Search Results (12)

Despite physical infrastructure being known as a critical enabler of entrepreneurship, cycling infrastructure and its role in entrepreneurship remain largely unexplored. However, a well-established cycling infrastructure can support green start-up activity by facilitating connectivity and the exchange of knowledge and ideas without the reliance on carbon-intensive transport, which aligns with their environmental goals. This article studies the relationship between cycling infrastructure and green start-up activity at the regional (NUTS-3) level in Germany and whether this relationship is amplified by the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE). This study is virtually the first to examine how a well-established cycling infrastructure is conducive to start-up activity. With firm-level data from the IAB/ZEW Start-up Panel, multilevel regression models are used to account for differences in green start-up activity across urban, intermediate, and rural regions. The findings show a strong significant and positive relationship between cycling infrastructure and green start-up activity at the regional level, even after including various controls. However, this relationship is not amplified by the wider ecosystem. In the transition towards a Green Economy, policymakers should invest in cycling infrastructure because of its supportive role towards green start-ups. Full article

Entrepreneurship support is undoubtedly necessary but often fails to meet expectations. To investigate the reasons behind this, a sequential exploratory methodology, with both qualitative and quantitative data, was used in this research. Within the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (EE) paradigm, a conceptual model linking the macro environment, support system, support received, and entrepreneurship performance was developed based on qualitative data from 56 entrepreneurs’ responses and three in-depth interviews in Study 1. Then empirical data from a survey of 244 entrepreneurs was used to validate the model in Study 2. The findings identified two reasons for the ineffectiveness of entrepreneurship policies. One is the constraint imposed by the macro environment, which presents significant challenges for improvement, and the other arises from the policies themselves, which are improvable and require targeted attention. The research reminds policymakers to consider not only the quantity of support but also its quality. Our study refines the EE Microfoundation theory, particularly the causal and mediating mechanisms linking entrepreneurs to their EE. Full article

Creative social enterprises are increasingly emerging in rural regions, motivated by a desire to take social responsibility through creative approaches. These enterprises integrate entrepreneurial activities with creative social attributes and are sometimes set in rural collaborative workspaces (CWSs) facilitating entrepreneurial activities. Under the frame of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs), we argue that CWSs can be seen as brokers, who (1) link resources as liaisons, (2) hold and pass resources as gatekeepers, (3) enhance resource flows as coordinators, and (4) reproduce experiences as representatives. Against this backdrop, this paper presents a case study of two creative social enterprises in a CWS with a cooperative structure in rural Upper Austria by analyzing entrepreneurial biographies about the demand and use of entrepreneurial resources. Through a comparison between before and after the emergence of the CWS, the findings suggest that the EE for creative and social entrepreneurship undergoes two different types of transformation, a radical and a gradual one. The brokerage process of the CWS enhances local resource networks’ transformation of EE and brings the transformation in terms of translocal resources and integral EE of enterprises in the CWS. Additionally, the CWS generates social impacts on the local community through social enterprises. This paper contributes to ecosystem literature by introducing an actor-centric perspective and giving new insights into social entrepreneurship and the transformative power of CWSs as brokers. Full article

Entrepreneurship education (EE) plays a vital role in fostering an entrepreneurial culture and promoting the growth of the small- and medium-sized business sector in a nation. Research on EE has advanced extremely rapidly in the last two decades. These changes are evident not only in the quantity of published works but also in the evolving methods of academic communication, the rise of emerging nations as prominent contributors to EE research, and the shifting areas of focus in study themes. This current study aims to provide a comprehensive picture of these processes based on a big-data-centred bibliometric analysis of a corpus of 3787 articles that appeared in the Web of Science literature database. The bibliographic metadata was analysed using Biblioshiny, CitNetExplorer, and VOSviewer. To understand the most significant development trends, researchers employed the triangulation method, which included scientific mapping and epistemological analysis in addition to standard tools of bibliometric analysis. This has led to the identification of some study needs. First, improving EE methods in secondary school curricula; second, EE in adult education and the practicality of the findings for andragogy; third, EE in least developed countries and its unique challenges; fourth, combining EE with internet-based, innovative training and education approaches like gamification and simulations; fifth, EE’s role and methodological development in societal economic integration; and sixth, women’s unique EE requirements. On top of that, this study provides the basis for policymakers and practitioners to consider incorporating entrepreneurial education programmes, which can help to create a prosperous entrepreneurial ecosystem. Full article

