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Abstract <p>Rural communities increasingly rely on community entrepreneurship to drive renewal, address place-based challenges, and sustain community vitality. Yet limited empirical research explains how individuals’ attachment to place translates into community-oriented entrepreneurial intentions and how local social norms condition this process. Drawing on the theory of planned behavior, we conceptualize how an individual’s sense of place and social entrepreneurship self-efficacy interact with a community’s openness to change influence intentions to engage in community entrepreneurship, hypothesizing stronger effects in rural communities. Using survey data from 550 US respondents in both rural and urban communities, we estimate the direct and moderating effects of these factors. Findings show that sense of place predicts community entrepreneurial intentions and that community openness to change strengthens this relationship. Crucially, the moderating role of community openness to change is significantly stronger in rural settings, where dense social networks and heightened social visibility amplify the influence of local norms. These findings advance rural and community entrepreneurship research by demonstrating that place-based motivation alone is insufficient—supportive normative climates are essential for translating attachment into entrepreneurial action. The study further extends intention-based entrepreneurship models by revealing how attitudes, norms, and perceived control interact, and how these interactions vary between rural and urban environments.</p> Plain English Summary <p>This study explores why people choose to start businesses that benefit their local communities, with special attention to rural areas. We examine how two personal factors—feeling emotionally connected to a place (“sense of place”) and feeling confident in one’s ability to create social impact—shape the intention to pursue community-focused entrepreneurship. We also assess whether people believe their community is open to new ideas and change, and how this perception influences the process. Using survey data from 550 people in both rural and urban communities across the USA, we find that a strong sense of place increases the desire to launch community-oriented ventures. This relationship is significantly strengthened when individuals perceive their community as supportive of innovation. The effect is even stronger in rural areas, where close social networks and greater social visibility make local norms more influential. Overall, the study shows that emotional attachment alone is not enough; communities must also foster supportive, change-friendly environments to translate motivation into action.</p>

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Rooted in place and potential to change: how sense of place and openness to change influence community entrepreneurship intentions

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月10日

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  • Dongwook Jimmy Kim,
  • Onnolee Nordstrom,
  • Erik Monsen,
  • Joshua Marineau

摘要

Abstract

Rural communities increasingly rely on community entrepreneurship to drive renewal, address place-based challenges, and sustain community vitality. Yet limited empirical research explains how individuals’ attachment to place translates into community-oriented entrepreneurial intentions and how local social norms condition this process. Drawing on the theory of planned behavior, we conceptualize how an individual’s sense of place and social entrepreneurship self-efficacy interact with a community’s openness to change influence intentions to engage in community entrepreneurship, hypothesizing stronger effects in rural communities. Using survey data from 550 US respondents in both rural and urban communities, we estimate the direct and moderating effects of these factors. Findings show that sense of place predicts community entrepreneurial intentions and that community openness to change strengthens this relationship. Crucially, the moderating role of community openness to change is significantly stronger in rural settings, where dense social networks and heightened social visibility amplify the influence of local norms. These findings advance rural and community entrepreneurship research by demonstrating that place-based motivation alone is insufficient—supportive normative climates are essential for translating attachment into entrepreneurial action. The study further extends intention-based entrepreneurship models by revealing how attitudes, norms, and perceived control interact, and how these interactions vary between rural and urban environments.

Plain English Summary

This study explores why people choose to start businesses that benefit their local communities, with special attention to rural areas. We examine how two personal factors—feeling emotionally connected to a place (“sense of place”) and feeling confident in one’s ability to create social impact—shape the intention to pursue community-focused entrepreneurship. We also assess whether people believe their community is open to new ideas and change, and how this perception influences the process. Using survey data from 550 people in both rural and urban communities across the USA, we find that a strong sense of place increases the desire to launch community-oriented ventures. This relationship is significantly strengthened when individuals perceive their community as supportive of innovation. The effect is even stronger in rural areas, where close social networks and greater social visibility make local norms more influential. Overall, the study shows that emotional attachment alone is not enough; communities must also foster supportive, change-friendly environments to translate motivation into action.