Purpose The purpose of this paper is to challenge a traditional image of the content of entrepreneurship, which is associated with creativity, identity and discovery recognition. Design/methodology/approach A narrative approach is used in telling the story about the artist/entrepreneur Mikael Genberg. The story is based on interviews, newspaper material and observations. Taking this story as the point of departure, an alternative image of entrepreneurship is suggested. Findings First, from a traditional Schumpeterian perspective Genberg could be portrayed as a good example of a hero entrepreneur, an archetype of the creative artist/entrepreneur. Instead Genberg in this paper is described in terms of a creative imitator. Second, the Schumpeterian “hero entrepreneur” is associated with a fixed and strong identity. This picture is challenged and replaced by a demonstration of how double or multiple identities are used in legitimizing work which is argued to be more illustrative to the content of entrepreneurship than finding the true identity of the hero entrepreneur. Third, discovery recognition from a traditional perspective is attributed to the individual, while in this case opportunity creation signifies the process of making discoveries collectively shared. Research limitations/implications This study is exploratory and based on a single case, while the results cannot be taken as generalizations. Instead an alternative understanding of the content of entrepreneurship is illustrated. Originality/value The value of this study is the demonstration of an alternative image of the content of entrepreneurship.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this research paper is to investigate opposing versions of entrepreneurship and to introduce a metaphor to stimulate a dialogue about the diversity and complexity of enterprising communities.
Design/methodology/approach – A discourse framework is developed in order to describe dominating – and even new and challenging – versions of entrepreneurship. The discourse analysis is presented in three steps: the introductory text to a handbook of entrepreneurship is deconstructed to expose some basic assumptions of entrepreneurship; drawing on several research articles, some dominating versions of entrepreneurship are analysed; drawing on research articles which have recently been published in two special issues in entrepreneurship journals, alternative versions of entrepreneurship are analysed.
Findings – This paper compares three dominating and three alternative versions of entrepreneurship. All the versions are related to the idea of entrepreneurship as a story of creation for our times, where it is implied that entrepreneurship appears to be something inherently good for society and for people. The versions share a common denominator but are also distinguished by different ontological and epistemological assumptions that make a dialogue between the versions problematic.
Research limitations/implications – The results of this research paper have obvious limitations because of the methodology employed and due to the limited number of texts analysed.
Originality/value – The concept of a discursive web to analyse the world of entrepreneurship is introduced.
This paper is based upon a regional development project in a 'vulnerable' Swedish region consisting of three municipalities. At a first glance, this is a region in decline that is lacking in entrepreneurial initiatives. During a crucial time period the project 'Diversity in Entrepreneurship' (DiE) was launched to help the region to become more entrepreneurial and inclusive. An underlying logic was built into the project, which is associated with the critical pedagogy of Paolo Freire. From a Freirean perspective regions lacking in entrepreneurship could be reconsidered emphasizing that the entrepreneurial initiatives are always there - latent - however restrained by certain discourses; in this case a dominant enterprise discourse. Above all the enterprise discourse suppresses the ability for particular groups in society to view themselves as entrepreneurs. The purpose of this paper is to introduce Freire's critical pedagogical perspective to entrepreneurship and regional development. An episode illustrating how the enterprise discourse suppresses an equality discourse, introduced by way of the DiE-project, makes the point of departure for discussing the process of 'conscientization', which refers to a type of learning that is focused on perceiving and exposing contradictions and to take action against the oppressive elements of reality (Freire 1970). Some key Freirean ideas or concepts are explained, first as they were expressed by Freire and then applied to entrepreneurship and regional development. It is then discussed how these concepts found their expressions in the project. The critical pedagogic perspective not only emphasizes an entrepreneurial potential in every individual, but it also gives an idea of what kind of processes could release entrepreneurial initiatives among those who do not view themselves as entrepreneurs.
Offentliga stödinsatser för att främja entreprenörskap och nyföretagande tilldrar sig ett stort intresse. I detta papper diskuteras offentliga initiativ som syftar till ett skapa entreprenöriella processer. Betydelsen av ideologiska utgångspunkter (metaidéer) ställs i relation till allmänna förutsättningar för att skapa entreprenöriella processer. Vi har följt ett Equal-finansierat projekt, Mångfald i Företagsamhet (MiF), med syfte att utveckla strategier, metoder och arbetssätt för att utveckla en organisatorisk infrastruktur som främjar företagsamhet och som präglas av mångfald. Projektet har visat sig framgångsrikt i att initiera ett antal aktiviteter som vi identifierar som entreprenöriella processer. Vissa problem har identifierats beträffande de företagsfrämjande strukturerna, bland annat beroende på att ideologin bakom projektet uppfattats på olika sätt. Mångfaldstanken ses som ett fruktbart perspektiv på samspelet mellan individ och kontext, en tanke som även genomsyrar ett nystartat företag i regionen. I papperet diskuteras entreprenöriella processer ur ett resursperspektiv. Med betoning på samspelet mellan finansiellt, humant och socialt kapital ser vi det kulturella kapitalet som en avgörande faktor för att starta entreprenöriella processer. Ur ett mångfaldsperspektiv diskuteras hur metaidén kan leda till ett bättre företagsklimat, som en del i en framväxande bred social, kulturell och geografisk miljö.
