A configurational approach to when entrepreneurs use strong or weak ties to attract their customers

This study investigates when entrepreneurs attract their ventures’ initial customers through strong or weak ties. Attracting customers is important for technology ventures that need to find applications for their technologies. Based on survey data from Belgian technology ventures, our fsQCA results identify three types of resource-seeking behaviors that are characterized by the entrepreneurs’ proactive personalities and human capital, the firm’s resource endowments and the environment. Further investigations reveal that these three types can be described as resource-planning, resource-bootstrapping, and resource-bricolage. Our study contributes to the literatures on entrepreneurial resource acquisition, customers and strong and weak ties.