Samhällsandans påverkan på entreprenörskap. En fallstudie över Provo-Orem regionen, Utah, USA.
Lately an increasing portion of the public debate in Sweden has been devoted to how societies may facilitate entrepreneurship, yet a negligible portion of this debate has discussed the impact of the community spirit on entrepreneurial activity. Further, this connection is a relatively uncharted field in terms of research as well. The aim of this study is accordingly to advance the study surrounding the impact of community spirit on the propensity for entrepreneurial activity and add new empirical data and insights to the existing body of theory. A four-month ethnographic study of the Provo-Orem region in Utah, USA, comprising of in-depth interviews and participant observations, was therefore undertaken with the aim of understanding the community spirit in the studied region and its influence on entrepreneurship. The thesis finds that numerous values such as self-reliance, family focus and security together with a strong religious culture make up the essence of the community spirit in Provo-Orem. Further, it finds that these institutions legitimize and motivate entrepreneurship and associated activities and increase the propensity for entrepreneurship. Subsequently, the results of the study are discussed and put into perspective with regards to previous research. Noticeably the study suggests that a family focused culture is not necessarily detrimental for entrepreneurship, which supports some previous studies while nuancing others. The study further leaves an open invitation for further research into this intriguing topic.