Chair in Entrepreneurship

The Chair in Entrepreneurship was funded from 2017-2018 through 2021-2022. Therefore, its last unreported period was the first half of 2022.

In that period, I was responsible for the following activities and research outputs.

I taught BUSI 3630-056 New Venture Creation with 42 students in the 2022 winter semester.

For service, I was active in the organizing committee of Memorial’s Centre for Social Enterprise. For example, we evaluated candidates for the Social Ventures Incubator.

Over the course of the chair, I developed and delivered the entrepreneurship course, BUSI 8511: Strategic Entrepreneurship, in the master of business administration in social enterprise and entrepreneurship (MBA-SEE) program.

I served as a member of the university-wide innovation committee.

Externally, I was a member of the editorial boards of Family Business Review and Journal of Family Business Strategy, and a reviewer for the entrepreneurship division of the Academy of Management and other venues.

I was also the academic supervisor on five Mitacs-funded entrepreneurial student projects.

My scholarly work in the last half year consisted of an article called Academy Snobbery and the Prospects for Heterodox Economics, which was accepted by the Journal of Economic Issues.

In March, I virtually presented The Inherent Ambivalence of Employment (by myself and Dr. David Krackhardt, Carnegie Mellon University) for the anthropology department at the University of Copenhagen. This remains a work in progress.

My main work in progress is a book manuscript: Making Bonavista Work: Everyday Entrepreneurs in Rural Newfoundland. This is my major scholarly work as the chair holder. This study would not have been possible without the chair. I made a bet that I could prove the chair a success with this book. It starts with these two sentences: “This book is based on 28 multi-day trips over five years to photograph and learn from people who make their livelihoods on the Bonavista Peninsula, Newfoundland. This makes it a ‘photo-ethnography.’”

I wish I could say that it has finalized a contract. However, I have received one contract offer and have realistic hopes for an additional offer. The manuscript is currently with a developmental editor, based on advice of the editor of a major university press who is clearly interested.

The book is a scholarly essay of about 30,000 works on entrepreneurship and rural development. It’s also an art book with over 100 plates. Most of the plates may be viewed here. This book manuscript is undergoing review, and we are seeking feedback. If you wish to comment, please email Alex Stewart at a.stewart@mun.ca.