Author Description

Contingency as an explanatory factor in the process of opportunity formation is currently more or less overlooked in entrepreneurship literature. The aim of this qualitative project is to illustrate the role of contingency as a potential explanatory factor in the process of opportunity formation. This project, by using the narrative approach, contributes to the existing literature by showing that contingency is a relative large explanatory factor in the process of opportunity formation compared to other factors which can be fully controlled. This project indicates that especially in starting the entrepreneurial process and in the beginning of this entrepreneurial process contingency is considered to play an influential role. Moreover, it is considered that contingency is to a certain degree controllable and can be planned up to a certain point. Therefore, sustainable entrepreneurs can to a certain degree influence the role of contingency in their opportunity formation. From a policy perspective, it might pay off to invest in the entrepreneurial ecosystem instead of investing in a few predefined entrepreneurial ‘winners’ startups.