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Alistair R. Anderson
Lancaster University Lancaster UK

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Special issue
Published: 06 February 2021 in European Management Review
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We examine how female migrant entrepreneurs overturn disadvantage through social resourcing. We argue they are disadvantaged by the intersectionality of their identities; that social constructions and ensuing entrepreneurial expectations are a poor fit with their ascribed identity, that they are marginalised by their ‘otherness’. However, entrepreneurship is not only socially situated, but also socially enacted. We studied their entrepreneurial social enactment and found they had used agency to mobilise their identity. The shared identity of marginality as cultural strangers fostered a sense of togetherness as social capital. In turn, this produced group social responsibility, a socialised obligation to help each other. The entrepreneurs used this intangible resource to first establish their businesses then as a platform for wider engagements. We found that when the entrepreneurial self became superimposed on intersectional identity, disadvantage almost disappeared. Respondents reported confidence in themselves through their entrepreneurial achievement, paradoxically empowered by a negative social identity.

ACS Style

Imaobong James; Lin Xiong; Alistair R. Anderson. Mobilising Identity; Entrepreneurial Practice of a ‘Disadvantaged’ Identity. European Management Review 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Imaobong James, Lin Xiong, Alistair R. Anderson. Mobilising Identity; Entrepreneurial Practice of a ‘Disadvantaged’ Identity. European Management Review. 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Imaobong James; Lin Xiong; Alistair R. Anderson. 2021. "Mobilising Identity; Entrepreneurial Practice of a ‘Disadvantaged’ Identity." European Management Review , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 03 November 2020 in Administrative Sciences
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This paper addresses the following questions: Are women entrepreneurs empowered by entrepreneurship, and critically, does entrepreneurship offer emancipation? Our theoretical position is that entrepreneurship is socially embedded and must be recognized as a social process with economic outcomes. Accordingly, questions of empowerment must take full account of the context in which entrepreneurship takes place. We argue that institutions—formal and informal, cultural, social, and political—create gendered contexts in the Global South, where women’s entrepreneurship is subjugated and treated as inferior and second class. Our thematic review of a broad scope of the literature demonstrates that in different regions of the Global South, women entrepreneurs confront many impediments and that this shapes their practices. We show how the interplay of tradition, culture, and patriarchy seem to conspire to subordinate their efforts. Yet, we also recognize how entrepreneurial agency chips away and is beginning to erode these bastions, in particular, how role models establish examples that undermine patriarchy. We conclude that entrepreneurship can empower but modestly and slowly. Some independence is achieved, but emancipation is a long, slow game.

ACS Style

Funmi Ojediran; Alistair Anderson. Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Global South: Empowering and Emancipating? Administrative Sciences 2020, 10, 87 .

AMA Style

Funmi Ojediran, Alistair Anderson. Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Global South: Empowering and Emancipating? Administrative Sciences. 2020; 10 (4):87.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Funmi Ojediran; Alistair Anderson. 2020. "Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Global South: Empowering and Emancipating?" Administrative Sciences 10, no. 4: 87.

Research article
Published: 18 June 2020 in Entrepreneurship & Regional Development
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We are interested in how morality can be sustained in entrepreneurial practice. We examine the interesting case of the Hutterites, a communal society who practice community entrepreneurship – entrepreneuring by the community and for the community. Arguing that culture provides values and that morals are cultural artefacts – we show how ethics determine the entrepreneurial practices of this remarkably successful entrepreneurial society. Our analysis explains how in this close-knit society, cultural morals and ethics of practice are perfectly aligned, embodied in practice and determine how entrepreneurship is practiced. The result is an economically viable society that preserves its ancient way of life and combines piety and profit. We demonstrate how cultural values shape entrepreneurial practice and how enterprising in this community is a change mechanism, yet also maintains social stability.

ACS Style

Onnolee Nordstrom; Edward McKeever; Alistair Anderson. Piety and profit; the moral embeddedness of an enterprising community. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development 2020, 32, 783 -804.

