Trethewey-Mould, Rowan L.Moos, Menisha2024-09-132024-09-132024-03Trethewey-Mould, R.L. & Moos, M.N., 2024, ‘A stakeholder approach towards a consolidated framework for measuring business incubator efficacy’, Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management 16(1), a776. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajesbm.v16i1.776.2071-3185 (online)2522-7343 (print)10.4102/sajesbm.v16i1.776http://hdl.handle.net/2263/98183DATA AVAILABITY STATEMENT: The data supporting the findings of this study are securely filed with the authors in accordance with the relevant ethical protocols that guided the study.BACKGROUND: Business incubators (BIs) are considered enablers of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, however there remains a lack of consensus as to whether incubators are effective or even as to how incubator efficacy should be measured. AIM: This study seeks to develop a consolidated framework for measuring the efficacy of BIs using stakeholder theory as its theoretical basis. This study set out to answer the following research questions: • What is the relevance of stakeholder theory to incubator efficacy measurement? • What stakeholder groups are relevant to BIs in South Africa? • What relationships between stakeholder groups and perspectives on BI efficacy exist that would underpin a framework for measuring incubator efficacy? SETTING: Empirical research was conducted with BIs operating within South Africa, with various incubator types, contexts and industry focus included in the study. METHODS: A sample of nine incubator managers were interviewed as part of this exploratory qualitative study, demonstrating the breadth of the incubator industry in South Africa. RESULTS: A framework comprising two distinct but related perspectives on incubator efficacy is proposed. Further to this, two additional concepts – incubator-stakeholder conflict and restrictive incubator context – were identified. CONCLUSION: This study proposes a consolidated framework for measuring the efficacy of BIs, considering a variety of stakeholder perspectives, and may inform policymakers regarding business incubation in the future. CONTRIBUTION: This study identifies and defines incubator-stakeholder conflict as a concept, making a theoretical contribution to the field. Additionally, the study proposes a comprehensive stakeholder-based framework proposed for measuring incubator efficacy.en© 2024. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.Business incubationEntrepreneur support organisationsIncubator efficacyConsolidated frameworkQualitative researchStakeholder theorySDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructureArticle