IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/entthe/v33y2009i3p715-738.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Life Cycle of an Internet Firm: Scripts, Legitimacy, and Identity

Author

Listed:
  • Israel Drori
  • Benson Honig
  • Zachary Sheaffer

Abstract

We study, longitudinally and ethnographically, the construction of legitimacy and identity during the life cycle of an entrepreneurial Internet firm, from inception to death. We utilize organizational scripts to examine how social actors enact identity and legitimacy, maintaining that different scripts, both contested and consent–oriented, become the source of action for acquiring legitimacy and creating organizational identity. We show that scripts enable entrepreneurs and other social actors to invoke a set of interactions within and outside the organization. Scripts construct values and interests, form social bonding and consented actions, and eventually shape and reshape the individual and institutional contexts of identity and legitimacy. We found that the strategic action of organizational members in pursuing and enacting their preferred scripts depends on their position and role in the organization. We observed that the institutionalization of simultaneously competing scripts created a path–dependent process leading to organizational conflict and eventual failure.

Suggested Citation

  • Israel Drori & Benson Honig & Zachary Sheaffer, 2009. "The Life Cycle of an Internet Firm: Scripts, Legitimacy, and Identity," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 33(3), pages 715-738, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:33:y:2009:i:3:p:715-738
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6520.2009.00323.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2009.00323.x
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2009.00323.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert E. Quinn & Kim Cameron, 1983. "Organizational Life Cycles and Shifting Criteria of Effectiveness: Some Preliminary Evidence," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(1), pages 33-51, January.
    2. Karl E. Weick, 1998. "Introductory Essay—Improvisation as a Mindset for Organizational Analysis," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(5), pages 543-555, October.
    3. Chiasson, Mike & Saunders, Chad, 2005. "Reconciling diverse approaches to opportunity research using the structuration theory," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 20(6), pages 747-767, November.
    4. Scott Shane, 2000. "Prior Knowledge and the Discovery of Entrepreneurial Opportunities," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(4), pages 448-469, August.
    5. Danny Miller & Peter H. Friesen, 1984. "A Longitudinal Study of the Corporate Life Cycle," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(10), pages 1161-1183, October.
    6. James P. Walsh, 1995. "Managerial and Organizational Cognition: Notes from a Trip Down Memory Lane," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 6(3), pages 280-321, June.
    7. Hoang, Ha & Antoncic, Bostjan, 2003. "Network-based research in entrepreneurship: A critical review," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 165-187, March.
    8. L. J. Bourgeois, III & Kathleen M. Eisenhardt, 1988. "Strategic Decision Processes in High Velocity Environments: Four Cases in the Microcomputer Industry," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 34(7), pages 816-835, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Romeo V. Turcan, 2013. "International New Venture Legitimation: An Exploratory Study," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 3(4), pages 1-29, November.
    2. Lien De Cuyper & Bart Clarysse & Nelson Phillips, 2020. "Imprinting Beyond the Founding Phase: How Sedimented Imprints Develop over Time," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 31(6), pages 1579-1600, November.
    3. König, Marc & Ungerer, Christina & Baltes, Guido & Terzidis, Orestis, 2019. "Different patterns in the evolution of digital and non-digital ventures' business models," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 844-852.
    4. Tomas Karlsson & Caroline Wigren, 2012. "Start-ups among university employees: the influence of legitimacy, human capital and social capital," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 37(3), pages 297-312, June.
    5. Romeo Turcan & Anita Juho, 2014. "What happens to international new ventures beyond start-up: An exploratory study," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 129-145, June.
    6. O'Neil, Isobel & Ucbasaran, Deniz, 2016. "Balancing “what matters to me” with “what matters to them”: Exploring the legitimation process of environmental entrepreneurs," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 133-152.
    7. Sara Sassetti & Giacomo Marzi & Vincenzo Cavaliere & Cristiano Ciappei, 2018. "Entrepreneurial cognition and socially situated approach: a systematic and bibliometric analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 116(3), pages 1675-1718, September.
    8. Kim Klyver & Benson Honig & Paul Steffens, 2018. "Social support timing and persistence in nascent entrepreneurship: exploring when instrumental and emotional support is most effective," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 709-734, October.
    9. Zaheer, Hasnain & Breyer, Yvonne & Dumay, John, 2019. "Digital entrepreneurship: An interdisciplinary structured literature review and research agenda," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    10. James M. Bloodgood & Jeffrey S. Hornsby & Matthew Rutherford & Richard G. McFarland, 0. "The role of network density and betweenness centrality in diffusing new venture legitimacy: an epidemiological approach," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-28.
    11. Zaheer, Hasnain & Breyer, Yvonne & Dumay, John & Enjeti, Mahesh, 2022. "The entrepreneurial journeys of digital start-up founders," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    12. Domurath, Anne & Patzelt, Holger & Liebl, Andreas, 2020. "Does negative feedback impact new ventures' organizational identity? The role of founding teams' human capital and feedback source," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 35(3).
