Pivoting and its Challenges: Pushing the Frontiers of an Emerging Domain

Abstract

This Symposium examines entrepreneurial pivoting and its challenges through the lenses of key theoretical conversations motivating research on this topic. While pivoting has become increasingly ubiquitous in new venture strategy, particularly with the rise of the Lean Startup approach, pivots can also be challenging to effectively execute. Yet, scholarly research on this topic is still nascent. This Symposium seeks to bridge this gap by providing a deep dive into key theoretical conversations related to pivoting research, with the aim of exploring key commonalities and differences between different “theoretical conversations” that can inform further research. To this end, the Symposium will bring together scholars doing frontier research on pivoting who will reflect on the state of entrepreneurial pivoting research and its implications for stakeholders from the perspective of different theoretical conversations (e.g. cognition and pivoting, learning and pivoting, the “historic turn” in pivoting, firm governance and pivoting, and business model innovation and pivoting). The symposium will start with an introduction of pivoting research, and then will feature insights from each of the panelists, followed by integrative comments from a distinguished scholar discussant, and finally, an Q&A discussion session with the audience. The Symposium intends to provide participants with a cross-cutting, multidisciplinary understanding of the frontier theoretical conversations on entrepreneurial pivoting and its challenges.