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

Entrepreneurial ecosystems are receiving growing attention. However, prior research has primarily focused on the physical characteristics and artifacts 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 prior research, this conceptual paper builds on 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 theorizing draws from and synthesizes multiple streams of research, including work on sensemaking, identity construction, legitimacy, and attention