AMA Style

Onnolee Nordstrom, Edward McKeever, Alistair Anderson. Piety and profit; the moral embeddedness of an enterprising community. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development. 2020; 32 (9-10):783-804.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Onnolee Nordstrom; Edward McKeever; Alistair Anderson. 2020. "Piety and profit; the moral embeddedness of an enterprising community." Entrepreneurship & Regional Development 32, no. 9-10: 783-804.

Earlycite article
Published: 04 April 2020 in Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies
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Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the extent and types of entrepreneurial competences among culturally different ethnic groups in Malaysia. Malaysia offers us a similar environment and ecosystem to make comparisons within a single context. Design/methodology/approach This paper surveyed 600 respondents – 200 Malaysian Chinese, 200 Malaysian Indians and 200 Malays – and collected data about the types of competencies and about self-reported growth as firm performance. The study used PLS-SEM for inferential testing and PLS-MGA to conduct multigroup analysis among the three ethnic groups and found considerable and interesting differences. Findings The results of the nuanced, fine-grained findings showed a distinctive distribution of competencies. This study investigates the analysis further to argue that there is an ethnic disposition to favour and value different competencies. Broadly, Malaysian Chinese have a commercial outlook which contrasts with the Malaysian emphasis on social values such as family. Malaysian Indians’ competencies are similar to Malaysian Chinese’s, but with more social value emphasised. This distribution impacts on firm performance with Malaysian Chinese firms faring economically better. However, this economic measure takes no account of social measures which may be an important determinant and motivation for some ethnic groups. Research limitations/implications Theoretically, it becomes evident that one size does not fit all. In practice, different competencies are prioritised. Hence competencies appear to be culturally shaped. Culture influences what might be seen as very practical dimensions of entrepreneuring. From a practical perspective, those encouraging entrepreneurship should take such differences into account. Originality/value The study is original in comparing cultural effects on competencies and performance.

ACS Style

Shehnaz Tehseen; Alistair Anderson. Cultures and entrepreneurial competencies; ethnic propensities and performance in Malaysia. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies 2020, 12, 643 -666.

AMA Style

Shehnaz Tehseen, Alistair Anderson. Cultures and entrepreneurial competencies; ethnic propensities and performance in Malaysia. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies. 2020; 12 (5):643-666.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Shehnaz Tehseen; Alistair Anderson. 2020. "Cultures and entrepreneurial competencies; ethnic propensities and performance in Malaysia." Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies 12, no. 5: 643-666.

Article
Published: 21 February 2020 in International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal
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Contrary to a simple model of small firm growth where increased inputs produce greater outputs, we consider growth is a complex and difficult process. Accordingly, the paper is concerned with how small firms grow, especially how they make sense of the growth process. We collected narratives of the experiences of small firm growth in an extended case study to draw out how growth is understood and managed. We saw how owners became entangled in the process of growing, especially where a change in one aspect led to problems in other dimensions of growth. Their narratives were about trying to make sense, and give some sense to the complexity of growth and some direction to what they should manage. We identified a repertoire of narrative forms: Growth is understood through output indicators, growth is treated as the internal development of the firm and finally, growth is taken to be inevitable - a necessity to which the firm has to conform. These illustrate how growth can be understood as processes of growing, bound up in the context, created in space and time, and contingent on how growth is understood and experienced. Far from a smooth trajectory, enacting growth reflects the experience of the moment, it is shaped by reactions rather than strategy and it is messy rather than ordered. This study contributes to the literature by complementing the functionalist and output oriented view by understanding firm growth as a social phenomenon constructed and reconstructed in the interactions between people and experiences of context.

ACS Style

Maria Tunberg; Alistair R. Anderson. Growing a small firm; experiences and managing difficult processes. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal 2020, 16, 1445 -1463.

AMA Style

Maria Tunberg, Alistair R. Anderson. Growing a small firm; experiences and managing difficult processes. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal. 2020; 16 (4):1445-1463.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maria Tunberg; Alistair R. Anderson. 2020. "Growing a small firm; experiences and managing difficult processes." International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal 16, no. 4: 1445-1463.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2019 in Journal of Rural Studies
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ACS Style

Alistair R. Anderson; Monica D. Lent. Enterprising the rural; Creating a social value chain. Journal of Rural Studies 2019, 70, 96 -103.

