Crisis, innovation and change management in less developed local business ecosystems

Anotace: This study explores the co-evolutionary triangle of crisis, innovation and change management in less Developed Local Business Ecosystems. Taking as a case study the region of East Macedonia and Thrace - one of the least developed regional socioeconomic business ecosystems in Greece and the EU - this article is trying to find out how the different aspects of this triangle are correlating from the perspective of the SMEs’ operating in this ecosystem. To this end, this paper conducted an introductory qualitative field research, finding that there is a significant gap between the predominant scientific view of regional underdevelopment and the perception of the people of everyday business practice. This articles supports, in fact, that this deficient is one of the determining factors of the delayed development for this regional entrepreneurial ecosystem.