Places are not like people: the perils of anthropomorphism within entrepreneurial ecosystems research

Ross Brown; Suzanne Mawson; Augusto Rocha

doi:10.1080/00343404.2022.2135698

Places are not like people: the perils of anthropomorphism within entrepreneurial ecosystems research

Ross Brown, Suzanne Mawson, Augusto Rocha

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract / Description of output

The concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) has quickly established itself as a major focus within regional development research. A key conceptual framing commonly adopted by scholars theorizing about the growth and evolutionary dynamics of EEs is via anthropomorphized life-cycle models. In this article we offer a critique and argumentation as to why the validity of this approach is spurious and contestable. Arguably, life-cycle-based models overly simplify these complex spatial entrepreneurial phenomena and convey the temporal evolution of EEs as a simplistic, linear, deterministic and path-dependent process. Despite the seductively simplistic appeal of life-cycle models, places are not like people and the uncritical adoption of such crude anthropomorphic framings potentially weakens this research field, at the same time as running the risk of misinforming policymakers.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	384-396
Number of pages	13
Journal	Regional Studies
Volume	57
Issue number	2
Early online date	16 Nov 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2022.2135698
Publication status	Published - 17 Jan 2023

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

entrepreneurial ecosystems
life-cycle
path dependence
public policy

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BrownEtal2023RSPlacesAreNotLikePeopleFinal published version, 1.37 MBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC-BY)

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title = "Places are not like people: the perils of anthropomorphism within entrepreneurial ecosystems research",

abstract = "The concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) has quickly established itself as a major focus within regional development research. A key conceptual framing commonly adopted by scholars theorizing about the growth and evolutionary dynamics of EEs is via anthropomorphized life-cycle models. In this article we offer a critique and argumentation as to why the validity of this approach is spurious and contestable. Arguably, life-cycle-based models overly simplify these complex spatial entrepreneurial phenomena and convey the temporal evolution of EEs as a simplistic, linear, deterministic and path-dependent process. Despite the seductively simplistic appeal of life-cycle models, places are not like people and the uncritical adoption of such crude anthropomorphic framings potentially weakens this research field, at the same time as running the risk of misinforming policymakers.",

keywords = "entrepreneurial ecosystems, life-cycle, path dependence, public policy",

author = "Ross Brown and Suzanne Mawson and Augusto Rocha",

note = "Funding Information: The authors acknowledge InGAME: Innovation for Games and Media Enterprise, part of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Creative Industries Clusters Programme [grant number AH/S002871/10], for funding the time of one of the co-authors. The authors are grateful for the comments by Dan Isenberg and the three anonymous reviewers for their constructive and helpful feedback on various iterations of the manuscript. They are also very grateful to John Harrison, Editor of the Urban and Regional Horizons section of Regional Studies, for his very helpful comments. The usual disclaimer applies.",

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AU - Brown, Ross

AU - Mawson, Suzanne

AU - Rocha, Augusto

N1 - Funding Information: The authors acknowledge InGAME: Innovation for Games and Media Enterprise, part of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Creative Industries Clusters Programme [grant number AH/S002871/10], for funding the time of one of the co-authors. The authors are grateful for the comments by Dan Isenberg and the three anonymous reviewers for their constructive and helpful feedback on various iterations of the manuscript. They are also very grateful to John Harrison, Editor of the Urban and Regional Horizons section of Regional Studies, for his very helpful comments. The usual disclaimer applies.

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N2 - The concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) has quickly established itself as a major focus within regional development research. A key conceptual framing commonly adopted by scholars theorizing about the growth and evolutionary dynamics of EEs is via anthropomorphized life-cycle models. In this article we offer a critique and argumentation as to why the validity of this approach is spurious and contestable. Arguably, life-cycle-based models overly simplify these complex spatial entrepreneurial phenomena and convey the temporal evolution of EEs as a simplistic, linear, deterministic and path-dependent process. Despite the seductively simplistic appeal of life-cycle models, places are not like people and the uncritical adoption of such crude anthropomorphic framings potentially weakens this research field, at the same time as running the risk of misinforming policymakers.

AB - The concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) has quickly established itself as a major focus within regional development research. A key conceptual framing commonly adopted by scholars theorizing about the growth and evolutionary dynamics of EEs is via anthropomorphized life-cycle models. In this article we offer a critique and argumentation as to why the validity of this approach is spurious and contestable. Arguably, life-cycle-based models overly simplify these complex spatial entrepreneurial phenomena and convey the temporal evolution of EEs as a simplistic, linear, deterministic and path-dependent process. Despite the seductively simplistic appeal of life-cycle models, places are not like people and the uncritical adoption of such crude anthropomorphic framings potentially weakens this research field, at the same time as running the risk of misinforming policymakers.

KW - entrepreneurial ecosystems

KW - life-cycle

KW - path dependence

KW - public policy

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DO - 10.1080/00343404.2022.2135698

M3 - Article

SN - 0034-3404

VL - 57

SP - 384

EP - 396

JO - Regional Studies

JF - Regional Studies

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ER -

Places are not like people: the perils of anthropomorphism within entrepreneurial ecosystems research

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