Abstract
Existing research on entrepreneurial ecosystems (EE) has focused on how the structural approach, or the internal characteristics of the EE, shape the cognition and behavior of entrepreneurs. Recent advancements in entrepreneurial action theory have developed the earliest action an entrepreneur can take: the development of a cerebral narrative, an envisioning of a path forward prior to entry. Given the maximized degree of uncertainty characterizing this earliest stage, all subsequent actions, consequences, and contingencies are envisioned through interaction with the EE, an unexplored dynamic. I adopt the structural approach to examine the development of this cerebral narrative in relationship with the entrepreneur’s EE and outcomes in the form of intent to start a business. Using national data from sixty countries, I develop and test hypotheses where the relationship between EE structural components and new endeavor "imagining”. Findings suggest that governmental and policy support from formal institutions strongly influences budding entrepreneurs in immature EEs of developing countries.