The role of Narratives in the Emergence and Consolidation of an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Resumo

This study aimed to analyze how entrepreneurial narratives emerged in the EE of Belo Horizonte/MG and to understand how these narratives influenced the development of the local EE between the years 2012 and 2022. The development of the study was based on the literature on entrepreneurial ecosystems with a focus on their evolution, understanding the conceptualization, elements, and approach of narratives, as well as on the literature that discusses public policies on entrepreneurship and socioeconomic development. The methodological approach was qualitative, inductive, and longitudinal in nature. The research method used consisted of documentary research, with data collection in digital databases, such as institutional websites and profiles on social networks, totaling approximately 1,000 pages. Using the Nvivo 10 software, groups of narratives were elaborated in periods of 3 to 5 years - 2012-2016; 2017-2019; 2020-2022 -, in parallel with the evolutionary perspective of the EE. It was observed how the dominant economic narrative in the region studied - led by the mining and automotive sectors, or "traditional companies" - began to rival the competing economic narrative, led by technology-based companies, considered more innovative. The competing narrative was initially complemented by interactions with government agents, idealizing the use of technology-based companies as an option for regional economic diversification. It is also noteworthy the complete absence of agents linked to traditional companies in the construction of the competing narrative, either as collaborators or as adversaries.