From Campus to Community: The Role of Higher Education in Strengthening Regional Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia

<p>This study addresses a gap in understanding how small, rural liberal arts higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Appalachian College Association Entrepreneurial Alliance (ACAEA) support regional entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs), and how, if at all, those strategies vary across Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) county economic classifications. Using a qualitative multi-case design, the study examined 10 ACAEA institutions and drew on semi-structured interviews, site observations, institutional documents (including strategic plans), and ARC county-level economic data. The analysis produced five cross-case themes describing how these institutions support entrepreneurship: (a) strategic leadership and institutional culture, (b) experiential and embedded entrepreneurial education, (c) community-driven partnerships and outreach, (d) resource constraints and funding models, and (e) adaptation to regional economic conditions and social impact. Findings indicate that while institutions faced similar structural challenges, their responses varied by local context. HEIs operated as flexible actors, adapting engagement strategies to community needs and opportunities rather than being shaped solely by ARC classification. The study concludes that strengthening rural EEs through HEIs depends on leadership alignment, experiential learning structures, partnership capacity, and sustainable resourcing. Future research could examine these patterns longitudinally and comparatively across Appalachian HEIs beyond the ACAEA and could incorporate additional perspectives, including students, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and other ecosystem actors, to better understand ecosystem outcomes and adaptation over time.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

DBA Doctorate in Business Administration

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation - Public Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Business Administration

Year dc:date.available

2026

Author dc:creator

• Montgomery, Anne M

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Colleen Ramos
• Dr. Marguerite Chabau
• Dr. David San Filippo

• entrepreneurial ecosystems
• Appalachia
• higher education institutions
• institutional adaptive capacity
• entrepreneurship education
• experiential learning
• triple helix
• quadruple helix
• quintuple helix
• Business
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Educational Methods
• Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
• Higher Education

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/963

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.nl.edu:diss-2032