IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/entthe/v35y2011i1p165-184.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Contextualizing Entrepreneurship—Conceptual Challenges and Ways Forward

Author

Listed:
  • Friederike Welter

Abstract

This paper sets out to explore contexts for entrepreneurship, illustrating how a contextualized view of entrepreneurship contributes to our understanding of the phenomenon. There is growing recognition in entrepreneurship research that economic behavior can be better understood within its historical, temporal, institutional, spatial, and social contexts, as these contexts provide individuals with opportunities and set boundaries for their actions. Context can be an asset and a liability for the nature and extent of entrepreneurship, but entrepreneurship can also impact contexts. The paper argues that context is important for understanding when, how, and why entrepreneurship happens and who becomes involved. Exploring the multiplicity of contexts and their impact on entrepreneurship, it identifies challenges researchers face in contextualizing entrepreneurship theory and offers possible ways forward.

Suggested Citation

  • Friederike Welter, 2011. "Contextualizing Entrepreneurship—Conceptual Challenges and Ways Forward," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 35(1), pages 165-184, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:35:y:2011:i:1:p:165-184
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6520.2010.00427.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2010.00427.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2010.00427.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Boettke, Peter J. & Coyne, Christopher J., 2009. "Context Matters: Institutions and Entrepreneurship," Foundations and Trends(R) in Entrepreneurship, now publishers, vol. 5(3), pages 135-209, March.
    2. John O. Ogbor, 2000. "Mythicizing and Reification in Entrepreneurial Discourse: Ideology‐Critique of Entrepreneurial Studies," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(5), pages 605-635, July.
    3. Ronald K. Mitchell & J. Brock Smith & Eric A. Morse & Kristie W. Seawright & Ana Maria Peredo & Brian McKenzie, 2002. "Are Entrepreneurial Cognitions Universal? Assessing Entrepreneurial Cognitions across Cultures," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 26(4), pages 9-32, July.
    4. Arthur T. Denzau & Douglass C. North, 1994. "Shared Mental Models: Ideologies and Institutions," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(1), pages 3-31, February.
    5. Sarah Drakopoulou Dodd & Paul Timothy Seaman, 1998. "Religion and Enterprise: An Introductory Exploration," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 23(1), pages 71-86, October.
    6. Whetten, David A., 2009. "An Examination of the Interface between Context and Theory Applied to the Study of Chinese Organizations," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 5(1), pages 29-56, March.
    7. Zahra, Shaker A., 2007. "Contextualizing theory building in entrepreneurship research," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 443-452, May.
    8. Ted Baker & Eric Gedajlovic & Michael Lubatkin, 2005. "A Framework for Comparing Entrepreneurship Processes across Nations," Post-Print hal-02311659, HAL.
    9. Mark Granovetter, 2005. "The Impact of Social Structure on Economic Outcomes," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 19(1), pages 33-50, Winter.
    10. Alistair R. Anderson & Robert Smith, 2007. "The moral space in entrepreneurship: an exploration of ethical imperatives and the moral legitimacy of being enterprising," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(6), pages 479-497.
    11. Editors The, 2008. "From the Editors," Basic Income Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 2(2), pages 1-3, January.
    12. Uhlaner, L.M. & Thurik, A.R. & Hutjes, J., 2002. "Post-Materialism as a Cultural Factor Influencing Entrepreneurial Activity across Nations," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2002-62-STR, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    13. Aldrich, Howard E. & Cliff, Jennifer E., 2003. "The pervasive effects of family on entrepreneurship: toward a family embeddedness perspective," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 573-596, September.
    14. David Smallbone & Friederike Welter & Artem Voytovich & Igor Egorov, 2008. "Government and entrepreneurship in transition economies: the case of small firms in business services in Ukraine," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(5), pages 655-670, May.
    15. Sara Carter & Stephen Tagg & Pavlos Dimitratos, 2004. "Beyond portfolio entrepreneurship: multiple income sources in small firms," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(6), pages 481-499, November.
    16. Donna Marie De Carolis & Patrick Saparito, 2006. "Social Capital, Cognition, and Entrepreneurial Opportunities: A Theoretical Framework," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(1), pages 41-56, January.
    17. Smallbone, David & Welter, Friederike, 2001. "The Distinctiveness of Entrepreneurship in Transition Economies," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 249-262, June.
    18. Baumol, William J., 1996. "Entrepreneurship: Productive, unproductive, and destructive," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 3-22, January.
