Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Entrepreneurship, Knowledge-Economy and Economic Success of Cities: A Scoping Review and Thematic Analysis

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Community Empowerment, Sustainable Cities, and Transformative Economies

Abstract

The existing literature on the interplay between entrepreneurship, knowledge-based economy and urban economic prosperity has often portrayed a predictable relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth, yet the arguments are mainly broad-brush. It appears that most studies fail to pay adequate attention to the dynamic forces of positive externalities and mechanisms through which they affect the sources of economic growth in cities. This paper adopts a scoping review approach to determine the scope, coverage, knowledge gap and context of the existing literature on the topic. The paper further uses thematic analysis to identify, analyse and report the patterns in the reviewed literature. The paper finds that the literature relating to the entrepreneurship–growth nexus determinants is sporadic and less structured. The paper concludes that the multidimensionality of this complicated relationship requires a more systematic understanding of the dynamic interaction between factors such as innovation, urbanisation and technology. Additionally, this scoping review finds that while migration and industry clusters are growing phenomena in both developed and developing countries, their effects on entrepreneurial activities and growth have yet to receive sufficient attention. Finally, the paper finds a paucity of comparative studies on the multi-level interactions of entrepreneurial activities at the industry–city–country level.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/4-ways-governments-can-support-start-ups-and-save-their-economies/

  2. 2.

    https://help-nv.qsrinternational.com/12/win/v12.1.99-d3ea61/Content/queries/word-frequency-query.htm

References

  • Acs, Z. J., & Szerb, L. (2007). Entrepreneurship, economic growth and public policy. Small Business Economics, 28(2), 109–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arksey, H., & O’Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364557032000119616

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Attar, M. A. (2015). Entrepreneurship, knowledge, and the industrial revolution. Economics, 9(1), 20150003. https://doi.org/10.5018/economics-ejournal.ja.2015-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Audretsch, D. B., & Fritsch, M. (2002). Growth Regimes Over Time and Space Regional Studies, 36, 113–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Audretsch, D., & Keilbach, M. (2007). The localisation of entrepreneurship capital: Evidence from Germany. Papers in Regional Science, 86(3), 351–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Audretsch, D., & Keilbach, M. (2008). Resolving the knowledge paradox: Knowledge-spillover entrepreneurship and economic growth. Research Policy, 37(10), 1697–1705.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baptista, R., Escária, V., & Madruga, P. (2008). Entrepreneurship, regional development and job creation: The case of Portugal. Small Business Economics, 30(1), 49–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Batabyal, K., Banerjee, A., Pal, S., Dey, S., Joardar, S. N., Samanta, I., Isore, D. P., & Singh, A. D. (2018). Detection, characterization, and antibiogram of extended-spectrum betalactamase Escherichia coli isolated from bovine milk samples in West Bengal. India Vet World, 11, 1423–1427.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baumol, W. J. (1968). Entrepreneurship in economic theory. The American Economic Review, 58(2), 64–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumol, W. J., Litan, R., & Schramm, C. (2007). Good capitalism, bad capitalism, and the economics of growth and prosperity. Yale University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Benneworth, P., & Ratinho, T. (2014). Regional innovation culture in the social knowledge economy. In R. Rutten, P. Benneworth, D. Irawati, & F. Boekema (Eds.), The social dynamics of innovation networks (pp. 239–256). Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braunerhjelm, P., Ding, D., & Thulin, P. (2016). Labour as a knowledge carrier: How increased mobility influences entrepreneurship. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 41(6), 1308–1326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brixy, U., Kohaut, S., & Schnabel, C. (2007). Do newly founded firms pay lower wages? First evidence from Germany. Small Business Economics, 29, 161–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buffart, M., Croidieu, G., Kim, P. H., & Bowman, R. (2020). Even winners need to learn: How government entrepreneurship programs can support innovative ventures. Research Policy, 49(10), 104052.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chaiechi, T. (2020). Sustainable tropical cities: A scoping review of multidisciplinary methods for urban planning. ETropic: Electronic Journal of Studies in the Tropics, 19(2), 25–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, A. J., Kim, N. S., Hireed, H., et al. (2018). Chang et al. reply. Nature, 561(E41). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0547-7

  • Choongo, P., Eijdenberg, E. L., Chabala, M., Lungu, J., & Taylor, T. K. (2020). The evolution of urban entrepreneurship in Zambia. In M. Iftikhar, J. Justice, & D. Audretsch (Eds.), The urban book series. Urban studies and entrepreneurship (pp. 249–269). Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Coad, A., Daunfeldt, S. O., Hölzl, W., Johansson, D., & Nightingale, P. (2014). High-growth firms: Introduction to the special section. Industrial and Corporate Change, 23(1), 91–112. https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dtt052

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, B., & Muñoz, P. (2015). Toward a theory of purpose-driven urban entrepreneurship. Organization & Environment, 28(3), 264–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coursaris, C. K., & Bontis, N. (2012). A meta review of HCI literature: Citation impact and research productivity rankings. In SIGHCI 2012 proceedings (Paper 9).

