Different strokes for different folks: a configurational analysis of entrepreneurial ecosystems

Daniel L. Bennett (), Siddharth Vedula () and Michael Araki ()
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Daniel L. Bennett: University of Louisville
Siddharth Vedula: Technical University of Munich
Michael Araki: University of Louisville

Small Business Economics, 2025, vol. 65, issue 3, No 15, 1547-1569

Abstract: Abstract We adopt a pluralistic view of productive entrepreneurship to examine how various elements of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) affect both performance-based (high-growth entrepreneurship) and non-performance-based (proprietorship rate and new venture creation) outcomes. Our theoretical framework is guided by the recently developed three-step configurational approach, and our analysis employs fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) on a comprehensive sample of U.S. regional EEs. We identified five types of EEs—Bottom-Up Ecosystem, Top-Down Ecosystem, Free Enterprise Foundation, Collectivistic VC-backed Ecosystem, and Individualistic VC-backed Ecosystem—highlighting diverse ways in which local resource endowments (e.g., talent and finance) and institutional arrangements (e.g., formal institutions and culture) combine to foster different entrepreneurial outcomes. This study broadens the applicability of the EE configurational approach, moving beyond the “Silicon Valley” model to embrace a more inclusive “Main Street” perspective, addressing the call for a more nuanced understanding of entrepreneurship determinants and outcomes across different contexts.

Keywords: Culture; Economic freedom; Entrepreneurial ecosystem configurations; Everyday entrepreneurship; Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA); High-growth entrepreneurship; Three-stage configurational theorizing; Institutions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L26 M13 O12 P16 R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s11187-025-01038-x

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