Entrepreneurs competing between legitimacy and financial sustainability in times of COVID-19: The role of family and friends’ support

Entrepreneurship plays a significant role in a country’s development, through new ventures and innovation. In recent times, entrepreneurs have incorporated sustainability into their practice to become more competitive and productive. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, entrepreneurship has faced the challenge of deciding to allocate limited resources to maintain legitimacy. This paper analyzes the relationship between legitimacy and financial sustainability in COVID-19 times among Colombian entrepreneurs, moderated by family and friends’ support. Primary data was collected through a survey of 219 Colombian entrepreneurs. The structural equation model technique was used to validate the model. The study findings revealed that legitimacy positively affects financial sustainability and is positively enhanced by the family’s support of Colombian entrepreneurs while being negatively moderated by friends’ support.