The Role of Diversity and Inclusion in the Emergence of Resilient Entrepreneurial Ecosystems at the São Paulo State: A Complex Adaptive Systems Approach

• Grant number: 21/11668-9
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - Brazil
• Start date: June 25, 2022
• End date: June 24, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Administration - Administration of Specific Sectors
• Principal Investigator: Ely Laureano Paiva
• Grantee: Ely Laureano Paiva
• Visiting researcher: Marcos Andre Mendes Primo
• Visiting researcher institution: Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB). Centro de Ciências Sociais Aplicadas (CCSA), Brazil
• Host Institution: Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo (EAESP). Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Entrepreneurial ecosystems behave as complex adaptive systems, where the diversity and inclusion of underrepresented groups in traditional entrepreneurship such as women, mature people or people from the Base of the Social Pyramid (BdPS) can influence actions to recover and adapt to external shocks. Depending on the ecosystem governance, its resilience may also be subject to actions orchestrated by its agents. Although several studies can relate diversity to the complexity of an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (EE), there is a lack of research on how joint action with inclusion would influence this ecosystem. This research aims to understand how diversity and inclusion can influence the resilience of different Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ecosystems in response to external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The research will have three stages. In the first, a literature review will identify characteristics of complex adaptive systems in EEs. The second stage will use secondary data to map two ICT EEs with different governance structures in the State of São Paulo: the one in the City of São Paulo and the other in Campinas (UNICAMP Scientific and Technological Park). The third step will be a case study of these two ecosystems where we will use mixed data analysis methods such as agent-based simulation and qualitative analysis of interviews. This study is in line with the FAPESP 2020/03234-6 project from FGV/EAESP. We aim to understand the role of diversity and inclusion of underrepresented groups in ICT EEs and help policymakers develop ecosystems more resilient to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. (AU)