    13. Blake E. Ashforth & Kristie M. Rogers & Kevin G. Corley, 2011. "Identity in Organizations: Exploring Cross-Level Dynamics," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(5), pages 1144-1156, October.
    14. Tom Van Caneghem & Walter Aerts & Oveis Madadian, 2021. "Peer‐based comparison and firms' discretionary cost decisions," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 163-185, March.
    15. Jintong Tang & Zhi Tang & Jerome A. Katz, 2014. "Proactiveness, Stakeholder–Firm Power Difference, and Product Safety and Quality of Chinese SMEs," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(5), pages 1-29, September.
    16. James M. Bloodgood & Jeffrey S. Hornsby & Matthew Rutherford & Richard G. McFarland, 2017. "The role of network density and betweenness centrality in diffusing new venture legitimacy: an epidemiological approach," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 525-552, June.
    17. Fisher, Greg & Kuratko, Donald F. & Bloodgood, James M. & Hornsby, Jeffrey S., 2017. "Legitimate to whom? The challenge of audience diversity and new venture legitimacy," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 52-71.
    18. Joep P. Cornelissen & Ona Akemu & Jeroen G. F. Jonkman & Mirjam D. Werner, 2021. "Building Character: The Formation of a Hybrid Organizational Identity in a Social Enterprise," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(5), pages 1294-1330, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ammar Hussain & Minhas Akbar & Muhammad Kaleem Khan & Ahsan Akbar & Mirela Panait & Marian Catalin Voica, 2020. "When Does Earnings Management Matter? Evidence across the Corporate Life Cycle for Non-Financial Chinese Listed Companies," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-19, December.
    2. Enrico Santarelli & Hien Tran, 2013. "The interplay of human and social capital in shaping entrepreneurial performance: the case of Vietnam," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 435-458, February.
    3. D’Angelo, Alfredo & Presutti, Manuela, 2019. "SMEs international growth: The moderating role of experience on entrepreneurial and learning orientations," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 613-624.
    4. Sang-Lyul Ryu & Jayoun Won, 2022. "The Value Relevance of Operational Innovation: Insights from the Perspective of Firm Life Cycle," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-18, February.
    5. Drogendijk, H.J., 2005. "The Development of Network Relations of MNC Subsidiaries : How Internal MNC and External (Local) Relations Evolve," Discussion Paper 2005-128, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    6. Bernhard Fietz & Julia Hillmann & Edeltraud Guenther, 2021. "Cultural Effects on Organizational Resilience: Evidence from the NAFTA Region," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 73(1), pages 5-46, March.
    7. Lichtenstein, Benyamin B. & Dooley, Kevin J. & Lumpkin, G.T., 2006. "Measuring emergence in the dynamics of new venture creation," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 153-175, March.
    8. Hanna Silvola, 2008. "Design of MACS in growth and revival stages of the organizational life‐cycle," Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 5(1), pages 27-47, March.
    9. Serge Lenga, 2013. "Un effet modérateur des processus cognitifs de l'entrepreneur sur les opportunités d'affaires situées dans l'espace géographique," Working Papers hal-00832027, HAL.
    10. Remco Dijkman & Sander Vincent Lammers & Ad Jong, 2016. "Properties that influence business process management maturity and its effect on organizational performance," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 717-734, August.
    11. Shahzad, Farrukh & Fareed, Zeeshan & Wang, Zhenkun & Shah, Syed Ghulam Meran, 2020. "Do idiosyncratic risk, market risk, and total risk matter during different firm life cycle stages?," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 537(C).
    12. Alexandre Farias Albuquerque & Edmundo Escrivão Filho & Marcelo Seido Nagano & Luiz Adalberto Philippsen Junior, 2016. "A change in the importance of mortality factors throughout the life cycle stages of small businesses," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 6(1), pages 1-18, December.
    13. Fresner Johannes & Krenn Christina & Kleshchov Anton & Tomasi Fabio, 2019. "Exploratory research into energy efficiency investment and strategy," Technology audit and production reserves, 2(46) 2019, Socionet;Technology audit and production reserves, vol. 2(4(46)), pages 16-27.
    14. Durand, Rodolphe & Coeurderoy, Regis, 2001. "Age, order of entry, strategic orientation, and organizational performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 471-494, September.
    15. Alessandra Colombelli & Emilio Paolucci & Elisabetta Raguseo & Gianluca Elia, 2024. "The creation of digital innovative start-ups: the role of digital knowledge spillovers and digital skill endowment," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(3), pages 917-937, March.
    16. Kim Klyver & Benson Honig & Paul Steffens, 2018. "Social support timing and persistence in nascent entrepreneurship: exploring when instrumental and emotional support is most effective," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 709-734, October.
    17. Hasan, Mostafa Monzur & Cheung, Adrian (Wai-Kong), 2018. "Organization capital and firm life cycle," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 556-578.
    18. Wiklund, Johan & Yu, Wei & Tucker, Reginald & Marino, Louis D., 2017. "ADHD, impulsivity and entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 627-656.
    19. Lenka Sukova, . "Greiner’s Model and Its Application in Automotive Companies in the Czech Republic," Acta Informatica Pragensia, University of Economics, Prague, vol. 0.
    20. Jing Zhang & Vangelis Souitaris & Pek–hooi Soh & Poh–kam Wong, 2008. "A Contingent Model of Network Utilization in Early Financing of Technology Ventures," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 32(4), pages 593-613, July.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:33:y:2009:i:3:p:715-738. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.