Beyond methodology

Unveiling Multisited Entrepreneurship

Bibliographic Data

ID2246963
AuthorsBas Becker (0000-0001-6732-5051, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Carel Roessingh (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
Year2024
Volume13
Issue2
Pages250-273
Publication date2024-07-08
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Organizational Ethnography (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2046-6749 • E-ISSN: 2046-6757
PublisherEmerald (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1108/joe-05-2023-0022
OpenAlexW4390429185
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited21

PurposeMultisited ethnography has primarily been portrayed as a challenge for the following field-worker, with the researcher taking the central role and neglecting research participants also experiencing a multisited nature of their work. The authors argue that literature on multisited ethnography merely discusses multisitedness as a methodological theme. In correspondence, the authors propose to think of multisitedness not just as a methodological theme but also as an empirical theme.Design/methodology/approach The authors contend etic and emic perspectives to address multisitedness empirically, which enables researchers to compare and contrast the multisited topic of inquiry in academic "outsider" terms with the etic analysis and considering the perspective of the research participants' multisited experiences using the emic perspective. To show the fruitfulness of discussing multisitedness using the complementary etic and emic analysis, the authors present the example of Mennonite entrepreneurial activities in Belize, a heterogeneous group of migrants that established themselves as successful traders and entrepreneurs.Findings Through an etic multisited ethnographic perspective, the authors compare and contrast four communities of Mennonites in terms of their entrepreneurial activities, technology and energy use. Through an emic perspective, the authors demonstrate how Mennonites, while preferring an in-group focus, navigate their multisited entrepreneurial activities, which require interaction with the outside world.Originality/value The authors highlight the value of combining etic-emic reflections to acknowledge and include the multisited nature of many social phenomena as experienced by the research participants

Emic and etic · Entrepreneurship · Epistemology · Ethnography · Originality · Perspective (graphical · Political science · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Theme (computing · Value (mathematics · Agriculture and Farm Safety · Animal Disease Management and Epidemiology · Anthropology · Computer Science · Psychology · Tourism, Volunteerism, and Development

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