EE Roles: Triggering

One major function of external enablers is to entice prospective entrepreneurs to initiate the creation of a new venture because they more or less correctly anticipate some (but not necessarily all) of the mechanisms those enablers can provide. Research has firmly established the importance of agents’ prior knowledge but offers less in terms of non-obvious and generalizable insights about how qualities of “opportunities” themselves influence triggering (Davidsson, 2015). Therefore, the triggering role is well worth revisiting through the lens of external enablers and their mechanisms. Our theorizing suggests a focus on anticipation of partial enablement associated with the identification of specific mechanisms rather than assessments of the profit potential of complete, pre-existing “opportunities”.

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(Davidsson et al., 2020 AMP)