The role of cultural capital in ideation and entrepreneurship : an exploratory study from Portugal

Abstract

This exploratory research study investigates the role of cultural capital in the idea formation stage of the entrepreneurial path (Galanakis & Giourka, 2017), focusing on the Portuguese context. Although entrepreneurship is an extensively researched topic, its cultural component - particularly how cultural capital shapes business ideation - remains understudied. As Bourdieu (1986) conceptualised it, cultural capital encompasses embodied, institutionalised, and objectified forms; recent contributions also acknowledge digital cultural capital as a new category. This paper aims to investigate how these four states of capital affect entrepreneurial creativity and the development of business ideas. Twelve semi-structured interviews with active entrepreneurs from Portugal helped address these issues. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns within the data, leading to a deeper understanding of the ideation phase within the entrepreneurial path. The findings suggest that cultural capital influences ideation at a personal, contextual and social level. These three dimensions are impacted by the embodied, institutionalised, objectified and digital forms of cultural capital - from personal habits to inherited cultural values - that are mutually dependent on each other in facilitating creative idea development. The study concludes that cultural capital has a complex and dynamic role in entrepreneurial ideas and advises more inclusion of cultural factors into entrepreneurial education and policy structures.