AMA Style

Alistair R. Anderson, Monica D. Lent. Enterprising the rural; Creating a social value chain. Journal of Rural Studies. 2019; 70 ():96-103.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alistair R. Anderson; Monica D. Lent. 2019. "Enterprising the rural; Creating a social value chain." Journal of Rural Studies 70, no. : 96-103.

Journal article
Published: 15 March 2019 in Industrial Marketing Management
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Co-creation of innovation, as transcending perspective of marketing, is of growing interest in recent years. Developing new products through collaboration is recognised as beneficial to suppliers as well as customers. Businesses face challenges as to how to build and develop close and long-lasting collaborative relationships for innovation success. Owners/managers need to know about which platform to use appropriate for different engagement aspects in the relationship development. The advancement in virtual technology may offer new platforms in enabling customer engagement apart from traditional platforms. This study explores how suppliers and customers are engaged in videoconferencing in their engagement processes in collaborative innovation. Based on an empirical study of in-depth interviews with seventeen owners/managers in biotech SMEs (Small and Medium Sized Enterprise), from a supplier's perspective it reveals that the engagement is processual and has two dimensions for the successful collaborative relationships. Videoconferencing is a platform for engagement when distance is a barrier, it's used in both dimensions of the engagement, and to facilitate cognition and support affect which help form and cement trusting relationships. The authors explain the process of videoconferencing engagement by a ladder of engagement model through social networking theory in building and applying social capital.

ACS Style

Jialin Hardwick; Alistair R. Anderson. Supplier-customer engagement for collaborative innovation using video conferencing: A study of SMEs. Industrial Marketing Management 2019, 80, 43 -57.

AMA Style

Jialin Hardwick, Alistair R. Anderson. Supplier-customer engagement for collaborative innovation using video conferencing: A study of SMEs. Industrial Marketing Management. 2019; 80 ():43-57.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jialin Hardwick; Alistair R. Anderson. 2019. "Supplier-customer engagement for collaborative innovation using video conferencing: A study of SMEs." Industrial Marketing Management 80, no. : 43-57.

Article
Published: 08 February 2019 in International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal
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The informal business sector has been garnering attention from governments and researchers. In countries where this sector plays a significant role in business activity and employment, policymakers are eager to have entrepreneurs enter or transition to the formal economy. However, with research in its infancy, there is little basis for developing effective policy. In Pakistan, there is a preponderance of informal enterprises, many of which are home-based and invisible. A key challenge for entrepreneurs in this context is gaining stakeholder legitimacy to acquire the resources they need. With the aim of ascertaining and better understanding legitimacy, this qualitative study draws upon the two dominant theoretical perspectives -institutional and strategic - to conceptually guide an exploration of the legitimation process among a cohort of Pakistani informal home-based businesses. Using the institutional lens, the primary influences on action were found to be coercive and mimetic isomorphic mechanisms. For example, the entrepreneurs stressed how essential it was to their customers that societal norms be adhered to when doing business (coercive mechanism). A surprising discovery was that the entrepreneurs deemed action countering prevailing business practice to be the best response to uncertainty (coined anti-mimetic isomorphism). Using the strategic lens, two main strategies were identified – following cultural norms such as those regarding appropriate behavior for women (conforming); and attempting to create new audiences and legitimating beliefs through business activities that advanced women’s rights (manipulating). The interactive influence of pressures from the environment and entrepreneurial action is considered, along with implications for theory and policy.

ACS Style

Monica Lent; Alistair Anderson; Mohammad Sohail Yunis; Hina Hashim. Understanding how legitimacy is acquired among informal home-based Pakistani small businesses. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal 2019, 15, 341 -361.

