Table 2 Construct operationalization...

Table 2

Construct operationalization

Constructs	Measurement items	Factor loading (FL)	Sources
New venture legitimacy diffusion beyond existing EE	Our venture’s products/services gained much recognition outside our ecosystem	0.84	Tost (2011), Kahneman (2011), Kuratko et al. (2017), Bloodgood et al. (2017), McKnight and Zietsma (2018)
	We secured business partners outside our existing ecosystem	0.91
	We engaged more efforts to advertise our products/services beyond existing markets and ecosystem	0.77
	We received feedback from customers outside our ecosystem regarding the quality of our products/services	0.83
New venture passive local legitimacy within existing EE	The community automatically validated our company because we aligned with their cultural expectations	0.86	Fisher (2020), Kuratko et al. (2017), Tost (2011), Kahneman (2011), Zimmerman and Zeitz (2002)
	The community engaged minimal effort to understand precisely what our company was doing	0.79
	We did not receive any challenges from the community regarding the products/services we offer	0.91
	Our company was readily accepted as we met their expectations	0.85
New venture Active local legitimacy within existing EE	The community consciously invested time and energy to legitimize (understand) our company	0.75	Kuratko et al. (2017), McKnight and Zietsma (2018), Tost (2011), Kahneman (2011), Zimmerman and Zeitz (2002)
	The community engaged in cognitive efforts to validate our company	0.88
	We received several challenges regarding the products/services we offer	0.87
	The community carefully and deliberately assessed our venture and its relatedness to the environment	0.93
Legitimacy brokerage	We actively seek media coverage and public relations opportunities to increase our visibility and credibility	0.89	Fisher (2020), Kuratko et al. (2017), Burt (2007), Davies and Prince (2005)
	We often participate in industry events, conferences, or exhibitions to enhance our visibility and credibility	0.94
	Individuals spread information regarding our products/services even beyond our ecosystem	0.80
	Individuals discuss the quality of our products/services in their networks even beyond our ecosystem	0.81
	Individuals regularly share potential information about our products within and beyond our ecosystem	0.79
Network activities	Occurrence of network events such as meet-ups, startup weekends, conferences, pitch competitions	0.71	Bloodgood et al. (2017), Kuratko et al. (2017), Motoyama and Knowlton (2017), Jensen (2008)
	Connections among actors within and beyond the existing ecosystem	0.76
	Social ties among actors within and beyond the existing ecosystem	0.69
	Interactions among actors within and beyond the existing ecosystem	0.81
	We had to persuade the government to design new regulations that favor our products	0.88
	We had to create a new social context for our venture	0.80
	We created ecosystem partners that better understand our products/services	0.73

Constructs	Measurement items	Factor loading (FL)	Sources
New venture legitimacy diffusion beyond existing EE	Our venture’s products/services gained much recognition outside our ecosystem	0.84	Tost (2011), Kahneman (2011), Kuratko et al. (2017), Bloodgood et al. (2017), McKnight and Zietsma (2018)
	We secured business partners outside our existing ecosystem	0.91
	We engaged more efforts to advertise our products/services beyond existing markets and ecosystem	0.77
	We received feedback from customers outside our ecosystem regarding the quality of our products/services	0.83
New venture passive local legitimacy within existing EE	The community automatically validated our company because we aligned with their cultural expectations	0.86	Fisher (2020), Kuratko et al. (2017), Tost (2011), Kahneman (2011), Zimmerman and Zeitz (2002)
	The community engaged minimal effort to understand precisely what our company was doing	0.79
	We did not receive any challenges from the community regarding the products/services we offer	0.91
	Our company was readily accepted as we met their expectations	0.85
New venture Active local legitimacy within existing EE	The community consciously invested time and energy to legitimize (understand) our company	0.75	Kuratko et al. (2017), McKnight and Zietsma (2018), Tost (2011), Kahneman (2011), Zimmerman and Zeitz (2002)
	The community engaged in cognitive efforts to validate our company	0.88
	We received several challenges regarding the products/services we offer	0.87
	The community carefully and deliberately assessed our venture and its relatedness to the environment	0.93
Legitimacy brokerage	We actively seek media coverage and public relations opportunities to increase our visibility and credibility	0.89	Fisher (2020), Kuratko et al. (2017), Burt (2007), Davies and Prince (2005)
	We often participate in industry events, conferences, or exhibitions to enhance our visibility and credibility	0.94
	Individuals spread information regarding our products/services even beyond our ecosystem	0.80
	Individuals discuss the quality of our products/services in their networks even beyond our ecosystem	0.81
	Individuals regularly share potential information about our products within and beyond our ecosystem	0.79
Network activities	Occurrence of network events such as meet-ups, startup weekends, conferences, pitch competitions	0.71	Bloodgood et al. (2017), Kuratko et al. (2017), Motoyama and Knowlton (2017), Jensen (2008)
	Connections among actors within and beyond the existing ecosystem	0.76
	Social ties among actors within and beyond the existing ecosystem	0.69
	Interactions among actors within and beyond the existing ecosystem	0.81
	We had to persuade the government to design new regulations that favor our products	0.88
	We had to create a new social context for our venture	0.80
	We created ecosystem partners that better understand our products/services	0.73

Source(s): Authors’ own work

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