Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Literature Research Articles

Digital boundary spanning in the evolution of entrepreneurial ecosystems: A dynamic capabilities perspective

This study examines the digitalization of entrepreneurial ecosystems and its implications for its conceptual boundaries. In particular, it explores opportunities to catalyze the early evolution of entrepreneurial ecosystems stemming from digitalization. Surprisingly, the role of digitalization has not been fully considered in the entrepreneurial ecosystem literature despite its significant impact on its conceptual boundaries. Consequently, it remains unclear how digitalization provides opportunities to overcome regional resource scarcity. Therefore, this study investigates how an entrepreneurial ecosystem can leverage exogenous trajectories and mobilize and integrate external resources. Based on an exploratory qualitative single-case study on the Estonian entrepreneurial ecosystem, this study theorizes digital boundary spanning and identifies necessary entrepreneurial ecosystem capabilities by drawing from the concept of dynamic capabilities. The findings contribute to entrepreneurial ecosystem research by incorporating digital trajectories into the conceptual understanding of entrepreneurial ecosystems and providing a more nuanced view of evolutionary dynamics.

Governing by entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurial ecosystems and socio-spatial difference

Literature on entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) has grown rapidly over the past 5 years, using the concept as a framework to understand regional clusters of entrepreneurship. This article reviews, critiques, and extends the concept of the EE, arguing for its relevance in studying the political economy of urban space. To make this argument, we distinguish between niche EEs (NEEs) and growth EEs (GEEs). This distinction is based on the overlapping but distinct networks of actors and institutions forming each type of EE and also reflects broadly different relationships to growth and productivity, the entrepreneurial subject, global and local scales, and financial ecologies. We argue that EE research has largely focused on GEEs to the neglect of NEEs; by broadening the EE concept, we address shortcomings in the treatment of small businesses, financial relations, social difference, as well as urban politics within the EE literature. Drawing on the EE literature and interviews from a case study of Boston, we show that the infrastructure of GEEs and NEEs are not only “for” fast- and slow-growing businesses, respectively, but reinforce social and economic differences. While NEEs do redistribute resources to marginalized entrepreneurs, these resources are focused on building businesses and only indirectly related to the needs of marginalized communities and equitable development more generally.

External enablers and entrepreneurial ecosystems: The brokering role of the anchor tenant in capacitating grassroots ecopreneurs

AbstractResearch SummaryWe study how environmental enablers, specifically disruptive ecological shifts, and subsequent regulatory activity, led to the formation of a local ecopreneur ecosystem in Kenya and how this process was facilitated by the brokerage role of an international NGO. Drawing from the entrepreneurial ecosystem literature, and using a strategic network perspective to conceptually map salient interorganizational ties, multilevel engagement, and resource generation, we utilize qualitative grounded theory analysis to argue that environmental changes have catalyzed the regulatory change towards the formation of an entrepreneurial ecosystem for low‐resourced ecopreneurs. This process is facilitated through ecosystem brokering through an anchor tenant that accelerates knowledge, resources, and viable exchanges to advance venture sustainability.Managerial SummaryOur study unpacks how regulatory responses to environmental shifts enable the systemic development of venture creation. We explore how environmental changes, first in the natural environment, and subsequently, the regulatory environment—influence ecosystem emergence for entrepreneurial activity. We present three dimensions of regulatory enablement that shift conditions to favor venture building. Problem framing by the regulatory sector signals potential opportunities for entrepreneurs for value creation. Prioritization of this problem, emphasized in the government's regulation, sets new agendas and implies that new rules and resources would be allocated towards such opportunities. New rules also reconfigure boundaries to invite new actors and interactions into the discourse on environmental preservation in Kenya.

