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Regional ecologies of entrepreneurship

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  • Olav Sorenson

Abstract

Why do some regions produce more entrepreneurs than others? An ecological lens provides insight into this question: The demography of organizations in a region—particularly the proportion of small and young employers—shapes many aspects of the environment for would-be entrepreneurs: (i) beliefs about the desirability of founding a firm, (ii) opportunities to learn about entrepreneurship and to build the abilities needed to succeed and (iii) the ease of acquiring critical resources. Births of new industries and the demise of mature ones can therefore catalyze rapid changes in the rates of entrepreneurship that become self-reinforcing.

Suggested Citation

  • Olav Sorenson, 2017. "Regional ecologies of entrepreneurship," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(5), pages 959-974.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jecgeo:v:17:y:2017:i:5:p:959-974.
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    3. Kuebart, Andreas & Ibert, Oliver, 2019. "Beyond territorial conceptions of entrepreneurial ecosystems: The dynamic spatiality of knowledge brokering in seed accelerators," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 63(2-4), pages 118-133.
    4. Bellmann, Lisa & Brixy, Udo, 2018. "Hiring by start-ups and regional labor supply," IAB-Discussion Paper 201818, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    5. Wenying Fu, 2020. "Spatial mobility and opportunity-driven entrepreneurship: the evidence from China labor-force dynamics survey," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(5), pages 1324-1342, October.
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    8. Michael Fritsch & Michael Wyrwich, 2018. "Regional knowledge, entrepreneurial culture, and innovative start-ups over time and space―an empirical investigation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 51(2), pages 337-353, August.
    9. Yuta Kuroda, 2023. "What do high-achieving graduates bring to nonacademic track high schools?," DSSR Discussion Papers 138, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University.
    10. Alexander Chepurenko & Maria Kristalova & Michael Wyrwich, 2019. "Historical and Institutional Determinants of Universities’ Role in Fostering Entrepreneurship," Foresight and STI Governance (Foresight-Russia till No. 3/2015), National Research University Higher School of Economics, vol. 13(4), pages 48-59.
    11. Michael Wyrwich & Michael Fritsch, 2023. "How does Regional Entrepreneurship Transfer over Time? The Role of Household Size and Economic Success," Jena Economics Research Papers 2023-006, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    12. Bijedić, Teita & Haase, Inga & Müller, Anna, 2018. "Regionale Gründungsumfelder am Beispiel ausgewählter Hot-Spots," IfM-Materialien 265, Institut für Mittelstandsforschung (IfM) Bonn.
    13. Doris Kwon & Olav Sorenson, 2023. "The Silicon Valley Syndrome," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(2), pages 344-368, March.
    14. Kim, Jungho & Kollmann, Trevor & Palangkaraya, Alfons & Webster, Elizabeth, 2022. "Does local technological specialisation, diversity and dynamic competition enhance firm creation?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(7).
    15. Olav Sorenson, 2018. "Social networks and the geography of entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 527-537, October.
    16. Said Muhammad & Kong Ximei & Shahab E. Saqib & Nicholas J. Beutell, 2021. "Women’s Home-Based Entrepreneurship and Family Financial Position in Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-14, November.
    17. Michael Fritsch & Martin Obschonka & Michael Wyrwich, 2018. "Historical Roots of Entrepreneurial Culture and Innovation Activity?An Analysis for German Regions," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1824, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jun 2018.
    18. Olav Sorenson & Michael S. Dahl & Rodrigo Canales & M. Diane Burton, 2021. "Do Startup Employees Earn More in the Long Run?," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(3), pages 587-604, May.
    19. Michael Fritsch & Martin Obschonka & Fabian Wahl & Michael Wyrwich, 2021. "Cultural Imprinting: Ancient Origins of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Germany," Jena Economics Research Papers 2021-012, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    20. Bijedić, Teita & Butkowski, Olivier K. & Kay, Rosemarie & Suprinovič, Olga, 2020. "Bestimmungsfaktoren des regionalen Gründungsgeschehens - eine Machbarkeitsstudie," IfM-Materialien 280, Institut für Mittelstandsforschung (IfM) Bonn.
    21. Sternberg Rolf & Bloh Johannes von & Coduras Alicia, 2019. "A new framework to measure entrepreneurial ecosystems at the regional level," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 63(2-4), pages 103-117, November.
    22. Xiaoyan Huang & Yuli Chen, 2021. "The Impact of Entrepreneurship on Economic Growth within a City," Businesses, MDPI, vol. 1(3), pages 1-9, October.
    23. Harald Bathelt & Neil M. Coe & William R. Kerr & Frédéric Robert-Nicoud, 2017. "Editorial: Economic Geography IMPULSES," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(5), pages 927-933.
    24. Sari Pekkala Kerr & William R. Kerr & Tina Xu, 2017. "Personality Traits of Entrepreneurs: A Review of Recent Literature," NBER Working Papers 24097, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    25. Christian Fisch & Michael Wyrwich & Thi Lanh Nguyen & Joern H. Block, 2020. "Historical institutional differences and entrepreneurship: the case of socialist legacy in Vietnam," Jena Economics Research Papers 2020-002, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economic geography; entrepreneurship; organizational ecology; culture;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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