A Holistic Approach to Incubator Strategies in the Entrepreneurial Support Ecosystem

  • Christina Theodoraki Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Department, TBS – Toulouse Business School, Toulouse, France
Keywords: Ecosystem, Entrepreneurial support, Business incubators, Co-opetition, Strategy

Abstract

This research employs ecosystem and strategic fit theories to understand incubators’ relationships with other ecosystem actors by investigating the elaboration of specialization, diversification, and co-opetition strategies. In the entrepreneurial support ecosystem, incubators act as intermediaries, bridging the gap between tenants and their external environment. These strategically led organizations offer a unique perspective for exploring the strategic fit differentiation engine through a holistic approach. A qualitative study reviews 48 semi-structured interviews derived from five case studies of the main incubator types. The results show that incubators differentiate themselves by employing various combinations of individual and collective strategies consisting of individual, organizational, and environmental factors to achieve ecosystem benefits. These findings provide a cross-level understanding of the entrepreneurial support ecosystem for all ecosystem actors and enable the implementation of appropriate generic strategies.

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Author Biography

Christina Theodoraki, Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Department, TBS – Toulouse Business School, Toulouse, France

Christina Theodoraki is assistant professor at TBS Business School, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Development Strategies, SPEA, University of Indiana and Business Development Manager at the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Research Network. Her research interests include entrepreneurial ecosystems, entrepreneurial support, and interorganizational strategies with a focus on business incubators.

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Published
2020-12-16
How to Cite
Theodoraki C. (2020). A Holistic Approach to Incubator Strategies in the Entrepreneurial Support Ecosystem. M@n@gement, 23(4), 13–27. https://doi.org/10.37725/mgmt.v23i4.4412
Section
Original Research Articles