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Sustaining entrepreneurial business: a complexity perspective on processes that produce emergent practice

Sustaining entrepreneurial business: a complexity perspective on processes that produce emergent practice
Sustaining entrepreneurial business: a complexity perspective on processes that produce emergent practice
This article examines the management practices in an entrepreneurial small firm which sustain the business. Using a longitudinal qualitative case study, four general processes are identified (experimentation, reflexivity, organising and sensing), that together provide a mechanism to sustain the enterprise. The analysis draws on concepts from entrepreneurship and complexity science. We suggest that an entrepreneur’s awareness of the role of these parallel processes will facilitate their approaches to sustaining and developing enterprises. We also suggest that these processes operate in parallel at multiple levels, including the self, the business and inter-firm networks. This finding contributes to a general theory of entrepreneurship. A number of areas for further research are discussed arising from this result.
entrepreneurship, complexity theory, emergence, sustainability
1554-7191
1-17
Fuller, Ted
4a3b20ff-2400-4677-8fe1-b9866366ad6d
Warren, Lorraine
1ec8193d-f90f-48f6-9205-041dcf89121d
Argyle, Paul
9467a5d8-9116-40f8-8fda-b0ffa961e046
Fuller, Ted
4a3b20ff-2400-4677-8fe1-b9866366ad6d
Warren, Lorraine
1ec8193d-f90f-48f6-9205-041dcf89121d
Argyle, Paul
9467a5d8-9116-40f8-8fda-b0ffa961e046

Fuller, Ted, Warren, Lorraine and Argyle, Paul (2008) Sustaining entrepreneurial business: a complexity perspective on processes that produce emergent practice. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 4 (1), 1-17. (doi:10.1007/s11365-007-0047-y).

Record type: Article

Abstract

This article examines the management practices in an entrepreneurial small firm which sustain the business. Using a longitudinal qualitative case study, four general processes are identified (experimentation, reflexivity, organising and sensing), that together provide a mechanism to sustain the enterprise. The analysis draws on concepts from entrepreneurship and complexity science. We suggest that an entrepreneur’s awareness of the role of these parallel processes will facilitate their approaches to sustaining and developing enterprises. We also suggest that these processes operate in parallel at multiple levels, including the self, the business and inter-firm networks. This finding contributes to a general theory of entrepreneurship. A number of areas for further research are discussed arising from this result.

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More information

Published date: March 2008
Keywords: entrepreneurship, complexity theory, emergence, sustainability

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 58468
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/58468
ISSN: 1554-7191
PURE UUID: 408a84c4-544c-4160-ad01-a31ed8a71bdc

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Date deposited: 18 Aug 2008
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 11:11

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Contributors

Author: Ted Fuller
Author: Lorraine Warren
Author: Paul Argyle

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