This editorial introduces the Circle of Strength framework to move beyond an individual-deficit view of vulnerability toward understanding the circumstances in which customers experience susceptibility to harm. Traditional approaches often focus on individual traits, risking customer responsibilization by expecting individuals to overcome systemic adversity alone. To address this theoretical problem, we refine the strengths-based definition of customer vulnerability to account for the role of marketplace and systemic conditions. The framework introduces a triadic model in which individuals, organizations, and communities co-create strength through two interdependent mechanisms: recognition and enhancement. Through reinforcing feedback loops, these mechanisms validate and amplify distributed assets and collective knowledge, fostering inclusion and long-term well-being. Finally, we synthesize 15 special issue articles across diverse vulnerability contexts.
This study examines why entrepreneurship education in Sub-Saharan Africa persists despite limited demonstrable impact. Drawing on institutional and compensatory entrepreneurship theory, we conduct a multi-level abductive study across Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia using 59 interviews with students, faculty, policymakers, and administrators. We show how entrepreneurship education operates as a compensatory legitimacy mechanism linking policy mandates, institutional compliance, and student dissatisfaction. Under conditions of resource constraint and high unemployment, symbolic implementation sustains governmental and university legitimacy despite weak outcomes. We specify the boundary conditions under which entrepreneurship education is likely to function symbolically rather than instrumentally and offer implications for policy design in resource-constrained contexts.
