The Support Paradox in Community Enterprise Experiments in the Netherlands

The Support Paradox in Community Enterprise Experiments in the Netherlands

Kleinhans, R.J. (TU Delft OLD Urban Renewal and Housing)
van Ham, M. (TU Delft OLD Urban Renewal and Housing)

2017

In many European countries, community-based entrepreneurship is increasingly considered as a means to initiate small-scale urban regeneration. However, residents in deprived neighbourhoods are often viewed to lack key entrepreneurial skills. Most research on community entrepreneurship support is based on cross-sectional studies and overly focused on government support. This paper extends current knowledge by reporting a unique national experiment in the Netherlands with community enterprises receiving support from a private foundation. The paper aims to investigate how active citizens perceive the benefits and drawbacks of this support. Using a unique longitudinal approach, the paper analyses transcriptions of repeated semi-structured interviews (panel design) from community enterprises in several neighbourhoods. While positive feedback is found, the study provides strong evidence for a support paradox: the support that was intended to overcome a number of entry barriers and difficulties on the road to community entrepreneurship has significantly hampered progress among several community enterprises.

community entrepreneurship
community enterprise
social enterprise
austerity
active citizenship
urban regeneration
self-organisation
neighbourhoods
support
The Netherlands

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:cb8303b5-59a3-4542-b45a-73d0c1824f63

10.1504/IJESB.2017.10004123

2018-01-21

1476-1297

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 31 (4), 570-589

Accepted Author Manuscript

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2017 R.J. Kleinhans, M. van Ham