AMA Style

Monica Lent, Alistair Anderson, Mohammad Sohail Yunis, Hina Hashim. Understanding how legitimacy is acquired among informal home-based Pakistani small businesses. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal. 2019; 15 (2):341-361.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Monica Lent; Alistair Anderson; Mohammad Sohail Yunis; Hina Hashim. 2019. "Understanding how legitimacy is acquired among informal home-based Pakistani small businesses." International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal 15, no. 2: 341-361.

Journal article
Published: 04 February 2019 in Social Enterprise Journal
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Purpose The paper investigates an unusual form of social enterprising located in a poor region of Pakistan. The purpose of this paper is to examine a novel form of micro social enterprise. Their form and functions are considered, examining how they conform to what is expected of a social enterprise. The extreme cases are analysed to reflect on what constitutes the explanatory characteristics of a social enterprise. Design/methodology/approach Information on examples of micro social entrepreneurship was collected from the troubled context of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a very poor region of Pakistan. Using the constant comparison method, explanatory themes of structure and practice are drawn out. Findings These enterprising social agents were engaged in opening up an opportunity space for those disadvantaged by the context. Driven by a strong sense of community responsibility, they drew upon limited, but culturally available resources. Relevance, embeddedness and informality were identified as structural characteristics, and bricolage and effectuation, frugality and social responsibility emerged as practices. Not only did context shape what they did and how they did it, but the purpose of these enterprises was also to help reshape context. From this analysis, it is argued that conceptual concerns should be directed towards behaviours; it should be asked how are enterprises agents of social change, and how are they enterprising? Research limitations/implications It is argued that a robust indicator for social enterprise is not what they are, but what they do. Consequently, for understanding and theorising, it is suggested that the focus remain on enterprising. This study was limited to unusual cases which may be atypical and ungeneralisable. Nonetheless, the concept – enterprising – may have theoretical applications. Social implications In reviewing the analysis and findings, it is noted that the proposals in the paper may comprise the early stages of a theory of social entrepreneurship practice. There may be considerable explanatory power in examining the interplays between the agency of social enterprises and the structures that are constituted in the formal and informal institutions with whom they interact. Originality/value Descriptively, the account draws attention to a possibly neglected phenomenon. Moreover, the extreme cases draw out the significance of a localised practice. Conceptually, there may be value in prioritising practice in social enterprise rather than form and structure.

ACS Style

Alistair R. Anderson; Sohail Younis; Hina Hashim; Carol Air. Social enterprising informing our concept; exploring informal micro social enterprise. Social Enterprise Journal 2019, 15, 94 -110.

AMA Style

Alistair R. Anderson, Sohail Younis, Hina Hashim, Carol Air. Social enterprising informing our concept; exploring informal micro social enterprise. Social Enterprise Journal. 2019; 15 (1):94-110.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alistair R. Anderson; Sohail Younis; Hina Hashim; Carol Air. 2019. "Social enterprising informing our concept; exploring informal micro social enterprise." Social Enterprise Journal 15, no. 1: 94-110.

Journal article
Published: 21 December 2018 in Sustainability
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Entrepreneurship is often considered a male-gendered concept, and carries masculine connotations. However, the importance of women entrepreneurs and their contribution to the economy has recently been realized. Nonetheless, there is limited research about female entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship in the developing countries context. This paper challenges the implicit masculinism of the traditional entrepreneurship research, and aims to explore the enablers and constraints of female social entrepreneurship within the context of a developing country. Our theoretical focus is based on institutional and feminist perspectives, thus developing logic through reconciling predictions from these two competing theories. This integration contributes by offering novel insights about social entrepreneurship. Utilising an interpretive qualitative research approach, data from in-depth interviews with ten female social entrepreneurs of KP, Pakistan were analyzed using thematic analysis. Empirically, we identify and discuss a number of interesting and explanatory themes affecting female entrepreneurship such as “women empowerment, patriarchal culture, role of culture and societal norms, religious extremism and terrorism, forced entrepreneurs, change creators, unique institutional constraints, institutional corruption and security issues”. The findings highlight female entrepreneurs’ struggle for sustainability, and explain how this occurs. The paper also provides an interesting insight into how context determines social entrepreneurship in KP, Pakistan.

