Entrepreneurship in religious organizations: How the Church of England developed an entrepreneurial orientation

Ruben Werven ()
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Ruben Werven: University of London

Small Business Economics, 2024, vol. 62, issue 4, No 5, 1382 pages

Abstract: Abstract Prior research established that religion shapes country-level entrepreneurial activity as well as individual-level entrepreneurial decisions. The organizational level has received less research attention. It is particularly unclear how the combination of entrepreneurship and religion is forged in established religious organizations. Through a historical case study of the Church of England’s efforts toward developing an entrepreneurial orientation (EO), my paper sheds light on that issue. The findings indicate that, in religious settings, an entrepreneurial orientation materializes through a lengthy, contested process. Two mutually reinforcing mechanisms – polysemy dynamics and idea sedimentation – play an important role in this process. I theorize that these mechanisms, despite delaying EO development, address resistance and thereby drive progress toward a comprehensive entrepreneurial orientation.

Keywords: Religion; Entrepreneurship; Entrepreneurial orientation; Church of England: Archival data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M13 O31 Z12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s11187-023-00841-8

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