Structure and dynamics of a precarious entrepreneurial sub-ecosystem in a developed country

Clara Douaihy, Karim Messeghem () and Walid Nakara
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Clara Douaihy: EDC - EDC Paris Business School
Karim Messeghem: MRM - Montpellier Research in Management - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - UM - Université de Montpellier
Walid Nakara: Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier (GSCM) - Montpellier Business School

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Abstract: Entrepreneurial ecosystem research increasingly recognizes the importance of sub-ecosystems, yet their dynamics in contexts of precarity remain underexplored. This article introduces the concept of precarious entrepreneurial sub-ecosystems and examines how entrepreneurship unfolds under conditions of resource scarcity and social vulnerability in Montpellier, France. By mobilizing a complex adaptive systems perspective, we develop a multilevel model of a entrepreneurial sub-ecosystem. The analysis shows how such sub-ecosystems build solidarity-based coordination and navigate spatial, social and institutional boundaries to support precarious entrepreneurs. In doing so, the study extends entrepreneurial ecosystem theory to more fragile settings and refines the sub-ecosystem construct as a nested, adaptive, context-dependent system. It shows that even in constrained, marginalized contexts, entrepreneurial activity can be sustained through continuous adaptation, resource mobilization, and inclusive institutional frameworks.

Date: 2026-01
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Published in Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, 2026, pp.1-23. ⟨10.1080/08985626.2025.2600017⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05438823

DOI: 10.1080/08985626.2025.2600017

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