Purpose Despite research acknowledging the importance of culture in entrepreneurship, less attention has been given to its impact on the growth aspirations of Married Women Entrepreneurs (MWEs) in developing country contexts. Unlike prior studies that draw on more narrowly defined measures of business growth, it is suggested that most MWEs will have business growth ambitions, but marriage will combine with cultural and religious factors to change the nature of such ambitions. An extension of the 5Ms framework, incorporating insights from New Institutional Theory, is used to consider how informal institutions, especially cultural and marital norms, influence growth ambitions, contextualising them in a non-Western setting – Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach Survey data from 280 MWEs from Kaduna state were collected through online and manual methods of distribution. Regression analysis examined the links between culture, as manifested through gender roles and religious influences, and a variety of potential measures of business growth ambitions. Findings MWEs wish to grow their businesses by acquiring management skills and deploying more effective strategies, but are restricted by gender roles and religion. Many MWEs require their husbands' approval to launch and grow their business and are unaware of government support available. Support is more commonly sought from religious institutions. Social implications Government support could be more effective if facilitated through religious organisations, as these are often trusted and accessible platforms. Culture, while sometimes restraining the business growth ambitions of MWEs, can also offer solutions through culturally aligned, faith-based initiatives that support and encourage entrepreneurial growth ambitions. Originality/value The separate attention to marriage allows a more nuanced understanding of how culture may alter the nature of MWEs' growth aspirations in a patriarchal and religiously divided society.

This conceptual paper explores the critical relationship between organizational culture and entrepreneurial leadership, focusing on how fostering a culture of high achievement and innovation excellence empowers entrepreneurs to drive sustainable growth and competitive advantage. This research examines the most effective methods used by high-performing companies that foster an entrepreneurial culture by utilizing a conceptual framework grounded in qualitative research and backed by statistics from around the world, secondary sources and an extensive literature analysis. The findings highlight culture's pivotal role as a competitive advantage in entrepreneurial settings. Organizations that nurture high-performing and innovative cultures experience greater resilience, agility and financial success. Leadership with vision, psychological safety, purpose alignment, learning continuously and employee empowerment are essential components. Techniques like design thinking, agile structures and innovation labs accelerate organizational innovation. This study provides practical insights and frameworks for entrepreneurs and business leaders to build scalable, values-driven, innovation-oriented environments. The implications extend to HR practitioners, startup incubators and policymakers fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems. Through the strategic prioritization of culture, entrepreneurs may propel expansion and prosperity. Future study avenues are suggested in the paper's conclusion, including mixed-method techniques or longitudinal case studies for empirical validation. This study contributes to the understanding of organizational culture's impact on entrepreneurial leadership, offering actionable recommendations for building high-achieving and innovative cultures.

This study validates the instructional materials designed for the Business Plan Implementation course under the Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship program. Employing a descriptive research method and survey questionnaires, students, faculty members and other stakeholders of the Laguna State Polytechnic University evaluated the materials with respect to their acceptability and effectiveness in facilitating learning and engagement. Findings demonstrate that the instructional materials are highly acceptable and effective, prompting a recommendation for their endorsement and broader implementation within the department. Incorporating feedback mechanisms and continuous assessment tools can also ensure that the materials remain up-to-date and effective. Moreover, adaptability of these materials for community extension initiatives. Community workshops and training programs, aspiring entrepreneurs and local residents can be empowered with practical business planning skills, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development. The level of implementing these enhancements, the instructional materials can better support student learning and serve as a full-bodied reference for future business initiatives and extension programs. Strategic partnerships with local organizations are encouraged to maximize community impact and promote a culture of entrepreneurship at the grassroots.

The article examines institutional constraints on the development of the knowledge economy at the regional level in the context of Ukraine’s wartime economy. Based on the institutional theory of D. North and O. Williamson, as well as the theory of regional innovation systems by B. Cooke, the types of institutional constraints are systematised by level (national, regional, micro) and type (formal, informal, organisational). A matrix of institutional constraints has been developed, which reflects the systemic, mutually reinforcing nature of the identified dysfunctions and allows identifying the «key» constraints with the greatest structural impact: weak protection of intellectual property rights, fragmentation of the national innovation system, and mistrust between actors in the innovation process. The specifics of institutional deformations caused by full-scale armed aggression have been revealed: destruction of scientific and educational infrastructure, outflow of human capital, breakdown of network links between actors of regional innovation systems, redistribution of public funding in favour of defence spending. The asymmetric nature of the regional consequences of military aggression is substantiated: frontline regions are characterised by the destruction of innovation infrastructure, while regions receiving displaced persons have received additional resources for knowledge development. The conception of «institutional resilience» of regional knowledge systems is proposed, covering three dimensions: absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacity. The need for a «recovery with trajectory change» approach instead of a simple return to the pre-war status quo is argued. Five priorities for institutional reform to restore and develop the regional knowledge economy are substantiated: reforming the protection and commercialisation of intellectual property; decentralising the management of the science and innovation system; programmes to attract the diaspora and return scientific personnel; new formats for interregional and cross-border scientific and educational cooperation; and the formation of a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

