The Emergence of Regional Cultures and Practices: A Comparative Study of Canadian Software Entrepreneurship

Abstract

Despite the ‘cultural turn’ in economic geography, the discipline has yet to conclusively describe the processes through which culture influences actors’ daily economic and social practices. Without a better understanding of the role of culture, it is difficult to explain the emergence and influence of the heterogeneous landscapes of regional business culture we readily observe. This problem is particularly acute in the study of entrepreneurial environments, where regional culture is theorized to play an important role in the local entrepreneurship process. This dissertation proposes an alternative approach to culture which draws on the work of Pierre Bourdieu to reveal the underlying social processes connecting culture with entrepreneurial action. Through qualitative case studies of software entrepreneurs in three Canadian cities — Kitchener- Waterloo, Ontario; Ottawa, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta — this dissertation examines the emergence and evolution of regional cultures and how they have helped to create distinct contexts which encourage unique forms of entrepreneurial practices, outlooks and strategies. This new perspective allows for a more detailed and dynamic analysis of regional cultures and provides new tools for researchers and policy makers to understand the role of cultures within regional economic development.

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