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- Lindgren, Monica, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
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A project-based view of entrepreneurship : Towards action-orientation, seriality and collectivity
- 2003. - 1
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Ingår i: New movements of entrepreneurship. - Cheltenham : Edward Elgar Publishing. - 1843762196 ; , s. 86-102
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Traditional entrepreneurship research often tends to view entrepreneurship in terms of individual actors starting enterprises, an approach which might limit further development of entrepreneurship theory. The project-based view of entrepreneurship proposed here instead focuses on the organising of entrepreneurial acts (action-orientation). Such entrepreneurial acts can be, but are not limited to, enterprise start-ups – entrepreneurship also happens in many other forms. Moreover, those acts are temporary by nature, which means that they can be analysed in terms of projects. Saying that entrepreneurial acts are temporary projects means that people can perform several entrepreneurial acts during a lifetime – in different ways and with different results (seriality). Entrepreneurial acts are also viewed as collective ones, organised by several actors in actor networks temporarily coupled together by a somewhat common mission (collectivity). From this reasoning, it also follows that empirical investigation of project-based entrepreneurship should be made with a narrative approach, understanding the entrepreneurial act as a part of the various actors’ construction of identity. With respect to every actor’s - socially constructed - view of reality we therefore can understand the social construction of the entrepreneurial act. By stressing a project-based view with a social constructionist perspective we hope to encourage pluralism and diversity in theory, practice and methodology.
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| 3. |
- Lindgren, Monica, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
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A Project-based View of Entrepreneurship : Serial Entrepreneurs and Collective Action
- 2001
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- One important concern of the ongoing debates within entrepreneurship research is the tendency of operationalising entrepreneurship as enterprise start-ups. However, some researchers have noted that entrepreneurship and enterprise start-up are not always connected - entrepreneurial acts do not always result in a formal enterprise and not all enterprises are the result of an innovative entrepreneurial act. Moreover, the individual entrepreneur is usually identified from a single start-up, which means that serial entrepreneurship and/or other entrepreneurial acts in their life paths are neglected. If an enterprise start-up is an entrepreneurial act or not should be regarded as context-dependent; to start a traditional enterprise in an established and legitimate industry should not be regarded as ”entrepreneurial” as starting an innovative one in a context characterised by scepticism and hostility. In addition, there is also a tendency in society to organise innovative processes in terms of projects rather than as enterprises, and there are also research results indicating that some individuals handle enterprise start-ups as a sequence of projects in which the entrepreneur goes on to new start-ups when the enterprise has been established on the market. To summarise, there are several reasons for analysing both entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial acts in terms of project-based work. The aim of the paper is thus to discuss and argue for a project-based view of entrepreneurship, which means that the ongoing entrepreneurial acts of the individual is studied in terms of time-limited courses of action. Our analysis of a number of narratives from individuals working in creative projects (theatres and musicals, regional development and independent schools) shows that their entrepreneurship is most evident both in terms of idea generation and project organising, and that a lot of non-standardised project work is in fact entrepreneurial acts according to most definitions. These individuals also tended towards serial entrepreneurship, where projects, endeavours in private life, community work and also enterprise start-ups were mixed over time. In order to further our understanding of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship, it seems most important to study series of entrepreneurial acts in the life path of an individual rather than each act as a single event. An additional conclusion from these empirical data is that these entrepreneurial acts cannot always be ascribed single individuals only. To realise innovative ideas, it is often necessary that several individuals are involved in terms of teams or social networks. To put forward an creative and/or innovative idea should in itself be regarded as an entrepreneurial act (speaking is also an act), but to transform it into successful action teamwork is required where issues concerning practical implementation, organising, marketing etc must also be subject to entrepreneurial thinking and action. From this, we conclude that entrepreneurship should be studied in terms of serial projects in the life course of individuals. In order to understand this process we argue that qualitative studies, of narrative character, are necessary. By such an approach, the concept of entrepreneurship is extended from enterprise start-up as an empirical phenomenon to the individual and collective creative and innovative acts that individuals and groups of individuals perform during their lives in different dimensions, forms and societal sectors.
