Entrepreneurial Activity in the Venture Creation and Development Process

This introductory comment to the special edition notes the complex and dynamic nature of the new venture creation process. Although the growing body of work which explores discrete elements of this process is acknowledged, in-depth analyses of the ‘black box’ of new venture creation remain scarce. Thus, this special edition features papers which recognise and explore how entrepreneurial actors and their ventures progress within and between the various phases necessary to establish viable new firms within differing and uncertain contexts. Three papers are featured offering a diverse range of perspectives upon the challenges encountered during new venture creation and the strategies adopted to address these issues. Drawing from these articles, we present a more nuanced processual view of entrepreneurial activity in the venture creation and development process and in addition, suggest pathways for future research to develop this debate.