Empowering entrepreneurial ecosystems through community-based entrepreneurship: The mediation role of entrepreneurial skills

This study aims to examine the effect of Community-Based Entrepreneurship (CBE) on the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem through Entrepreneurial Skill as a mediating mechanism. The focus of this study is to fill a gap in the literature on the role of CBE in mediating relationships among actors in the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, particularly in regions with limited resources and infrastructure. This study developed a CBE measure, and the questionnaire was distributed to the business community in Indonesia. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM-PLS), the results show a substantial direct effect of CBE on entrepreneurial skill and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Although the mediating effect of entrepreneurial skill is small, it plays an important role in connecting CBE practices to the formation of an adaptive Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. This study suggests that policies supporting community co-management and co-ownership, as well as cross-sector collaboration, can accelerate the sustainable development of the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem.