Developing a phenomenological understanding of the influence of 'cultural survival mechanisms' as institutional artifacts in shaping indigenous enterprise cultures: a Ghanaian perspective.

Abebrese, Armstrong; Smith, Robert

Abstract

This article develops a deeper conceptualization of institutionalized adaptive strategies adopted by indigenous Ghanaian entrepreneurs operating within a web of institutional constraints. The qualitative research demonstrates that indigenous entrepreneurs adopt three main strategies - breakthrough, circumvent, and destructive - so as to minimize the ability of institutions to provide unanimous answers to their actions. This article further provides evidence of eight breakthrough sub-strategies, four circumventing sub-strategies, as well as three destructive sub-strategies that could serve as framework for future empirical studies, as well as provide practical tools entrepreneurs can champion to be able to carry out their activities within formidable institutional constraints.

Citation

ABEBRESE, A. and SMITH, R. 2014. Developing a phenomenological understanding of the influence of 'cultural survival mechanisms' as institutional artifacts in shaping indigenous enterprise cultures: a Ghanaian perspective. Amity business journal, 3(1).

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 17, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Jan 17, 2014
• Publication Date: Jan 17, 2014
• Deposit Date: Sep 19, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 19, 2016
• Journal: Amity business journal
• Print ISSN: 2278-0904
• Publisher: Amity University Uttar Pradesh (AUUP)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 3
• Issue: 1
• Keywords: Phenomenology; Entrepreneurs; Indigenous entrepreneurs; Adaptive strategies; Institutions; Circumventing strategies; Breakthrough strategies; Destructive strategies
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/1772
• Publisher URL: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2456089