This paper aims to characterise the Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (EE) at the national and regional (subnational) level in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay employing relevant scientific literature and the latest available data from two well-known entrepreneurial ecosystem indices. Our results show that overall, Chile offers the best national-level ecosystem conditions for productive entrepreneurship among the selected countries. Uruguay and Argentina perform relatively lower than Chile, but they still show potential for improvement by addressing their key system bottlenecks. Moreover, data at the regional level shows that the performance of subnational ecosystems within each country is not homogeneous and regional ecosystems have specific combinations of strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, in a way, these findings confirm the relevance of regional perspectives for research in EE. The data synthesised in this study may be of assistance to researchers interested in understanding entrepreneurship in South American countries and for local policymakers aiming to design context-sensitive entrepreneurship policies. Full article

The questions of how Entrepreneurship Education (EE) initiatives can be successfully spread and what political structures can help with their implementation during compulsory school remain open. We will add to the literature by proposing that the scale of the NUTS III and its governance model/characteristics are ideal for carrying out initiatives related to EE in the EU and, thus, developing local entrepreneurship ecosystems. We will do so based on the evidence gathered from the case study of the Intermunicipal Community of Viseu Dão-Lafões. To underpin our main argument, we will explain the successful case of how the Intermunicipal Community of Viseu Dão-Lafões (a NUTS III) managed to become an exception in the Portuguese scenario when it comes to the funding, administrative articulation, and implementation of EE programmes for youths in the region. Full article

Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (EEs) have attracted the attention of academics, practitioners, and policymakers, that attempt to unlock ‘a winning recipe’ considering the different EEs pillars in order to ignite entrepreneurship at large. Therefore, understanding the degree of influence of each pillar on Entrepreneurial Initiative (EI) is helpful in framing more effective policies towards entrepreneurship. This study aims to bring a new facet to entrepreneurship research, specifically on decomposing the transformation of EEs and the influence of EEs pillars on EI. The transformation of EEs is shown by a balanced panel approach based on the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) dataset over 8 years (2010–2017), comprising 18 countries. The study has several implications for entrepreneurship theory and practice as well as public policy since discusses three main issues, mainly supported by empirical results. First, the results show an unbalanced influence of EEs pillars on EI. Second, results also show the ineffectiveness of institutions in encouraging the desire to act entrepreneurially. Third, entrepreneurship needs to be part of the acculturation process evidencing the importance of collective normative. Therefore, providing the instruments and structures is not enough to encourage individuals to start an entrepreneurial journey. Generally, the results reveal that contextual determinants are significant in fostering entrepreneurial propensity to start a business. But the impact of the nine pillars is not equalized, revealing a fragmented influence with funding measures, R&D transfer, and cultural and social norms discouraging entrepreneurial initiative. Overall, the study contributes to the understanding of a multidimensional perspective on EEs and points future policy directions to overcome the lack of entrepreneurship and amend flawed entrepreneurship policies. Full article

In entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs), geographical and contextual factors play a big role in shaping the knowledge bases for digital innovation. While cities around the world compete to be perceived as successful “tech startup hubs”, proactive urban strategies are needed to create knowledge spillovers into EEs. This study explores the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) knowledge practices in the EEs of Berlin and Sydney by using knowledge-spillover theory of entrepreneurship. The study utilizes a bibliometric analysis of secondary data in combination with exploratory stakeholder interviews conducted for both cities. Findings underline the critical role of experimental knowledge in driving the momentum of the EEs and the supporting role of policies imprinting knowledge practices. The paper shows how the dynamics of EEs can be explored empirically and raises awareness of the role of specialised and integrated policies in determining a city’s overall success in building EEs. Full article

