TY - JOUR

T1 - Moving beyond intermediation

T2 - How intermediary organizations shape collaboration dynamics in entrepreneurial ecosystems

AU - Hernández-Chea, Roberto

AU - Mahdad, Maral

AU - Minh, Thai Thi

AU - Hjortsø, Carsten Nico

N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Ekaterina Albats and Ann-Kristin Zobel and anonymous reviewers for their invaluable and helpful comments. The generosity and expertise of one and all have improved this research. This work has been conducted as part of a Ph.D. thesis project supported by the Agricultural Transformation by Innovation (AGTRAIN) Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Program, funded by the EACEA (Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency) of the European Commission . The authors would like to thank all respondents of two ecosystems in Nairobi and Kampala who were most generous with their time and availability. Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Ekaterina Albats and Ann-Kristin Zobel and anonymous reviewers for their invaluable and helpful comments. The generosity and expertise of one and all have improved this research. This work has been conducted as part of a Ph.D. thesis project supported by the Agricultural Transformation by Innovation (AGTRAIN) Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Program, funded by the EACEA (Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency) of the European Commission. The authors would like to thank all respondents of two ecosystems in Nairobi and Kampala who were most generous with their time and availability. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Recently, increasing attention has been paid to entrepreneurial ecosystems and the process of their formation and function. Researchers have noted the important role that intermediary organizations such as incubators play in connecting various actors within ecosystems. Yet our understanding of this role is limited to a few empirical insights. Using resource dependence and embeddedness as theoretical lenses, the present research examines the role of incubators in entrepreneurial ecosystem formation and function, and analyzes how intermediation activities shape collaboration patterns embedded within entrepreneurial ecosystems. Our findings are based on an empirical investigation of two entrepreneurial ecosystems, one in Kenya and one in Uganda. Our analysis of 38 semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurial actors in these ecosystems reveals the underlying structural, operational, and relational conditions that influence the actors’ interaction with each other. We propose three collaboration patterns that emerge among actors in entrepreneurial ecosystems under these conditions: one-sided dependency-based, joint dependency-based, and mutual dependency-based collaborations. We discuss these patterns in detail and identify the circumstances in which each is most likely to occur. This empirical setting clearly shows that beyond their primary roles of providing space, network, and advice to entrepreneurs, intermediary organizations in entrepreneurial ecosystems play a significant role in orchestrating collaborations. Finally, we reflect on the limitations of this study and offer implications for future research.

AB - Recently, increasing attention has been paid to entrepreneurial ecosystems and the process of their formation and function. Researchers have noted the important role that intermediary organizations such as incubators play in connecting various actors within ecosystems. Yet our understanding of this role is limited to a few empirical insights. Using resource dependence and embeddedness as theoretical lenses, the present research examines the role of incubators in entrepreneurial ecosystem formation and function, and analyzes how intermediation activities shape collaboration patterns embedded within entrepreneurial ecosystems. Our findings are based on an empirical investigation of two entrepreneurial ecosystems, one in Kenya and one in Uganda. Our analysis of 38 semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurial actors in these ecosystems reveals the underlying structural, operational, and relational conditions that influence the actors’ interaction with each other. We propose three collaboration patterns that emerge among actors in entrepreneurial ecosystems under these conditions: one-sided dependency-based, joint dependency-based, and mutual dependency-based collaborations. We discuss these patterns in detail and identify the circumstances in which each is most likely to occur. This empirical setting clearly shows that beyond their primary roles of providing space, network, and advice to entrepreneurs, intermediary organizations in entrepreneurial ecosystems play a significant role in orchestrating collaborations. Finally, we reflect on the limitations of this study and offer implications for future research.

KW - Collaboration

KW - Embeddedness factors

KW - Entrepreneurial ecosystem

KW - Incubator

KW - Intermediary organization

KW - Resource dependence theory

U2 - 10.1016/j.technovation.2021.102332

DO - 10.1016/j.technovation.2021.102332

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85108408204

VL - 108

JO - Technovation

JF - Technovation

SN - 0166-4972

M1 - 102332

ER -