Microfoundations of entrepreneurial ecosystems: A social identity approach on involvement and venture outcomes

Entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) are commonly conceptualized as configurations of resources that support entrepreneurial activity. While this perspective has generated important insights, it under-specifies how EEs become psychologically relevant for entrepreneurs. This study explores the role of EEs as normative infrastructures that may normalize ambition and legitimize particular entrepreneurial outcomes. Drawing on the social identity approach, we propose and test a sequential model in which entrepreneurs’ involvement in the EE increases the salience of dominant entrepreneurial prototypes and fosters a sense of belonging. This identity alignment is linked with entrepreneurs’ perceptions of EE munificence, which in turn is associated with growth-oriented outcomes. Using data from 759 entrepreneurs in Chile, we find evidence of a dual-channel process: EE involvement influences innovation, internationalization, and job creation both through direct effects and through this identified psychological cascade. These findings contribute to entrepreneurship research by suggesting how EEs can guide, legitimize, and reward action not only through direct material provision, but also through symbolic and cognitive mechanisms that complement resource-based explanations.