Governance entrepreneurship in regional economic development: Individual agency in Austria

Author(s): Stefanie Döringer
Abstract: Scholars increasingly highlight the role of individual agency for economic development in areas facing socioeconomic transformations. Based on an analytical framework of governance entrepreneurship, this paper explores how entrepreneurial individuals influence local decision-making and alter governance arrangements when implementing new economic development projects. It provides a case study analysis of two peripheral towns in Austria in order to gain a deeper understanding of individual relevancies and behaviour in regional economic development. The findings demonstrate how entrepreneurial individuals (re)arrange governance by (re)combining horizontal and vertical pipelines, mixing informal and formal practices, seeking individual legitimization, and promoting regional rescaling. The analysis also reveals the temporal nature of governance entrepreneurship and suggests differentiating between a long-term governance transition and a temporary governance shift. Overall, the paper provides a middle-range theory of governance entrepreneurship that might contribute to a deeper understanding of agency in regional economic development.
Organisation(s): Department of Geography and Regional Research
External organisation(s): Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (ÖAW)
Journal: Regional Studies, Regional Science
Volume: 7
Pages: 550-567
No. of pages: 18
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21681376.2020.1842801
Publication date: 2020
Peer reviewed: Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012: 507026 Economic geography, 507014 Regional development
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Geography, Planning and Development, Economics and Econometrics, Sociology and Political Science
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
Portal url: https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/d234191f-32bc-4fa6-87cb-6421a68bef56

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