This article provides a comprehensive study of open banking as an institutional and technological foundation for developing an innovative entrepreneurial culture in the financial sector. It explores open banking as a model for the regulated exchange of financial data via standardized application programming interfaces (APIs), facilitating interaction between banks and third parties with client consent. The transformation from a traditional closed banking architecture to a platform-based ecosystem is justified. International implementation experiences are analyzed, including the UK, the EU's PSD2 Directive, Singapore, and India. Particular attention is paid to the Ukrainian context, specifically the National Bank of Ukraine's 2025 open banking implementation harmonized with PSD2 requirements, which mandates real-time core APIs and third-party licensing. Key benefits include increased competition, innovative fintech development, improved financial inclusion, and optimized operations for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Open banking lowers market entry barriers and stimulates customer-centric business models. Developing an entrepreneurial culture within this context manifests through growing digital literacy, open innovation, bank-fintech collaborations, and strategic data management. While promoting trust and transparency, the study also outlines primary challenges: cybersecurity risks, data protection, regulatory fragmentation, and the need for technological modernization in banking systems.

This study investigated the extent to which the commercialization of indigenous products contributes to inclusive economic growth in rural communities in Binangonan, Rizal. Guided by Endogenous Growth Theory and the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, the study assessed commercialization across five dimensions: product development and innovation, market access and distribution, value addition and packaging, financial and institutional support, and entrepreneurial capacity and training. Inclusive economic growth was measured through income generation, employment creation, household economic participation, and community reinvestment and livelihood sustainability. Using a quantitative descriptive-correlational approach, data were collected from 385 indigenous entrepreneurs selected through purposive and stratified random sampling. A validated researcher-developed instrument was used, and data were analyzed using weighted mean, standard deviation, Pearson correlation, t-test, and ANOVA. Results indicated high levels of commercialization in market access (M = 3.34), value addition (M = 3.35), income improvement (M = 3.39), and employment creation (M = 3.38), confirming active economic participation. However, financial and institutional support reflected lower scores (M = 2.55), suggesting gaps in cooperative linkages, credit access, and formal enterprise support structures. Pearson correlation revealed a strong, statistically significant positive relationship between commercialization and inclusive economic growth (r = .87, p < 0.05), indicating that improved commercialization significantly increases rural income, local job creation, and economic reinvestment. Further analysis showed significant differences in commercialization levels when grouped by demographic variables, particularly education level and years of industry engagement (p < 0.05). The study concludes that indigenous product commercialization is a powerful driver of inclusive rural development when supported through structured funding mechanisms, enterprise training, institutional partnerships, and market linkage expansion. To bridge existing development gaps, the study introduces the IndieCom-Grow Framework, a localized, culturally anchored, and sustainability-driven commercialization model designed to strengthen indigenous enterprise ecosystems and promote equitable rural economic development in the Philippines. Keywords: indigenous product commercialization, inclusive economic growth, rural enterprise, sustainable livelihoods, cultural entrepreneurship, market access, community reinvestment University of Perpetual Help System DALTA Las Piñas, Manila, Philippines

