Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Protected Areas: Influences of Embeddedness in a Semi-remote Context

Abstract

This study examines the interaction between sustainable entrepreneurs and their socio-ecological environment. Previous studies postulate that fragile socio-ecological contexts by and large promote sustainable entrepreneurial practices. By being embedded in place, nature and culture, and communities, the entrepreneurs are able to revitalise semi-remote areas and drive development. However, how being embedded in fragile socio-ecological influences sustainable entrepreneurial activities is less understood. Using an exploratory qualitative study, we collected data from 15 sustainable entrepreneurs, operating in a protected area. We found that the entrepreneurs exhibited different forms of embeddedness. Embeddedness was either social, spatial or both. Further, the form of embeddedness determined the activities the sustainable entrepreneurs engaged in (adaptive versus transformative). Our study exemplifies that in addition to previously identified positive influences, the interaction between sustainable entrepreneurs and context in the form of embeddedness, results in certain negative influences on sustainable entrepreneurial activities, such as conforming.