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidsson, P., Lindmark, L., & Olofsson, C. (1998). The extent of overestimation of small firm job creation: An empirical examination of the ‘regression bias’. Small Business Economics, 10, 87–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doh, S., & McNeely, C. (2012). A multi-dimensional perspective on social capital and economic development: An exploratory analysis. The Annals of Regional Science, 49(3), 821–843.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faggian, A., Partridge, M., & Malecki, E. (2017). Creating an environment for economic growth: Creativity, entrepreneurship or human capital? International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 41(6), 997–1009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freire-Gibb, L. C., & Nielsen, K. (2014). Entrepreneurship within urban and rural areas: Creative people and social networks. Regional Studies, 48(1), 139–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaffar, A., Deshpande, A., Bandara, W., & Mathiesen, P. (2015). Importance of literature profiling: An archival analysis with illustrative examples for IS researchers. In PACIS 2015 proceedings (Paper 103).

    Google Scholar 

  • Glaeser, E., & Redlick, C. (2009). Social capital and urban growth. National Bureau of economic research. International Regional Science Review, 32(3), 264–299. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160017609336079

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glaeser, E. L., Kerr, S. P., & Kerr, W. R. (2015). Entrepreneurship and urban growth: An empirical assessment with historical mines. Review of Economics and Statistics, 97(2), 498–520.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glaeser, E. L., Rosenthal, S. S., & Strange, W. C. (2010). Urban economics and entrepreneurship. Journal of Urban Economics, 67(1), 1–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haltiwanger, J., Jarmin, R. S., & Miranda, J. (2013). Who creates jobs? Small versus large versus young. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 95(2), 347–361. https://doi.org/10.1162/REST_a_00288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hendarmana, A. F., & Tjakraatmadjab, J. H. (2012). Relationship among soft skills, hard skills, and innovativeness of knowledge Workers in the Knowledge Economy era. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 52(2012), 35–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, A. Y., & Mazzei, L. A. (2013). Plugging one text into another: Thinking with theory in qualitative research. Qualitative Inquiry, 19(4), 261–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kebede, S. W., & Bokelmann, W. (2017). African indigenous vegetables and their production practices: Evidence from the HORTINLEA survey in Kenya. Agrotechnology, 6, 170. https://doi.org/10.4172/2168-9881.1000170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kolehmainen, N., Ramsay, C., McKee, L., Missiuna, C., Owen, C., & Francis, J. (2015). Participation in physical play and leisure in children with motor impairments: Mixed-methods study to generate evidence for developing an intervention. Physical Therapy, 95(10), 1374–1386. https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20140404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korber, S., & McNaughton, R. B. (2018). Resilience and entrepreneurship: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 24(7), 1129–1154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laasonen, V., & Kolehmainen, J. (2017). Capabilities in knowledge-based regional development – Towards a dynamic framework. European Planning Studies, 25(10), 1673–1692. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2017.1337727

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lambooy, J., & Boschma, R. (2001). Evolutionary economics and regional policy. The Annals of Regional Science, 35, 113–131. https://doi.org/10.1007/s001680000033

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindemann, J. (2019). Gardens and green spaces: Placemaking and black entrepreneurialism in Cleveland. Ohio Agric Hum Values, 36, 867–878. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-019-09947-w

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, R. E., Jr. (1988). On the mechanisms of economic development. Journal of Monetary Economics, 22, 3–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malchow-Møller, N., Munch, J., Schroll, S., & Skaksen, J. (2009). Explaining cross-country differences in attitudes towards immigration in the EU-15. Social Indicators Research, 91(3), 371–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malchow-Møller, N., Schjerning, B., & Sørensen, A. (2011). Entrepreneurship, job creation and wage growth. Small Business Economics, 36(1), 15–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michael, S. C., & Pearce, J. A. (2009). The need for innovation as a rationale for government involvement in entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, 21(3), 285–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moreno, R., & Miguélez, E. (2012). A relational approach to the geography of innovation: A typology of regions. Journal of Economic Surveys, 26(3), 492–516.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mustafee, N., Katsaliaki, K., & Taylor, S. J. E. (2010). Profiling literature in healthcare simulation. Simulation, 86(8–9), 543–558. https://doi.org/10.1177/0037549709359090

