Mismatch in perceptions and knowledge? Prominent entrepreneurial resources through collaborative workspaces for social entrepreneurs

Social enterprises are increasingly taking advantage of local collaborative workspaces (CWSs) in rural areas to access entrepreneurial resources. CWSs are vital supporters for social enterprises to thrive and amplify their impact on rural development. However, despite the critical functions of CWSs in the entrepreneurial ecosystem for social enterprises, there are significant disparities in the perceptions of essential resources between CWS operators and social entrepreneurs. These disparities may lead to inefficiencies in the programs and events set by CWSs aiming at promoting social entrepreneurship, as entrepreneurs may have different demands. Therefore, this divergence needs to be discovered and strategically addressed within CWSs and the broader ecosystem. This empirical study conducted in-depth interviews with four CWS managers and nine social entrepreneurs in Germany and Austria, using Socio-Technical Configuration Analysis to summarise the perceived critical resources, and interpreted the mismatches across entrepreneurial stages. The analysis revealed what social entrepreneurs demand and where CWSs should improve across development stages. The findings justify tailored strategies aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of CWSs and strengthening collaboration with relevant actors. This actor-centric approach, combined with ecosystem and network thinking, also elucidates necessary and contingent entrepreneurial resources and the uniqueness of the social entrepreneurial ecosystem in rural areas. Knowledge about the entrepreneurial ecosystem for social entrepreneurship will inform the promotional strategies of CWSs to achieve social innovation.