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Applying the ecosystem model in a new context? The case of business incubation in Oman
Author(s) -
AlBaimani Nasser,
Clifton Nick,
Jones Eleri,
Pugh Rhian
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
growth and change
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.657
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1468-2257
pISSN - 0017-4815
DOI - 10.1111/grow.12471
Subject(s) - entrepreneurship , context (archaeology) , corporate governance , incubator , ecosystem , business ecosystem , extant taxon , business , environmental resource management , political science , economics , ecology , geography , management , archaeology , finance , evolutionary biology , law , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
This paper studies entrepreneurship ecosystem development in a context little discussed in the extant literature to date: Oman. Specifically, it focuses on business incubation (BI) initiatives as a policy tool for developing the local, regional, and national systems of supporting entrepreneurship and SME growth. Although BI’s are a popular policy measure for ecosystem development, spreading globally from their original conception in the United States around 60 years ago, their universal effectiveness is questioned. We analyse the tenability of BI as an economic development strategy by entrepreneurship ecosystems as a conceptual framework to help us understand the multitudinous cultural, institutional, and governance structures required for success. Specifically, we consider these ecosystem dynamics and their influence on the incubation of SMEs in the novel context of an oil‐rich yet transitioning economy such as Oman. Conducting interviews with 22 key informants within a range of ecosystem actors (policy‐makers, incubator managers, academics, and entrepreneurs) we find that existing capabilities within the Omani BI programme are not yet fully fit for purpose, highlighting the need to establish developmental priorities for the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem, bottom‐up. Finally, we reflect on the wider cultural and institutional constraints highlighted, and suggest potentially fruitful avenues for further research.