Research evidence indicates that entrepreneurs who exhibit a need for unique, path-breaking accomplishments (pioneering) and transforming the status quo (innovative) are quite different from other entrepreneurs. This is called the PI motive, which is found to be a constellation of policy commitments to pioneering novel outputs, technological sophistication and so on. The nature of these policy commitments underlines the need for and pattern of interpersonal networking behavior demonstrated by PI entrepreneurs. There is evidence to show that such networking is a means of raising required resources and thus plays an important role in the process of enterprise creation and growth. There are both active and latent networks, and those belonging to inner and outer circles.

This paper discusses the findings of a study undertaken to see whether or not PI entrepreneurs showed greater networking behavior, and if so, to look at the nature of these networks and the purposes for which they were used. Sixty-seven cases of small-scale entrepreneurs published in two Indian business journals constituted the data. In order to know the pioneering innovative orientation of entrepreneurs covered, independent professionals rated the cases on the presence or absence of ten types of innovations including the Schumpeterian innovations.