Sustainable Entrepreneurship Emergence as Practice: A Multi-Level Pathway Model

Background: Sustainable Entrepreneurship (SE) has grown as an emerging theory from the conceptual roots of entrepreneurship and sustainability. While its relevance is increasingly acknowledged in both scholarship and practice, SE remains theoretically young, particularly in how it accounts for the real-world emergence of SE ventures across diverse and underrepresented contexts. This study addresses that gap through a qualitative multiple-case analysis of hydroponic ventures in the urban agriculture sector of Jakarta Metropolitan Area (Jabodetabek), Indonesia. Methods: Guided by a constructivist paradigm, we collected data through in-depth interviews, field observations, and document analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted across four analytical levels: individual, process, firm, and contextual environment. Results: This study identifies eight key themes that reflect the 'how' and 'why' SE emerges in the lived experiences of the hydroponic entrepreneurs. Engagement with existing theories leads to three conceptual propositions that contribute to a grounded understanding of SE emergence. Our findings reveal an alternative path to SE that departs from the intention-led models dominant in the extant literature. Rather than beginning with strategic sustainability goals for the broader society, SE in these cases is triggered by personally meaningful concerns and evolves through insurgent, organic growth, and effectuation logic. Conclusion: Based on these insights, we develop a multi-level pathway model that illustrates two SE emergence pathways, whether intentional or reflexive. We offer an alternative to prevailing models that assume predefined sustainable entrepreneurial intention.