ABSTRACT

Drawing on in-depth interviews, this study investigates how entrepreneurs with disabilities (EWDs) position themselves, in their identity work, vis-à-vis dominant, normative representations of the entrepreneur that tend to exclude them. Addressing the current neglect in how EWDs deal with such discursive barriers, we document four identity positions which they deploy, in various combinations, to construct an identity as an entrepreneur. Our findings show that outward positions, by which EWDs compare their own self with (non)-entrepreneurial (able-bodied) others and emphasize similarity and uniqueness, reproduce normative representations of the entrepreneur. Inward positions, by which EWDs engage in inner conversations contrasting their current self with older, aspirational or impossible selves, on the contrary lead to the destabilization of normative representations. This study speaks back to wider debates in entrepreneurship studies, including the plea to consider ‘ordinary’ entrepreneurs, the difference between ‘being’ an entrepreneur and ‘doing’ entrepreneurship, and the value in difference.

摘要

本研究以深入的访谈为基础，调查了残疾企业家（EWD）如何在其身份工作中相对于倾向于将其排除在外的企业家占主导地位的规范性代表来定位自己。为了解决当前对EWD如何应对此类话语障碍的疏忽，我们记录了四个身份职位，他们以各种组合部署这些身份职位，以树立企业家身份。我们的发现表明，外向型职位通过EWD将自己的自我与（非）企业家（健全的）他人进行比较，并强调相似性和独特性，从而再现了企业家的规范性代表。EWD通过内向位置进行内在对话，将当前的自我与年龄较大，有抱负或不可能的自我进行对比，相反，这会导致规范性陈述的不稳定。这项研究可以回溯企业家精神研究中的广泛辩论，包括恳求考虑“普通”企业家，“成为”企业家与“从事”企业家精神之间的区别以及差异的价值。