Social movements and entrepreneurial activity: A study of the U.S. solar energy industry

We explore how the size of social movements and the ecology of their target industries influence entrepreneurial entry. By leveraging a 14-year panel in the solar energy industry, we demonstrate how a larger social movement stimulates entry. We reveal how this relationship is contingent upon the density of both the focal industry and the industries that are mutually connected to the cause of the movement, as well as the concentration of generalist firms. We demonstrate how larger social movements act in a compensatory role to elicit entry when ecological conditions are least favorable to entry. By uncovering the conditional influence of movements, we contribute to theory at the intersection of social movements and entrepreneurship.