Resourcing in over-supported sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems

Abstract

This paper explores how sustainable entrepreneurial ventures mobilize resources within over-supported sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems (SEEs). Drawing on 76 interviews and field data from Copenhagen and Stockholm-two mature, sustainability-oriented ecosystems densely populated with entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs)-the study employs an inductive qualitative design using the Gioia methodology. Contrary to prevailing assumptions that greater ESO density enhances entrepreneurial outcomes, the findings reveal that excessive and redundant support infrastructures generate structural inefficiencies and resource misallocations for ventures. Three distinct resourcing approaches emerge: The Hoarders, who over-engage and become trapped in ESO dependency; The Inverted Resources, who evolve from recipients to exploited ESO assets; and The Instrumentally Engaged, who selectively leverage ESO offerings for targeted gains while maintaining independence. These patterns demonstrate that in munificent ESO landscapes, venture resourcing shifts from acquisition under scarcity to navigation under abundance. The study contributes to ecosystem and resourcing theory by conceptualizing over-support as a paradoxical condition where institutional logics of support invert into extractive dynamics, undermining venture autonomy and ecosystem efficiency. Policy implications emphasize the need for outcome-oriented ESO evaluation and strategic curation over quantitative proliferation of support infrastructures.