One approach to exploring the context-particular, experiential knowledge of entrepreneurs is to treat their narrative explanations of how their firms have developed as quasi texts containing implicit, personal theories of managerial action. By drawing on cognitive and literary concepts, their personal theories are modelled as multi-element scripts that evolve and change, yielding rich and informative interpretations. It is suggested that this approach is relevant not only for entrepreneurs, but that it can also be used in both ethnographic and clinical studies.
Abelson, Robert P.1973'The structure of belief systems' in Computer models of thought and language. R.C. Schank and K.M. Colby (eds.), 287-339. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman .
2.
Agor, Weston H.1986'The logic of intuition: how top executives make important decisions' . Organizational Dynamics14 (Winter): 5-18 .
3.
Argyris, Chris , and Donald A. Schon1974Theory in practice: increasing professional effectiveness. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass .
4.
Baden-Fuller , CharlesJohn M. Stopford1994Rejuvenating the mature business. Boston: Harvard Business School Press .
5.
Barley, Stephen R.1983'Semiotics and the study of occupational and organizational cultures' . Administrative Science Quarterly28: 393-413 .
6.
Barnard, Chester I.1938The functions of the executive. Cambridge, M.A.: Harvard University Press .
7.
Boland, Richard J. , and Ralph H. Greenberg1988'Metaphorical structuring of organizational ambiguity' in Managing ambiguity and change. L. Pondy , R. Boland and H. Thomas (eds.), 17-36. Chichester: Wiley .
8.
Bolland, Richard J. , Ralph H. Greenberg , Soong H. Park , and Ingoo Han1990'Mapping the process of problem reformulation: implications for understanding strategic thought' in Mapping strategic thought. A.S.Huff (ed.), 195-226. Chichester: Wiley .
9.
Boyce, Mary E.1995'Collective centring and collective sense making in the stories and storytelling of one organization' . Organization Studies16/1: 107-137 .
10.
Bruner, J.1986Actual minds, possible worlds. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press .
11.
Burke, Kenneth1969A grammar of motives. Berkeley: University of California Press .
12.
Carland, James W. , Frank Hoy , William R. Boulton , and Jo Ann C. Carland1984'Differentiating entrepreneurs from small business owners: a conceptualization' . Academy of Management Review9/2: 354-359 .
13.
Eden, Colin1993'Strategy development and implementation: cognitive mapping for group support' in Strategic thinking: leadership and the management of change. J. Hendry and G. Johnson with J. Newton (eds.), 115-136. Chichester: Wiley .
14.
Fiol, C. Marlene1990'Narrative semiotics: theory, procedure and illustration' in Mapping strategic thought. A.S. Huff (ed.), 377-402. Chichester: Wiley .
15.
Fivush, Robyn1987'Scripts and categories: interrelationships in development' in Concepts and conceptual development: ecological and intellectual factors in categorization. U. Neisser (ed.), 234-254. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press .
16.
Fletcher, Karen E. , and Anne Sigismund Huff1990'Strategic argument mapping: a study of strategy reformulation at AT&T' in Mapping strategic thought. A.S. Huff (ed.), 165-193. Chichester: Wiley .
17.
Fondas, Nanette , and Rosemary Stewart1994'Enactment in managerial jobs: a role analysis' . Journal of Management Studies31/1: 83-103 .
18.
Ford, Jeffrey D. , and Robert H. Backoff1988'Organizational change in and out of dualities and paradox' in Paradox and transformation. R.E. Quinn and K.S. Cameron (eds.), 81-121. Cambridge, MA: Ballinger .
19.
Gahmberg, Henrik1983'Underlying values and intuition in strategic decisions' . International Studies of Management and Organization13/3: 132-143 .
20.
Gioia, Dennis A. , and Peter P. Poole1984'Scripts in organizational behavior' . Academy of Management Review9/3: 449-459 .
21.
Hambrick, Donald A. , and Phyllis A. Mason1984'Upper echelons: the organization as a reflection of its top managers' . Academy of Management Review9/2: 193-206 .
22.
Hampden-Turner , Charles M.1990Charting the corporate mind: from dilemma to strategy. Oxford: Blackwell .
23.
Hendry, John , and Gerry Johnson with Julia Newton , editors 1993Strategic thinking: leadership and the management of change. Chichester: Wiley .
24.
Hickson, David J. , Richard J. Butler , David Cray , Geoffrey R. Mallory , and David C. Wilson1986Top decisions: strategic decision making in organizations. Oxford: Blackwell .
Jones, Gareth R.1983'Life history methodology' in Beyond method: strategies for social research. G. Morgan (ed.), 147-159. Beverly Hills: Sage .
27.
Jones, Sue1987'Choosing action research: a rationale' in Organization analysis and development: a social construction of organizational behaviour. I.L. Mangham (ed.), 234-254. Chichester: Wiley .
28.
Josselson, Ruthellen , and Amia Lieblich , editors 1995Interpreting experience. The narrative study of lives, Vol. 3. London: Sage .
29.
Kelly, George A.1955The psychology of personal constructs. New York: Norton .
30.
Kets de Vries , Manfred F.R. , and Danny Miller1984'Neurotic style and organizational pathology' . Strategic Management Journal5: 35-55 .
31.
Kets de Vries , Manfred F.R. , and Danny Miller1987'Interpreting organizational texts' . Journal of Management Studies24/3: 233-247 .
32.
