Doing the right things at the right times: The role of temporal enactment in venture outcome attainment

Abstract

Nascent entrepreneurs (NEs) take action in the startup process by initiating startup activities in hopes of manifesting a new firm, though some NEs experience a quit outcome. Other NEs find themselves in a still trying status (i.e., continuing to work on the startup) after a span (window) of time. We draw upon recent entrepreneurial action.theory on how temporal enactment – the ways in which NEs map, or initiate, startup activities within a span of time –helps NEs navigate the uncertainty in the startup process and avoid the still trying status to instead reach a startup outcome. We take an exploratory approach to examine framing questions of: (1) How does pace (12-, 24-, or 36-month time windows) (2) engaging in specific categories of startup activities and (3) initiating specific sequences of categories of startup activities impact NEs' likelihood of reaching startup outcomes? Using logit analysis with data from the harmonized PSED, our findings show that categories of startup activities (i.e., what NEs do) as well as the pace and sequential ordering of these activities (i.e., when they do them) matter for NEs reaching startup outcomes and avoiding the still trying status. Our findings point to a consistent sequential pattern of action that maximizes NE's likelihood of reaching a startup outcome, offering an early roadmap for temporal enactment among NEs.