Field dynamics and fields of entrepreneurial practice: Autonomizing process, self-help doxa, and homological action

Abstract

Entrepreneurship research increasingly advocates for diverse methodological approaches to explore entrepreneurial activity within various contexts. Responding to this call, this paper employs Bourdieu’s theory of practice to investigate entrepreneurship in two UK cities: Liverpool and Kingston upon Hull (Hull). By adopting an abductive approach, we shed light on shared practical understandings and multi-practitioner entrepreneurial activities. Using the concept of a 'field of entrepreneurship' to elucidate entrepreneurial contexts, our study reveals the dynamics within these settings that encourage agents to engage in entrepreneurial endeavours. In Liverpool, an autonomizing process is observed, wherein agents are drawn into entrepreneurship due to factors such as perceived social capital, ease of access, and adherence to a self-help doxa or ethos. Conversely, in Hull, perceived low entrepreneurial activity prompts agents to form formal alliances and initiatives to bolster the entrepreneurial landscape, leading to a distinct form of homological alliance-building. This research brings a unique empirical application of practice theory to the study of entrepreneurship and context, offering insights into the interplay between agency and structure. By uncovering shared practices facilitating entrepreneurial activities across different contexts, our findings enrich our understanding of entrepreneurial dynamics and inform strategies for fostering entrepreneurship.