Simon Down

Generational Encounters and the Social Formation of Entrepreneurial Identity – 'Young Guns' and 'Old Farts'

Generational relations and entrepreneurialism in organizations are attracting increasing attention from organizational scholars. This article bridges these areas of interest, by examining how entrepreneurial identity is shaped by generational encounters within a small organization context. In so doing, it contributes to ongoing challenges to the scientistic orthodoxy regarding the formation of entrepreneurial persons. Evidence from an ethnographic study of two joint ownermanagers in the port fendering industry is presented. Wenger’s ‘community of practice’ framework is used to show that generational encounters, through their influence on self-identity, are an important social context of the decision to embark on an entrepreneurial career. By emphasizing micro-socially situated aspects of identity formation, this article provides an interactionist complement to recent accounts of entrepreneurs and identities as being (re)produced by discourses that have hegemonic effects.

Constructing Narratives of Enterprise: Clichés and Entrepreneurial Self-Identity

Purpose: To extend the repertoire of narrative resources relevant in the creation and maintenance of entrepreneurial identity, and to explore the implications for understanding entrepreneurial behaviour. Methodology/Approach: The empirical research is based on a two and a half year ethnographic study of a small UK industrial firm. Findings: The study describes how cliches used by aspirant entrepreneurs are significant elements in creating entrepreneurial self-identity. In contrast to entrepreneurial metaphors, the study of which has highlighted and revealed the extraordinary components of an entrepreneurial narrative identity, examination of the cliches provide us with a means by which to understand the everyday and ordinary elements of identity construction in entrepreneurs. Research Limitations/Implications: Further qualitative research in other entrepreneurial settings will be required, exploring the generality of cliche use amongst entrepreneurs. Practical Implications: Applying the implications of our findings for pedagogic and business support uses is not explored and will need further development; we do however suggest that narrative approaches that make sense of entrepreneurship as an achievable aim may have some practical use. Originality/Value of Paper: The application of cliche as a distinctive linguistic feature of entrepreneurial self-identity construction is highly original and reflects analogous work on entrepreneurial metaphors. Because of its ethnographic data, the paper develops empirically and conceptually rich insights into entrepreneurship.

Owner-Manager Learning in Small Firms

The purpose of this paper is to review the relevant literature concerning the skills and knowledge of owner‐managers in small firms and to show how these might be enhanced and made more effective through alternative transferral and “teaching” strategies. It is shown that small firms are not isolated from their environment and are interdependently and inexorably linked with other organisations (suppliers, for instance). In this environment, and through these relationships, the majority of owner‐manager learning takes place. The implications for owner‐managers and the support environment are explored and recommendations for further research to explore the empirical reality of owner‐manager learning are presented.

Enterprise support for older entrepreneurs: the case of PRIME in the UK

Purpose – The objective of this paper is to examine the potential for and barriers to older enterprise as well as the role and contribution of specific enterprise support policy, focusing in particular on socially disadvantaged older people.Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of a single case study of the Princes Initiative for Mature Enterprise (PRIME) with multiple data sources, including a synthesis of current literature, PRIME self‐evaluation reports, interviews with PRIME personnel and results of a recent survey of 283 individuals who had contacted PRIME for enterprise advice and support.Findings – The paper finds that, with respect to older enterprise support policy, the tentative results presented in this study seem encouraging in terms of a positive social and economic role for older enterprise support work. However, due to the limitations of the data, a number of questions need additional clarification in future research. Longitudinal research designs are required to investiga...

“Modern” learning methods: rhetoric and reality

The application of technology in both its “hard” (for example through computing technology) and “soft” (for example through instructional design ) forms has enhanced the range of training methods available to practitioners. Much rhetoric has surrounded the use of techniques such as distance learning and computer‐based learning methods. The study aimed to explore the attitudes of managers to these “modern” approaches and other more “traditional” methods. A questionnaire survey of over 200 managers in organisations of all sizes and from a range of sectors was conducted. The data suggest that distance learning is not widely used as it is perceived as less effective, whereas at‐job learning, as well as being widely used is also perceived as being the most effective method. An analysis in terms of firm size revealed more similarities than differences between larger and smaller firms. The theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.

