신생 스타트업 네트워크 의존성과 기회 인식: 지식 습득과 기업가적 지향성의 역할

Despite the pivotal role of external networks in capturing opportunities for startups’ business performance, nascent entrepreneurs often face challenges in managing the networks due to limited managerial competences. This scenario prompts a crucial examination of how their network reliance impacts the outcomes of opportunity recognition, an area where prior studies has only begun to explore the mechanisms at play. Addressing this gap, we focus on the potential roles that knowledge acquisition and entrepreneurial orientation play in conditionally mediating this relationship. By analyzing data from 161 entrepreneurs operating nascent startup businesses, we find that network reliance has an indirect effect on the opportunity recognition through knowledge acquisition. Moreover, entrepreneurial orientation moderates the indirect effect of knowledge acquisition in the relationship. Our findings underscore the importance of strategic network management and the pursuit of knowledge as fundamental elements for performance in the opportunity recognition. This study thus contributes to extending the entrepreneurship literature by integrating the network-based and knowledge-based views while providing practical insights for entrepreneurs seeking to optimize their learning and adapt their strategies for opportunity identification through external networks.