(1) Background: In the context of differences among countries developing pre-entrepreneurship ecosystems in relation to agritourism, the need to define the specific challenges and facilitators in the group of post-communist countries is recognised. Given that, we aim to examine the differences between the countries belonging to the former USSR and the satellite countries of the former USSR. (2) Methods: For the realisation of the intended objective, we analysed studies of the literature on the subject, in terms of the theoretical treatment of the entrepreneurial eco-system in the field of agritourism, and current legal acts. Our own observations from stays in the regions in question were also used, along with statistical methods concerning the density of the transport network, comparative analysis of historical and political conditions, and SWOT analysis. (3) Results: Substantial differences were found between the components of the agritourism entrepreneurship ecosystem in Poland and Kazakhstan, primarily related to the level of transport infrastructure density (satisfactory in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, insufficient in North Kazakhstan), tradition of individual farming (well established in Poland, poorly present in Kazakhstan), support for agritourism development by central and local authorities (relatively high in Poland, incidental and with a short history in Kazakhstan), and finally, differences in the target group of agritourism service recipients (stable in Poland, undefined in Kazakhstan). (4) Conclusions: The research leads to the conclusion of the heterogeneity of the determinants of the development of the agritourism entrepreneurship ecosystem in countries collectively defined as post-communist. There are clearly different challenges and facilitations resulting not so much from the past political system as from the ethnic-historical considerations, the position of agriculture in the economy, and the degree and effectiveness of the involvement of administrative authorities in the development of agritourism. The study leads to a recommendation on the need for more efficient targeting of agritourism consumers abroad. Full article

Entrepreneurship education (EE) is a means to create economic activity and is of importance in the development of rural regions. Entrepreneurship education is generally conducted by three different methods: (1) teaching students about entrepreneurial themes, (2) developing the capabilities of becoming a successful entrepreneur for enterprise and (3) developing capabilities through enterprise by which persons learn through experience and discovery. Our research question is; How does education through entrepreneurship fit as a way to meet the needs of start-ups in a rural context? We follow an entrepreneurial case programme in our study by conducting observations of and interviews with 26 persons involved in the programme. Our findings are that participants consider the programme as an important contribution to the local/regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. However, it is also described as a short-lived ecosystem, from which the participants mostly benefit while on the programme and to a lesser degree afterwards. Sustainability plays a part in attracting participants but to a lesser degree forms the educational content and evaluation parameters. Our study contributes to the discussion of how education through entrepreneurship is organised as an accelerator programme to help start-ups in a rural context. Full article

Associated with global climate agreements and the European Union’s focus on climate-neutral goals by 2050, the development of Green Transformation competencies in society has become topical. This viewpoint paper proposes a conceptual model for applying Entrepreneurship Education (EE) to designing an integrated transdisciplinary, Green Transformation Competence framework. In line with this, EE is seen as a tool for developing an active, informed, responsible, yet sustainable, living ecosystem-oriented and green orientation of citizens in the education system. Nevertheless, this viewpoint recognises several challenges for further research. Full article

As social problems become more extensive and diverse, one of the most critical capabilities of social entrepreneurs is connecting and aligning various stakeholders. Social entrepreneurs can solve problems better through collaboration with stakeholders, and this leads to sustainable innovation of society. Accordingly, social entrepreneurship education (SEE) programs should be designed and operated to cultivate social entrepreneurs’ abilities to enhance connectivity with all relevant entities of the social enterprise ecosystem. Consequently, SEE can form ever-growing communities of social entrepreneurs while functioning as innovation hubs for entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) evolving on their own. To this end, this study proposes a design and assessment framework for SEE. The framework emphasizes strengthening internal connectivity among SEE program members and external connectivity with outside entities, including universities, firms, government agencies, civil societies, and natural environments. This framework clarifies how and to whom social entrepreneurs should connect throughout the SEE process. This paper analyzes the case of an MBA degree SEE program in Korea using this framework and identifies directions for further improvement of SEE, contributing to the social entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education literatures by integrating SEE’s key features with social theories of learning and the quintuple helix model for sustainable innovation ecosystems. Practically, our findings provide a useful benchmark to find isolated internal and external entities that need more active interactions to achieve SEE’s purposes. Full article