The opportunity not taken: The occupational identity of entrepreneurs in contexts of poverty |
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| Authors: | Angelique Slade Shantz Geoffrey Kistruck Charlene Zietsma |
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| Institution: | 1. Alberta School of Business, University of Alberta, 2-29D Business Building, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R6, Canada;2. Schulich School of Business, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada;3. Smeal College of Business, Room 416 Business Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States |
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| Abstract: | Innovative entrepreneurship is an essential but often missing outcome of poverty alleviation efforts. This qualitative study set in rural Ghana explores the occupational identity of entrepreneurs, the institutions that shape it in isolated “island networks”, and how it influences entrepreneurs' practices and decisions. We find that the institutional forces of “collectivism” and “fatalism” feature prominently. Being an entrepreneur in such settings means being a mentor, market link, and community safety net, and the types of opportunities entrepreneurs pursue are largely seen as pre-destined and inherited rather than individually chosen. As a result, the pursuit of innovative opportunities may be significantly limited. |
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| Keywords: | Base of the pyramid entrepreneurship Poverty Informal institutions Occupations Occupational identity Island networks |
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