Going backstage in entrepreneurial impression management: The role of analogical reasoning

Prior research has analyzed how entrepreneurs deploy impression management strategies ‘front-stage’ (i.e. when facing targeted resource-holders) to signal their venture’s legitimacy and to acquire resources. However, these studies were not intended to explain how entrepreneurs formulate such legitimation strategies ‘back-stage’ (i.e. remote from the view of their target audience). To fill this void, we draw on the literature on analogies from cognitive linguistics and deduce theory on the formulation process of a legitimating strategy on the backstage of a new venture. Contributions to research on impression management and on the role of analogies in new venture legitimation are discussed.