Human agency, entrepreneurship and regional development: a behavioural perspective on economic evolution and innovative transformation

An emerging position within theories of entrepreneurship and regional development concerns the role of human behaviour. This paper argues that the type and nature of human agency related to entrepreneurship is a significant factor in explaining the capacity of regions  to achieve economic evolution...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Entrepreneurship and regional development 2020-08, Vol.32 (7-8), p.573-589
Main Authors: Huggins, Robert, Thompson, Piers
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Area planning & development
Behavior
Culture
Ecosystems
Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship
Human agency
Human behaviour
Personality psychology
Regional development
Renewal
Social development
Transformation
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Summary:An emerging position within theories of entrepreneurship and regional development concerns the role of human behaviour. This paper argues that the type and nature of human agency related to entrepreneurship is a significant factor in explaining the capacity of regions  to achieve economic evolution through renewal and innovative transformation. It is argued that regional economic ecosystems are a primary result of the agency of a particular cadre of individuals; with the nature of these ecosystems being contingent on the underlying culture and institutional environment within a specific region. Furthermore, it is proposed that the confluence of group-level culture within a city or region and the personality psychology of individuals within these places results in a psychocultural environment that creates certain forms of human agency determining the nature of entrepreneurship. Similarly, the propensity towards entrepreneurial agency will be at least partly determined by the nature of the underlying regional economic ecosystems, especially with regards to apparent opportunity and economic returns. Drawing on these insights, the study outlines the implications for policies that seek to support entrepreneurship at the regional level, while also identifying future research required to further effective policy intervention.
ISSN:0898-5626
1464-5114
DOI:10.1080/08985626.2019.1687758