Keeping a keen edge: Social support among new venture team members and venture goal commitment

Some recent studies have focused on how social support explains the variability of entrepreneurs' venture goal commitment. These studies have exclusively featured solo entrepreneurs, however, examining the support available to individuals from external ties, while neglecting the social support shared among team members in new venture teams (NVTs). Using data on 81 NVTs and 335 individuals from the Haier Entrepreneurship Platform in China, we investigated the effects of the level of support, perceived heterogeneity of support, and balance between instrumental and emotional support in NVTs on their members' venture goal commitment. Overall, with variations for the two kinds of support, we found that all of these facets-the level and heterogeneity of the support, as well as the balance between instrumental and emotional support-affected venture goal commitment among NVT members.