Disclosing Entrepreneurship as Practice

The Enactive Approach

Bengt Johannisson, Professor Emeritus, Linnaeus University, Sweden

Some contemporary practice theories are not well suited to studying entrepreneurship as ongoing creative organizing. In order to catch the emergence of entrepreneurship, the scholar has to adopt a dwelling mode and immerse themselves into the concrete doings, the practices, of ‘entrepreneuring’, thus amalgamating the researcher and entrepreneur identities.

Enactive research thus means that the scholar enacts a real-life venture and uses auto-ethnographic methods to organize the insights being gained. Two enacted, year long, projects, are reported in detail and the methods used and the findings from the research are reported in this thought-provoking book.

‘(The book) contains many ideas and theoretical concepts, ranging from philosophical issues to practical advice on the application of particular methods of enactive research. It even raises existential questions regarding entresearchers. This is the type of book that one returns to again and again with a new level of awareness.’
– Anna Elkina, International Small Business Journal

‘Bengt Johannisson’s strength as a scholar and researcher is his ability to push the boundaries of what entrepreneurship is, as a process, as well as his keen sense of how and why entrepreneurial processes should be studied. Please acquire this book and, then, carefully explore the ideas and methods he proposes for entrepreneurship scholars to engage in enactive research as “entresearchers” – scholars who are actively involved in entrepreneurial activities who use these experiences as the basis for generating insights into enterpreneuring (entrepreneurship as a verb – as “organizing” is to “organization”.) I enthusiastically support the “entresearcher” paradigm and the methods Bengt Johannisson describes for scholars to engage as “entresearchers” as part of their everyday practice. I believe that the “entresearcher” approach is the most fruitful way for scholars to gain profound insights into the nature of entrepreneurial processes.’
–William B. Gartner, Bertarelli Foundation Distinguished Professor of Family Entrepreneurship, Babson College, US

‘In his new book, Bengt Johannisson develops the concept of entrepreneurship as practice (entrepreneuring). The contribution is original, relevant and valuable for both researchers and practitioners.The book’s objectives appear particularly important. The first is to provide the intellectual/theoretical foundations for our understanding of entrepreneuring. The second objective is to offer a methodology that can enhance the dialogue between researchers and practitioners. As Kurt Lewin claimed, there is nothing more practical than a good theory. Thanks to the author this statement makes sense in entrepreneurship?’
–Alain Fayolle, Emlyon Business School, France