Sensebreaking and the Development of Entrepreneurial Cognition

Abstract

Using a longitudinal data set of weekly diary entries we followed 22 entrepreneurs engaged in new venture building for an year. Working with 11200 distinct units of analysis we identified 186 specific instances of sensebreaking. Upon qualitative analysis of these instances we show that sensebreaking aids the development of entrepreneurial cognition via three possible actions: questioning, reframing and redirecting. We identify the stakeholders involved in the venture who trigger sensebreaking within the entrepreneurs and group them by each sensebreaking action. In this way we contribute to the micro-level foundations of entrepreneurial cognition and its origins, and simultaneous business opportunity development by substantiating the role of supporting stakeholders.

Keywords: entrepreneurial cognition, sensebreaking, qualitative analysis, longitudinal data

JEL Classification: M13