    19. Ruta Aidis & Friederike Welter & David Smallbone & Nina Isakova, 2007. "Female entrepreneurship in transition economies: the case of Lithuania and Ukraine," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(2), pages 157-183.
    20. Klapper, Leora & Delgado, Juan Manuel Quesada, 2009. "The impact of the business environment on the business creation process," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4937, The World Bank.
    21. James C. Hayton & Gerard George & Shaker A. Zahra, 2002. "National Culture and Entrepreneurship : A Review of Behavioral Research," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 26(4), pages 33-52, July.
    22. Nee, Victor, 1998. "Norms and Networks in Economic and Organizational Performance," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(2), pages 85-89, May.
    23. Deniz Ucbasaran & Paul Westhead & Mike Wright, 2001. "The Focus of Entrepreneurial Research: Contextual and Process Issues," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 25(4), pages 57-80, July.
    24. Johns, Gary, 1991. "Substantive and methodological constraints on behavior and attitudes in organizational research," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 80-104, June.
    25. Robert Kloosterman & Joanne Van Der Leun & Jan Rath, 1999. "Mixed Embeddedness: (In)formal Economic Activities and Immigrant Businesses in the Netherlands," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(2), pages 252-266, June.
    26. Arent Greve & Janet W. Salaff, 2003. "Social Networks and Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 28(1), pages 1-22, January.
    27. Karlsson, Charlie & Acs, Zoltan J, 2002. "Introduction to Institutions, Entrepreneurship and Firm Growth: The Case of Sweden," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 63-67, September.
    28. Tatiana S. Manolova & Nancy M. Carter & Ivan M. Manev & Bojidar S. Gyoshev, 2007. "The Differential Effect of Men and Women Entrepreneurs’ Human Capital and Networking on Growth Expectancies in Bulgaria," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 31(3), pages 407-426, May.
    29. Davidsson, Per & Honig, Benson, 2003. "The role of social and human capital among nascent entrepreneurs," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 301-331, May.
    30. Sara Carter, 2011. "The Rewards of Entrepreneurship: Exploring the Incomes, Wealth, and Economic Well–Being of Entrepreneurial Households," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 35(1), pages 39-55, January.
    31. Ted Baker & Eric Gedajlovic & Michael Lubatkin, 2005. "A framework for comparing entrepreneurship processes across nations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 36(5), pages 492-504, September.
    32. Tatiana S. Manolova & Rangamohan V. Eunni & Bojidar S. Gyoshev, 2008. "Institutional Environments for Entrepreneurship: Evidence from Emerging Economies in Eastern Europe," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 32(1), pages 203-218, January.
    33. Shaker A. Zahra & R. Isil Yavuz & Deniz Ucbasaran, 2006. "How Much do you Trust Me? The Dark Side of Relational Trust in New Business Creation in Established Companies," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(4), pages 541-559, July.
    34. William B. Gartner & Per Davidsson & Shaker A. Zahra, 2006. "Are you Talking to Me? The Nature of Community in Entrepreneurship Scholarship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(3), pages 321-331, May.
    35. Habbershon, Timothy G. & Williams, Mary & MacMillan, Ian C., 2003. "A unified systems perspective of family firm performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 451-465, July.
    36. Nathalia Rogers, 2006. "Social Networks and the Emergence of the New Entrepreneurial Ventures in Russia: 1987–2000," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 65(2), pages 295-312, April.
    37. Editors The, 2008. "From the Editors," Basic Income Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 3(1), pages 1-1, July.
    38. Alistair R. Anderson, 2000. "Paradox in the periphery: an entrepreneurial reconstruction?," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(2), pages 91-109, April.
    39. Carter, Sara & Ram, Monder, 2003. "Reassessing Portfolio Entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 371-380, December.
    40. Chris Steyaert & Jerome Katz, 2004. "Reclaiming the space of entrepreneurship in society: geographical, discursive and social dimensions," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(3), pages 179-196, May.
    41. Maria Minniti, 2003. "Entrepreneurship Studies: A Stocktaking," Advances in Austrian Economics, in: Austrian Economics and Entrepreneurial Studies, pages 9-37, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    42. Sara Carter, 1998. "Portfolio entrepreneurship in the farm sector: indigenous growth in rural areas?," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(1), pages 17-32, January.
    43. Helen Haugh, 2007. "Community–Led Social Venture Creation," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 31(2), pages 161-182, March.
    44. Denise E. Fletcher, 2006. "Entrepreneurial processes and the social construction of opportunity," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(5), pages 421-440, September.
    45. Lauretta Conklin Frederking, 2004. "A cross-national study of culture, organization and entrepreneurship in three neighbourhoods," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(3), pages 197-215, May.
