To tackle the current global climate and sustainability challenges, Sweden aims to transition to a circular economy and society. The purpose of this thesisis to explore and gain a better understanding of the current state of theentrepreneurial ecosystem on a national level that supports the transition to acircular economy in Sweden and explore potential collaborative activity between the components of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. This thesis favours a qualitative approach and an inductive strategy, thus forty semi-structured interviews were conducted with components of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.The theoretical framework consists of a conceptual framework based on the two concepts entrepreneurial ecosystem (phenomena) and circular economy (context) which provide a springboard for the thesis. The findings outline that there is no consensus amongst the interviewees concerning the existence of the entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports the transition to a circular economy in Sweden. Thus, the entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports the transition to acircular economy in Sweden is still in the starting phase and needs to overcome several challenges in order to be able to provide a favourable and supportive entrepreneurial climate to transition to a circular economy in Sweden. This thesis makes a valuable academic contribution to the scarce literature on the topic and has practical relevance by providing a unique overview and understanding of the current state of the entrepreneurial ecosystem supporting the transition to a circular economy in Sweden and the collaborative activity within, which can be further useful to already existing and new components within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, as well as further useful for researchers.

Background: Previous research has shown that entrepreneurship can foster regional development in countries as Kenya, that struggle with unemployment and a stagnating GDP. However, the topic of entrepreneurial ecosystems in Kenya, its configuration of actors, and the networks between them is insufficiently studied. Thus, exploring the conditions of the ecosystem within the technology sector and investigating how both female and male entrepreneurs can mobilize their networks to survive and thrive adds novelty to entrepreneurship research. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand what affects the success and failure of entrepreneurs in the Kenyan technology ecosystem. Furthermore, this paper aims to explore how entrepreneurs can mobilize their network to survive and thrive and therefore adds to research on the topic of network mobilization. Method: The chosen method for this qualitative study is a case-study approach, enabling a holistic case study on the conditions of the technology ecosystem and nested case studies to understand network mobilization efforts. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with both entrepreneurs as well as actors of the ecosystem. A thematic analysis was utilized to analyse the findings of the ecosystem followed by a comparative analysis that allowed us to identify similarities and differences between female and male entrepreneurs and their approach to utilize networks.  Conclusion: This study extends the existing research on entrepreneurial ecosystems by identifying enablers and obstacles in the Kenyan technology ecosystem. Especially community and kinship support were identified as an enabler for resources that the government or financial institutions fail to provide. Furthermore, the paper extends knowledge on network mobilization, with emphasis on a comparison between male and female entrepreneurs.

Background: Social entrepreneurship has lately gained wide recognition as a promising avenue to develop market-driven solutions to improve lives of the marginalised. While identified as an emerging topic in academics, literature is still limited and heavily biased towards the context of western countries. Further, little is known about how social enterprises interact with the supportive ecosystem to develop their organisations and ensure financial viability while attending their social mission. Thus, the Philippines was chosen as the location of the study, a developing country plagued by social problems, but simultaneously harbouring a growing ecosystem that support social enterprises in their quest to address them. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how the development of New Generation Social Enterprises (NewGen SE) is enabled by the surrounding ecosystem in the context of the Philippines. It further aims to identify factors constraining the progress of NewGen SE, and how the ecosystem can be enhanced to better support these enterprises. Method: The data for this qualitative study has been collected using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. In total, twenty interviews were conducted: ten entrepreneurs from three different development stages (start-up, growth & mature), and ten ecosystem actors. The data has been analysed and interpreted using a general inductive approach. Conclusion: The networks of both the entrepreneurs and the ecosystem actors enable social enterprises to access resources, expertise, and foster collaboration. Challenges on both the macro and micro level are hindering social enterprises to grow, resulting in only a few success stories. To enhance the support for social enterprises more collaboration within and outside the ecosystem should be fostered through the implementation of more intersections such as physical and online spaces where people can connect.

