Identity, enactment and entrepreneurship engagement in a declining place.

We examine entrepreneurship practice and identity work in a rural small town in New Zealand. Once prosperous, the town suffered economically and socially as old industries closed. Recently the town was rejuvenated, at least in part because of the entrepreneurial endeavours of Linda. Our findings demonstrated conflict between her entrepreneurial identity and local sense of place. We theorise Linda's entrepreneurial identity in her business practice, where she experienced controversy despite economic success. We argue that a complete understanding of identity and entrepreneurship practices requires attention to social and spatial processes, not just economic processes