The endogenous construction of entrepreneurial contexts: A practice-based perspective

Abstract

This article investigates ways through which entrepreneurship scholars can overcome some of the methodological weaknesses preventing a more refined understanding of context. It is suggested that a framework based upon insights from ethnomethodology, conversation analysis and broader ‘practice turn’ in organisation studies can offer new perspectives on the situated nature of entrepreneurial practices. This article contributes to entrepreneurship scholarship in two ways. First, through studying real-time interaction data, it is possible to empirically demonstrate how entrepreneurial actors negotiate contextual constraints as they emerge and dissipate over time. Second, this article provides a framework that we hope will encourage a greater focus on actual instances of practice in entrepreneurship scholarship – something that is currently underrepresented.