A resource-based analysis of strategic alliances between knowledge intermediaries in regional innovation support systems

Notwithstanding a recent upsurge in interest in knowledge intermediaries and their roles in innovation support systems, we know little about the interplay between the activities of academia-driven intermediaries and their publicly financed counterparts. Building on a combination of principles derived from the resource-based theory and entrepreneurial ecosystems literature, this paper investigates the potentials of cooperation between different knowledge intermediaries. Therefore, the authors analyze the alignment of financial, knowledge, market and network resources in politically funded regional alliances between university-internal and university-external intermediaries by means of a qualitative approach. They find that, while knowledge intermediaries can benefit from access to additional ecosystem-specific resources, the urge to improve their own position within the ecosystem hampers the will to cooperate and can lead to non-performing resource alignments. The paper contributes to current scholarly discussions by suggesting and testing a theoretical foundation for analyzing the cooperative behavior of knowledge intermediaries in innovation support systems.

An Evolution of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Studies: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda

This study aims to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) of the entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) to synthesize and advance the knowledge of how it is investigated and evolved in the previous periods. This study pursues the PRISMA method to review selected EE research and the work of Garrard is applied to construct a SLR matrix to analyze EE literature in peer-reviewed English publication. A total of 100 studies published in 58 journals between 1993 and 2021 were gathered and evaluated. The results indicate three major findings. First, the research on EE has been emerged in the past decades. Second, EE has been defined in several ways and sectors, but the common definition of EE can be expressed through five criteria. Third, the most well-known theory, framework, and measurement of EE are clarified, while the nomological network of EE research was concurrently developed providing the summary of what has been examined. This study provides crucial implications for both theory and practice. In theoretical context, this study gives an updated summary of the trends of EE research; the most popular definition, theory framework, measurement, and nomological network of EE; and the agenda for future research; providing comprehensive overview of EE research and generates new insights for further research in this field. In practice, this study stimulates the awareness of the governors, managers, and other stakeholders of a specific region on building a healthy and effective EE and provides them the methods to improve the EE to generate successful entrepreneurship.

The evolution of the Fintech entrepreneurial ecosystem in Africa: An exploratory study and model for future development

Despite Africa's leadership in mobile money innovation and an increasing level of Fintech entrepreneurial activity, Africa's Fintech ecosystem trajectory is under-represented in the literature. This study is set out to redress this anomaly while addressing the tensions on the role of history, and adaptability in entrepreneurial ecosystem research. We draw upon the Fintech and the entrepreneurial ecosystem literature, analyze the views of practitioners, and apply temporal bracketing to reconstruct the historical context and three phases of the African Fintech ecosystem evolution over a decade: mobile money, digital finance, and innovative Fintech. Based on the results, we develop a model that explains the metamorphosis of entrepreneurial ecosystems. The study contributes an African narrative to the descriptive and explanatory knowledge of Fintech. By showing how Africa's Fintech entrepreneurial ecosystem has evolved, the study also contributes to the entrepreneurial ecosystems research that has thus far focused more on place, actors, and governance than evolution. Our model adds a dynamic perspective to the theorization of Fintech ecosystems and extends the existing literature by taking a historical and longitudinal foresight. Practitioners can apply the lessons to enhance polices that support future Fintech entrepreneurship.

Technological Innovation and the expansion of Entrepreneurship Ecosystems

To date much of the entrepreneurial ecosystems literature treated ecosystems as confined geographic locations with definitive boards. However, in the past decades, technological innovation and developments in social relationships (e.g., online platforms, social media, and the sharing economy) have extended and blurred the boundaries of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Thus, current research on entrepreneurial ecosystems often underestimates the reach and impacts of a given ecosystem. To remedy this, we advocate the use of a more holistic approach in modern entrepreneurial ecosystems frameworks which includes social relationships and technology, thus extending beyond geographical barriers. We discuss how technology has dissolved locational barriers and connected elements of ecosystems, how social relationships maximize advantages through greater resource access, and how the entrepreneurship ecosystem now exists on a plane that is both physical and cyber.

Effective policy mixes in entrepreneurial ecosystems: a configurational analysis in China

Policy-makers are seeking to build vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) to promote innovative entrepreneurship. However, the role of government policy in EEs, especially in the emerging economy context, is poorly understood, lacking a systematic concept of policy and theoretical framework, clear policy classification, and empirical research considering distinctive characteristics of policy mixes in EEs. This paper introduces the concept of EE policy mixes and classifies them into seven policy instruments. Using data from 21 national high-tech zones (NHZs) in China, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) is applied to identify effective configurations of EE policy mixes that support early-stage and late-stage technology start-ups to produce high entrepreneurial performance. The configurational analysis shows that EE policy mixes present causal complexity and stage differences. Based on interpreting multiple policy interactions, we reveal the differentiated support mechanisms of EE policy mixes in NHZs and draw out their implications for research, policy, and practice. This study contributes to the EE literature by adopting a policy-mix perspective to examine the role of policy, exploring the specific emerging economy context of China, suggesting further extensions of the research to other contexts, and applying a methodology that reveals causal mechanisms. It also supports better-informed EE policy and governance.

More Than a Catching Name? Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, Risk Anticipation and SMEs’ Resilience

This study investigates whether the commitment to risk anticipation influences small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) resilience. Moreover, the research adds the entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) mobilization to the analysis. Specifically, we study how the EE mobilization of SMEs coping with adversities relates with both risk anticipation and resilience. In doing so, we are aimed at contributing to resilience and EE literature, which overlooked the study of the relationship between the EE and resilience at the firm level. The exploitation of the EE resources may be useful for SMEs that cope with crises, as they rarely anticipate risks implementing the best (and costly) practice. Testing the impact of the EE mobilization on firms’ resilience may help us in clarifying – at least partially – the cause-effect network of the EE. This leads us to engage in the debate whether the EE is just a catching name or a valuable and usable construct. Drawing on the resilient response model, we develop a framework that includes risk anticipation and EE mobilization. To test our hypotheses, we estimate OLS regression and probit models using a dataset of 761 questionnaires. These were collected from London, Milan and Frankfurt SMEs’ entrepreneurs that experienced a crisis in the year before the research. We find that the commitment to risk anticipation enhances the EE mobilization level, that, in turn, increases SMEs’ probability of showing a resilient response. Surprisingly, no direct effect is found between commitment to risk anticipation and resilience. Results are commented drawing on High Reliability Organization theory: in particular, we argue that the mobilization of the EE increases the effectiveness and the efficiency of the activation and detection phases that characterize the critical period following the disruption. We posit that a crucial role is played by the increased variety of perspectives obtained via the EE mobilization, that supports a deeper understanding of the threat and a richer generation of solutions. Beside the scholarly debate about the value of the EE – to which we contribute demonstrating an empirical application of the construct –, from the results we derive managerial and policy implications concerning SMEs’ entrepreneurs’ strategies and EE planners’ initiatives.

Creating Bonding and Bridging Social Capital in Nascent Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Nascent entrepreneurial ecosystems are characterized by the lack of connections and interactions between various actors and have, therefore, weak social capital. To advance the evolutionary stage of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, interconnectedness among ecosystem stakeholders needs to be strengthened and diversified. While the entrepreneurial ecosystem literature emphasizes the importance of social capital for entrepreneurial ecosystem development, it has not paid sufficient attention to ‘how’ social capital is created within ecosystems. This study sheds light on the role of anchor tenants, central actors in the ecosystem governance of nascent entrepreneurial ecosystems, in creating ecosystem-level social capital. This study conducted two case studies of entrepreneurial ecosystems: Based on the within- and between-case analyses of these two ecosystems, this study revealed that anchor tenants create ecosystem-level social capital with a cycling mechanism of three consecutive steps: (1) creating bonding social capital, (2) creating bridging social capital, and (3) converting bridging into bonding social capital. The findings extend the current understandings of early ecosystem evolution by illuminating anchor tenants’ social capital creation activities and offer implications for social capital theory by examining the interplay between bonding and bridging social capital.

From Invisible to Visible: A Roadmap for Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Research

By incorporating both “entrepreneurial” and “ecosystem” elements, entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) are argued to constitute “organized attempts to establish environments that are conducive to increasing the success for newly established ventures” (Audretsch et al., 2019: 313). Interest in EEs by scholars, policymakers, and practitioners has grown rapidly in recent years given the impact that their complex interdependencies of various actors and activities has on the entry, growth, and exit of new ventures (Abootorabi, et al, 2021). However, continued progress in EE research is undermined by at least three challenges. First, there is widespread inconsistency in the use of the term EE. Second, scholars lament that too much attention has been given to the elements of the system itself, without proper attention to the evolution of and connections between these elements (Acs, et al, 2017). Third, given that “the current state of ecosystem research is fragmented and heterogeneous with regard to theoretical approaches” (Wurth et al., 2021: 5), “there exists no ‘theory’ of the ecosystem” (Audretsch et al., 2019: 316). In light of the challenges facing scholars interested in making a contribution to the EE literature, this symposium is intended to achieve two objectives by engaging a group of the leading voices in the EE field in a panel discussion. First, it seeks to provide insight into the panelists’ understandings of and perspectives on the current state of EE research in order to identify fruitful areas of inquiry going forward. Second, it seeks to tap into their experience as authors in order to share strategies and tactics about how to publish EE research in the very best management and entrepreneurship journals.

Social Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Do They Fit?

Purpose: This paper attempts to answer the question to what extent the entrepreneurial ecosystems theory fits in with the social entrepreneurship phenomenon. The objective is to fill this gap by presenting findings from an integrative review of prior systematic reviews available in the entrepreneurial ecosystems literature. Design/methodology/approach: In the paper, we apply a scoping review and an umbrella review focused on an in-depth analysis of findings obtained in previous reviews, thus taking the form of a review aiming for theory development. Findings: Our paper contributes to addressing the gaps in the current literature on social entrepreneurship and ecosystems. First, it points to the different types of actors in social entrepreneurial ecosystems (SEE), whose existence may foster social entrepreneurship and facilitate creating social impact. Second, it brings into focus the potential of SEE by drawing attention to the fact that a productive entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) results in job creation and reduction of unemployment, both of which are crucial for social entrepreneurship. Third, as a result of this scoping review, it proposes an extension of Isenberg’s model of EE which can be seen as a cumulative contribution to existing knowledge in the field. Research limitations/implications: This study has certain limitations typical for reviewing investigations. Originality/value: The special value of the paper can be seen in the scoping literature review itself. So far, there has been limited study on social entrepreneurial ecosystems, the role of entrepreneurial ecosystems in development of social enterprises, and conversely, the role of social “components” in entrepreneurial ecosystems.

The evolution of regional entrepreneurship policies: “no one size fits all”

In the last two decades, entrepreneurship policies have gone through a radical transformation in many parts of the world. New theoretical and empirical approaches have helped to identify better the drivers of entrepreneurial creation, the main actors in the process, and the significant contribution of entrepreneurship to socio-economic prosperity. One of the main conclusions of these new theoretical and empirical approaches is that the drivers and outcomes of entrepreneurship are heavily shaped by place. There is no single ideal entrepreneurship policy formula because entrepreneurial mechanisms take a different form depending on different places. However, concepts such as path dependency, industrial ecology and heritage, connectivity, culture, and intra-and interregional knowledge spillovers are all linked in different ways with regional entrepreneurship in general and the Entrepreneurial Ecosystems literature. This paper discusses the impacts of these different influences on the evolution of modern entrepreneurship policies, examines what the current evidence points to, and identifies areas for further consideration. Examples will be drawn from different countries and regions. On the basis of the evidence reviewed, the paper contends that both conceptual and policy-thinking regarding the relationships between entrepreneurship and place are increasingly shifting to the challenges facing less successful regions, even though the current approaches are heavily based on the insights of successful places.

Norwegian entrepreneurs (1880s-1930s) and their “new America”: a historical perspective on transnational entrepreneurship and ecosystem development in the Russian Arctic

PurposeThis paper aims to present a historical case study of Norwegian transnational entrepreneurs (1880s–1930s) and the ecosystems that they founded in Russia’s Arctic periphery. Drawing from the contemporary transnational entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ecosystem literature, and inspired by AnnaLee Saxenian’s concept of “brain circulation,” this study explores the journey and impact of these entrepreneurs in a time of evolving political turbulence.Design/methodology/approachThis study applies a mixed-methodology approach, drawing from nine qualitative interviews held in 2021 and secondary material, including historical books, a podcast, videos and archival data.FindingsThe Norwegian entrepreneurs were both “pulled” by and “pushed” to the Russian region, their “New America,” where they could apply their personal skills and exploit their rich social and financial capital to establish a local entrepreneurial ecosystem. However, radical political change altered the context, which led many of the entrepreneurs to re-migrate to Norway.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper demonstrates the role of the political context for contemporary entrepreneurship and management research, as transnational entrepreneurs and international expatriates remain vulnerable to political change.Practical implicationsPublic-policy actors and managers in companies need to support highly-skilled transnational entrepreneurs, including expatriates, in a setting with turbulence, crisis and even war, to foster the sustainable contribution of entrepreneurial migrants to regional economic development across different countries.Originality/valueThis paper presents an original, novel case study on the historical role of transnational entrepreneurs across different cultural settings, their impact on a foreign peripheral location, including social-network building and evolving political change in the historical context. The findings are relevant for contemporary management literature.

Exploring connections within the technology-based entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) in emerging economies: understanding the entrepreneurship struggle in the Indonesian EE

PurposeTech startup is the new hope for sustaining economic growth and job creation in a knowledge-based economy. However, research on the entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) is always constructed upon macro-level analysis and is still very limited to the developed economies. This study aims to tackle those issues by exploring the connections within an EE in an emerging economies context with a micro and meso-level social network approach to unravel the pattern of networks and interactions between each actor in the EE.Design/methodology/approachThis research used multi-layered social network analysis, exploring actors in the ecosystem and their interactions. The authors conducted interviews with startups, support organizations and government agencies. The authors used Atlas.ti software to visualize the network structures.FindingsThe authors found that the content of interaction within the EE in the emerging economies differs greatly with EE in the developed economies and they produced distinctive characteristics as follows: lack of a dense network, resource scarcities and structural gaps and weak institutional policies.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is based on a case study of tech-based EE in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Therefore, the authors encourage other researchers to investigate networks and connections in other EEs in emerging economies. This research contributes a conceptual framework to better understand the network of connections in an emerging-economies-based EE.Practical implicationsThe research shows grants provision alone cannot contribute to the functioning of EE. The authors argue strategic networks which promote collaboration among actors can reduce holes and structural gaps, as well as resource scarcities in the ecosystem. In addition to that, strong institutional policies and effective policy integration are needed to create a successful EE.Social implicationsThis research promotes the importance of networks, particularly networks between tech startups and strategic organizations to provide resources and support productive entrepreneurship in hopes of sustaining and accelerating tech startup growth within an EE.Originality/valueThe research proposes to add to the existing EE literature by shedding light on governance of EE, as well as exploring network of connection and interaction among actors within the ecosystem. As a result, the study addresses the need for a more micro or operational-level understanding of an EE. Recent calls for EEs literature have also focused on a certain actor’s dynamic function in the ecosystem. By focusing on the role of the government, the research added to the underdeveloped EE literature.

Building sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems: A holistic approach

Growing interest in entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) over the last 15 years has led to an increase in publications in academic journals. This new concept has become a central topic in entrepreneurship research; however, it remains atheoretical, static and broad. While several bibliometric and systematic literature reviews have developed a research agenda for EEs, a holistic framework that integrates sustainability factors with theories, methods and approaches is still needed. This study provides such a framework through a bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review of high-quality contributions in this field. The results of a citation and network analysis using the co-occurrence, co-authorship, bibliographic coupling, and co-citation techniques, highlight the state of the art of research and distinguish three thematic clusters in the EE literature. A holistic framework is then developed by integrating sustainability factors into the EE literature, and several emerging directions for future research are highlighted.

Bridging the gap between ‘Fin’ and ‘Tech’: The role of accelerator networks in emerging FinTech entrepreneurial ecosystems

As the global startup ecosystem matures its constituent actors are co-evolving in interrelated ways, producing localised entrepreneurial ecosystems around the world. The entrepreneurial ecosystem literature has identified the shared attributes of these systems, but understandings of their inner-workings, interconnectedness, and variance across such systems is lacking. This paper explores the emergence of FinTech entrepreneurial ecosystems in London and Singapore, finding that a single accelerator actor has played a significant role in driving their emergence out of the existing, broader, entrepreneurial ecosystems. It argues that while the entrepreneurial ecosystem literature benefits from a conceptualisation of these ecosystems as complex adaptive systems, there must be a consideration of the potential for transformative agency by actors in the evolutionary dynamics of entrepreneurial ecosystems.

How Transaction Cost Economics Reveal the Dual Nature of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

The entrepreneurial ecosystems literature is marred by a reliance on vague causal explanations, preventing this burgeoning concept from adequately specifying how it supports entrepreneurial activity. To provide further insight into the functioning of entrepreneurial ecosystems, I interpret them as a form of market governance that generates economies for entrepreneurs’ transactions. This relationship between entrepreneurs and the ecosystems they inhabit appears to be largely beneficial but is not without limits. An examination of the special case of nascent entrepreneurs points to ways in which elements of entrepreneurial ecosystems can also create diseconomies, particularly through over-embeddedness, congestion, and exclusion factors. I conclude that an alignment of entrepreneurs’ specific conditions with ecosystem elements is needed to maintain low transaction costs, introducing a key contingency for the efficacy of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Future research paths are suggested to further probe this relationship, particularly through case study approaches.

Entrepreneurial ecosystems in hospitality: The relevance of entrepreneurs’ quality of life

Entrepreneurial ecosystems (EE) offer a novel approach to rethinking entrepreneurship in tourism destinations. Previous literature highlights the importance of quality of life and socio-emotional wealth as essential factors for entrepreneurial activity. In this context, hospitality entrepreneurs’ quality of life (HE-QoL) is an important factor that influences both business and private decisions. However, in EE literature social factors have been frequently overlooked as drivers of entrepreneurship. Therefore, this paper seeks to empirically deepen the knowledge of HE-QoL as a relevant factor for entrepreneurial activity in EE. Using a case study approach and drawing on the case of the tourism destination Serfaus (Tyrol, Austria), our findings emphasize the role of HE-QoL for shaping entrepreneurship and imply that HE-QoL is of major importance for EE. By drawing on socio-emotional wealth (SEW) and embeddedness literature, the theoretical contribution of this paper highlights the applicability of micro-level theories to understand the role of HE-QoL for EE.

Digital sport entrepreneurial ecosystems

AbstractThe entrepreneurial ecosystems literature has increasingly explored network relationships between different stakeholders, as well as the role of context. This article addresses the challenge of including a sport context in the entrepreneurial ecosystem literature thereby contributing to the sport entrepreneurship literature by bringing insights from entrepreneurship ecosystem research. In‐depth interviews of football stakeholders in the sport entrepreneurship ecosystem are conducted in terms of understanding the emergence of digital sport start‐ups. The issues raised help explore the changing nature of digital entrepreneurial ecosystems to take into account new sport technological advances. Mixed embeddedness theory is used as the conceptual foundation to understand sport digital entrepreneurial ecosystems. Key management practices are identified in terms of sport start‐ups participating in entrepreneurial ecosystems. The article concludes by making suggestions for future research.