The feedback-seeking paradox, which I define as the
persistently contradictory, yet interrelated goals entrepreneurs pursue with proactively seeking feedback and proactively refraining from seeking feedback, emerged as an aggregated dimension from my analysis. My analysis revealed that entrepreneurs’ feedback seeking could be best described as a paradox of performing (Lewis, 2000;
Smith & Lewis, 2011) because development and protection goals motivated entrepreneurs to perform inconsistent actions (i.e. to seek feedback and to refrain from seeking feedback) (see Chapter
Two). In line with paradox theory (Lewis, 2000; Smith & Lewis, 2011) feedback-seeking goals persistently posed contradictory,
yet interrelated demands on the entrepreneurs in terms of purpose and foci. When viewed separately, development and protection goals were logical. When viewed together, they were inconsistent because they promoted and inhibited feedback seeking simultaneously. Yet, when development and protection goals were viewed as a part of the venture emergence phenomenon, they were synergetic and
interrelated. I describe these contradictory, yet interrelated aspects of feedback seeking next.
First, my analysis suggested that feedback seeking posed competing and conflicting demands in terms of purpose. On the one hand, feedback seeking posed competing demands on
entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurs had many simultaneous
responsibilities in their ventures (e.g. payroll, marketing) as well as in their personal lives (e.g. childcare, education). These responsibilities competed with feedback seeking for resources, such as time, energy, effort, and attention. Given enough resources, the entrepreneurs could address all these responsibilities and engage in all activities.
However, in a context of limited resources, the entrepreneurs
prioritised how to allocate resources between feedback seeking and other tasks in the venture and in their personal lives. On the other hand, development and protection feedback-seeking goals posed conflicting demands on entrepreneurs. These goals were conflicting with each other because the achievement of protection goals
required behaviours (i.e. not seeking feedback) that were incompatible with development goals (i.e. seeking feedback)
whereby the movement toward one goal was a movement away from the other.
Managing uncertainty, competitiveness, reputation, and relationships exemplify the conflicts between development and
response uncertainty, which meant minimising feelings of doubt, confusion, and lack of confidence. However, they also proactively refrained from seeking feedback because they considered how diverse or negative feedback could make it more difficult to make decisions and take action. Second, entrepreneurs sought feedback to enhance the competitiveness of their ventures by learning and
improving offerings and their positioning. However, seeking feedback could also expose ideas to competing organisations and slow down progress, thus hindering the competitiveness of the venture and motivating entrepreneurs to refrain from seeking feedback. Lastly, entrepreneurs sought feedback to build reputation and involve others in the venture emergence process. However, entrepreneurs
considered how seeking feedback could damage their current
reputation or damage relationships with others. Thus, entrepreneurs were also motivated to refrain from seeking feedback to maintain and manage reputation and relationships. Overall, entrepreneurs
perceived feedback seeking as both beneficial and harmful for uncertainty, competitiveness, reputation, and relationships.
In addition to identifying conflict between development and protection goals, my analysis also suggested conflict within the higher-order protection goal in relation to managing resources and relationships. On the one hand, entrepreneurs sought feedback from family members and friends to manage resources. These feedback sources were accessible professionals, for example in marketing and accounting, whom the entrepreneurs trusted. Entrepreneurs
perceived seeking feedback from family members and friends to require fewer resources and involve fewer reputational and
competitiveness risks due to proximity and higher trust compared to other feedback sources, such as peers or professionals outside of the entrepreneurs’ networks. On the other hand, entrepreneurs refrained from seeking feedback from family members and friends to manage relationships. Seeking feedback from these individuals could be stressful and unpleasant for entrepreneurs and the feedback sources. When entrepreneurs were concerned with managing relationships with personally significant others, they refrained from
seeking feedback to maintain a balance between the role of an entrepreneur and the individual with personal responsibilities, commitments, and social life.