It Pays to Be Nice to People: Investors in People; The Search for Measurable Benefits

Investigates the business benefits achievable through the process of recognition for investors in people (IIP). The policy context of IIP is examined. The possitbility of links between human resource initiatives such as IIP and business performance raises questions about a wider range of HR issues and their value. The potential benefits are explored through interviews with a variety of organisations which have achieved recognition. Two measurement frames are used, employee and organisational performance, allowing a wide range of measures to be examined. The study finds that motives for recognition are varied, leading to a widespread failure to identify the benefits which are in fact gained. Suggests that a wide range of benefits derive from the IIP process and that organisations which change substantially to achieve recognition would gain substantially greater benefits.

Adding Value to HRD: Evaluation, Investors in People and Small Firm Training.

The aim of this study was to explore the evaluation practices of a sample of organizations in England and Wales who had signalled some commitment to training and evaluation by embarking on the UKs Investors in People (IiP) standard. A questionnaire survey was sent to 1,000 firms and usable responses were received from 394 organizations. It was found that formative and delayed evaluations were used less frequently than immediate and context (needs analysis) evaluations. In the majority of cases the responsibility for evaluation was that of managers and the most frequently used methods were informal feedback and questionnaires. Operational reasons for evaluating training were cited more frequently than strategic ones. Information derived from evaluations was used mostly for feedback to individuals and to inform the training process and less for return on investment decisions. There were some statistically significant effects of organizational size on evaluation practice. The results are discussed in terms ...

The Distinctiveness of the European Tradition in Entrepreneurship Research

The papers presented in this special issue follow on from ideas and discussions had at a workshop organized by the Centre for Knowledge, Innovation, Technology and Enterprise (KITE), at Newcastle University, and the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, Strathclyde University, held at Newcastle University Business School in June 2010. Its purpose was to bring together like-minded scholars and to celebrate and solidify a certain approach to studying enterprise. I have herding propensities and felt that this collective identity needed further definition. We should create a ‘European’ School of entrepreneurship, I thought. Academics resist being herded, and institutional definition ultimately gave way, after some discussion, to a focus on, to quote from the post-workshop call for papers, ‘the distinctiveness of the European tradition in entrepreneurship research’. The revised call for papers (Down and Cope 2010) went on to explain, This follows what we felt was a majority view that the notion of a “School” was too strong a formulation, and that what is common and distinctive is a commitment to a European tradition of research and theorising – one which adopts a broader social-science (and humanities) perspective and is critical, reflexive and attentive to history than a great deal of mainstream entrepreneurship scholarship. ‘European’ in this context of course alludes to some geographical differences, but more importantly it reflects a commitment to these intellectual orientations. This then is what we are about with this issue of Entrepreneurship and Regional Development.

Examining the effect of ‘entre-tainment’ as a cultural influence on entrepreneurial intentions

Little is known about the effect that cultural media has in influencing attitudes and behaviours towards entrepreneurship. In addressing this research gap this article employs a neologism – ‘entre-tainment’ – briefly defined as televisual media that stage and perform entrepreneurship for entertainment purposes. This study surveyed university students to test three hypotheses which examine the relationship between perceptions of ‘entre-tainment’ and entrepreneurial intent (multiple regression model using ordinary least squares). The findings conclude that there is a positive relationship between the skills that students believe they ascertain when they watch ‘entre-tainment’, and entrepreneurial intention. Furthermore, the social legitimacy that they attach to this cultural media has a similar positive effect. Finally, the greater the social legitimacy attached to ‘entre-tainment’, the stronger the relationship between perceived skills and entrepreneurial intention. The analysis focuses on the broader implications of these findings of potential effects of entre-tainment in transmitting narrow messages of what it means to behave entrepreneurially.

A Historiographical Account of Workplace and Organizational Ethnography

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that the production of past workplace and organizational ethnographies needs to be better understood in their historical context. Design/methodology/approach – A programme of research work on the history of workplace and organizational ethnography is proposed, and a historiographical discussion outlines the purpose, scope and means by which such a project might be realised. Findings – The article highlights why organizational ethnographers should understand the history of their research practice. Originality/value – The paper suggests that a serious attempt is made to create a body of historical knowledge about workplace and organizational ethnography. The value of this would be to deepen the contribution ethnographic research makes to organization and management studies, and ensure that continuity and change in ethnographic research practices are better understood.