ACS Style

Mohammad Sohail Yunis; Hina Hashim; Alistair R. Anderson. Enablers and Constraints of Female Entrepreneurship in Khyber Pukhtunkhawa, Pakistan: Institutional and Feminist Perspectives. Sustainability 2018, 11, 27 .

AMA Style

Mohammad Sohail Yunis, Hina Hashim, Alistair R. Anderson. Enablers and Constraints of Female Entrepreneurship in Khyber Pukhtunkhawa, Pakistan: Institutional and Feminist Perspectives. Sustainability. 2018; 11 (1):27.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mohammad Sohail Yunis; Hina Hashim; Alistair R. Anderson. 2018. "Enablers and Constraints of Female Entrepreneurship in Khyber Pukhtunkhawa, Pakistan: Institutional and Feminist Perspectives." Sustainability 11, no. 1: 27.

Journal article
Published: 31 July 2018 in International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of how the institutions of family and culture play out in shaping family business practices. This study focusses on family business led by poor entrepreneurial women in a context of extreme poverty. Design/methodology/approach The methods included participant observation, focus groups and interviews in two poor villages in South-East Nigeria. Thematic analysis was used to develop insight about how the institutions of family and culture shape family business practices. Findings The analysis demonstrated that the family, with associated responsibilities and norms, is a powerful institution that determines women’s role and business behaviours. Poor entrepreneurial women depend on the family to run their business, but also use the business to sustain the family. They make use of their limited resources (e.g. time, money, skills) to meet families’ basic needs and pay for necessities such as children’s education. These are family priorities, rather than maximising profits. Research limitations/implications The study was limited to rural Africa, in particular to a small sample of rural women entrepreneurs in South-East Nigeria, and as such, the findings are not necessarily generalisable, but may be at a conceptual level. Practical implications The study has highlighted the need to tailor micro-enterprise development programmes that facilitate change, add values to entrepreneurial activities and support women to fulfil their roles and ease institutional pressures affecting rural women economic activities. In short, such programmes need to account for cultural institutions. Social implications This study presents insights of the influence of institutions (family and culture) in business led by rural Nigerian women. Originality/value This research fills a gap in the family business literature by offering conceptual insights about how the institutional obligations of family mean that micro-enterprising should be conceptualised as an entity, rather than as a family in business or the family business.

ACS Style

Lin Xiong; Irene Ukanwa; Alistair R. Anderson. Institutional influence and the role of family in poor women’s micropreneurship. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research 2018, 26, 122 -140.

AMA Style

Lin Xiong, Irene Ukanwa, Alistair R. Anderson. Institutional influence and the role of family in poor women’s micropreneurship. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research. 2018; 26 (1):122-140.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lin Xiong; Irene Ukanwa; Alistair R. Anderson. 2018. "Institutional influence and the role of family in poor women’s micropreneurship." International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research 26, no. 1: 122-140.

Research article
Published: 03 July 2018 in The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
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This article considers how we conceive and research rural entrepreneurship. While we argue for the importance of context for understanding entrepreneuring, we also acknowledge that some perceptions of the rural context may be misleading. We critically review how the rural in rural entrepreneurship has been applied. We find how some romancing of the rural has had detrimental effects in theorizing about rural. However, we also find and discuss the interesting range of relationships between the rural and the entrepreneurship presented in the literature. We conclude that a conceptually robust approach can be achieved by examining the nature and extent of entrepreneurial engagement with the contexts that characterize the rural. Finally, we propose methods that will enable us to achieve better understanding of the processes of rural.

ACS Style

Johan Gaddefors; Alistair R Anderson. Romancing the rural: Reconceptualizing rural entrepreneurship as engagement with context(s). The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation 2018, 20, 159 -169.

AMA Style

Johan Gaddefors, Alistair R Anderson. Romancing the rural: Reconceptualizing rural entrepreneurship as engagement with context(s). The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. 2018; 20 (3):159-169.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Johan Gaddefors; Alistair R Anderson. 2018. "Romancing the rural: Reconceptualizing rural entrepreneurship as engagement with context(s)." The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation 20, no. 3: 159-169.

