Monetizing serious leisure: A grounded study of fashion blogshops

Abstract

This article explores revenue generation and the formation of entrepreneur-like behaviors in the context of a serious pursuit of a personal hobby. Although financial returns and entrepreneurship have been recognized as possible outcomes of serious leisure, they have not been dedicatedly studied from a serious leisure perspective, especially in relation to their contributions and value to serious leisure practice. Drawing on a grounded theory study of the fashion blogshop phenomenon in Singapore and Malaysia, this article presents an empirically supported model that shows revenue generation and entrepreneurial action as integral aspects of a passionate, immersive pursuit of serious leisure. The process of monetization involved an enactment of entrepreneur-like behaviors in acquiring capabilities and discovering opportunities for small-scale business hobby. The results suggest the notion of business as serious leisure and has implications for the place of revenue generation, entrepreneurial action, and business in relation to serious leisure theory.