Small business and entrepreneurship in Africa: the nexus of entrepreneurial ecosystems and productive entrepreneurship
Open Access
- 3 May 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Small Enterprise Research
- Vol. 27 (2), 110-124
- https://doi.org/10.1080/13215906.2020.1761869
Abstract
The impact of entrepreneurship and small business activities in Africa has habitually been lower and receives less attention in research. This study aims at investigating the mediation role of innovations on the relationship between entrepreneurial ecosystem approach and productive entrepreneurship. Using panel dataset of 35 African countries, the study contributes to the existing literature in two ways. First, the panel regression findings contribute to the theoretical debate and fill the empirical gap, recent research has been dominated by conceptual works. The findings reveal mixed (positive and negative) and weak insignificant direct influence of eco-factors such as finance, government support and programmes, knowledge, market and culture on productive entrepreneurship. However, their influence is more pronounced when innovations mediate the relationship. Second, it provides new insight to policymakers and practitioners in developing policies and programmes that foster entrepreneurial ecosystems and improved innovation performance for better entrepreneurship development. It concludes with suggestions for future research.Keywords
This publication has 48 references indexed in Scilit:
- Characteristics and Macroeconomic Determinants of Youth Employment in AfricaAfrican Development Review, 2013
- Entrepreneurship and income inequality in southern EthiopiaSmall Business Economics, 2009
- Entrepreneurship and innovation in Ghana: enterprising AfricaSmall Business Economics, 2008
- Knowledge management, innovation and firm performanceJournal of Knowledge Management, 2005
- Sustainable valley entrepreneurial ecosystemsBusiness Strategy and the Environment, 2005
- Social Capital: Prospects for a New ConceptAcademy of Management Review, 2002
- Social Capital: Prospects for a New ConceptAcademy of Management Review, 2002
- KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER IN INTRAORGANIZATIONAL NETWORKS: EFFECTS OF NETWORK POSITION AND ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY ON BUSINESS UNIT INNOVATION AND PERFORMANCE.The Academy of Management Journal, 2001
- Knowledge management and process performanceJournal of Knowledge Management, 1999
- Panel Data and Unobservable Individual EffectsEconometrica, 1981