Risking Enchantment: Meaning Making in Entrepreneurial Narratives

2015

effectuation

Meaning making is one of the central functions of entrepreneurial narratives. (Garud & Giuliani, 2013). Yet, the research focusing on the topics of meaning and entrepreneurship has existed largely in parallel. In this symposium, we bring together scholars seeking to understand the meaning and meaningfulness of entrepreneurship (Pratt & Ashforth, 2003; Rosso, Dekas, & Wrzesniewski, 2010), extending research on how entrepreneurs communicate and coordinate to include not only sense giving processes as entrepreneurs attempt to secure resources for a business they are attempting to bring into existence, and deeper questions of significance, as entrepreneurs describe why they have chosen what can be a very difficult and demanding career, and how they ensure that the firms they have created contribute to their overall sense of purpose. The collected papers address meaning making in entrepreneurial narratives across a wide range of contexts and at levels ranging from individual entrepreneurs to entire emerging industries. Entrepreneurial Narratives within a Family-Founded VenturePresenter: Melissa Graebner; The U. of Texas at AustinPresenter: Philip T. Roundy; The U. of Texas at AustinPresenter: Suho Han; The U. of Texas at AustinMeaning and Money: A Qualitative Case Study of How Entrepreneurs Find Meaning in Their WorkPresenter: Rohini Jalan; Cornell U.”Selective Incentives, Entrepreneurshuip and Identity : Toward a Behavioral Theory of Collective Action”Presenter: Jeffrey G. York; U. of Colorado, BoulderPresenter: Saras D. Sarasvathy; U. of VirginiaPresenter: Isobel O’Neil; The U. of NottinghamDeep Impact: the Creation of New Firms and Technologies as a Mean to Leave a LegacyPresenter: Matthew J. Fox; Duke U.

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