Start-up Community Narratives: The Discursive Construction of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Abstract

Entrepreneurial ecosystems are receiving growing attention. However, past research has primarily focused on the physical characteristics and artefacts of such systems. The social construction of entrepreneurial ecosystems, and particularly the discourse involved in their creation, evolution and promotion, has not been examined. To address this omission in past research, this conceptual article builds on the work from several disciplines on a specific type of discourse: narratives. Theory is developed regarding the types of narratives constructed in entrepreneurial ecosystems and their functions. The theorising draws from and synthesises multiple streams of research, including work on sense-making, identity construction, legitimacy and attention.