Second, my analysis suggested that development and
protection goals posed conflicting demands across foci. Development and protection feedback-seeking goals had different foci: the venture and the entrepreneur. Development goals focused on creating or enhancing capabilities and resources for the venture directly through improving and building reputation. They also created or enhanced individual capabilities and resources for the entrepreneur to benefit the venture indirectly through reducing response uncertainty,
learning, and building reputation. However, protection goals focused not only on the venture (directly and indirectly), but also on the entrepreneur as a separate entity. My analysis suggested that the resource and relationship management goals partially focused on protecting the entrepreneurs as individuals with commitments and responsibilities outside of their ventures (e.g. childcare, positive encounters with family members). When entrepreneurs pursued these goals, they refrained from seeking feedback to protect themselves and others. Yet, they were also motivated to seek feedback to develop the venture through reducing response
uncertainty, learning, improving, and building reputation. Developing the venture could have a negative influence on the individual and protecting the individual through refraining from feedback seeking could hinder the development of the venture.
In summary, my analysis indicated that seeking and not seeking feedback were different routes toward achieving different goals.
Feedback-seeking goals presented different motivational forces and incompatible actions whereby the movement toward one goal was a movement away from another. Entrepreneurs proactively and
deliberately sought feedback and refrained from seeking feedback to focus on different purposes or different foci.
Third, my analysis suggested that the conflicting and competing demands between and within higher-order goals described above
one goal or one set of higher-order goals (i.e. development or protection). They did not engage in either only seeking feedback or only refraining from seeking feedback. This highlighted that a single act or prioritisation of one goal or set of goals could not resolve the conflict. Instead all entrepreneurs pursued both development and protection goals and made multiple decisions. They also employed different strategies to manage the feedback-seeking conflict, as I will discuss in the next section. Daniel H.’s experiences exemplified this persistently conflicting nature of feedback seeking. Considering a specific feedback-seeking interaction, he wanted to seek feedback from potential investors to reduce response uncertainty about the legal structure of his venture. Yet, he was also concerned with his reputation and how the potential investors would perceive him.
Considering seeking feedback from beneficiaries and customers in general, he recognised that seeking feedback from these sources enhanced the competitiveness of the venture by helping him design and improve products and services. Yet, he also considered how it hindered the competitiveness of the venture by slowing down the process of developing offerings.
Fourth, my analysis suggested that the conflicting and
competing demands described above were interrelated in terms of purpose and foci. On the one hand, feedback-seeking goals were interrelated in terms of purpose. Based on my analysis, I inferred that without seeking feedback to develop and enhance capabilities and resources, entrepreneurs would have fewer capabilities and
resources to protect. Yet, protecting capabilities, resources, and relationships to maintain a stable environment could enable entrepreneurs to develop new capabilities and resources. For example, without seeking feedback to develop and sell appealing products and services through learning and improving, there would be no competitiveness to maintain through refraining from seeking feedback to protect ideas. On the other hand, feedback-seeking goals were also interrelated across foci. Developing the entrepreneur also meant developing the venture. Entrepreneurs sought feedback to construct and enhance knowledge, skills, approaches, and
reputation, which benefited the venture. Protecting the entrepreneur also meant protecting the venture. Entrepreneurs refrained from seeking feedback to protect their reputation and not to be perceived as insecure, vulnerable, or lacking knowledge, which could also damage the reputation of the venture. Finally, developing and protecting a venture that survived and thrived also protected the entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs sought feedback and refrained from seeking feedback to create operational ventures, thus protecting the individual from potential failure. Highlighting that seeking feedback about himself as an entrepreneur and the venture are separate but interrelated, Andrew explained:
I am new at this and the organisation is new so I need all information about my ability to develop and grow the
organisation and the organisation's separate needs and how that is going to be built and grow it. They are different things.
[…] I need to know I am doing the right stuff to lead the organisation but I also need to know that the organisation is positioning itself properly so that I am leading an organisation that is going in the right direction.