Towards a modeling of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the form of sub-ecosystems: Contribution of the complex adaptive systems approach
While the entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) is a rapidly developing concept, the academic literature highlights the lack of theoretical and methodological frameworks. This paper aims to address this by proposing a dynamic modeling in the form of sub-ecosystems. We enrich the literature on complex adaptive systems by introducing the notions of quasi-decomposability and redundancy dear to Simon. We revisit EA from a conceptual grid combining structural and dynamic reading. Our exploratory and illustrative empirical study shows how the sub-ecosystems and their interactions have contributed to the entrepreneurial dynamics in the Montpellier area. This article thus reinforces the theorization of EE and formulates useful recommendations for policy makers in the design of their entrepreneurship policy.