Research Background: Climate change poses a core threat to the current and future welfare of society. Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly susceptible to challenges associated with climate change, most of which are bound to have large-scale societal impacts. Fortunately, Grand Challenges (GCs) can also enable opportunities for sustainable entrepreneurship to emerge. As entrepreneurs work in larger interrelated ecosystems, it is noteworthy to explore the utilization of ecosystems to develop sustainable ventures that address GCs. Current research has not addressed the interplay between external enablers and entrepreneurial ecosystems, especially in the Sub-Saharan context. The focus of this study is to explore how sustainable entrepreneurs acted on GCs in the pursuit of venture opportunities, and how ecosystems were utilized to foster the development of entrepreneurial agents and their ventures. Research Purpose: The purpose of this research is to identify how GCs facilitate sustainable entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa, given the interaction between entrepreneurs, their ecosystems, and climate change-associated GCs. Method: The research paradigm for this study follows critical realism. Meaning, we question the nature of reality as inherently multilayered and align with epistemic relativism. An explorative interview-based study was adopted for our methodology. We sampled our interview candidates purposively through the formation of several criteria. In total, we collected data from 20 semi-structured interviews through online platforms. We analyzed our data by interpreting principles of thematic analysis and the theory- building approach, to connect empirical themes to theoretical constructs. Conclusion: The results for this study show that sustainable entrepreneurs act on a wide variety of GCs. Within ecosystems, we noticed that sustainable development, cultural belief systems, educational infrastructure, governance, and resource accessibility influence the potential for ecosystems to develop. Specifically, we adopted three dimensions in which these pillars have influences: the entrepreneurial, communal, and structural level. The findings indicated that the scope of external enablers is fluid due to ecosystem interactions. Moreover, opacity and agency-intensity of enabling mechanisms can be reduced by developing entrepreneurial ecosystems. We also noted that entrepreneurs themselves can take on the role of ecosystem-builders. Our findings revised current understandings of sustainable entrepreneurship and redefined the concept to create a more inclusive label.

Swedish micro-businesses are encouraged by the government to internationalise and participate in entrepreneurial ecosystems. Yet research on how they should be supported while doing so is thin. Current research on entrepreneurial ecosystems shows that value co-creation breads sustainability, and increased attention is given to intermediary organisations. While scholars stress aligned expectations as key to value co-creation, intermediaries today are basing their actions on what they think businesses need and expect. This study challenges that logic. This study focused on the entrepreneurial ecosystem of New York, specifically looking at Swedish technology startups, intermediaries and investors. Trough semi-structured interviews the study sought to understand how congruent startups’ and intermediaries’ perceptions of challenges during business establishment in NYC are, and also, how they could be aligned. The study employed the framework of Gioia et al. (2012) when distilling challenges from the interviews. The results show congruence in some identified challenges, with a key difference in their temporal approaches. The intermediaries primarily focused on instrumental challenges and initial barriers-to-entry, while the startups (and investors) in higher regard focused on open-ended challenges related to relationships and legitimacy. This was considered proof of intermediaries employing an outdated theoretical perspective on their role as an instrumental broker. The study thus concluded by suggesting an alternative perspective, emphasizing dynamic and situation-based support. / Svenska mikro-företag uppmanas av regeringen att internationalisera tidigt och delta i entreprenöriella ekosystem. Mängden forskning på hur de bäst bör stödjas i detta är dock blygsam. Samtida studier på entrepreöriella ekosystem visar hur kollektivt värdeskapande (eng: value co-creation) föder långsiktig hållbarhet, och uppmärksamhet riktas allt mer åt intermediära organisationer. Även om forskare menar att kongruenta förväntningar är en nyckel till kollektivt värdeskapande baserar intermediärer idag ofta sina handlingar och stöd på vad de tror att företag behöver och förväntar sig. Denna studie utmanar den logiken. Studien fokuserade på New Yorks entreprenöriella ekosystem och undersökte svenska högteknologiska startupbolag, intermediärer och investerare. Genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer sökte studien lära hur kongruenta startups och intermediärer är i sina uppfattningar av utmaningar vid företagsetablering i New York, samt hur dessa kan göras mer samstämmiga för att föda långsiktigt hållbara stödfunktioner Studien nyttjade ett ramverk av Gioia et al. (2012) i destillationen av utmaningar från intervjuerna. Resultaten visar kongruens i vissa identifierade utmaningar, med en tongivande skillnad i dess tidsmässiga förhållningssätt. Intermedärerna fokuserade primärt på instrumentella utmaningar och initiala inträdesbarriärer, medan startups (och investerare) i högre utsträckning fokuserade på mindre tidsbegränsade utmaningar som t.ex. relationer och legitimitet. Detta ansågs vara bevis på hur intermediärer brukar ett daterat teoretiskt perspektiv på sin egen roll som instrumentella mäklare. Studien sammanfattade därför slutligen att ett nytt, mer dynamiskt och situationsbaserat perspektiv på intermediärer och stöd bör välkomnas.

