Corporate accelerators as an arena for legitimacy-seeking: How do startups validate corporate legitimacy?
将企业加速器视为企业和初创企业相互寻求合法性的舞台，发现企业通过设立非营利加速器和自愿匹配策略获得道德合法性，并通过与初创企业的互惠动态获得实用合法性，进而提升市场、认知和社会政治合法性，增强声誉资本。
Corporate accelerators (CAs) can be conceptualized as arenas that enable both corporations and startups to gain legitimacy, albeit for different purposes. While the current literature has primarily emphasized the benefits that startups derive from participation in CAs, it has largely overlooked the legitimacy-related advantages afforded to corporations. The findings of this study demonstrate that the corporation's legitimacy-seeking was enhanced by generating moral legitimacy through the explicit rationale for establishing a non-profit accelerator and the adoption of a voluntary matchmaking strategy. This moral legitimacy-seeking orientation was further reinforced by pragmatic legitimacy , rooted in implicit reciprocal ‘give-and-take’ dynamics with startups and in learning about emerging market trends and technologies. The startups contributed to the corporation's market legitimacy at the product level, cognitive legitimacy at the firm level, and sociopolitical legitimacy within the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem. These forms of legitimacy were associated with reputational capital, as evidenced in media portrayals and the perceived value generated for the startups involved. Collectively, these insights contribute to and extend the literature on organizational legitimacy, corporate accelerators, and strategic renewal. • Corporate accelerators (CAs) serve as an arena through which corporations pursue and enhance their legitimacy. • CAs foster legitimacy formation through moral and pragmatic legitimacy, based on reciprocal give-and-take dynamics with startups. • Close association with startup ‘exemplars’ helps corporations build market, cognitive, and sociopolitical legitimacy. • The diverse types of legitimacy acquired through CAs allow corporations to strengthen their public image and reputational capital.