Understanding Incubated Startups’ Continuance Intention towards Entrepreneurial Incubation Platforms: Empirical Evidence from China

Yanan Zhang, Xinmin Liu () and Liu Fan
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Yanan Zhang: College of Economics and Management, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
Xinmin Liu: College of Economics and Management, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
Liu Fan: Management College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 23, 1-21

Abstract: In recent years, despite the rapid growth in the number of entrepreneurial incubation platforms in China, many of them are experiencing the sustainability dilemma caused by the loss of incubated startups. However, there is a dearth of research that explores how to promote incubated startups’ continuance intention towards entrepreneurial incubation platforms. Addressing this gap, the present study develops a dedication–constraint model based on the dual model framework, investigating the distinct impacts of entrepreneurial support and relationship-specific investment on incubated startups’ continuance intention towards entrepreneurial incubation platforms. A sample of 534 incubated startups in China was employed to test the research model, and the structural equation modelling was adopted for data analysis. Empirical results indicate that the dedication-based mechanism and constraint-based mechanism simultaneously, yet differently, affect incubated startups’ continuance intention towards entrepreneurial incubation platforms. Specifically, in the dedication-based mechanism, social support and technical support are revealed as the antecedents to relationship satisfaction that significantly leads to benefit-based dependence. As for the constraint-based mechanism, setup activity is the only salient indicator to termination costs, which consequently has a positive effect on cost-based dependence. Incubated startups’ continuance intention towards entrepreneurial incubation platforms is influenced by both benefit-based dependence and cost-based dependence, ultimately.

Keywords: entrepreneurial incubation platforms; incubated startups; continuance intention; the dual model framework (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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