Survival and Growth in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: An Integration with Resource Dependence Theory and Entrepreneurial Orientation

Author

Sonny Lam Nguyen, University of South AlabamaFollow

Date of Award

5-2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Business Administration

Committee Chair

Joseph F. Hair, Ph.D.

Abstract

The emergence of entrepreneurial systems has become a global phenomenon in the last decade (Cao & Shi, 2021). Entrepreneurial ecosystems are groups of interdependent actors and factors that formally and informally coalesce to connect, mediate, and enable entrepreneurship within a regional entrepreneurial environment (Mason & Brown, 2014; Spigel & Harrison, 2018; Stam, 2015). Researchers on entrepreneurial ecosystems have proposed different entrepreneurial ecosystem models comprising various components and elements. However, despite the popularity of the emergence of entrepreneurial ecosystems, there is a lack of measurement scales to respond to the high demand for empirical research, and the domain of entrepreneurial systems remains under-theorized. The limited research also has not explored the value of resource dependence theory and entrepreneurial behavior integration into entrepreneurial ecosystems. Therefore, this study fills in the above gaps by making four meaningful contributions. First, the study integrates resources dependency theory into the entrepreneurial ecosystems research domain. Second, the study illuminates the interaction between entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Third, the entrepreneurial behavior approach of entrepreneurial orientation is explored as an enhancement to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Fourth, this study will extend and improve current measurement scales for entrepreneurial ecosystems. Survey data will be collected from participants located in different regions of the United States. Partial least squares x structural equation modeling will be used to analyze the data and test the hypotheses. Given these considerations, the current investigation will likely have numerous implications for management research and practice.

Recommended Citation

Nguyen, Sonny Lam, "Survival and Growth in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: An Integration with Resource Dependence Theory and Entrepreneurial Orientation" (2023). Theses and Dissertations. 140.
https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/theses_diss/140