A systematic literature review of entrepreneurial ecosystems in advanced and emerging economies

Toward an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Research Program

“…For example, research on Chinese ecosystems suggest a much larger role for the state than in Western cases for creating not just the economic conditions for high-growth entrepreneurship but the cultural and social norms as well (Chen et al, 2020). These differences call into question what is generalizable about entrepreneurial ecosystems as opposed to what is inherently bound up in local social, economic, and political contexts, and to what degree research and policy implications that are largely derived from the Anglo-American context are applicable to the Global South (Tsvetkova et al, 2019) and emerging economies (Cao & Shi, 2020). More research is necessary on how different localized contexts affect entrepreneurial ecosystems and their constitutive systems.…”

Entrepreneurial Workaround Practices in Severe Institutional Voids: Evidence From Kenya

“…A large and growing body of research emphasizes that entrepreneurs in developing economies may try to work around institutional voids by relying on 'institutional intermediaries,' that is, organizations such as business incubators and accelerators, development organizations, and trade associations that provide formal support and an embryonic market infrastructure (Cao & Shi, 2020;Dencker et al, in press;Mair et al, 2012;Sutter et al, 2017). These organizations contribute to the reduction of institutional uncertainty in two main ways.…”

“…1 Prior work emphasizes that the compresence of formal and informal institutional voids tends to push entrepreneurs towards subsistence objectives and thwarts growth-oriented activities (Webb et al, 2019). In developing economies, such as in many African countries, this situation is widespread because the presence and impact of institutional intermediaries remains limited (Cao & Shi, 2020;George, Corbishley, Khayesi, Haas & Tihanyi, 2016a) but also because informal institutions are not always beneficial for entrepreneurship (cf., Ofori-Dankwa & Julian, 2013; for a review, see Sutter, Bruton, & Chen, 2019). Kinship, family, and community obligations, in fact, can generate extra costs and reduce flexibility due to requests for "all kinds of favors backed by the norms and trust in the network… successful enterprises in this way can become a 'welfare-hotel'" (Rooks, Klyver, & Sserwanga, 2016, p. 126; see also Khayesi, George, & Antonakis, 2014;Khavul, Bruton, & Wood, 2009;Smith, 2009).…”

Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and Entrepreneurial Initiative: Building a Multi-Country Taxonomy

“…The complexity of economic, societal and global challenges turned entrepreneurship into a powerful instrument to nurture business growth [1]. Its connection to innovation, job creation, and economic development made entrepreneurship a ubiquitous topic in the entrepreneurial policy literature [2]. During the last three decades, academics, practitioners, and policymakers encouraged by a fervent interest on discovering what influences entrepreneurship, presented mostly disarticulated approaches focused on the entrepreneur and on the entrepreneurial venture.…”

“…More recently, the topic was redressed towards a more complex and systemic perspective resulting on the emergence of entrepreneurial ecosystems concept, where the entrepreneur and the entrepreneurial venture along with other contextual elements interrelate. The recognition of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) as a community of multiple stakeholders concerned to create favorable environments to support new ventures [2] reinforced the importance of entrepreneurship policy [3]. In fact, during the last years, countries embedded entrepreneurship at the core of their public policies reflecting a strong commitment to foster broadly entrepreneurial spirit [4].…”