Logics at play: How logics shape interactions across entrepreneurial ecosystems

Abstract

Most entrepreneurial ecosystem research has focused on the actors and interactions within a focal (often regional) entrepreneurial ecosystem. This entails the often-implicit assumption that entrepreneurs mainly interact with actors within their own entrepreneurial ecosystem. We argue that this assumption limits entrepreneurial ecosystem research and address this limitation by exploring the research question: What influences interactions across the boundaries of entrepreneurial ecosystems? We study how both individual motivations and institutional logics influence interactions across the boundaries of a focal entrepreneurial ecosystem. We find that entrepreneurs interact across entrepreneurial ecosystem boundaries to gain access to resources, particularly finance, knowledge, and customers. Furthermore, we find that the ability of actors to engage in cross-entrepreneurial ecosystem interactions is influenced by two logics. Start-up development logics enable interactions beyond entrepreneurial ecosystem boundaries, as they prompt actors to prioritize the development and growth of start-ups. In contrast, regional development logics often hinder interactions by transforming administrative boundaries into entrepreneurial ecosystem boundaries. Identifying and describing these logics is the primary contribution of this paper.