Institutional entrepreneurs and local embedding of global scientific ideas--The case of preventing heart disease in Finland

Summary Investigating the activities of institutional entrepreneurs at the intersection of local institutions and global influences in the context of science-based fields is necessary for further development of the institutional entrepreneurship approach. We draw on complementary insights from the literatures on institutional entrepreneurship, Scandinavian Institutionalism, social/intellectual movements and spatial scales to study the activities of scientists in the local institution of global scientific ideas. Building on a qualitative case study, a globally pioneering heart health initiative in Finland, we found that the scientific profession regulates agency in science-based fields; that the holistic view of scientists is necessary to understanding mobilization activities in this context; and that the capacity of scientists to operate across spatial scales defines their capability for institutional entrepreneurship.