From ‘Dirty Boots’ to ‘Distant Friends’: How A Colombian Social Intermediary Integrates Communities through Entrepreneurship

Andrea Caldwell Marquez, Emily Block, Kelly Rubey and Viva Ona Bartkus

Journal of Management Studies, 2026, vol. 63, issue 1, 59-100

Abstract: Through an abductive qualitative case study of a Colombian peacebuilding NGO, we explore how social intermediaries facilitate the integration of fragmented ex‐combatant and campesino communities. Our analysis reveals a three‐stage process by which the social intermediary simultaneously engages in enterprise‐focused and community‐focused activities to transform loosely connected ‘communities of circumstance’ into tightly integrated ‘communities of choice’. First, the intermediary uses ‘dirty boots’ to establish itself as a trusted, shared relationship between communities. It then employs an ‘accompaniment’ approach to cultivate shared spaces, shared practices, and shared interests among community members engaging in collective entrepreneurial activities. Finally, it shifts to ‘distant friends’ as it encourages communities to embrace a shared future together. By clarifying how intermediaries can use entrepreneurship as a force for community integration, particularly within necessity contexts of conflict and poverty, we contribute to research on social intermediaries, communities, and entrepreneurship as a tool to address grand challenges.

Date: 2026
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