Alistair R Anderson | Lancaster University (original) (raw)

Papers by Alistair R Anderson

European Management Review, 2021

We examine how female migrant entrepreneurs overturn disadvantage through social resourcing. We a... more We examine how female migrant entrepreneurs overturn disadvantage through social resourcing. We argue they are disadvantaged by the intersectionality of their identities; that social constructions and ensuing entrepreneurial expectations are a poor fit with their ascribed identity, that they are marginalised by their 'otherness'. However, entrepreneurship is not only socially situated, but also socially enacted. We studied their entrepreneurial social enactment and found they had used agency to mobilise their identity. The shared identity of marginality as cultural strangers fostered a sense of togetherness as social capital. In turn, this produced group social responsibility, a socialised obligation to help each other. The entrepreneurs used this intangible resource to first establish their businesses then as a platform for wider engagements. We found that when the entrepreneurial self became superimposed on intersectional identity, disadvantage almost disappeared. Respondents reported confidence in themselves through their entrepreneurial achievement, paradoxically empowered by a negative social identity.

February, 2021

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of confidence in how both new and experience... more The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of confidence in how both new and experienced entrepreneurs interpret and make sense of their business environment to inform decision-making. We illustrate our conceptual arguments with descriptive results from a large-scale (n 6289) survey on entrepreneurs' perception of business performance and their decisions taken at a time of uncertainty in an economic downturn. Quantitative findings are stratified along experiential lines to explore heterogeneity in entrepreneurial decision-making and directly inform our conceptual arguments, while qualitative data from open questions are used to explain the role of confidence. Newer entrepreneurs are found to be more optimistic in the face of environmental risk, which impacts on their decision-making and innovative capabilities. However, the more experienced entrepreneurs warily maintain margin and restructure to adapt to environmental changes. Instead of looking directly at the confidence of individuals, we show how confidence impacts sensemaking, and ultimately , decision-making. These insights inform research on the behaviour of novice and experienced entrepreneurs in relation to innovative business activities. Specifically , blanket assumptions on the role of confidence may be misplaced as its impact changes with experience to alter how entrepreneurs make sense of their environment.

Although entrepreneurship seems to offer a universal economic solution, there are some doubts abo... more Although entrepreneurship seems to offer a universal economic solution, there are some doubts about whether it is universally attractive. We argue that entrepreneurship is a socially constructed concept and consequently the meanings, and hence the appeal, of the enterprise will vary internationally. We argue that how entrepreneurship is understood affects how attractive it seems. Accordingly, we investigated the meanings of entrepreneurship by analysing a range of metaphors of entrepreneurship gathered from schools across Europe. We found that both the meaning and understandings of the practices vary considerably. For most, the concept of entrepreneurship as an engine of the economy is attractive, but for some, the practices of entrepreneurs were considerably less appealing. We find links between national socioeconomic contexts and attractiveness. We argue that culture and context seem to influence the social constructions of entrepreneurship and hence the attractiveness of entrepreneurial options. We also find that the pedagogical national narratives of the entrepreneur stand in dynamic tension with the performative national processes of entrepreneurship.

Purpose: This study addresses the research questions: Which methodologies and data gathering meth... more Purpose: This study addresses the research questions: Which methodologies and data
gathering methods are employed by researchers publishing in top entrepreneurship journals,
and how has this changed over time?
Design: The data gathering methods of research published in five top entrepreneurship journals
between 1985 and 2013, a period of nearly three decades, were recorded.
Findings: The data demonstrate that entrepreneurship research is dominated by positivist
approaches and data gathering methods, but that this picture is changing over time. The data also
reveal differences in methods used in research published in North American and European
journals.
Research implications: It is argued that increased discussion of the limitations, benefits and
implications of research methods is needed across the field as a whole. It is concluded that
although there is some methodological reflexivity in the field of a macro, abstract nature, there is
little at the micro level of individual research designs.
Originality/value: There is a number of existing reviews of methods in the field but none over
such a long time period that include such a large corpus of papers. Of particular value to scholars
engaged in debates about the proportions and merits of different research methods is the
identification of long term trends away from primary data gathering in general and survey
approaches in particular. Debates surrounding the existence of different regional ‘schools’ of
entrepreneurship will be informed by the differing patterns of methods found in the five outlets
included in the study

This paper is concerned with ecopreneurs, the emergent group of entrepreneurs who direct their ef... more This paper is concerned with ecopreneurs, the emergent group of entrepreneurs who direct their efforts towards environmental sustainability. Academic interest in this group has increased, but like most entrepreneurs, they are manifest in a variety of forms and functions. Consequently there has been considerable theorising, but to date little empirical analysis. We address this gap with a study of Tunisian ecopreneurs. Analysing data from 56 respondents, we combine multiple correspondence analysis and a typological analysis. We find that there are considerable differences from the types described in the literature but propose an empirically formulated typology.

