Although the subject of trust has received increasing attention in the fields of organisation studies and, to some extent, entrepreneurship, the field has, to date, largely been characterised by theoretical work which, though useful, is still often difficult - if not impossible to operationalise. This book adopts an alternative view to the scientific, modernist approach to organisational study, moving beyond a simple study of trust in organisations to tackle some of the more fundamental philosophical issues that surround management studies and entrepreneurship.

. . . a very significant contribution made by the book is the thoughtful, but by no means negative, counterpoint to the omniscient vision of the nascent Schumpeterian superhero. While it is well grounded theoretically, it remains a highly accessible and an engaging read. . . An authoritative and informative account. Lorraine Warren, International Small Business Journal . . . a rich text for expert and non-expert alike. Down makes a valuable addition to the field of enterprise research by highlighting the value of empirical studies of narrative-identity for representing the quieter voices of entrepreneurial activity which he hopes challenge the naysayers . Andrew Greenman, Work, Employment and Society Engagingly written, this sparkling account of the ebb and flow of workaday entrepreneurship injects real life into a field that is too often cluttered by arid enumerators and profilers of irrelevancies. There is space for the accomplished storyteller to provide everyday entrepreneurs with their place in the sun. In this stimulating book, Simon Down marks out this territory in an exemplary fashion. Monder Ram, De Montfort University, UK Writing about small firms all too often bores us with rather abstract survey-based data, irritates us with anecdotal snippets or frustrates us with un-theorised and over-detailed descriptions. Simon Down not only avoids these problems, he delights us with a rich, detailed and entertaining account of life in a small firm. Above all, though, his account is informative and revealing, especially about the entrepreneurial aspects of small firm life and what this means for the people involved. Tony J. Watson, Nottingham University, UK Simon Down s timely ethnographic study takes a philosophically reflective and empirically detailed look at the way in which enterprising people use narrative resources to construct their identity as entrepreneurs. The book draws on a wide range of intellectual sources, from naturalistic philosophy and social-psychology to sociology and organisational theory. Written in a strong narrative style, the book succeeds in making the often complex and inaccessible theories on self-identity easy to understand and convincing in relation to other notions of individual agency. Social aspects of self-identity are examined and elaborated on via the development of concepts such as clichés, generations, space and relationships. These concepts are, in turn, drawn from the narrative, temporal, spatial and relational frameworks through which individuals express self-identity. Neither super-heroes nor villains, the case-study entrepreneurs in Narratives of Enterprise emerge as normal people who seek to make sense of the world through their enterprising activity. Providing a much needed and sophisticated empirical benchmark in a range of debates current in enterprise and organisation studies, this highly accessible book is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of self-identity and the character of the entrepreneur.

This volume explores how the limitations of human knowledge creates opportunities as well as problems in the modern economy.

This volume explores how the limitations of human knowledge creates opportunities as well as problems in the modern economy.

The purpose of this book is to examine the nature of organizational innovation and change by looking at the complex interplay between entrepreneurship, innovation and culture.

'This highly original book focuses on human resource management issues in the context of entrepreneurial and small firms, including original theoretical and empirical chapters. . . the book offers a unique insight into understanding the role of HRM in developing sustainable entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ventures as well as how HRM practices and procedures can be used to help navigate, or indeed drive, the changing landscape in smaller and entrepreneurial firms. It is a useful resource for many small firms, entrepreneurship and economic development researchers, and also for policy-makers and post-graduate students interested in these areas. It provides a starting point to consider a variety of issues with regard to HRM and, in this regard it is an interesting and useful Handbook.' – Qihai Huang, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research This invaluable reference tool has been designed in response to the growing recognition that too little is known about the intersection between entrepreneurship and human resource management. Paying particular attention to the 'people' side of venture emergence and development, it offers unique insights into the role that human resource management (HRM) plays in small and entrepreneurial firms. A group of international scholars contribute theoretical and empirical chapters on specific HRM issues in the context of entrepreneurial and smaller firms. The Handbook offers a new understanding of the role of HRM in developing sustainable entrepreneurship and describes how HRM practices and procedures can be used to help navigate and, indeed, drive the changing landscape in these firms. Exploring the functional aspects and nature of managing HRM in new, small, growing, emerging and entrepreneurial firms, this fascinating Handbook will not only be warmly welcomed by HRM students, researchers and academics, but also by HR practitioners and managers.

One of the most challenging tasks in the research design process is choosing the most appropriate data collection and analysis technique. This Handbook provides a detailed introduction to five qualitative data collection and analysis techniques pertinent to exploring entrepreneurial phenomena. Techniques for collecting and analysing data are rarely addressed in detail in published articles. In addition, the constant development of new tools and refinement of existing ones has meant that researchers often face a confusing range from which to choose. The experienced and expert group of contributors to this book provide detailed, practical accounts of how to conduct research employing focus groups, critical incident technique, repertory grids, metaphors, the constant comparative method and grounded theory. This Handbook will become the starting point for any research project. Scholars new to entrepreneurship and doctoral students as well as established academics keen to extend their research scope will find this book an invaluable and timely resource.