Improvisation and Learning of Informal Entrepreneurs: The Experience of Fair Marketer Entrepreneurs

Authors

DOI:

10.14211/regepe.v7i3.921

Keywords:

Improvisation, Learning, Informal Entrepreneurs, Special Fairs, Craftsman

Abstract

Improvisation at work is no longer seen as a serious failure, being nowadays analyzed by the lens of potential processes for learning in organizations. In Brazil, studies on the subject have been restricted, above all, to the traditional organizational context, few of which are based on empirical results. Thus, starting from the analysis of a context of informal entrepreneurship, the present study holds a theoretical-empirical discussion about the relation between improvisation and learning. The Hippie Fair in the city of Goiânia, Goiás, was chosen as the study scenario. It is the largest special fair of the state, with about 13,870 associated fair marketer entrepreneurs. The data, collected through semi-structured interviews, were analyzed based on the principles of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The results indicated that, even though there are singularities in the mode of social interaction between the fair marketers entrepreneurs and other actors that are part of the universe of the fair, specific factors lead to the characterization of this scenario as a Community of Practice. With this, the article offers methodological contributions, since it is one of the few empirical studies on the subject and adopting IPA. In addition, the particularities revealed by the study made it possible to propose a typology of improvisation geared to activities and poorly structured environments, which characterizes the context of the informal entrepreneurs surveyed, the main theoretical contribution of the study.

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Author Biographies

Fernanda Paula Arantes, Universidade Federal de Goiás – UFG.

Mestra em Administração pela Universidade Federal de Goiás – UFG, Goiânia, (Brasil). Gerente de Pesquisa e Inovação em Produtividade da Secretaria Municipal de Desenvolvimento Econômico, Trabalho, Ciência e Tecnologia de Goiânia. Pesquisadora membro do Grupo de Pesquisa em Empreendedorismo e do Grupo de Pesquisa em Aprendizagem nas Organizações da Universidade Federal de Goiás – UFG.

Maria Salete Batista Freitag, Universidade Federal de Goiás – UFG.

Doutora em Educação pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte – UFRN, Natal, (Brasil). Professora associada da Faculdade de Administração, Ciências Contábeis e Ciências Econômicas (FACE) da Universidade Federal de Goiás - UFG.

Edy Lawson Silva Santos, Instituto Federal do Rio de Janeiro - IFRJ.

Mestre em Administração pela Universidade Federal de Goiás – UFG, Goiânia, (Brasil).Professor pelo Instituto Federal do Rio de Janeiro - IFRJ, Niterói. 

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Published

2018-09-06

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How to Cite

Arantes, F. P., Batista Freitag, M. S., & Silva Santos, E. L. (2018). Improvisation and Learning of Informal Entrepreneurs: The Experience of Fair Marketer Entrepreneurs. REGEPE Entrepreneurship and Small Business Journal, 7(3), 30–57. https://doi.org/10.14211/regepe.v7i3.921

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Section

Research article (Theoretical-empirical)

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