For instance, Keeble & Tyler (1995) developed a theory of ‘enterprising behaviour’ which
suggested that firms – in accessible rural areas especially – benefit from (and indeed contribute to) a highly favourable innovative milieu. In part, this theory built on Keeble’s earlier suggestion that the environmental quality of rural spaces acts as a magnet for the most gifted entrepreneurs, which leads in turn to higher rates of new firm formation in high quality sectors. However, its arguments were broader in scope, suggesting that a number of characteristics of accessible rural areas make them
especially conducive to the development of ‘enterprising behaviour’, or ‘the deliberate and conscious efforts of companies to enhance their competitive edge across all activities . . . necessary
for successful business operation’ (Keeble
& Tyler 1995, p. 978)