial action. Our empirical findings suggest that reducing demand uncertainty is a central factor regulating entrepreneurial action, an insight that received theories of entrepreneurial action have so far overlooked.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1348-1371
Number of pages24
JournalAcademy of Management Journal
Volume56
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2013

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Business and International Management
  • General Business,Management and Accounting
  • Strategy and Management
  • Management of Technology and Innovation

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Information exposure, opportunity evaluation, and entrepreneurial action: An investigation of an online user community'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this