Toward a Kinship Perspective on Entrepreneurship

Abstract

This article develops a theoretical framework for analyzing the role of kinship in entrepreneurship. Kinship, we argue, is a key ingredient of the social and cultural environment of entrepreneurs, and, therefore, essential in understanding how and why entrepreneurship happens. Building on qualitative research conducted among Cambodian Chinese entrepreneurs in Phnom Penh, we define kinship as interpersonal ties grounded in relatedness. We distinguish different categories of kinship ties that involve different levels of relatedness and are used for different aspects of entrepreneurship, and we identify different types of reciprocity and trust as the sociocultural dynamics that buttress kinship involvement in entrepreneurship.