AFAM Biennial Conference, 5TH BIENNIAL CONFERENCE - Nigeria 2020

Font Size: 
Entrepreneurial Narratives in the South African Energy Sector
Panos Constantinides, Mira Slavova

Last modified: 2019-07-23

Abstract


We adopt a performative perspective and conceptualize entrepreneurship as a in which through material practices and social discourses, entrepreneurial opportunities emerge and mobilize different ecosystems of actors. We focus on the South African energy sector and examine the narratives of different actors including renewable energy entrepreneurs, technology vendors, and municipalities as they discursively and materially constitute new opportunities during the period 2007-2018. Based on our analysis, we discuss the implications for further research and policy.


References


Adner, R., and Kapoor, R. 2010. Value Creation in Innovation Ecosystems: How the Structure of Technological Interdependence Affects Firm Performance in New Technology Generations. Strategic management journal (31:3), pp. 306-333

 

Alvarez, S. A., & Barney, J. B. 2007. Discovery and creation: Alternative theories of entrepreneurial action. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 1: 11–26.

 

Ansari, S., Garud, R., Kumaraswamy, A. 2016. The disruptor’s dilemma: TiVo and the U.S. television ecosystem. Strateg. Manag. Journal 37, 1829–1853

 

Barad, K. 2003. Posthumanist performativity: toward an understanding of how matter comes to matter. Signs 28, 801–831.

 

Bird, L., McLaren, J., Heeter, J., Linvill, C., Shenot, J., Sedano, R., & Migden-Ostrander, J. (2013). Regulatory Considerations Associated with the Expanded Adoption of Distributed Solar.

 

Boje, D. (2011). Storytelling and the future of organizations. New York: Routledge.

 

Costello, K.W. and Hemphill, R.C. (2014). Electric utilities’ ‘death spiral’: hyperbole or reality?. The Electricity Journal27(10), pp.7-26.

 

Cohen, B. (2006). Sustainable valley entrepreneurial ecosystems. Business Strategy and the Environment, 15(1), 1–14.

 

Czarniawska, B. (2004). Narratives in social science research. London: Sage.

 

Davidsson, P., 2015. Entrepreneurial opportunities and the entrepreneurship nexus: A re-conceptualization. Journal of Business Venturing, 30(5), pp.674-695.

 

Deloitte 2017. An overview of electricity consumption and pricing in South Africa: An analysis of the historical trends and policies, key issues and outlook in 2017. Available at (accessed on Feb 28, 2019): http://www.eskom.co.za/Documents/EcoOverviewElectricitySA-2017.pdf.

 

Department of Public Enterprises. 2019. DPE Presentation to the Portfolio Committee of Public Enterprises 13 Feb 2019. Available at (accessed on Feb 28, 2019):

http://www.dpe.gov.za/newsroom/Pages/DPE-Presentation-to-the-Portfolio-Committee-of-Public-Enterprises-13-Feb-2019.aspx

 

Eskom. (2014a). Eskom Holdings Smart Vision and Strategy Apr 2014 – Apr 2030. ID: 240-78307863, Ver. 1.0

 

Feeny, D., Berkes, F., McCay, B. J., & Acheson, J. M. (1990). The Tragedy of the Commons: Twenty-two years later. Human Ecology, 18(1), 1–19.

 

Garud, R., and Giuliani, A. (2013). A Narrative Perspective on Entrepreneurial Opportunities. Academy of Management Review, 38(1): 157-160.

 

Garud, R., Gehman, J., Giuliani, A.P. 2014. Contextualizing entrepreneurial innovation: a narrative perspective. Research Policy 43, 1177–1188.

 

Garud, R., Schildt, H.A., Lant, T.K. 2014. Entrepreneurial storytelling, future expectations, and the paradox of legitimacy. Organization Science 25, 1479–1492.

 

Garud, R., J. Gehman, and A. P. Giuliani. 2018. Why not take a performative approach to entrepreneurship? Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 9: 60–64.

 

Garud, R., Berends, H. and Tuertscher, P., 2017. Qualitative approaches for studying innovation as process. In Mir, R. and Jain, S. (eds.) The Routledge companion to qualitative research in organization studies (pp. 226-247). Routledge.