Article
Published: 22 February 2018 in Group Decision and Negotiation
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of confidence in how both new and experienced entrepreneurs interpret and make sense of their business environment to inform decision-making. We illustrate our conceptual arguments with descriptive results from a large-scale (n = 6289) survey on entrepreneurs’ perception of business performance and their decisions taken at a time of uncertainty in an economic downturn. Quantitative findings are stratified along experiential lines to explore heterogeneity in entrepreneurial decision-making and directly inform our conceptual arguments, while qualitative data from open questions are used to explain the role of confidence. Newer entrepreneurs are found to be more optimistic in the face of environmental risk, which impacts on their decision-making and innovative capabilities. However, the more experienced entrepreneurs warily maintain margin and restructure to adapt to environmental changes. Instead of looking directly at the confidence of individuals, we show how confidence impacts sensemaking, and ultimately, decision-making. These insights inform research on the behaviour of novice and experienced entrepreneurs in relation to innovative business activities. Specifically, blanket assumptions on the role of confidence may be misplaced as its impact changes with experience to alter how entrepreneurs make sense of their environment.

ACS Style

James Cunningham; Alistair R. Anderson. Inspired or Foolhardy: Sensemaking, Confidence and Entrepreneurs’ Decision-Making. Group Decision and Negotiation 2018, 27, 393 -415.

AMA Style

James Cunningham, Alistair R. Anderson. Inspired or Foolhardy: Sensemaking, Confidence and Entrepreneurs’ Decision-Making. Group Decision and Negotiation. 2018; 27 (3):393-415.

Chicago/Turabian Style

James Cunningham; Alistair R. Anderson. 2018. "Inspired or Foolhardy: Sensemaking, Confidence and Entrepreneurs’ Decision-Making." Group Decision and Negotiation 27, no. 3: 393-415.

Journal article
Published: 11 February 2018 in Journal of Small Business Management
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We examine entrepreneurship practice and identity work in a rural small town in New Zealand. Once prosperous, the town suffered economically and socially as old industries closed. Recently the town was rejuvenated, largely because of Linda's entrepreneurial activities. Our findings demonstrated conflict between her entrepreneurial identity and local sense of place. We theorize Linda's entrepreneurial identity in her business practice; where she experienced controversy, despite economic success. We argue that a complete understanding of identity and entrepreneurship practices requires attention to social and spatial processes, not just economic processes.

ACS Style

Alistair R. Anderson; Lorraine Warren; Jo Bensemann. Identity, Enactment, and Entrepreneurship Engagement in a Declining Place. Journal of Small Business Management 2018, 57, 1559 -1577.

AMA Style

Alistair R. Anderson, Lorraine Warren, Jo Bensemann. Identity, Enactment, and Entrepreneurship Engagement in a Declining Place. Journal of Small Business Management. 2018; 57 (4):1559-1577.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alistair R. Anderson; Lorraine Warren; Jo Bensemann. 2018. "Identity, Enactment, and Entrepreneurship Engagement in a Declining Place." Journal of Small Business Management 57, no. 4: 1559-1577.

Research article
Published: 22 December 2017 in Action Research
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Narrative is an important tool for developing and writing up action research experiences. Its power lies in the fact that narrative construction and narrative recounting are fundamental human communication practices. Narratives are also knowledge producing devices, since they make sense of personal experiences and share that sense-giving with others. However, the twinned duality of narrative knowing (sense-making) and narrative telling (communicating that sense) has often caused narrative as a methodological approach to be disregarded or misunderstood. Our objective is to reflect on how we can best use the narrative method in action research by paying due attention to these issues. In doing so, we consider ontologies, epistemologies and key characteristics. We argue that what has been seen as a weakness in the narrative method, its deep subjectivity, can actually be employed as an analytical strength in action research. We show how examining explanations of context, inherent in narrative processes, can provide rich insights into the meanings of phenomena.

ACS Style

Nuria Toledano; Alistair R. Anderson. Theoretical reflections on narrative in action research. Action Research 2017, 18, 302 -318.

