MAPPING CULTURAL EMBEDDEDNESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN COLLECTIVIST SOCIETIES AND RURAL CONTEXTS: A BIBLIOMETRIC REVIEW

Abstract

Entrepreneurship studies have increasingly shifted from purely economic and individualistic perspectives toward socio-cultural approaches. However, the existing literature remains fragmented regarding the specific relational mechanisms through which cultural embeddedness influences entrepreneurial innovation and resilience within collectivist societies. This study aims to map the intellectual structure, thematic development, and conceptual relationships among cultural embeddedness, entrepreneurship, and rural entrepreneurship using a bibliometric analysis approach. A total of 34 journal articles published between 2017 and 2026 were retrieved from the Dimensions database and analyzed using VOSviewer. The bibliometric mapping reveals four distinct thematic clusters: (1) entrepreneurial actors and social interaction, (2) cultural adaptation and community impact, (3) macro-economic and theoretical dimensions, and (4) contextual business opportunities. Overlay visualization demonstrates a significant shift in entrepreneurship scholarship from macro-institutional and country-level frameworks toward micro-relational dynamics, including community trust, social norms, and collective coping mechanisms. Furthermore, this study identifies disaster resilience as an emerging yet underexplored research frontier within the cultural embeddedness literature. The findings contribute to entrepreneurship scholarship by positioning cultural embeddedness not merely as a contextual variable but as a dynamic socio-cultural mechanism shaping entrepreneurial continuity, adaptation, and resilience. The insights generated provide valuable guidance for advancing rural entrepreneurship and strengthening socially embedded entrepreneurial ecosystems in emerging economies, thereby supporting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).