Towards a theory of transitional bricolage

Summary

This article develops a theory of “transitional bricolage” by studying 24 women running home-based enterprises in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Using in-depth interviews and an abductive, event-based process approach, the authors blend classic bricolage literature with the emerging lens of transitional entrepreneurship to map how marginalised women use “resources at hand” to move from survival to economic sufficiency. The study identifies key mechanisms — spousal bricolage, permissible networking and boundary probing, digital bricolage, NGO support and influence bricolage — that enable positional advancement of ventures. It finds that economic transition (post-bricolage sufficiency) can be achieved without full social demarginalisation; social change lags and is more evolutionary than immediate.

Key Points

Transitional bricolage: a processual concept linking bricolage to transitional entrepreneurship — how marginalised founders move from “making do” to greater economic sufficiency.
Context and method: 24 semi-structured interviews with home-based women entrepreneurs in culturally constrained Pakistan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa); abductive, looped theorising and NVivo coding.
Internal vs external bricolage blurred: “home” resources (materials, spousal labour, digital access at home) often count as internal; permissions and friend/NGO networks enable external bricolage.
Spousal bricolage & permissions: male family members frequently mediate access to markets, materials and digital know-how — a key enabler but also a gatekeeping mechanism.
Boundary probing & permissible networking: entrepreneurs learn culturally acceptable ways to broaden networks (e.g. via events, wives of migrants, NGOs) and thereby escalate innovation and markets.
Digital bricolage matters: ubiquitous mobile/internet access (when available) accelerates design inspiration, market reach and movement beyond frugal products.
Post-bricolage (transitioned) is chiefly economic: a small number reached household sufficiency or surplus and began mentoring others, but social demarginalisation was not observed.
Policy implication: NGOs and targeted programmes that expand permissible networking, digital access and boundary-probing skills can accelerate transitions out of poverty.

Content summary

The paper frames bricolage as an initially necessary, often temporary tactic for people constrained by poverty and institutional marginalisation. By integrating transitional entrepreneurship, the authors map pre-bricolage, transitioning (in-state) bricolage and a possible transitioned (post-bricolage) state. Fieldwork shows materials bricolage (waste/raw local inputs) is common at start; over time, entrepreneurs combine internal labour (often spousal help), friendship networks and NGO/digital resources to expand products, customers and markets. The transition to a post-bricolage condition is signalled by higher-value products, portfolio diversification, more deliberate resource-seeking and self-efficacy (mentoring others). However, social demarginalisation — changes in societal attitudes or removal of institutional constraints — was not observed in the study period. The authors present a conceptual framework of flows (materials, labour, markets, institutions, digital/influence bricolage) and argue transitions are non-linear and reversible (shocks, loss of spouse can retrogress progress).

Context and relevance

This is valuable for researchers and practitioners interested in entrepreneurship in constrained settings, gender and development, and policy design. It reframes bricolage as a dynamic journey rather than a static coping mechanism and highlights the practical levers (digital access, NGO facilitation, culturally savvy networking training) that can help marginalised entrepreneurs achieve economic sufficiency. For funders and NGOs, the study signals where interventions can be most effective without necessarily confronting cultural institutions directly — e.g. enabling “permissible networking” and digital literacy can expand opportunities within existing constraints.

Why should I read this?

Short version: if you care about how entrepreneurship actually helps marginalised people escape poverty (not just rhetoric), this paper gives a neat, evidence-backed roadmap. It explains the nitty-gritty moves these women use — from scavenging waste materials to using WhatsApp designs via a husband — and what nudges might speed them up. It’s full of real-world signals you can act on, not just polemic.

Author style (punchy)

Punchy take: the authors flip bricolage from a temporary necessity into a process with clear signs of upward movement. Where policy debates often miss nuance, this paper pinpoints concrete enabling factors — spousal bricolage, digital bricolage, permissible networking — that matter. If you work on gendered enterprise support, poverty escape, or development programming, the detailed evidence and the transitional bricolage framework are worth digging into.

Source

Source: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00472778.2025.2569591?af=R

Towards a theory of transitional bricolage