臺大管理論叢 NTU Management Review VOL.30 NO.1

39 NTU Management Review Vol. 30 No. 1 Apr. 2020 mobilization and opportunities through personal network contacts (Vissa, 2012; Vissa and Bhagavatula, 2012). Marvel and Lumpkin (2007) suggest that a high degree of innovation is associated with opportunities that enhance the potential of venture creation. Ucbasaran, Westhead, and Wright (2009) report that innovative opportunities are an indicator of value creation. Opportunities arise in changing external environments when disequilibrium occurs between market supply and demand, or when resources are neglected or inadequately used (Shane, 2000). Entrepreneurs typically innovate using the means–ends framework, enabling the creation of value (Ardichvili, Cardozo, and Ray, 2003). Studies indicate that information asymmetry facilitates the procurement of information and resources by using the structural positions of social networks, various types of networks, or contact ties, which enable innovative opportunities to be identified (Ozgen and Baron, 2007; Shane and Venkataraman, 2000; Hsieh and Kelley, 2016). The general findings from prior research on the benefits of networking actions and innovative opportunities is mixed. Prior research determines that broadening a network reduces reliance on referrals when searching for new exchange partners. Furthermore, deepening a network causes a greater reliance on referrals (Vissa, 2012). Nascent entrepreneurs with diverse networks more commonly encounter promising opportunities than those without such networks do (Stuart and Sorenson, 2007; Hsieh and Kelley, 2016). However, the relationship between the networking actions of entrepreneurs and the innovativeness of opportunities is less clear in different contexts. Because of the significance of costs and benefits associated with both broadening and enriching networks, many believe that successful entrepreneurs are those who leverage both actions. To address the aforementioned literature gap, this study uses an action perspective to frame the first research question: how do different networking actions (network broadening and deepening) of entrepreneurs influence the innovativeness of opportunities? Additionally, this study further explores whether any moderators exist in the relationship between networking actions and the innovativeness of opportunities. The study investigates these topics by using a mixed method research approach. The process includes in depth interviews with 20 entrepreneurs from the Taiwanese information and communications technology (ICT) 1 industry. The results of the interviews are used to 1 ICT refers to technologies that provide access to information through telecommunication. The sector includes software, hardware, and telecommunication companies.