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pyka, A., Kudic, M., & Müller, M. (2019). Systemic interventions in regional innovation systems: Entrepreneurship, knowledge accumulation and regional innovation. Regional Studies, 53(9), 1321–1332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rasmussen, E., & Gulbrandsen, M. (2012). Government support programmes to promote academic entrepreneurship: A principal–agent perspective. European Planning Studies, 20(4), 527–546.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ribeiro-Soriano, D., & Galindo-Martín, M. Á. (2012). Government policies to support entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 24(9–10), 861–864.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues, M., & Franco, M. (2018). Importance of living labs in urban entrepreneurship: A Portuguese case study. Journal of Cleaner Production, 180, 780–789.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romer, P. (1986). Increasing returns and long run growth. Journal of Political Economy, 94, 1002–1037.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romer, P. (1990). Endogenous technological change. Journal of Political Economy, 98, S71–S102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rooks, G., Klyver, K., & Sserwanga, A. (2016). The context of social capital: A comparison of rural and urban entrepreneurs in Uganda. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 40(1), 111–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roos, G. (2017). Knowledge management, intellectual capital, structural holes, economic complexity and national prosperity. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 18(4), 745–770.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Russ, M., Bansal, G., & Parrillo, A. (2017). The “knowledge city” and the “experience city”: The main, mediating, and moderating effects of education on income and economic inequality. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 8(3), 804–829.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schumpeter, J. A. (1942). Capitalism, socialism, and democracy. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership Historical Research Reference in Entrepreneurship. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1496200

  • Schumpeter, J. A. (1961). The theory of economic development (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shane, S., & Venkataraman, S. (2000). The promise of entrepreneurship as a field of research. Academy of Management Review, 25(1), 217–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solow, R. M. (1956). A contribution to the theory of economic growth. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 70(1), 65–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sorenson, O. (2018). Social networks and the geography of entrepreneurship. Small Business Economics, 51, 527–537. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-018-0076-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • St. Pierre, E. A. (2000). Poststructural feminism in education: An overview. Qualitative Studies in Education, 13(5), 477–515.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • St. Pierre, E. A., & Jackson, A. Y. (2014). Qualitative data analysis after coding. Qualitative Inquiry, 20(6), 715–719.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stel, A. V., & Storey, D. (2004). The link between firm births and job creation: Is there a Upas tree effect? Regional Studies, 38(8), 893–909. https://doi.org/10.1080/0034340042000280929

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stephan, U., Uhlaner, L. M., & Stride, C. (2015). Institutions and social entrepreneurship: The role of institutional voids, institutional support, and institutional configurations. Journal of International Business Studies, 46(3), 308–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Storper, M., & Scott, A. J. (2009). Rethinking human capital, creativity and urban growth. Journal of Economic Geography, 9(2), 147–167. https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbn052

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. M. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations. (2020). Sustainable development topics.https://sdgs.un.org/topics

  • Weber, A. (1909). Theory of the location of industries (C. J. Friedrich, Trans.). University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wennekers, S., & Thurik, R. (1999). Linking entrepreneurship and economic growth. Small Business Economics, 13(1), 27–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Winden, W., van den Berg, L., & Pol, P. (2007). European cities in the knowledge economy: Towards a typology. Urban Studies, 44(3), 525–549. https://doi.org/10.1080/00420980601131886

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiklund, J., Davidsson, P., Audretsch, D. B., & Karlsson, C. (2011). The future of entrepreneurship research. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 35(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2010.00420.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, R. C. (2019). European conference on innovation and entrepreneurship. Reading. https://doi.org/10.34190/ECIE.19.123

  • Yigitcanlar, T. (2010). Making space and place for the knowledge economy. European Planning Studies, 18(11), 1769–1786.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yigitcanlar, T., Baum, S., & Horton, S. (2007). Attracting and retaining knowledge workers in knowledge cities. Journal of Knowledge Management, 11(5), 6–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yigitcanlar, T., & Bulu, M. (2016). Urban knowledge and innovation spaces. Journal of Urban Technology, 23(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/10630732.2016.1164443

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yigitcanlar, T., Edvardsson, I. R., Johannesson, H., Kamruzzaman, M., Ioppolo, G., & Pancholi, S. (2017). Knowledge-based development dynamics in less favoured regions: Insights from Australian and Icelandic university towns. European Planning Studies, 25(12), 2272–2292. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2017.1358699

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yigitcanlar, T., & Sarimin, M. (2011). The role of universities in building prosperous knowledge cities. Built Environment, 37(3), 260–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yigitcanlar, T., Velibeyoglu, K., & Martinez-Fernandez, C. (2008). Rising knowledge cities: The role of urban knowledge precincts. Journal of Knowledge Management, 12(5), 8–20. https://doi.org/10.1108/13673270810902902

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This manuscript is supported by the JCUS–JCUA cross-collaboration grant IRG 20200008.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Business, Law and Governance, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia

    Taha Chaiechi

  2. JCU Singapore Business School, James Cook University, Singapore, Singapore

    Emiel L. Eijdenberg

Authors
  1. Taha Chaiechi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Emiel L. Eijdenberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Taha Chaiechi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Business, Law and Governance, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia

    Taha Chaiechi

  2. James Cook University, Singapore, Singapore

    Jacob Wood

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Chaiechi, T., Eijdenberg, E.L. (2022). Entrepreneurship, Knowledge-Economy and Economic Success of Cities: A Scoping Review and Thematic Analysis. In: Chaiechi, T., Wood, J. (eds) Community Empowerment, Sustainable Cities, and Transformative Economies. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5260-8_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation