Team Devotion in Entrepreneurship : Identity Fusion as a Behavioral Motivator within new Venture Teams

Abstract: This Ph.D. thesis is a collection of three papers. The author draws on entrepreneurial identity to explore motivations of entrepreneurial behavior. She adds to our understanding of entrepreneurial identity by incorporating the concept of identity fusion to explore team devotion inside startup teams.In paper 1, the author seeks to determine how select team processes-communication frequency, task debate, task conflict, and event disruption—might contribute to the formation of a collective identity fusion.Paper 2 studies the relationship between identity fusion and startup performance using three objective measures of venture performance that are salient in the early stages of venture evolution (i.e., external funding, product advancement and customer acquisition).Paper 3 questions whether existing assumptions of the relationship between identity and collaboration based on research from established organizations is universal or if it changes when assessed in the startup team context.