Purpose This article examines the contexts, challenges, and notion of women's entrepreneurship through an indigenous cultural and gender framework. The aim is to provide indigenous voices to the diversity of entrepreneurship research from non-Western perspectives. This approach enables us to highlight the experiences of indigenous women entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach This article uses a qualitative research approach to examine indigenous entrepreneurial practices. Data were collected through interviews with 15 Nigerian indigenous women entrepreneurs, who were purposively selected. In addition, focus groups were conducted to generate further data and validate participants' responses. Through thematic analysis, we developed an empirically derived framework for gender and indigenous entrepreneurship culture. Findings Inductive themes emerged from thematic analysis, revealing 7 Ms gender framework of indigenous women's entrepreneurship related to money, management, market, motherhood, meso-environment, macro-environment, and mobilisation of resources. Moreover, the findings reveal enabling elements of indigenous cultural entrepreneurship frameworks, such as the Ajo or Adeshe/Esusu traditional savings schemes, which promote “indigenous sources of capital,” and informal entrepreneurial learning that nurtures future entrepreneurial leaders. Research limitations/implications This study uses data from a single country, geographical area, and specific populations, which may limit the scope of the empirical findings. Future research could expand the parameters or combine qualitative and quantitative methods to provide a more in-depth analysis of different contexts and relationships. Originality/value Entrepreneurship research has been criticized for its non-inclusive theories, overreliance on Western philosophies, and failure to integrate indigenous knowledge from the Global South. This article makes an original contribution to knowledge by exploring the relationship among indigenous culture, gender, and entrepreneurship in a non-Western context.

In the contemporary art market, developing a distinctive personal style is essential for establishing artistic identity and achieving commercial sustainability. As globalization expands the reach of visual culture, artists increasingly act as cultural entrepreneurs, building recognition through consistent themes, techniques, and visual narratives. This study examines how personal style shapes artistic branding and influences commercial success in oil painting, with a focus on nature-themed expressive realism. The research analyzes two oil paintings created by the author: Loving Birds (5 × 3 ft) and The Mother Love (3 × 2 ft). Both works depict birds in intimate natural settings, symbolizing romantic companionship and maternal care. The study aims to explore how thematic consistency, emotional storytelling, and technical execution contribute to a cohesive artistic brand and enhance market appeal. Using a qualitative visual analysis methodology informed by branding theory, cultural capital theory, and art market economics, the paintings are examined for composition, color harmony, subject representation, narrative symbolism, and stylistic coherence. Comparative analysis identifies recurring visual elements, leading to the definition of the artist’s emerging style as Emotional Wildlife Realism, which integrates realistic anatomical detailing with expressive emotional narratives. Findings indicate that emphasizing universal emotions such as love, care, and harmony strengthens audience engagement, reinforces brand identity, and enhances the commercial potential of artworks across decorative, cultural, and contemporary art markets.

Private higher education colleges (PHECs) pursuing university designation face a dual challenge: expansion of innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) activity must occur alongside demonstrable, auditable quality assurance (QA) and institutional credibility. An integrated framework combining institutional legitimacy theory and the dynamic capabilities view is developed and applied to explain how entrepreneurial transformation unfolds under QA constraints. A qualitative single-case study of a South African PHEC (anonymised) draws on semi-structured interviews and organisational documents analysed through reflexive thematic analysis, supported by a capability coding scheme. Findings indicate that designation readiness is framed less as symbolic status seeking and more as a strategic lever for entrepreneurial growth and ecosystem positioning. Transformation is organised through six mutually reinforcing mechanisms: 1) QA-evidence engineering that converts compliance into learning and pragmatic legitimacy; 2) digital platform uplift as scalable innovation infrastructure; 3) entrepreneurial culture and incentive redesign to institutionalise intrapreneurship; 4) ecosystem orchestration across industry, government and civil society; 5) resource mobilisation through portfolio innovation (including modular and short-programme pathways); and 6) impact measurement routines that translate social value into reputational capital. Collectively, these mechanisms operate as feedback loops linking micro-level initiatives to macro-level legitimacy and strategic space. A capability–legitimacy explanation is advanced for entrepreneurial university emergence in teaching-led PHECs, with policy implications for differentiated designation pathways and proportionate accreditation processes that enable responsible experimentation without eroding academic standards.

This study investigated the determinants of entrepreneurial intentions and behavior among Saudi sports education students using the Theory of Planned Behavior. The study employed a cross-sectional survey of 372 undergraduate and graduate sports science students from Saudi universities. It extended TPB by including entrepreneurial role models as an independent variable affecting TPB antecedents—attitudes toward behavior, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control and outcomes (ENTIs and actual entrepreneurial behavior, AEB). Data were analyzed using linear and hierarchical regression with mediation testing using bootstrapping. Results showed that all TPB antecedents significantly predicted ENTI, while only ENTI and PBC influenced AEB. ERMs were significantly associated with SNs but had no direct effect on ATB, PBC, or ENTI. Mediation analyses revealed that ATB and PBC partially mediated SNs’ effect on ENTI, whereas SNs fully mediated ERMs’ influence on ATB and PBC. These findings provide theoretical and practical insights by validating the extension of TPB with role models, challenging assumptions about ERMs’ direct effects, and highlighting the importance of fostering entrepreneurial culture in universities. Integrating exposure to positive ERMs can effectively translate students’ intentions into entrepreneurial behavior, supporting the development of sports entrepreneurs.

