‘It's a Mission and a Profession’. The Typology of Rural Entrepreneurs and Their Role in the Social Construction of Landscapes

ABSTRACT Landscapes are collectively constructed entities, with many actors involved in the process, one of the most important being rural entrepreneurs. We examine the relationship between rural entrepreneurs and the landscape from both sides, as a two‐way entrepreneurial process, to shed light on entrepreneurs’ use of environmental resources and the social benefits and value‐creating aspects of their activity in a given place. Our research investigates what types of rural entrepreneurs are involved, how their attachment to place affects their entrepreneurial activities and how these activities shape the landscape. The research is based on 46 semi‐structured interviews with rural entrepreneurs involved in various activities from four locations in Hungary. Based on these interviews, we developed a typology of the entrepreneurs’ activities and their innovativeness concerning local traditions: (1) Tradition Transmitters, (2) Tradition Creators and (3) Tradition Creators. Our research shows that this typology reflects the relationship between entrepreneurial activities and the rural landscape, the types of entrepreneurs who settle or stay in a place and the way and extent to which they shape the place in their own image. At the same time, entrepreneurial activity also has knock‐on effects on the image of a locality or region, which affect both locals and newcomers.