Images of entrepreneurship: towards a new categorization of entrepreneurship

Based on a systematic literature review of contemporary entrepreneurship process research, the article provides a supplementary way of categorizing research on the entrepreneurial process which takes philosophy of science into account to a higher extent than done in previous categorizations. The motivation for doing so is to minimize problems of communication and comparison of concepts, results and theoretical contributions often experienced in entrepreneurship research. Applying Burrell and Morgan’s (1979) paradigmatic framework to analyse the selected literature, it is suggested that the essence of past and present entrepreneurship process theory can be captured in five images of entrepreneurship: 1) The Image of Machines; 2) The Image of Evolution; 3) The Image of Contingencies; 4) The Image of Mind; and 5) The Image of Social Becoming. The five images are considered to be concise and easily recalled tools, which will be valuable in the continuous development and organization of future ideas in entrepreneurship research.     

Institutional determinants of the unemployment-earnings inequality trade-off

Most of the research efforts in recent years to explain international differences in unemployment and earnings inequality have placed the emphasis on the institutional components of the labour markets. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate which are the real effects of these characteristics on both phenomena using an ample set of data for different OECD countries. A Cluster analysis permits consideration about relatively heterogeneous models. The results of the econometric exercise show also that institutional factors have a greater impact on earnings inequality than on unemployment.     

New class divisions in a modern working life?

This article questions the usefulness of a traditional class divide as a tool for understanding a contemporary working environment among manual and non‐manual workers in the oil service industry. The case of study is an enterprise within a supply chain with asymmetrical relationships between companies. Our findings show that the traditional manual/non‐manual class division is still relevant for understanding differences in perceived work situation in a modern work organisation. However, alongside a cleavage between manual and non‐manual workers, we find a cleavage between workers with differing amounts of contact with employees in organisations higher up in the supply chain.     

Special economic zones: Shortcut or roundabout way towards capitalism?

The experiences of developing countries suggest that special economic zones (SEZs) might be appropriate instruments for accelerating the economic restructuring of Central and Eastern Europe. What functions could SEZs fulfil in the transformation process? What conditions must be met if they are to be successful?     

Observation of a strategic household purchase decision

The present paper focuses on strategic household purchase decisions; i.e., major, complex buying decisions with long-term bindings of economic resources. An in-depth study of house buying in two-career households demonstrated preferences (goals) to be ambiguous, and consequences to be modestly understood and partly uncovered after the purchase. Only a few alternatives were considered, and they were from different broad need-satisfying categories such as purchase of apartment or house, or renting. No direct comparisons of alternatives were observed to take place. The purchase decisions were based on few, very crude decision criteria working as guidelines for judging whether or not the alternatives considered were acceptable, while the final choice seemingly was made according to an affect-referral decision rule.     

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