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Creating Copreneurial Identities. A phenomenological study of how copreneurs make sense of their lived experience of work and family life in copreneurial business

Muscatelli, Sophie M.
Publication Date
2020
End of Embargo
Supervisor
Cunliffe, Ann L.
Smith, Andrew J.
Parkinson, Caroline
Keywords
Copreneurs, Copreneurship, Copreneurial identity experience, Heidegger, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), Phenomenology, Micro-businesses, Greece, Tourism industry, Lived experience
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Creative Commons License
The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.
Peer-Reviewed
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Accepted for publication
Institution
University of Bradford
Department
Faculty of Management, Law and Social Science, School of Management
Awarded
2020
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Abstract
The purpose of my research is to examine how copreneurial couples make sense of their lived experience of working in a copreneurial business and shape their mutual identity. The research context is copreneurs operating micro-businesses in the Greek leisure and tourism industry. Given the size of the tourism industry worldwide and the fact that many businesses within this sector are family-owned, this is an important area of inquiry. The aim is twofold: 1. To build theory in the field of entrepreneurship by focusing specifically on the undertheorized topic of how copreneurs understand and shape their identity and responsibilities within copreneurial businesses 2. To bring an under-utilized methodology to entrepreneurship studies, that of interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA), as a means of enhancing the understanding of the lived experience of copreneurs. Drawing on phenomenological philosophy, IPA foregrounds the meanings research participants give to their experience and therefore offers rich interpretations from copreneurial couples While taking an idiographic approach, which focuses on the first-person experience of copreneurs in a particular context, the findings will resonate with other copreneurs. The contribution of this research therefore lies in advancing our understanding of copreneurship and familial entrepreneurship by elucidating the interrelationship between personal and business partnerships. The study makes visible the often invisible recursive links between paid work and family life for men and women
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10454/19208
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Type
Thesis
Qualification name
PhD
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