Theory of Weighted Involvement in Thematic Village Activities

To achieve sustainable development of rural areas, European and other countries’ local community organizations develop thematic villages (TVs). Thematic villages are social ecosystems of thematic objects in rural areas where their actors create thematic experiences for residents and visitors. This research aims to identify a critical factor, and the managerial decisions applied to its management, which determine the sustainable development of the TV and rural area. The Structured grounded theory was formed, which reveals the critical factor – the weighted involvement of TV actors and explains what managerial decisions need to be made and how they act. Proper and timely implementation of engagement strategies ensures a critical mass of weighted involvement of TV actors. The more weighted TV actors are involved, the better they understand the issues that need to be solved to harmonize dimensions of rural area sustainable development.