The situational logic of entrepreneurship: A realist approach to national policy
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Group
School
School of Business and Law
RAS ID
25732
Abstract
National policy initiatives to encourage entrepreneurial behaviour are often developed with limited knowledge of the contextual constraints and causal factors. In this paper, we adopt a social realist approach, generally associated with critical realism, as a framework for analysing levels of entrepreneurial behaviour. The trigger for our study is the apparent anomaly of low levels of German entrepreneurship. We apply the morphogenetic framework of the sociologist Margaret Archer to Germany and then compare this to the United States. We conclude that particular so-called situational logics at the intersection of structure and culture constitute mechanisms which provide strategic direction for the decisions of potential entrepreneurs. We argue that a social realist stance based upon Archer’s sociology provides a practical grounding for research and policy development.
DOI
10.1080/13511610.2017.1348932
Access Rights
subscription content
Comments
Jackson, P., Dobson, P., & Richter, N. (2017). The situational logic of entrepreneurship: A realist approach to national policy. Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research, 31(3), 293-316. https://doi.org/10.1080/13511610.2017.1348932