Entrepreneurial ecosystem and well-being in European smart cities: a comparative perspective

Lara Penco,Andrea Ciacci,Enrico Ivaldi

doi:10.1108/tqm-04-2021-0097

Abstract

PurposeThis study investigates the relationship between the strength of innovative entrepreneurial ecosystems and subjective well-being in 43 European smart cities. Subjective well-being is operationalized by a Quality of Life (QOL) survey that references the level of multidimensional satisfaction or happiness expressed by residents at the city level. The entrepreneurial ecosystem concept depicted here highlights actor interdependence that creates new value in a specific community by undertaking innovative entrepreneurial activities. The research uses objective and subjective variables to analyze the relationships between the entrepreneurial ecosystem and subjective well-being.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a cluster analysis with a nonaggregative quantitative approach based on the theory of the partially ordered set (poset); the objective was to find significant smart city level relationships between the entrepreneurial ecosystem and subjective well-being.FindingsThe strength of the entrepreneurial ecosystem is positively related to subjective well-being only in large cities. This result confirms a strong interdependency between the creation of innovative entrepreneurial activities and subjective well-being in large cities. The smart cities QOL dimensions showing higher correlations with the entrepreneurial ecosystem include urban welfare, economic well-being and environmental quality, such as information and communications technology (ICT) and mobility.Practical implicationsDespite the main implications being properly referred to large cities, the governments of smart cities should encourage and promote programs to improve citizens' subjective well-being and to create a conducive entrepreneurship environment.Originality/valueThis study is one of the few contributions focused on the relationship between the entrepreneurial smart city ecosystem and subjective well-being in the urban environment.

Highlights

There has been a revival of academic interest in the role that cities play in national economies and regions (Bosma and Sternberg, 2014; Glaeser et al, 2010; Stam, 2014)
Assuming that urban ecosystems enhance well-being as part of value cocreation, this research analyzes the relationship between satisfaction about well-being at the city level and the strength of entrepreneurial activities (Audretsch and Belitski, 2015; Ciacci et al, 2021)
Audretsch and Belitski (2015) associated the subjective well-being created by the urban ecosystem and the entrepreneurial ecosystem

Summary

Introduction

There has been a revival of academic interest in the role that cities play in national economies and regions (Bosma and Sternberg, 2014; Glaeser et al, 2010; Stam, 2014). Cities provide relevant socioeconomic and institutional benefits Assuming that urban ecosystems enhance well-being as part of value cocreation, this research analyzes the relationship between satisfaction about well-being at the city level and the strength of entrepreneurial activities (Audretsch and Belitski, 2015; Ciacci et al, 2021). Subjective well-being has been defined as a citizen’s satisfaction about the quality of life (QOL) (Lepage, 2009; Lee and Sirgy, 2004; Vaez et al, 2004). An accurate expression of subjective well-being depends on the level of life satisfaction; it is defined as a person’s subjective cognitive and affective evaluation of QOL (Florida et al, 2013).

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