Vol. 1 No. 1 (2018)

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Navigating Structural Constraints and Entrepreneurial Agency: A Ghanaian Business Perspective, 2000–2026

Kwame Asante, University for Development Studies (UDS) Ama Serwaa Mensah, University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) Kofi Agyeman-Badu, Department of Research, University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA)
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18944879
Published: October 20, 2018

Abstract

The discourse on entrepreneurship in emerging economies often presents a dichotomy between structural constraints and individual agency. This perspective piece examines the dynamic interplay of these forces within the Ghanaian business environment over a transformative period. This article aims to synthesise existing literature and observational data to develop a nuanced framework for understanding how Ghanaian entrepreneurs navigate institutional voids, infrastructural deficits, and cultural norms while exercising strategic agency to build and sustain enterprises. The perspective is constructed through a critical synthesis of longitudinal case studies, industry reports, and policy documents, analysed via an institutional theory lens to identify persistent patterns and adaptive strategies. A dominant theme is the strategic 'informal-formal' hybridity adopted by firms, where an estimated 60-70% of surveyed medium-sized enterprises maintain parallel operational structures to leverage both formal market advantages and informal network resilience. Entrepreneurial success is reconceptualised not as a triumph over constraints, but as a continuous process of negotiation and adaptation within a complex socio-economic structure. Policymakers should focus on creating more permeable boundaries between formal and informal sectors, and financial institutions ought to develop credit assessment models that recognise hybrid business logics. institutional theory, entrepreneurial agency, structural constraints, hybrid organisations, business strategy This paper provides a novel synthesis of longitudinal observational data to propose the 'adaptive hybridity' framework, which explains how firms strategically navigate institutional complexity.

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How to Cite

Kwame Asante, Ama Serwaa Mensah, Kofi Agyeman-Badu (2018). Navigating Structural Constraints and Entrepreneurial Agency: A Ghanaian Business Perspective, 2000–2026. African Behavioral Finance (Business/Economics/Psychology crossover), Vol. 1 No. 1 (2018). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18944879

Keywords

Sub-Saharan Africainstitutional theoryentrepreneurial agencystructural constraintsemerging economiesGhanaian entrepreneurshipmixed embeddedness

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Vol. 1 No. 1 (2018)
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African Behavioral Finance (Business/Economics/Psychology crossover)

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