ABSTRACT This article explores how playbooks in entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) have become more accessible for sustainable entrepreneurship. We draw on evolutionary economics literature to argue that EE playbooks are a partially codified configuration of individual routines of different EE actors, guiding how resources are assembled and made accessible to entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs who use place-based EE playbooks allocate resources more effectively than those who do not. We identify five key mechanisms that make EE playbooks more accessible for sustainable entrepreneurs: changing entrepreneurial role identities, goal diversity, openness to outsiders, malleability of the dominant knowledge regime, and entrepreneurial culture. While these mechanisms individually alter the capacity of the EE to support sustainable entrepreneurship, an EE playbook logic highlights how these changes jointly shape this transition. Overall, this study conceptualises EE playbooks as ecosystem-level routines that explain how resources are assembled within EEs and thus impact the sustainability transitions of EEs.

Entrepreneurial intention revisited: The roles of entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial culture, and social media usage

ABSTRACT Trade costs are widely identified as a primary impediment to export expansion. This study novelly explores the role of entrepreneurship – a pivotal cultural factor reflecting risk preference – in shaping export performance through the lens of subjective trade cost perception. We incorporate regional entrepreneurship into a heterogeneous firm trade model by endogenizing the shape parameter of the Pareto productivity distribution. Theoretically, we propose that entrepreneurship promotes exports via a risk-preference mechanism that lowers trade cost elasticity, specifically by dampening the sensitivity of the extensive margin to cost shocks. Using city-industry-destination panel data from China (2010–2015), our results demonstrate that in regions with higher entrepreneurship, a 1% increase in trade costs leads to a reduction in the trade cost elasticity of total exports and the extensive margin by an average of 0.004% and 0.010%. These findings remain robust when employing exogenous natural resource endowments as instrumental variables. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that entrepreneurship plays a more pronounced role in stimulating exports for cities lacking geographical advantages in openness. Furthermore, favourable market institutions significantly strengthen this promotional effect. This research offers a novel perspective on driving export growth through the cultivation of entrepreneurial culture and provides policy implications for balancing regional export development.

Saltworks have historically constituted landscapes of production and economic activity, which in the contemporary era are being redefined as multifunctional spaces for health, wellness, culture, and sustainable entrepreneurship. The medical use of salt, rooted in ancient Greek and Roman traditions, evolved into organized forms of halotherapy, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, where salt mines and salt pans were transformed into therapeutic environments. Inhalation of salt microparticles, saline baths, and the exploitation of the unique microclimate of saltworks have been associated with supporting respiratory function and overall well-being. In the contemporary framework of sustainable development, saltworks are transformed from mono-functional extraction sites into complex experience hubs where health, culture, ecology, and tourism coexist. Examples such as Croatia’s Solana Nin and Solana Pag illustrate a model that integrates traditional knowledge, the natural environment, and modern wellness practices, generating added value for local communities. This study examines the transition of saltworks from production sites to multidimensional landscapes of therapeutic experience and cultural entrepreneurship, highlighting the role of salt as a natural resource, a carrier of historical memory, and a tool for sustainable regional development.

This study examines epidemics and pandemics in modern history, focusing on the interactions between public health, scientific and technological progress, and cultural factors. Through a historical review of crises such as the Spanish Influenza (1918–1919), poliomyelitis epidemics, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and more recent infectious diseases (SARS, H1N1, Ebola), it highlights how each health crisis acts as a catalyst for the advancement of medical science and technology. The COVID-19 pandemic confirmed the importance of the “learning curve” concept for health systems, emphasizing that experience, training, research, and quality assurance are foundational for the resilience of healthcare structures. At the same time, the pandemic highlighted the cultural dimensions of infectious diseases, influencing social behavior, values, perceptions of individual and collective responsibility, and the development of new forms of cultural entrepreneurship. The study concludes that pandemics are not merely biological phenomena but multifaceted challenges linking scientific and technological progress with social and cultural evolution. COVID-19 serves as a contemporary example underscoring the need to strengthen public health systems, develop innovative technologies, and create institutions that combine human-centered care with scientific excellence.