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| 6. |
- Lindgren, Monica, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
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Entrepreneurship inside and outside community : On the promises and problems of deviating
- 2004
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this article is to contribute to a developed understanding of the phenomenon of entrepreneurship as deviating from its local cultural context. This is done through the analysis of an in-depth case study made from a social constructionist perspective. Entrepreneurial individuals and collectives define themselves - and are defined by others - in relation to general expectations on what an entrepreneur is and how he or she should behave, and we therefore claim that the entrepreneurial process is about identifying, challenging and breaking institutionalized patterns, to temporarily de-socialize from society rather than socialize into it.In this paper, we present an in-depth study of the Hultsfred rock festival in Sweden and how the actors behind the festival has initiated a number of entrepreneurial processes over the years. The study is based on recurrent interviews, participant observation and documentation. In the interviews with the (inter)actors in the Hultsfred organisation, a number of narrative themes on the relation between the entrepreneurial processes and the context emerged. One such theme was the image of rock music and rock culture as rebellious and different as compared to the local culture of sports. Another theme was the massive lack of local understanding for the special characteristics of the music industry, this due to the traditional industrial structure of the region. The relation between the RockCity people and their context has also been characterised by an ongoing debate on the relation between culture and commercial business (cf also Mort et al, 2003), which has also led to severe internal conflicts. It appeared that when met by scepticism on the local arena, RockCity instead focused on networking and collaboration on other arenas; regionally, nationally and internationally. Still, they all share a basic desire to make Hultsfred a better and more prosperous place to live, which represents an aim to contribute and be respected, to be seen as an important and relevant part of community development.
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| 7. |
- Lindgren, Monica, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
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Interactive entrepreneurship : Studying entrepreneurship as projects, in projects
- 2002
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- While the development of mainstream entrepreneurship research has been quite successful in academic terms, the field has adopted some taken-for-granted assumptions and views hampering its further development, e.g. the polarisation between individual voluntarism and institutional determinism, the focus on single individuals, the focus on enterprise start-ups etc. Contrary to that, we propose a social constructionist epistemology in entrepreneurship research, according to which entrepreneurship is collectively organised by individuals in interaction, i.e. as projects. In this paper, two issues connected to the notion of ‘interactive entrepreneurship’ are discussed; the meaning of innovative social processes and the empirical inquiry on innovative projects. It is concluded by a discussion on how recent developments in project management can be beneficial to entrepreneurship research.
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| 9. |
- Lindgren, Monica, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
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Interactive entrepreneurship : Entrepreneurial processes from a social constructionist perspective
- 2004
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper views entrepreneurship from a social constructionist perspective. The basic standpoint is thus that entrepreneurship is an inter-subjective construct produced and re-produced in everyday social interaction. To understand this interaction in practice, the entire entrepreneurial process should be inquired into – how/why entrepreneurial ideas emerge, how/why ideas are developed as legitimate, how/why interaction between actors unfold, how/why different roles develop, etc. In order to develop a theoretical understanding of entrepreneurial processes in general from this perspective, we need to (1) make in-depth studies of a limited number of processes, (2), choose processes that is intended to imply construction of newness, and (3) follow these processes and involved co-actors over time. The aim of the paper is thus to suggest concepts and theories through which an enhanced understanding of entrepreneurship in terms of interactive processes can be achieved. The empirical data of the paper is based on three in-depth case studies in Swedish independent schools and one entertainment industry organisation, the Söderbaum school, the Viktor Rydberg Gymnasium and the Hultsfred rock festival. All involved co-actors have been repeatedly interviewed, and we have also been participant observers in their daily interaction. These data have been subject to a narrative analysis where the stories – i.e. the narratives of the participants – are re-written by the researcher in order to cover relevant events, conflicts etc that convey a straightforward understanding of the entrepreneurial process. From these two cases, a number of implications for theory development can be drawn and discussed. The entrepreneurial process per se is often perceived as limited in time, whereafter continuous management of what has been created follows. Most of the decision-making throughout the process happens in informal interaction, and the interactors assume different roles in the process (i.e. the idea generator, the organizer, the public face, the diplomat, the practical guy etc), implying specialization but also learning from each other. Since many of the co-actors often work together again in different constellations on new related entrepreneurial processes, they change these roles over time. Also, social networks are used consciously in order to create long-term benefits. Money and culture are not seen as opposites – money is a tool to create freedom to do what is important and fun, i.e. create new entrepreneurial processes. Finally, there appears to exist a notion of entrepreneurial careers; by increasing age, personal interests, rebellionship and groupthink are gradually substituted by a sense of responsibility for employees, family and society, by professionalism as ideal, and by activities such as networking and mentorship.
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