Reconsidering Schumpeterian opportunities: the contribution of interaction ritual chain theory

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to develop a conceptual framework that recognises the significance of emotional and interactional factors in shaping the development and enactment of entrepreneurial opportunities. Design/methodology/approach – Provides a theory development illustrated through a case study based on secondary sources. Findings – Demonstrates how emotion and interaction ritual chains can extend the scope of entrepreneurial theorising. Research limitations/implications – Suggests how novel concepts could be deployed to add explanatory power to accounts of entrepreneurial behaviour. Practical implications – Suggests new approaches to spotting potential entrepreneurial opportunities. Originality/value – Emotion has received little attention from entrepreneurship researchers. This paper offers one way of filling this gap by developing a strand of microsociological theory that has not previously been applied to the explanation of entrepreneurial behaviour.