The influence of embeddedness on rural entrepreneurs and their ventures: insights from the implementation of makerspaces in rural Saxony
通过分析德国农村七个创客空间的案例，研究社会、文化和空间嵌入性如何组合影响创业导向，发现五种创业类型，并揭示高嵌入性反而赋予创业者更多战略自由度。
In rural entrepreneurship studies, the relationship between embeddedness and venture orientations remains underexplored, especially how different configurations of social, cultural and spatial embeddedness shape entrepreneurial responses. Building on an inductive analysis of seven makerspaces established in rural Saxony, Germany, this study examines how different dimensions of embeddedness shape entrepreneurial venture creation in rural settings. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with space founders and extensive archival data, our analysis reveals how social embeddedness, cultural embeddedness and spatial embeddedness combine to influence venture orientations. Our empirically grounded study yields a typology of five distinct venture orientations that reflect different approaches to rural entrepreneurship which range from growth-oriented to cohesion-oriented, including hybrid orientations that balance different objectives. These orientations reveal how ventures contribute differently to their rural communities, from fostering economic expansion and preserving cultural heritage to strengthening social bonds. We make two main theoretical contributions: (1) expanding the construct of embeddedness to reflect its multidimensional and interactive nature; and (2) offering a dynamic pathway model that reveals the paradoxical freedom afforded by high embeddedness. Additionally, we make three minor contributions: (1) explaining the pressure of embeddedness on nascent founders; (2) introducing place identity as a new lens for understanding rural venture strategies; and (3) highlighting the role of makerspaces as embedded infrastructures that address specific social and economic challenges in rural regions. These insights advance theoretical understanding of rural entrepreneurship while offering practical implications for rural development initiatives. Entrepreneurs deeply rooted in rural communities have surprisingly more strategic freedom, not less, to pursue diverse business approaches than previously thought. This study examined seven makerspaces (community workshops with shared tools and equipment) established in rural Germany to understand how entrepreneurs' connections to their local communities—through social networks, cultural values, and place-based identity—shape their business strategies. We found that entrepreneurs develop five distinct approaches ranging from growth-focused to community-building oriented, with those most embedded in their communities able to successfully blend multiple objectives like profit-making with cultural preservation or social cohesion. Surprisingly, entrepreneurs with strong local ties enjoyed greater flexibility to experiment with different strategies because they had earned community trust and legitimacy. The principal implication for practice is that rural development programs should support diverse types of entrepreneurial ventures rather than focusing only on high-growth businesses, as community-focused enterprises contribute equally valuable but different benefits to rural economic and social development.