This paper explores entrepreneurship in a novel context to establish the existence, nature and sc... more This paper explores entrepreneurship in a novel context to establish the existence, nature and scope in conditions of poverty. It was found that enterprise was socially organised, but with a social focus rather than a background condition. It is entrepreneurship for and in the social, rather than entrepreneurship with social outcomes. It seems likely to be an evolved social system to alleviate the worst impacts of poverty. The social organisation of fishing is thus intended to create subsistence livelihoods for many. Essentially it is “ ...

Although the high-tech sector in developed countries is well understood, there are considerable g... more Although the high-tech sector in developed countries is well understood, there are considerable gaps in our knowledge about the hightech sector in developing countries. This study addresses questions about the nature of high tech in Tunisia and about factors associated with information and communications technology (ICT) firms' success as examples of the high-tech sector. The literature identifies the key characteristics of the sector to be human capital, access to appropriate finance and supporting institutions to provide synergy. Thus we address these factors to establish if they have led to success in Tunisian ICT high tech. We surveyed 60 Tunisian ICT firms and employing a multiple component analysis, supported by a multinomial LOGIT analysis, we found that research and development was negatively associated with firm success. This, we argue, indicates the early stage of high-tech development. Our findings also suggest a subordinate role in the global value chain.The paper concludes with some observations and recommendations. r (S. Harbi), mariane5439@yahoo.fr (M. Amamou), a.r.anderson@rgu.ac.uk (A.R. Anderson). 1 Tel.: +216 22 94 22 26.

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2010

The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2013

Journal of Socio-economics, 2010

Technovation, 2009

International Business Research, 2009

This article examines the entrepreneurial intentions of young well educated people in Tunisia. Tu... more This article examines the entrepreneurial intentions of young well educated people in Tunisia. Tunisia is a Muslim country which is "catching up". Hence, understanding the attitudes and entrepreneurial intentions of females, and contrasting these with males, will provide an account of cultural attitudes towards female enterprise. Our survey of 332 students showed that male and female intentions were very positive, but varied by gender. We found that cultural gender expectations continued to play a major role, but that this was most obvious in how female enterprise could be operated, rather than in the attractiveness of entrepreneurship itself.

European J. of International Management, 2012

In this paper we argue that conventional models for excellence are too narrow, too internally foc... more In this paper we argue that conventional models for excellence are too narrow, too internally focused, too instrumental and too functionalist to achieve excellence in dealing with broad emerging socio-economic concerns. We try to show that Aristotle's theory of virtue has useful contemporary relevance and can be developed and used to understand a fuller notion of business excellence. We develop a qualitative research instrument to discover and illustrate excellence and to establish its modern nature. Our application of virtue demonstrated that purpose was key to achieving excellence. We find that virtue theory can be a useful and practical guide to producing excellence.

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 2014

Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, 2004

We have recently seen a growing concern for business ethics and the central role key individuals ... more We have recently seen a growing concern for business ethics and the central role key individuals play in the formative years of a business. Research has shown that the embedding of personal values are one of the more critical and lasting contributions that a founder can make in an organisation. Research also indicates that in the modern business context, there are few accepted guidelines for moral evaluations in practical business settings. The purpose of this theoretical paper is to explore some of the moral and social elements inherent in entrepreneurship, using the basic tenets espoused by Aristotle. By revisiting the theory of virtue, we find a powerful framework for establishing organisational purpose, habitual excellence and the optimal balance for sustaining these ventures and the people on whom they depend. For creative business practices, such as entrepreneurship and marketing, a virtue perspective offers a particularly appropriate lens.

Family Business Review, Jan 1, 2005