Strategic Configuration of The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Border Crisis Contexts: Risks, Opportunities, and Capabilities For Business Sustainability

Abstract

Border crises impose severe disruptions on local economies, yet entrepreneurship has emerged as a critical mechanism for economic resilience in affected regions. This study examines the strategic configuration of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Cúcuta, Colombia, a city profoundly affected by the closure of the Colombian-Venezuelan border since 2015, compounded by mass migration and rising unemployment. The research objective was to characterize entrepreneurship during the economic and social crisis in Cúcuta from 2016 to 2018, analyzing entrepreneur profiles, business characteristics, and the risks and opportunities embedded within local business models. A quantitative, analytical, non-experimental field design was employed, surveying 156 newly established enterprises across three key economic sectors: manufacturing, wholesale and retail commerce, and food and accommodation services. Instrument reliability was confirmed through Cronbach's alpha coefficients (α = 0.784 for financial variables; α = 0.852 for regional impact indicators). Results reveal that wholesale and retail commerce serves as the primary economic dynamizer in the city. Entrepreneurs demonstrated strong initiative, proactivity, self-confidence, practical decision-making, flexibility, openness to learning, and achievement motivation. Financial indicators showed predominantly medium levels of solvency, short-term debt, inventory rotation, and return on investment, with the food and accommodation sector exhibiting the strongest financial performance. A SWOT analysis identified structural risks related to informality, limited strategic planning, and restricted access to financing, alongside opportunities in digital transformation, institutional support, and regional entrepreneurial culture. The study proposes strategic interventions (FO, DO, FA, DA) aimed at strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem's sustainability and competitiveness in border crisis contexts.