Purpose

To examine communities that temporarily demonstrated successful social and economic success, but regressed, or may have cycled through periods marked by unusual success and unusual failure.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analyse events in two communities that have experienced disentrepreneurship.

Findings

The authors attribute three main forces accountable for community disentrepreneurship: a failure in community leadership that allows the continuation of path dependent patron-client relationships, peripheralisation resulting from both geographical and infrastructure constraints, and failure to adequately diversify the economic environment. It is believed that further study of communities that have experienced such cycles is both warranted, and essential.

Practical implications

A useful source of information for academics as well as for town planners, policy-makers and economists. Originality/value This paper addresses a largely overlooked area of the landscape.