Lifestyle Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Rural Areas: The Case of Tourism Entrepreneurs

Abstract

Lifestyle entrepreneurs play an important role in innovation and sustainability in rural destinations. Their competitiveness depends largely on how they explore their link to the place and generate innovation. To analyze the relationship between the link to the place and innovation, this article uses survey data from a sample of 221 rural lifestyle entrepreneurs. Using PLS-SEM modeling, the results indicate that place familiarity and relational capital positively influence innovation. Furthermore, place familiarity reveals as an important factor for improving relational capital. In its turn, the degree of relational capital contributes positively to the small firm’s knowledge absorption. The results also reveal that, although there is no direct relation between knowledge absorption and innovation, relational capital mediates the relationship between place familiarity and innovation and that there is an indirect relationship between relational capital and innovation, through the mediating effect of knowledge absorption. These results provides important elements for rural tourism destination decision making on innovation and competitiveness.

Willingness to Stay of Tourism Lifestyle Entrepreneurs: A Configurational Perspective

“…Third, this study advances the consolidation of the attraction and retention factors of TLEs which, as mentioned, play an essential role in the innovation and competitiveness of the tourist destination. In this context, the ability to constitute a pool of these entrepreneurs is something essential, although explored very little, in academic research, as recognized by Dias and Silva [58]. Fourth, the novelty of this study also results from considering the willingness to stay as a dependent variable, while establishing various configurations of antecedents, which provides important insights into the theoretical knowledge regarding entrepreneurial ecosystems in tourism.…”

The role of social capital and trust in the success of local wine tourism and rural development

“…Early studies assumed that newly arrived urban lifestyle entrepreneurs (Stone‐Stubbs, 2007) who have the social capital to connect rural settlements to supra‐regional development flows are important elements of change and development. According to the literature, lifestyle entrepreneurs represent a specific class of entrepreneurs who move to rural areas for their quality of life and then start small enterprises, both to forge closer links with their new home and to replace or complement their urban income (Dias & Silva, 2021; Pato & Teixeira, 2016). Lifestyle entrepreneurs strive for work–life balance (Newbery et al., 2011), instead of focusing on profit maximisation (Pato & Teixeira, 2016).…”

Lifestyle entrepreneurship innovation and self‐efficacy: Exploring the direct and indirect effects of marshaling

“…Moreover, the literature has highlighted the importance of firm's capabilities (e.g., marshaling, innovation and, communication) in launching new enterprises, gaining/maintaining competitive advantage and, having high business performances (Damanpour, 1991; Mueller & Goic, 2003; Porter, 1998; Weerawardena, 2003). However, as recognized by Dias & Silva (2021b) the conversion of local knowledge and resources through marshaling into innovative tourism experiences demands a previous step, namely the transformation of those traditions and stories it into new narratives and meaningful destination‐specific experiences. Furthermore, O'Cass and Ngo (2011) argue that there is a complementary relationship between innovation and communication in enhancing the performance of certain organizations.…”