Resource Dependence Theory: An Expanded Study of Interdependence Among Enterprises in Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurial Activities

Resource dependence theory is a key theory in organizational studies and emphasizes the importance of reducing an organization’s dependence on external factors. Despite environmental constraints, managers can take actions to reduce their organization’s reliance on external factors. At the core of these actions is the concept of power, which refers to control over critical resources (Ulrich & Barney, 1984). With digital technology’s rapid development, start-ups and digital start-ups creation have accelerated. Innovation-driven entrepreneurship is part of this process of new venture creation; its fundamental logic revolves around emerging technology development or application, institutional innovation, and creating new value or exploring value creation methods (Chen et al., 2020b). However, start-ups frequently suffer from the liability of newness and are highly dependent on their external environment. Scholars often use resource dependence theory to explore how start-ups can cope with external dependence and uncertainty while obtaining the resources they need. Reviewing resource dependence theory’s research progress, especially in the field of entrepreneurship, and combining it with the theoretical exploration of innovation-driven entrepreneurship, will further enrich and even reconstruct resource dependence theory.