Abstract
Purpose– The objective of this paper is to analyze the country-level causal configurations of digital enablers
that result in entrepreneurial innovation in new ventures. Entrepreneurial innovation is a complex phenomenon
that draws on a combination of context-dependent causal conditions, which explain the configurations of
external factors that integrate into the entrepreneurial process. In this paper, we focus on the contextual role of
information and communication technologies (ICT) from an organizational center-edge approach.
Design/methodology/approach– This study employs case-oriented techniques, specifically fuzzy-set
qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and necessary condition analysis (NCA), to identify the necessary
and sufficient conditions that lead to entrepreneurial innovation. A dataset comprising 61 countries was merged
from the World Economic Forum’s Networked Readiness Index and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor in
order to explore the causal combinations of ICT adoption, online transactions business-to-business, business
model innovation and organizational innovation.
Findings– The fsQCA demonstrates that entrepreneurial innovation can be attributed to two causal
configurations. The first configuration includes ICT adoption, online business-to-business transactions and the
absence of organizational innovation. The second configuration is characterized by ICT adoption, online
business-to-business transactions and business model innovation. The NCA reveals that the conditions in
question possess varying degrees of importance, with each condition exerting a distinct degree of influence on
the generation of varying levels of entrepreneurial innovation. The case-oriented techniques employed in this
research paper have yielded preliminary insights into the relationship between digital enablers and
entrepreneurial innovation, particularly in groups of countries with varying degrees of necessity to these
enablers.
Practical implications– Our research provides a framework for the development of more effective digital
strategic mixes for each identified group of countries. It also raises theoretical questions about the national
conditions that encourage a particular digital enabler to stimulate a specific form of entrepreneurial innovation in
new ventures.
Originality/value– In lieu of pursuing definitive causal explanations, this study proposes alternative
configurations. While fsQCA demonstrates that entrepreneurial innovation is contingent upon distinctive causal
conditions, extending the analysis to NCA reveals the level of necessity required for a condition to yield varying
degrees of entrepreneurial innovation. The integration of fsQCA and NCA offers a more nuanced understanding
of context-dependent factors that define entrepreneurial innovation in new ventures than fsQCA alone.