Conceptualising entrepreneurial emotions in the development of network capability

Network capability is central to the entrepreneurial process to access and mobilise resources. This paper conducts an exploratory case-study-based investigation to develop understanding of how emotions influence entrepreneurial network capability development. Network capability is not inherent and requires interaction between actors. Entrepreneurs must adapt their behaviour in its development, accepting a movement from considered independence to interdependence. Our study shows that this adaptation process is not guided by rational logic or is inevitable but is shaped by entrepreneurial emotions experienced in interaction. We provide a conceptual framework illustrating the processual nature of emotions and interaction in network capability development. Implications of our framework for theory and entrepreneurial practice are discussed. We put forward a future research agenda to advance understanding of the connections between emotions, interaction, adaptation, and entrepreneurial network processes.