Field dynamics as context – A multi-perspective combined analysis of the effects of context on entrepreneurship

Abstract

Addressing the growing need for nuanced understandings of entrepreneurial contexts, this article presents a multifaceted pragmatic framework for scrutinising the ‘field of entrepreneurship’ and its associated dynamics. Drawing on Bourdieu's theory of practice and the institutional logics perspective, we introduce the concept of the field as a mid-level analytical lens—positioned between micro and macro perspectives—that captures the complex interplay of agency and structure in entrepreneurial activity. Our conceptualisation of the field enables the dissection of structural logics and actor dispositions, alongside the institutional processes that shape the entrepreneurial landscape. In response to calls for innovative methodologies in entrepreneurship research, we propose a combined analytical approach to unpack the layered complexities of entrepreneurial contexts, from individual actors to broader institutional influences. The utilisation of this ‘field of entrepreneurship’ concept, with a particular focus on field dynamics, serves as a pragmatic analytical unit, contributing to the broader discourse by balancing simplicity, accuracy, and generalisability. This research consequently offers a novel methodological avenue for exploring what facilitates or impedes entrepreneurial activity within varying contexts.