Abstract:
Entrepreneurial activity is described as a process whereby an entrepreneur combines resources in a novel way to form a new venture. It is argued that rather than being an individualistic activity, entrepreneurship occurs through a process of social construction. In this way, it is understood that an entrepreneur's network is of central importance to all stages of the entrepreneurship process as it provides an entrepreneur with support, knowledge and access to financial and human resources. However, the entrepreneurship process has started to change due to the increase in use of digital technology and specifically online social networks. Online social networks have allowed for entrepreneurs to communicate, collaborate and access information. This research was conducted with the objective of exploring how entrepreneurs use online social networks in entrepreneurial activity and the perceived benefits and adverse impacts of that use. To establish this, qualitative research was conducted in which the entrepreneurial activity of a select group of participants was analysed through an activity theory framework. Key themes emerged from the data collection and the findings of the research supported the literature regarding the motivations of entrepreneurs to use an online social network. The findings also showed that while there were perceived benefits in using an online social network, there were also contradictions which emerged indicating that the use of online social networks in entrepreneurial activity requires further development.
