TCKF-Connect: A Cross-Disciplinary Conceptual Framework to Investigate Internationalization within the Context of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Abstract

This conceptual paper examines the still under-researched phenomena associated with internationalization within the context of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Drawing on multiple literature streams, I develop TCKF-Connect, a cross-disciplinary conceptual framework to investigate how entrepreneurial ecosystems become globally connected, and how, in turn, an ecosystem’s global connectedness can drive and sustain the internationalization processes of innovative start-ups. I propose a distinction between entrepreneurial ecosystems’ connectivity and ecosystems’ connectedness, where the former is purported as a necessary but not sufficient condition to achieve the latter. The framework developed revolves around the role played by a specific “vehicle” of connectivity across entrepreneurial ecosystems, i.e., temporary clusters, as conceptualized by Maskell, Bathelt and Malmberg and focuses on the role of knowledge flows within temporary clusters and across the entrepreneurial ecosystems where the temporary clusters are nested. The cross-disciplinary conceptual framework developed contributes to both research and policy debates by underpinning the investigation of research questions to further our understanding of the interplay between internationalization of entrepreneurial ecosystems and internationalization of the start-ups nested within them. The article proposes a research agenda emanating from the application of the cross-disciplinary conceptual framework developed and suggests a methodology for the empirical investigation.

Food tourism: opportunities for SMEs through diaspora marketing?

“…Indeed, literature on entrepreneurial ecosystems (cf. Isenberg, 2011; Ratten and Rashid, 2020; Stam and Spigel, 2016; van Schijndel, 2019) could be expanded to include considerations of diaspora network partners, due to the strength of these relationships based on trust.…”

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Internationalization ecosystems: a framework proposal for the international business theory

“…The work was divided into two stages: a systematic literature review-SLR (Denyer & Tranfield, 2009;Tranfield, Denyer, & Smart, 2003) and a thematic analysis (Boyatzis, 1998;Guest et al, 2012), to achieve a theoretical saturation capable of "linking similar concepts and processes in different stances, experiences, contexts and events" (Morse, 2018(Morse, , p. 1398, providing collective insights and shared knowledge through theoretical synthesis in a pragmatic way (Van Aken, 2004).…”

The Role of Networks in Improving International Performance and Competitiveness: Perspective View of Open Innovation

“…Third, closer relationships enable a better understanding of network partners, and more efficient marketing activities, such as global marketing [56]. Fourth, actors in long-term relationships can have a better understanding and/or knowledge of their counterparts and consequently increase opportunities to improve international performance [54,57,58]. Finally, SMEs competing for successful internationalization can play the role of customers or suppliers to other firms in target global markets, and be a role model to others.…”