 

Gehman, J., Treviño, L.K., Garud, R. 2013. Values work: a process study of the emergence and performance of organizational values practices. Acad. Manage. Journal 56, 84–112

 

Gond, J.P., Cabantous, L., Harding, N. and Learmonth, M. 2016. What do we mean by performativity in organizational and management theory? International Journal of Management Reviews, 18(4), pp.440-463.

 

IPP Office. 2018. Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme(IPPPP)An Overview - as of 31 December 2018. Department of Energy, National Treasury and the Development Bank of Southern Africa. Available at (accessed on March 1, 2019): https://ipp-projects.co.za/Publications

 

Jacobides, M.G., Sundararajan, A., Van Alstyne, M. (2019) Platforms and Ecosystems:

Enabling the Digital Economy. Briefing Paper. World Economic Forum.

 

Jacobides, M.G., Cennamo, C. and Gawer, A., 2018. Towards a theory of ecosystems. Strategic Management Journal, 39(8), pp.2255-2276.

 

McDaid, L., (2009). Renewable energy: harnessing the power of Africa. In McDonald, D (ed.) Electric capitalism: Recolonising Africa on the Power Grid, pp. 202-228. Routledge

 

NERSA 2019. Eskom MYPD4 Revenue Application. Focus on Changes in Sales, Production Plan and Regulatory Asset Base. NERSA Public Hearings. Gauteng-Soweto 1 February 2019. Available at (accessed on Feb 28, 2019): www.nersa.org.za

 

Nicolaou, N., Shane, S., Cherkas, L. and Spector, T.D., 2009. Opportunity recognition and the tendency to be an entrepreneur: A bivariate genetics perspective. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 110(2), pp.108-117.

 

New York State Public Service Commission, (NYSPSC) 2016. Proceeding on Motion of the Commission in Regard to Reforming the Energy Vision. (CASE 14-M-0101): Order Adopting a Ratemaking and Utility Revenue Model Framework. Report, New York, United States.

 

Orlikowski, W.J. and Scott, S.V., 2015. Exploring material‐discursive practices. Journal of management studies, 52(5), pp.697-705.

 

Pollock, N., Williams, R., 2016. How Industry Analysts Shape the Digital Future. Oxford University Press, New York

 

Schaltegger, S., Beckmann, M., & Hockerts, K. (2018). Collaborative entrepreneurship for sustainability. Creating solutions in light of the UN sustainable development goals. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing, 10(2), 131.

 

Shane, S., & Venkataraman S. 2000. The promise of entrepreneurship as a field of research. Academy of Management Review, 25: 217–226.

 

Short, J.C., Ketchen Jr, D.J., Shook, C.L. and Ireland, R.D., 2010. The concept of “opportunity” in entrepreneurship research: Past accomplishments and future challenges. Journal of Management, 36(1), pp.40-65.

 

Soutar, I. and Mitchell, C. (2018). Towards pragmatic narratives of societal engagement in the UK energy system. Energy Research & Social Science. 35: 132-139

 

Suddaby, R., Bruton, G.D. and Si, S.X., 2015. Entrepreneurship through a qualitative lens: Insights on the construction and/or discovery of entrepreneurial opportunity. Journal of Business venturing, 30(1), pp.1-10.

 

Tabors, R., Caramanis, M., Van Alstyne, M., Parker, G. (2017). "Distributed Energy Resources: New Markets and New Products", Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 5 (8)

 

Tsoukas, H. and Chia, R. 2002. On organizational becoming: Rethinking organizational change. Organization Science, 13(5): 567–582.

 

van Heusden, P. (2009) Discipline and the new ‘logic of delivery’: Prepaid electricity in South Africa and beyond. In McDonald, D (ed.) Electric capitalism: Recolonising Africa on the Power Grid, pp. 229-247. Routledge

 

Venkataraman, S. 2003. Foreword. In S. Shane, A general theory of entrepreneurship: The individual-opportunity nexus: xi–xii. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar.

 

Wigger, K. A., & Shepherd, D. A. (2019). We’re All in the Same Boat: A Collective Model of Preserving and Accessing Nature-Based Opportunities. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice.

 

Wood, M. S., & McKinley, W. 2010. The production of entrepreneurial opportunity: A constructivist perspective. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 4: 66–84.

 

Zahra, S. A., & Nambisan, S. (2011). Entrepreneurship in global innovation ecosystems. AMS Review, 1(1), 4–17.

 


Conference registration is required in order to view papers.