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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the role of entrepreneurial passion, specifically venture obsession, in agentic relationships within entrepreneurial contexts. It aims to develop a new conceptualization of the role of the venture in these relationships and explore the negative impacts that can arise from the obsessive passion for the venture. The paper contributes to the literature by shedding light on the complexities of agency outside of large for-profit firms, unpacking components of self-interest in the agentic relationship and challenging the assumption that entrepreneurial passion is always beneficial for both the entrepreneur and the venture.Design/methodology/approachThis paper employs theoretical framework development and conceptual mapping to explore the role of entrepreneurial passion, specifically venture obsession, in agentic relationships within entrepreneurial contexts. We conducted a comprehensive literature review and synthesis of existing research on agency theory, entrepreneurial passion and venture obsession. By integrating these insights, we developed a new conceptual framework that theorizes the negative impacts of venture obsession on agentic relationships and venture performance. This approach allows us to propose a nuanced model that highlights the complexities and potential maladaptive behaviors associated with obsessive passion in entrepreneurship.FindingsVenture obsession can have detrimental outcomes, such as escalation of commitment and ignoring external feedback, due to the intense focus on protecting the venture at all costs.Originality/valueThe study highlights the impact of venture obsession on agentic relationships, emphasizing the balance between autonomy, competence and relatedness that entrepreneurs strive to maintain for their well-being. While previous research has explored the role of entrepreneurial passion and its effects on venture performance, this study extends the understanding by delving into the darker side of passion when it transforms into obsessive agency. By emphasizing the importance of maintaining a healthy balance in agentic relationships and considering the psychological well-being of entrepreneurs, this study adds nuance and depth to the existing knowledge on the subject.

Creativity, defined as the production of novel and useful ideas (Amabile, 1996), has been recognized as an important driver of both organizational and individual success (see Amabile, 1996; George, 2007; Zhou & Oldham, 2004). For the last two decades, researchers have built an impressive wealth of knowledge regarding how to increase creativity and have examined many concepts, including different leadership styles, motivating mechanisms, and personality traits (see Zhou & Shalley, 2011). Yet, there has been much less theory or evidence demonstrating how creativity-related encounters impact subsequent individual perceptions and behaviors. The conversation has largely centered on “How do we increase organizational and individual creativity?” and “which factors enhance that process?” My proposed research model (see figure 1) changes the direction of this conversation by exploring dyadic relationships to theorize about how one partner's creativity influences another partner's creativity, and the process through which those dyadic interactions related to creativity influence subsequent individual behavior. This study proposes to focus on the important role that dyads play in the process of expending creative effort and under what circumstances creativity between individuals may lead to differing perceptions and behaviors at a future period in time. In the current research I explore creativity focusing on its potentially interdependent nature and examine four specific questions: (1) To what extent is creative effort both an individually—through creative self-efficacy—and relationally constructed behavior? (2) What role does the level of perceived interpersonal similarity play in the creative effort between two people? (3) What are the potential attributions of social undermining and prosocial behavior that might stem from assessments of the level of creative effort expended by one's partner? and (4) What are the resulting actor behaviors stemming from those perceptions?

  Yet anyone who has worked in a large organisation will tell you that, just as often, decisions can get passed from person to person, making it difficult for everyone to get work done. So how do we encourage delegating when it's beneficial and reduce it when it's not? Our findings illuminate how leaders can delegate more when it's useful and less when it's not. Mary Steffel is an assistant professor of marketing at the D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University. Elanor Williams is an assistant professor of marketing at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. [Jaclyn Perrmann-Graham]-Graham is a doctoral candidate in management at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati.