Entrepreneurs of collective action

Examples of local self-governance among Hungarian winemakers

Abstract

What role do institutional entrepreneurs play in the local self-governance of winemakers in Hungary? The term ‘institutional entrepreneur’ refers to actors who use their resources to build innovative rules of the game for collective action. We examine four communities who established collective brands through selfgovernance. Our results confirm that institutional entrepreneurs play important roles in institutionalising local collective action. They drive and govern the innovation process of articulating new institutions. Even more important, they form and maintain coalitions in support of this process. Their motivation is influenced by many factors: personal career goals, family norms, identification with the relevant community, political participation and network building. However, they have some common characteristics: all of them are embedded, respected members of their communities, who plan for the long term. The greater the ‘institutional void’ to be filled by self-governance, the larger their role seems to be.