Kets de Vries , Manfred F.R. , Danny Miller , and Alain Noel1993'Understanding the leader strategy interface application of the strategic relationship interview method' . Human Relations46/1: 5-22 .
33.
Lakoff, George1987Women, fire, and dangerous things: what categories reveal about the mind. Chicago: University of Chicago Press .
34.
Lakoff, George , and Mark Johnson1980Metaphors we live by. Chicago: University of Chicago Press .
35.
Leavy, Brian , and David C. Wilson1994Strategy and leadership. London: Routledge .
36.
Lenz, R. Thomas1993'Strategic management and organizational learning: a meta-theory of executive leadership' in Strategic thinking: leadership and the management of change. J. Hendry and G. Johnson, with J. Newton , (eds.), 153-179. Chichester: Wiley .
37.
Lincoln, Yvonna S. , and Egon G. Guba1985Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills: Sage .
38.
Lodge, David1992The art of fiction. London: Secker and Warburg .
39.
Lord, Robert G. , and Mary C. Kernan1987'Scripts as determinants of purposeful behavior in organizations' . Academy of Management Review12/2: 265-277 .
40.
Lycan, William G.1986'Tacit belief' in Belief form, content and function. R. Bogdan (ed.), 61-82. Oxford: Clarendon Press .
41.
MacCormac, Earl R.1985A cognitive theory of metaphor. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press .
42.
Mangham, lain L.1986Power and performance in organizations: an exploration of executive process. Oxford: Blackwell .
43.
Mangham, lain L. , and Michael A. Overington1983'Dramatism and the theatrical metaphor' in Beyond method: strategies for social research. G. Morgan (ed.), 219-233. Beverly Hills: Sage .
44.
Manning, Peter K.1979'Metaphors of the field: varieties of organizational discourse' . Administrative Science Quarterly24: 660-671 .
45.
McAulay, Laurie , Martyn Pitt , Nicola Dowds , and David Sims 1996 'Strategy formation: the contribution of agenda setting' in Strategic Management Society 16th Annual International Conference, November. Phoenix, Arizona.
46.
Miller, Danny , and Jean-Marie Toulouse1986'Chief executive personality and corporate strategy in small firms' . Management Science32: 1389-1409-13891409 .
47.
Minsky, Marvin1977'Frame system theory' in Thinking: readings in cognitive science. P. Johnson-Laird and P. Wason (eds.), 355-376. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press .
48.
Mintzberg, Henry1978'Patterns in strategy formation' . Management Science24: 934-948 .
49.
Mintzberg, Henry , and James A. Waters1982'Tracking strategy in an entrepreneurial firm' . Academy of Management Journal: 465-499 .
50.
Mishler, Elliot G.1986Research interviewing: context and narrative. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press .
51.
Morgan, Gareth , and Linda Smircich1980'The case for qualitative research' . Academy of Management Review5/4: 491-500 .
52.
Noel, Alain1989'Strategic cores and magnificent obsessions: discovering strategy formation through daily activities of CEOs' . Strategic Management Journal10 (special issue): 33-49 .
Phillips, Nelson1995'Telling organizational tales: on the role of narrative fiction in the study of organizations' . Organization Studies16/4: 625-649 .
55.
Pitt, Martyn , and David Sims1998'Preparing for novel situations: evoking managerial role identities' . Journal of Management Education (forthcoming).
56.
Polanyi, Michael1962Personal knowledge: Towards a post-critical philosophy (revised edition). London: Routledge and Kegan Paul .
57.
Pondy, Louis R.1983'The role of metaphors and myths in organization and in the facilitation of change' in Organizational symbolism. L. Pondy , P. Frost , G. Morgan and T. Dandridge (eds.), 157-166. Greenwich: JAI Press .
58.
Quinn, Robert E.1988Beyond rational management: mastering the paradoxes and competing demands of high performance. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass .
59.
Rumelhart, David E. , and Donald A. Normann1985Explorations in cognition. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum .
Schank, Roger C. , and Robert P. Abelson1977Scripts, plans, goals and understanding: an inquiry into human knowledge structures. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum .
62.
Schein, Edgar H.1987The clinical perspective in fieldwork. Newbury Park: Sage .
63.
Schon, Donald A.1983The reflective practitioner. New York: Basic Books .
64.
Spender, J.-C.1996'Competitive advantage from tacit knowledge? Unpacking the concept and its strategic implications' in Organizational learning and competitive advantage. B. Moingeon and A. Edmondson . (eds.), 56-73. London: Sage .
65.
Stanworth, M. John , and James Curran1976'Growth and the small firm an alternative view' . Journal of Management Studies13/2: 95-110 .
66.
Sternberg, Robert J. , editor 1990Wisdom: its nature, origins, and development. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press .
67.
Stryker, Sheldon1987'Identity theory: developments and extensions' in Self and identity: psychosocial perspectives. K. Yardley and T. Honess (eds.), 89-103. Chichester: Wiley .
68.
Stubbart, Charles I. , and Arkalgud Ramaprasad1990'Comments on the empirical articles and recommendations for future research in Mapping strategic thought. A.S. Huff (ed.), 251-288. Chichester: Wiley .
69.
Watson, Tony J.1995'Rhetoric, discourse and argument in organizational sense making: a reflexive tool' . Organization Studies16/5: 805-821 .
70.
Wesley, Frances , and Henry Mintzberg1989Visionary leadership and strategic management' . Strategic Management Journal10 (special issue): 17-32 .
71.
Yin, Robert K.1984Case study research: design and methods. Beverly Hills: Sage .
