TY - JOUR

T1 - The buzz before business

T2 - a design science study of a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem

AU - O’Shea, Gregory

AU - Farny, Steffen

AU - Hakala, Henri

N1 - Open access funding provided by LUT University. This study is part of the research project DWoC 2.0, funded by the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Tekes), and also supported by “Package Heroes” Academy of Finland/Strategic Research Council (grant no: 320217).

PY - 2021/2/1

Y1 - 2021/2/1

N2 - This paper examines how entrepreneurial opportunities co-evolve within a sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem (SEE). Most of the literature on entrepreneurial ecosystems falls short on integrating the entrepreneurial process in empirical research. To analyze data collected from pre-start-up teams within a nascent SEE on high-tech cellulose-based materials over 3 years, we apply a design science approach that helps understand actors’ collaborative sensemaking in designing and structuring ecosystem features and relationships. Our findings show that the SEE can be seen as a design artifact which evolves by ecosystem actors collectively engaging in new venture ideation and developing opportunity confidence. Furthermore, the paper presents a novel SEE framework, which elaborates on phases and enablers of the opportunity co-evolution process within an emerging ecosystem. We contribute to the literature on sustainable as well as general entrepreneurial ecosystems and offer a new theoretical foundation for a process view on ecosystems.

AB - This paper examines how entrepreneurial opportunities co-evolve within a sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem (SEE). Most of the literature on entrepreneurial ecosystems falls short on integrating the entrepreneurial process in empirical research. To analyze data collected from pre-start-up teams within a nascent SEE on high-tech cellulose-based materials over 3 years, we apply a design science approach that helps understand actors’ collaborative sensemaking in designing and structuring ecosystem features and relationships. Our findings show that the SEE can be seen as a design artifact which evolves by ecosystem actors collectively engaging in new venture ideation and developing opportunity confidence. Furthermore, the paper presents a novel SEE framework, which elaborates on phases and enablers of the opportunity co-evolution process within an emerging ecosystem. We contribute to the literature on sustainable as well as general entrepreneurial ecosystems and offer a new theoretical foundation for a process view on ecosystems.

KW - Buzz

KW - Design science study

KW - Entrepreneurial ecosystem

KW - Opportunity process

KW - Sustainable entrepreneurship

KW - Management studies

KW - Entrepreneurship

KW - Sustainability sciences, Management & Economics

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85075118225&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/6bd239b9-9941-3e35-a45c-5b0c68ef5909/

U2 - 10.1007/s11187-019-00256-4

DO - 10.1007/s11187-019-00256-4

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85075118225

VL - 56

SP - 1097

EP - 1120

JO - Small Business Economics

JF - Small Business Economics

SN - 0921-898X

IS - 3

ER -