This study examines the literature of the Greeks of Asia Minor as a carrier of cultural memory and a platform for cultural entrepreneurship, focusing on narrative spaces connected to the refugee experience, health, and trauma. It explores how literary narratives reflect the psychosocial impacts of the Asia Minor Catastrophe, reinforcing collective memory and the historical identity of refugee communities. At the same time, it investigates the contribution of literature to the promotion of cultural sites, the development of literary tourism, and the formation of sustainable cultural entrepreneurial practices. By linking narrative landscapes, historical memory, and thematic tourist routes, the study highlights literature’s potential as a tool for preserving cultural heritage and enhancing the psychosocial well-being of communities through experiential engagement. The findings demonstrate that literature can simultaneously function as a medium of memory, a driver of cultural tourism and entrepreneurship, and a mechanism supporting social cohesion and sustainable development.

ABSTRACT Cultural storytelling can attract customers to ethnic restaurants. Grounded in value co-creation theory, this study examines how Central Asian ethnic restaurants design and implement cultural storytelling and whether this influences their intentions to visit Central Asia. Using a mixed-methods design, the findings indicate that cultural storytelling is delivered through six modalities. Restaurant interaction enhances the effect of storytelling on emotional value, which in turn influence customers’ intentions to visit. This study extends the understanding of cultural storytelling and value co-creation in small and medium-sized enterprises within developing economies, offering practical insights for ethnic restaurant entrepreneurs, tourism institutions, and relevant authorities.

Research in cultural entrepreneurship has shown how entrepreneurs gain legitimacy through entrepreneurial storytelling. Entrepreneurs are seen as strategic cultural operators who draw on cultural resources to gain support from audiences. There have been calls to move beyond consensual views of culture to examine the diverse cultural resources actors mobilize. We conduct a qualitative study of an entrepreneurial program and ask: How do tensions across cultural resources shape entrepreneurial storytelling? Drawing on the ventriloquial approach, we trace how varied concerns—what actors value and are attached to—are voiced, negotiated, and contested. Our findings demonstrate the ways in which entrepreneurial storytelling is shaped by tensions between competing cultural resources, such as market expectations and scientific rigor. These tensions influence entrepreneurial decisions, including choices about business models, target markets, and engagement with stakeholders. Our study highlights the tension-driven dynamics and moral dimension embedded in the deployment of cultural resources in entrepreneurial storytelling.

Drawing on a conceptual synthesis of prior empirical studies and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), this paper develops a conceptual model to explain how the university environment (UE) and perceived university support (PUS) influence students’ entrepreneurial intentions (EI) and entrepreneurial behaviour (EB) in South Africa. The model integrates five dimensions of the UE (entrepreneurial culture, resources, networks, and two institutional dimensions (university-level normative and regulatory institutional dimensions), with three forms of support: educational, concept development and business development support. Using TPB as the main lens, the paper shows how the UE shapes attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control, and reconceptualises PUS as a double moderator that both strengthens the effect of the UE on these antecedents and reinforces the link between EI and EB, rather than serving only as a direct predictor of intention. Centring the South African youth unemployment crisis and the EI–behaviour gap, the model explains how the UE and support systems can help students move from intending to start a business to actually engaging in EB. The paper argues that EI alone is not sufficient in this context; young people require enabling environments that ease structural and psychological barriers and build capability for action. Based on patterns identified across prior empirical studies, the paper formulates testable propositions and derives practical implications for universities and policymakers seeking to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems, close the intention–behaviour gap and contribute to more inclusive and sustainable student and graduate employment outcomes.

Abstract Institutions and their impact on entrepreneurial activity have been a topic of interest in recent decades for two main reasons. First, formal institutions create a legal, juridical, and political framework that supports entrepreneurs. Second, informal institutions motivate and incentivise entrepreneurs to act. However, institutions can also be seen as endogenous factors determined exogenously by a climate of opinion generated in the so-called public sphere. Nevertheless, the impact of the public sphere on entrepreneurship, i.e., the social and political influences of the public opinion created around entrepreneurship, has not been studied. Moreover, today's public sphere is generated mainly in a virtual environment where digital networks play an important role. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the public sphere and formal and informal institutions and the impact of these institutions on entrepreneurial activity. To that end, an empirical analysis is carried out at the level of 18 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries via a second-generation statistical technique based on latent variables. The results show that the public sphere enhances entrepreneurial culture, especially through the effect of formal institutions on entrepreneurial education and the effect of entrepreneurial education on informal institutions. On the other hand, indirect effects confirm that the public sphere also promotes entrepreneurial activity and thus stimulates it. This study has several practical implications for policy-makers, entrepreneurs and managers with respect to the role of the public sphere.