AMA Style

Nuria Toledano, Alistair R. Anderson. Theoretical reflections on narrative in action research. Action Research. 2017; 18 (3):302-318.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nuria Toledano; Alistair R. Anderson. 2017. "Theoretical reflections on narrative in action research." Action Research 18, no. 3: 302-318.

Journal article
Published: 03 November 2017 in Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the problem of why the poorest, most disadvantaged groups such as rural African women, benefit less from microfinance. The authors focus on the perception and experiences of ordinary rural entrepreneurial women on microfinance in a context of extreme poverty and where family responsibility and economic activities are closely intertwined. Design/methodology/approach The authors purposefully sampled 15 poor females with small businesses in two Nigerian villages. The key characteristic guiding the sampling was that the respondents had to be poor. The authors held two focus groups and ten interviews to capture their experience and understanding of microfinance. The authors used thematic analysis to establish patterns in the data. Findings For poor entrepreneurial women, a livelihood for survival, putting food on the table and paying school fees are priorities, not business growth. They see microcredit as debt and a great risk that could lead to irreversible losses. Family responsibilities for basic consumption needs of the household can affect their ability to repay loans; perceived dangers of microcredit may outweigh potential benefits. Research limitations/implications The theories, especially functionalist economic theory, do not take account of microfinance users’ experiences. Practical implications Microfinance should be aware that the poorest perceive microcredit differently and should eliminate the intimidating barriers raised to them. Instead of providing a means for the poor to alleviate poverty or coping strategies for them to manage cash flows and risks, microfinance causes fear and anxiety by demanding high rate of return in a very short period of time. Social implications The very poorest, who should be the beneficiaries of microfinance, are less likely to be able to benefit. The condition of poverty creates different realities for those at the base of the pyramid. Originality/value This research questions the neoliberal rationality assumptions that microfinance rest on; the paper fills a gap in the literature, i.e. how the potential borrowers themselves living in deep-rooted poverty perceive and experience microfinance.

ACS Style

Irene Ukanwa; Lin Xiong; Alistair Anderson. Experiencing microfinance. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development 2017, 25, 428 -446.

AMA Style

Irene Ukanwa, Lin Xiong, Alistair Anderson. Experiencing microfinance. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development. 2017; 25 (3):428-446.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Irene Ukanwa; Lin Xiong; Alistair Anderson. 2017. "Experiencing microfinance." Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development 25, no. 3: 428-446.

E conceptual paper
Published: 05 June 2017 in Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the explanatory power of existing theories of entrepreneurship. The authors find gaps and fragmentation and offer propose a different approach – a theory of entrepreneuring – a theory of practice. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper, but the authors draw heavily on the literature. They also offer examples of what the theory can offer. Findings Existing theory is good at explaining aspects of entrepreneurship. However, most theories are discipline bound and operate in silos. A theory of entrepreneurship practice can connect and bridge disciplines. Originality/value A theory of entrepreneurship as practice will not replace current theories. It will however complement them and thus be well suited to emerging economies.

ACS Style

Alistair R. Anderson; Sébastien Ronteau. Towards an entrepreneurial theory of practice; emerging ideas for emerging economies. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies 2017, 9, 110 -120.

AMA Style

Alistair R. Anderson, Sébastien Ronteau. Towards an entrepreneurial theory of practice; emerging ideas for emerging economies. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies. 2017; 9 (2):110-120.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alistair R. Anderson; Sébastien Ronteau. 2017. "Towards an entrepreneurial theory of practice; emerging ideas for emerging economies." Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies 9, no. 2: 110-120.

