Building the Foundation: How Dual Team Formation Shapes Early Venture Trajectories

This study investigates how entrepreneurial team (ET) formation approaches-specifically, the intensity of adopting a dual strategy (integrating resource-seeking and interpersonal attraction) influences early entrepreneurial performance. While recent research has begun to explore the dual approach, a significant gap remains in understanding how and why the intensity of adopting this strategy, rather than its mere adoption, affects early entrepreneurial outcomes. Drawing on human capital and homophily theories, the research analyzes 185 entrepreneurial teams participating in a business plan competition, supplemented by interview data. Preliminary findings indicate that a higher intensity of the dual formation approach significantly enhances team productivity, which, in turn, mediates the relationship between team formation intensity and early legitimacy. This research contributes by shifting the focus from singular to dual formation approaches, examining intensity rather than mere adoption, and uncovering the mechanisms through which formation intensity influences early entrepreneurial success.