The evolution and embeddedness of knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial firms in creative industries: contrasting experienced and non-experienced entrepreneurs in the Swedish fashion industry

Abstract

This article focuses on the micro-level processes whereby knowledge-intensive entrepreneurs become embedded in networks to access resources, and in doing so help transform a region. Our analysis contributes to theoretical debates about how the entrepreneurs achieve this aim in order to develop their knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial ventures in creative industries. Our conceptualization specifies how entrepreneurs can use embeddedness in networks in order to access specific types of resources, during the pre-entry phase, the establishment phase, and the post-entry phase. The textiles and fashion industry is an interesting setting to explore these topics because of the rapid industrial transformation from mass production of textiles to large e-commerce firms. Our results suggest that prehistory of the individual entrepreneur has long-term effects upon access to unique resources within the industry, enabling this group to more quickly build their entrepreneurial ventures. Our qualitative case study contributes to theoretical discussions of how microprocesses of KIE entrepreneurship can renew regions and traditional industries, because our analysis shows the enduring impact of past industrial, regional and family ties.

Creative entrepreneurs and embeddedness in non-urban places: a resource exchange and network embeddedness logic

“…(2009) demonstrate that the spatial embeddedness of fashion entrepreneurs in Sweden is determined by both local and global networks. Hermanson et al. (2018) and Gu (2014), however, still find a higher relevance of local embeddedness for creative professions, especially when local and social networks are overlapping.…”

Dynamic exchange capabilities for value co-creation in ecosystems

“…The implications for the theory and practice of dynamic exchange capabilities for value co-creation are outlined. important to access specific types of resources during the pre-entry, the establishment, and the postentry phases in specific sectors (Hermanson, McKelvey, & Zaring, 2018) and overcome the paradox of openness for innovation opportunities while protecting internal knowledge and intellectual assets to appropriate value from their innovations within or across sectors (Lassen, Ljungberg, & McKelvey, 2020). Accordingly, DEC requires KIE firms to adopt EE approach to leverage digital platform affordances in ecosystems for entrepreneurial opportunity discovery and pursuit (Autio et al, 2018).However, DEC will enable existing firms to adopt a fluid and open, rather than closed, boundaries for value co-creation (Chesbrough, 2007;Reypens, Lievens, & Blazevic, 2016) to constantly learn, unlearn, and relearn how the structures of their internal and external boundaries facilitate ambidexterity for intrepreneurial capabilities development (Faridian & Neubaum, 2021;Santos & Eisenhardt, 2005…”

“…The implications for the theory and practice of dynamic exchange capabilities for value co-creation are outlined. important to access specific types of resources during the pre-entry, the establishment, and the postentry phases in specific sectors (Hermanson, McKelvey, & Zaring, 2018) and overcome the paradox of openness for innovation opportunities while protecting internal knowledge and intellectual assets to appropriate value from their innovations within or across sectors (Lassen, Ljungberg, & McKelvey, 2020). Accordingly, DEC requires KIE firms to adopt EE approach to leverage digital platform affordances in ecosystems for entrepreneurial opportunity discovery and pursuit (Autio et al, 2018).…”

O “Problema da Imersão” nos Estudos do Empreendedorismo: Uma Proposição Teórica

“…Thus, in these areas, studies on startups (Shirokova, Tsukanova, & Morris, 2018), internationalization (Leppäaho, Chetty, & Dimitratos, 2018); sustainability (De Clercq, Thongpapanl, & Voronov, 2018), innovation (Hermanson, McKelvey, & Zaring, 2018), corporate social responsibility (Reimsbach, Braam, & Wang, 2018), and regional development (Terstriep & Lüthje, 2018), among others, would be inserted. One of these studies relates to the phenomenon of entrepreneurship (see for example: Greenberg, Farja, & Gimmon, 2018;Lajqi & Krasniqi, 2017;McKeever et al, 2014;Smith et al, 2017;Stam et al, 2014).…”