Article
Published: 17 May 2017 in International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal
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Although the importance of diverse knowledge is widely recognised for open innovation, there may be a gap in our understanding of the social processes that shape how collaborators engage in knowledge exchange. This social gap may be significant because of the powerful, but largely unexplained, role attributed to trust as a social artefact. Moreover, we see trust as a process and that different types of trust are involved in the collaborative process. Thus, this paper uses a qualitative methodology to capture the experiences of innovation collaborators. As explanation of the dynamic interplays of knowledge and trust, we offer a description of phases in the process. Our analysis finds that the relationship moves from transactional to social. The early phases are characterised by technical knowledge, but the later and mature phases are identified with knowledge of the person and by personal trust. The success of innovation is a result of relationships with augmented trust. We found that a fabric of trust is woven from the weft of professional knowledge and the warp of personal knowledge to support innovation. We propose that this developing of relationships might be conceived as becoming more open in the sense of sharing with one another. If so, we seem to have described and offered a social dimension of open innovation.

ACS Style

Alistair R. Anderson; Jialin Hardwick. Collaborating for innovation: the socialised management of knowledge. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal 2017, 13, 1181 -1197.

AMA Style

Alistair R. Anderson, Jialin Hardwick. Collaborating for innovation: the socialised management of knowledge. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal. 2017; 13 (4):1181-1197.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alistair R. Anderson; Jialin Hardwick. 2017. "Collaborating for innovation: the socialised management of knowledge." International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal 13, no. 4: 1181-1197.

Research article
Published: 09 May 2017 in The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
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The German economy is praised for its stability, creating a seemingly strong economic environment in which entrepreneurship should thrive. Our research problem is that, in spite of the strong economy, new venture creation rates are substantially lower than in other comparable economies. We employ a social constructivist approach and find that the way entrepreneurs are valued offers an explanation for this apparent inconsistency. We found strong evidence that, far from the heroic figure often attributed to entrepreneurs, German entrepreneurial identity is characterized as reckless and not sufficiently serious. Our findings have implications for understanding entrepreneurship as a career choice in Germany. More broadly, they show nuanced national differences in meaning and applications of enterprise cultures.

ACS Style

Jan Niklas Kalden; James Cunningham; Alistair Anderson. The social status of entrepreneurs. The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation 2017, 18, 91 -104.

AMA Style

Jan Niklas Kalden, James Cunningham, Alistair Anderson. The social status of entrepreneurs. The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. 2017; 18 (2):91-104.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jan Niklas Kalden; James Cunningham; Alistair Anderson. 2017. "The social status of entrepreneurs." The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation 18, no. 2: 91-104.

Journal article
Published: 13 March 2017 in International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain how context shapes what becomes entrepreneurial. Design/methodology/approach The paper is part of a longitudinal study over ten years, an ethnographic work including interviews, participating in meetings and shadowing. Texts and voices boiled down to transcripts and notes were sorted in NVivo. The empirical material was presented as a simple, short story, with the aim to question established assumptions and relations. The paper propose context as the unit for analysis, instead of entrepreneurs and outcomes. This opened up the scale from a narrow individualism to a much broader appreciation of the entrepreneurship as shaped by social factors. Findings The paper provides insights about how context determines entrepreneurship. It is not simply the context in itself, but the things that are going on in the context. What entrepreneurship does is to connect and thus create a raft of changes. The paper suggests that to depart from context as the unit of analysis will avoid the objectification of entrepreneurship and open up for discussing the becoming of entrepreneurship. The case illustrates how entrepreneurship is an event in a flow of changing circumstances. Entrepreneurship is formed from the context itself, rather than being individual or social; entrepreneurship appears simultaneously to be both. Entrepreneurship can and does exist in multiple states regardless of the observer and the observation. Originality/value This paper fulfils an identified need to learn more about how entrepreneurship and context interact. It illustrates how context is more engaged in the entrepreneurial process than entrepreneurship theory acknowledges.

ACS Style

Johan Gaddefors; Alistair R. Anderson. Entrepreneursheep and context: when entrepreneurship is greater than entrepreneurs. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research 2017, 23, 267 -278.

AMA Style

Johan Gaddefors, Alistair R. Anderson. Entrepreneursheep and context: when entrepreneurship is greater than entrepreneurs. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research. 2017; 23 (2):267-278.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Johan Gaddefors; Alistair R. Anderson. 2017. "Entrepreneursheep and context: when entrepreneurship is greater than entrepreneurs." International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research 23, no. 2: 267-278.