Exploring connections within the technology-based entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) in emerging economies: understanding the entrepreneurship struggle in the Indonesian EE

Purpose: Tech startup is the new hope for sustaining economic growth and job creation in a knowledge-based economy. However, research on the entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) is always constructed upon macro-level analysis and is still very limited to the developed economies. This study aims to tackle those issues by exploring the connections within an EE in an emerging economies context with a micro and meso-level social network approach to unravel the pattern of networks and interactions between each actor in the EE. Design/methodology/approach: This research used multi-layered social network analysis, exploring actors in the ecosystem and their interactions. The authors conducted interviews with startups, support organizations and government agencies. The authors used Atlas.ti software to visualize the network structures. Findings: The authors found that the content of interaction within the EE in the emerging economies differs greatly with EE in the developed economies and they produced distinctive characteristics as follows: lack of a dense network, resource scarcities and structural gaps and weak institutional policies. Research limitations/implications: The research is based on a case study of tech-based EE in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Therefore, the authors encourage other researchers to investigate networks and connections in other EEs in emerging economies. This research contributes a conceptual framework to better understand the network of connections in an emerging-economies-based EE. Practical implications: The research shows grants provision alone cannot contribute to the functioning of EE. The authors argue strategic networks which promote collaboration among actors can reduce holes and structural gaps, as well as resource scarcities in the ecosystem. In addition to that, strong institutional policies and effective policy integration are needed to create a successful EE. Social implications: This research promotes the importance of networks, particularly networks between tech startups and strategic organizations to provide resources and support productive entrepreneurship in hopes of sustaining and accelerating tech startup growth within an EE. Originality/value: The research proposes to add to the existing EE literature by shedding light on governance of EE, as well as exploring network of connection and interaction among actors within the ecosystem. As a result, the study addresses the need for a more micro or operational-level understanding of an EE. Recent calls for EEs literature have also focused on a certain actor’s dynamic function in the ecosystem. By focusing on the role of the government, the research added to the underdeveloped EE literature. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.