Contextualizing indigenous venturing: emerging insights for context-based indigenous entrepreneurship research

Abstract

We have a limited understanding of entrepreneurship beyond Western developed contexts. Commonly, mainstream entrepreneurship research relies on assumptions which do not always hold across different segments of the population, such as Indigenous peoples , a still marginalized and under researched segment of society . D espite its relevance for emancipation , economic independence, and sustainable development among Indigenous communities worldwide, Indigenous entrepreneurship remains largely understudied in our field . Therefore , in this doctoral thesis composed of two research articles, I examine some underexplored aspects of Indigenous venturing, focusing on the cultural backgrounds and contextual specificities in which Indigenous entrepreneurship takes place . In doing so, I seek to stress the need for more inclusive research, urging a reconsideration of some of our common knowledge and taken for granted entrepreneurial perspectives. In the first article of this dissertation , I explore the interface between Indigenous entrepreneurship and place, considering both the 'material' and 'socially constructed' dimensions of place. Specifically, I examine Latin American Indigenous individuals from different ethnicities, engaging in venturing across urban, remote, and rural locations. My findings put into perspective the key influence of place in Indigenous venturing , ranging from deeply embedded and relational ventures in remote settings to Western influenced business approaches within urban areas . Overall, I contribute with an empirical typology that provides a more detailed understanding of the context laden and highly idiosyncratic nature of Indigenous entrepreneurship , focusing on the emergence, orientation, main outcomes, and constraints among Indigenous ventures from different places and groups of people Building on embeddedness theory, in the second chapter of this dissertation I seek to gain new insights into the embedding process among Indigenous entrepreneurs migrating from their native settlements into urban environments . M y findings reveal that migrant Indigenous entrepreneurs engage in distinct ive prosocial and sustainable ventures, bringing their context laden traditions, beliefs, and values to the urban realm through their businesses . Based on this evidence , I showcas e the pivotal role that their home contexts play in the ir agentic embedding wi thin host contexts . I also contribut e to a multi contextual understanding of embeddedness, considering both distal and proximal contexts at a time.