The Successful Use of Social Capital in Start-ups
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2019-01-18
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en
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This thesis discusses the way in which an entrepreneur’s social capital influences the
performance of their start-ups. Much research has been conducted with regard to quantitative
relations between variables related to this topic, but there is a lack of qualitative research
focussing on the insights of entrepreneurs. Therefore, the research approach consists of
conducting qualitative interviews with entrepreneurs. In order to create structure in these
interviews but to leave space for related subjects as well, a semi structured interview guide
was constructed. This interview guide was based on variables like network size, network
diversity, structural holes, strong ties and weak ties and their relations with social capital,
which were commonly used in existing literature. After interviewing ten entrepreneurs, the
results were analysed through open coding after which codes were refined and categorized. The results were sorted by category. They shed light on the perceived relationships between variables, and provided a deeper perspective into why these relationships are useful to entrepreneurs and in what different ways different relationships were seen as valuable. The results also clarified how and why entrepreneurs used their social capital.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen