Human and Non-Human Actors in The Gestation Process of Entrepreneurial Opportunities

There is a plurality in the conceptualizations of entrepreneurial opportunities. Yet these conceptualizations lack construct clarity, and there is a need for a more interactive perspective that also recognizes the role of non-human actors. We address these omissions and present a new model of the gestation of entrepreneurial opportunities using the Actor-Network Theory (ANT). We show that the interaction between the actors is initiated with the conception of the new venture idea; that non-human actors can have an effect on how opportunities are (not) exploited; and that entrepreneurs simultaneously apply both actions related to discovery and creation.