Rural areas have experienced a decline in traditional livelihoods, leading to a decrease in population and economic challenges. However, tourism has emerged as a crucial source of income and a driving force in rural community development. This study explores the role of lifestyle entrepreneurs in creating sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems in rural tourism destinations. It investigates the motivations and management practices of lifestyle entrepreneurs and examines their perceptions of their own performance and contribution to sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems in their local communities. Six in-depth interviews were conducted with lifestyle entrepreneurs operating in different regions of rural Sweden to address the research questions.    The findings reveal that lifestyle entrepreneurs are primarily motivated by the quality of life, personal fulfilment, creativity, autonomy, and a strong connection to their community and local environment. These motivations influence their decision-making processes, leading to the application of sustainable business practices that align with their values. Networking and cooperation among lifestyle entrepreneurs are emphasized, with a focus on collaboration over competition, resulting in benefits such as sustainable practices, increased competitiveness, and opportunities for knowledge sharing and discussion. However, the extent of engagement in networking and cooperation may vary based on entrepreneurs' motivations and priorities.   The study concludes that promoting sustainable tourism practices and supporting the well-being of lifestyle entrepreneurs are crucial for local sustainable development. Policymakers and stakeholders should consider the unique needs of lifestyle entrepreneurs and foster a supportive environment that encourages cooperation, networking, and work-life balance.

This cumulative dissertation captures the sharing economy’s sustainability dynamics by applying a macro-, meso-, and micro-level analysis to investigate the actors and elements involved in constituting the field. On a macro-level, the first study examines the social, political, and economic context that shapes (non-)sustainable sharing entrepreneurs’ behavior. The second study's meso-level analysis investigates how sharing entrepreneurs affect other organizations and communities to act more sustainable. Lastly, the third study adopts a micro-level analysis that focuses on entrepreneurs’ identity formation in the contested sharing economy. Overall, this dissertation contributes to a more fine-grained understanding of sustainability in the sharing economy and the various actors and elements involved in constituting the field. Moreover, the dissertation highlights the actions and interventions necessary for the sharing economy’s sustainability path.:List of Tables List of Figures List of Abbreviations CHAPTER 1: Background and Research Gap 1.1 Theoretical Framework 1.1.1 The Evolution of the Sharing Economy 1.1.2 Theoretical Perspectives on Entrepreneurial Ecosystems 1.1.3 Theoretical Perspectives on Organizational Identity Work 1.2 Research Purpose and Scientific Contribution 1.2.1 Research Article I 1.2.2 Research Article II 1.2.3 Research Article III References CHAPTER 2: Research Article I CHAPTER 3: Research Article II 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Theoretical Background 3.2.1 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems 3.2.2 Sustainability in the Sharing Economy 3.3 Data and Method 3.3.1 Research Context 3.3.2 Sampling Logic and Data Collection 3.3.3 Data Analysis 3.4 Findings 3.4.1 Building a Supportive Environment 3.4.2 Disrupting Normative Standards 3.4.3 Reframing the Sustainability Paradigm 3.5 Discussion 3.5.1 Implications for Theory 3.5.2 Implications for Practice 3.5.3 Limitations and Future Research References CHAPTER 4: Research Article III 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Theoretical Background 4.2.1 Identity Narratives in Contested Fields 4.2.2 Label Work and Collective Identity 4.3 Methodology 4.3.1 Research Setting: The Sharing Economy as a Contested Field 4.3.2 Data Sources and Collection 4.3.3 Data Analysis 4.4 Findings 4.4.1 Embracing the Label for Configuring Local Identity and Field Aspirations 4.4.2 Fixing the Label to Signal Distinctiveness 4.4.3 Unfixing the Label to Embrace Tensions and Ambiguities 4.4.4 Re-Fixing the Label to Consolidate a Collective Identity 4.5 Discussion 4.6 Conclusion References