Ecosystem leadership in catalyzing the emergence of entrepreneurial ecosystems: social capital perspectives
研究锚定组织如何通过创建结合型与桥接型社会资本来催化早期创业生态系统的演化，基于拉丁美洲和南部非洲两个案例提出三阶段序列框架。
Purpose The level of social capital is a crucial indicator of the evolutionary stage of entrepreneurial ecosystems. While prior studies have highlighted the role of leadership by anchor organizations in building networks within nascent entrepreneurial ecosystems, there is limited understanding of how these organizations develop bonding and bridging social capital and how their leadership catalyzes the early evolution of ecosystems. Against the background, this study endeavors to unravel the role of anchor organizations performing ecosystem leadership as creators of social capital in the early stages of ecosystem development, with a specific focus on bonding and bridging social capital. Design/methodology/approach The study applied explorative qualitative research methods to examine two distinct entrepreneurial ecosystems – one in Latin America and the other in Southern Africa. These locations were chosen because a single anchor organization played a visible role in ecosystem leadership during the early phases of evolution in both instances. Findings The study reveals a tripartite sequence of steps that anchor organizations take to instigate social capital at the ecosystem level (1) creating bonding social capital, (2) creating bridging social capital and (3) converting bridging into bonding social capital. The study formulates a theoretical framework that elucidates how anchor organizations perform ecosystem leadership to create social capital, thereby generating initial evolutionary forces within ecosystems. By discerning context-specific dimensions in each ecosystem, the study identifies essential considerations for generalizing its findings. Practical implications For anchor organizations, specifically startup support entities strategically dedicated to fostering local entrepreneurial ecosystems, key insights can be gleaned from this study to cultivate a burgeoning startup community, serving as a catalyst for early-phase ecosystem development. For policymakers seeking to cultivate thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems in their regions, the study provides insights into distinct approaches for leveraging anchor organizations in social capital development. Originality/value This study revealed strategic functions of ecosystem leadership in creating social capital, which catalyze early ecosystem evolution. Furthermore, by contrasting two different emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems, this study particularly highlights how contexts can enable or constrain ecosystem leadership in social capital creation activities. This study also illuminated the cycle mechanisms of creating bonding and bridging social capital and converting bridging into bonding social capital. This finding extends the recent discussions on the transition from bonding to bridging social capital.