7. Exploring the CEO

The purpose of this chapter is to begin the exploration of the chief executive officer (CEO). The authors accomplished this within this chapter by presenting the pilot study. The study consisted of 33 semi-structured interviews which followed Spradley’s (The Ethnographic Interview. Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich College Publishers, 1979) domain analysis. The pilot explored three important areas of interest which include why networks are important, how technology drives and monitors interactions and innovations within a network, and the overall impact of networks on entrepreneurial outcomes and new venture performance. The results of the study presented several areas of interest such as serendipitous discoveries and productivity and process. Examples are displayed within the context of Spradley’s domain analysis of cause and effect. The primary research for the pilot can be found within the appendix.