    46. Justin Tan, 2002. "Culture, Nation, and Entrepreneurial Strategic Orientations: Implications for an Emerging Economy," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 26(4), pages 95-111, July.
    47. Harvey Johnstone & Doug Lionais, 2004. "Depleted communities and community business entrepreneurship: revaluing space through place," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(3), pages 217-233, May.
    48. Jane Wheelock & Elizabeth Oughton, 1996. "The Household as a Focus for Research," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 143-159, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. John B. Cullen & Jean L. Johnson & K. Praveen Parboteeah, 2014. "National Rates of Opportunity Entrepreneurship Activity: Insights from Institutional Anomie Theory," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(4), pages 775-806, July.
    2. Jana Schmutzler & Veneta Andonova & Luis Diaz-Serrano, 2019. "How Context Shapes Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy as a Driver of Entrepreneurial Intentions: A Multilevel Approach," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 43(5), pages 880-920, September.
    3. McKeever, Edward & Jack, Sarah & Anderson, Alistair, 2015. "Embedded entrepreneurship in the creative re-construction of place," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 50-65.
    4. Jones, Marian V. & Coviello, Nicole & Tang, Yee Kwan, 2011. "International Entrepreneurship research (1989–2009): A domain ontology and thematic analysis," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 632-659.
    5. Ivano Dileo & Thaís García Pereiro, 2019. "Assessing the impact of individual and context factors on the entrepreneurial process. A cross-country multilevel approach," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 1393-1441, December.
    6. Friederike Welter & Ted Baker & Katharine Wirsching, 2019. "Three waves and counting: the rising tide of contextualization in entrepreneurship research," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 319-330, February.
    7. De Clercq, Dirk & Danis, Wade M. & Dakhli, Mourad, 2010. "The moderating effect of institutional context on the relationship between associational activity and new business activity in emerging economies," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 85-101, February.
    8. Thai, Mai Thi Thanh & Turkina, Ekaterina, 2014. "Macro-level determinants of formal entrepreneurship versus informal entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 490-510.
    9. K. Parboteeah & Sascha Walter & Jörn Block, 2015. "When Does Christian Religion Matter for Entrepreneurial Activity? The Contingent Effect of a Country’s Investments into Knowledge," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 130(2), pages 447-465, August.
    10. Trevor Jones & Monder Ram, 2013. "Entrepreneurship as ethnic minority liberation," Research Papers 0011, Enterprise Research Centre.
    11. Dirk De Clercq & Dominic S.K. Lim & Chang Hoon Oh, 2013. "Individual–Level Resources and New Business Activity: The Contingent Role of Institutional Context," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(2), pages 303-330, March.
    12. Danis, Wade M. & De Clercq, Dirk & Petricevic, Olga, 2011. "Are social networks more important for new business activity in emerging than developed economies? An empirical extension," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 394-408, August.
    13. Gry Agnete Alsos & Sara Carter & Elisabet Ljunggren, 2013. "Entrepreneurial families and households," Research Papers 0010, Enterprise Research Centre.
    14. Schmutzler, Jana & Andonova, Veneta & Díaz Serrano, Lluís, 2015. "When culture does (not) matter: role models and self-efficacy as drivers of entrepreneurial behavior," Working Papers 2072/247806, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department of Economics.
    15. David Urbano & Sebastian Aparicio & David Audretsch, 2019. "Twenty-five years of research on institutions, entrepreneurship, and economic growth: what has been learned?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 21-49, June.
    16. Aparicio, Sebastian & Audretsch, David & Noguera, Maria & Urbano, David, 2022. "Can female entrepreneurs boost social mobility in developing countries? An institutional analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    17. Randerson, Kathleen & Bettinelli, Cristina & Fayolle, Alain & Anderson, Alistair, 2015. "Family entrepreneurship as a field of research: Exploring its contours and contents," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(3), pages 143-154.
    18. David Urbano & Sebastian Aparicio & Victor Querol, 2016. "Social progress orientation and innovative entrepreneurship: an international analysis," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 26(5), pages 1033-1066, December.
    19. Pekka Stenholm & Zoltán J. Ács & Robert Wuebker, 2015. "Exploring country-level institutional arrangements on the rate and type of entrepreneurial activity," Chapters, in: Global Entrepreneurship, Institutions and Incentives, chapter 20, pages 387-404, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    20. Sahasranamam, Sreevas & Nandakumar, M.K., 2020. "Individual capital and social entrepreneurship: Role of formal institutions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 104-117.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:35:y:2011:i:1:p:165-184. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.