Farmers in an Entrepreneurial World

This commentary covers three areas of enquiry: Entrepreneurship, Farming and Methodology. I present a synthesis of and focus on my recent publications in the area of farm entrepreneurship although other aspects of my work are discussed. I show how and why my research is predominantly focused on entrepreneurship within the farm sector. A discussion of my approach to research is followed by an examination of my role as researcher. The policy implications of the workare discussed. A number of key themes emerge. 1. Farmers are a particularly rich area for study in the area of entrepreneurial capability. 2. The myths surrounding farmers' capability to be entrepreneurial requires examination. 3. In order to enhance and develop farmers' entrepreneurial capacity they need to be able to help themselves through self-advocacy. 4. Farmers are business people in that they run businesses but in practice do not necessarily have well defined business skills. 5. The barriers to becoming entrepreneurial for farmers are greater than in other sectors. farm enterprise and hence the farmer have often been understood through the prism of economic determinism i.e. viewed as economic actors. In this sense entrepreneurial activity has been correlated with economic prosperity. The thesis develops a conceptual understanding Of the farmer as entrepreneur and provides an innovative theoretical framework based on a modelling process and taxonomy of the farmer which- enables. the complexities of the dynamic chang~ forces which act upon the life world of farm enterprise and hence the farmer has often been understood through the prism of economic determinism i.e. viewed as economic actors. In this sense entrepreneurial activity has been correlated with economic prosperity. The thesis develops a conceptual understanding Of the farmer as entrepreneur and provides an innovative theoretical framework based on a modelling process and taxonomy of the farmer which- enables. the complexities of the dynamic chang~ forces which act upon the life world of the farmer to be framed.. This framework is supported by the presented empirical work.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo