What Constitutes an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Emerging Versus Developed Economies – A Set Theoretical Perspective from the Firm Level

Abstract

The concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems has evolved as a promising approach in entrepreneurship research that enables an understanding of how regions foster entrepreneurial activities and how those activities can impact economic growth. Resources in entrepreneurial ecosystems play a crucial role, as they can help to enable startup activity, entrepreneurial action and contribute to the ecosystem. Even though the extant literature highlights the importance of resource endowments for regional economic development, we still lack an understanding of how new ventures interact with the resources of their ecosystem. Moreover, the focus of studies so far has been set on national and regional levels, neglecting inter-ecosystem comparative studies. Therefore, our study seeks to assess the availability and accessibility of entrepreneurial resources within different regions by using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to compare 600 entrepreneurial projects in developed and emerging economies. It adds to the existing literature on resources in entrepreneurial ecosystems in emerging and developed economies and can guide decision-makers in improving the availability of these elements, increasing the chances of developing a thriving ecosystem that fosters the creation of new ventures.