Public advisory service to SMEs is a multibillion pound activity throughout the industrialized world. Yet very little research has been done on the theoretical basis for this field. This paper proposes some elements in a theoretical understanding of the rationale behind public measures. The authors argue that public intervention should be considered at two levels, as a public market intervention and as a consultant-client relation at the micro level. At the market intervention level, public advisory service is seen in the perspective of economic theory, comparing neo-classical and neo-Austrian theory. Two different kinds of services are identified and discussed: operational and strategic. At a micro level, the concepts of client identity and clientifying power relations serve to understand the small business manager's way of responding to services. In combining both levels the market perspective and the micro level it is argued that the neo-classical theory is connected to operational/expert services and objectifying power technologies. The neoAustrian theory corresponds with the empirical findings at the micro level showing strategic services embedded in a subjectifying power technology. With the neo-Austrian perspective the rather symmetrical relations between client and consultant at the micro level is comprehensible
Story-telling has been identified as a metaphor for management consulting which focuses on the consultant as "impression manager." The convincing power of strong stories told by consultants is emphasised. In this article management consulting is conceptualised through the metaphor of story-making, identifying co-operation and reflection as characteristic features. A specific consultancy process is interpreted as a co-operative effort between the consultant and the client in which plot lines and characters are constructed. Plots can be opened or closed, and characters can be settled or negotiated. Thus story-making as a reflective act moves between enhancing reflection and preparing for action.
Creativity and innovation are considered to be constitutive of entrepreneurship. Imitation as a theoretical concept has engaged few scholars, while creativity has met with great interest. Ricoeur argues that imitation is the base of human action and that innovation is a necessary part of making sense of human action. Based on Riceurs threefold mimesis it is argued in this paper that entrepreneurship can be understood as creative imitation, the base is imitation but there is also always a creative component in emplotment, whereby meaning is created. It is argued that creative imitation is an everyday phenomenon and that entrepreneurship therefore is accessible to ordinary people and not just a few. Further a reading of Ricoeur encourages the temporal characteristics of entrepreneurship to be taken seriously.
Within the social sciences narrative approaches have become more popular. In recent years it has also been suggested that entrepreneurship research would benefit from the use of a narrative approach. Interest in their direction is now emerging. The purpose of this article is to illustrate and reflect upon how narratives approaches can contribute to entrepreneurship research. The article is focused on three areas: 1. The construction of entrepreneurial identities, 2. Entrepreneurial learning, 3. (Re)conconceputalizing entrepreneurship. It is argued that a narrative approach contributes to the literature by enriching the understanding of what motivates individual entrepreneurs and the way they run their businesses. Storytelling is closely related to entrepreneurial learning and complements other approaches. Furthermore, storytelling and story-making serve as potential metaphors for conceptualizing and reconceptualizing entrepreneurship.
Today entrepreneurship does not constitute one grand narrative, rather it consists of a plurality of sub-discourses, some of them in sharp contrast to others. In academic texts as well as in practice, we find both dominant and broader meanings of entrepreneurship. It is discussed in this article how a dominant meaning of entrepreneurship historically can be associated with industrialization, large firms, hero entrepreneurs and ideas of "bürgerlichen Gesellschaft". As we now live in a society where large manufacturing firms no longer dominate, broader conceptions of entrepreneurship emerges, allowing for the idea of an entrepreneurial potential of ordinary (wo)men. This article gives glimpses of how a broad entrepreneurship is enacted in a regional context. These glimpses illustrate the following. Networks which give plenty of room for spontaneous interaction can mobilize entrepreneurial identities. Individuals provide role models for how "Gesellschaft" can be resisted and balanced by "Gemeinschaft" in the society of today The core of entrepreneurship does not need to be thought of in terms of an exclusive capacity for innovation but rather as something which is an outflow of ordinary life when not restricted by discourse. Adopting a broad view of entrepreneurship implies for policy-makers to encourage the mobilization of entrepreneurship instead of trying to "pick the winners".
In this article a distinction between a pragmatic and a critical orientation of action research is made. These orientations can be considered, implicitly or explicitly, to be the main alternatives in AR today. What are the assumptions behind, and practical implications for, AR projects with different orientations? A number of themes are introduced where a tension between the two are identified and illustrated in the form of a dialogue and friendly quarrel between proponents from each side. It is argued that the two orientations suit different research contexts and cannot easily be combined. The pragmatic orientation is well suited for contexts where concerted and immediate action is needed, whereas the critical is preferable where transformative action needs to be preceded by critical thinking and reflection. In the former, power to act is a desired outcome, and in the latter, unequal and invisible power relations need to be unveiled before they can be transformed. The responsibility of the researcher, as well as the form of knowledge developed, differs between the two orientations.
This paper uses a narrative approach to represent entrepreneurial process. It is a story about a specific process taking place in Yan-shuei, Taiwan, which is built upon a single entrepreneur and the people around him; what they did when they were“ entrepreneuring.” Within the story there are also other stories representing the researchers’ own experiences of entrepreneurial processes. As well, behind the story there is a story about The Moon Port City which relates to ancient times. Theories inspiring a process theory of entrepreneurship mark the beginning of the story. The middle is made up by the three main stories within the story as a whole. At the end the authors explain in what ways the narrative approach has emphasized entrepreneurial process.