Relationships between community ventures and community resource holders: a joint dependency approach

Abstract

Guided by the joint dependency approach this study analyzes how emerging community ventures engage into mutually dependent relationships with community resource holders in the community to be able to mobilize the community into collective action. I conducted qualitative, longitudinal case studies of three music festivals in rural communities in Norway. By investigating the early stages of the venture formation process, I observed how different types of entrepreneurs impacted on the relationships between the community venture and community resource holders and how these relationships changed over time. High joint dependence relationships were characterized of high level of trust and goal congruence as well as few conflicts. Initially, bricoleurs, who built the venture upon existing resources and knowledge in the community, could transform their individual joint dependence relationships in the community to the venture. The constructionists aimed to introduce new activities and resources and could not build upon existing relationships in the community. Their venture struggled with mistrust and conflicts making it difficult to mobilize the community into collective action. Over time, however, the relationships between the community venture and community resource holders became more based upon joint dependence. By adapting a joint dependency as well as longitudinally approach, this study offers new insights about how the concepts of bricoleurs and constructionists may not be static but rather change over time.