Place-based network organizations and embedded entrepreneurial learning: Emerging paths to sustainability

Purpose–The purpose of this paper is to develop an original six-phase model describing entrepreneuriallearning in the transition of place-based enterprises toward a sustainable exploitation of natural commonresources (commons).Design/methodology/approach–The six-phase model proposed by this study explains the learningprocesses involving place-based enterprises through two important existing theories: adaptiveco-management and Lachmann’s evolutionary, embedded theory of entrepreneurship. The proposed modelintegrates these two theories on the basis of a longitudinal case study on the fishing enterprises in an Italianmarine protected area (MPA).Findings–In the case study, the success factors identified by the adaptive co-management literature provedimportant in enabling an embedded entrepreneurial learning process consistent with Lachmann’sview.Thecaseanalysis allowed the authors to cluster these learning processes around six phases. Further, even if traditionalfishing is not knowledge-intensive, this case shows the transition to a sustainable business model requiredintense efforts of educated institutional work and scientific research. Interestingly, the key learning processeswere enabled by the emergence of a larger, networked social entity (a network form of organization) including thecommunity of fishermen, the MPA management and a network of scientists studying the marine area ecosystem.Research limitations/implications–This study is explorative and relies on a single case study. Despitethis limitation, it opens up new research paths in the fields of entrepreneurship, institutional work, networkorganizations and adaptive management of the commons.Originality/value–This study is strongly interdisciplinary; it proposes an original model based on atheoretical view that is highly innovative for organization and management studies; and addresses a relevantbut overlooked issue with important societal implications.