Doing research and running a business is it just too much?

Grosse, Henning (2017) Doing research and running a business is it just too much? In: 1st International Conference on Family Business and Entrepreneurship, 03 - 05 May 2017, Bali, Indonesia. (Unpublished)

Preview

Text DOING RESEARCH AND RUNNING A BUSINESS.pdf - Accepted Version Available under License All Rights Reserved. Download (379kB) | Preview

Abstract

It can be great fun to do research, but it is also exhausting at times. Therefore, I seek to explore in this paper the benefits and downsides of engaging in auto-ethnography as an entrepreneur. Besides looking at the contribution to knowledge that auto-ethnography could make I will also investigate what researchers might learn for their managerial practice. I run my own construction business for almost 18 years now, and I am on a PhD-program since 2012. Using examples of my research practice, I will try to highlight some of the advantages for me of doing auto-ethnography. Since the auto-ethnographer studies his or her own environment from a distinct perspective – the view from inside – is possible. Through this research is possible to access thoughts and feelings first hand. This direct access offers a different perspective than other research methods (e.g.; ethnography or interview research) can provide. For the researcher, auto-ethnography offers a unique learning opportunity. Auto-ethnographers inevitably learn from and perhaps more importantly for their own practice. However, this comes at the price of an immense workload. I face multiple demands from running a company, doing research, and being a parent. The question I seek to investigate here is whether the learning for the individual is worth the effort or if it is just too much to be both researcher and entrepreneur. In doing so, I try to establish if, for entrepreneurs who want to do research, auto-ethnography is a suitable research method and what commitment and return on this commitment one can expect.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Entrepreneurship, construction industry, auto-ethnography, real world research, practitioner research
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF5001 Business
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Business, Computing and Social Sciences
Research Priority Areas:	Applied Business & Technology
Depositing User:	Anne Pengelly
Date Deposited:	24 Jul 2017 11:18
Last Modified:	01 Aug 2023 11:16
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/4793

University Staff: Request a correction | Repository Editors: Update this record