The paradox of entrepreneurship: how emplotment of the self provides confirmation in the face of anxiety

Abstract: This study explores how narrative identity construction of young entrepreneurs is influenced through sensemaking processes based on storytelling. In order to do so, this study has been conducted with eleven participants of an entrepreneurial hub. This entrepreneurial hub is actively engaged in training and developing skills of young entrepreneurs. The participants in our study were considered young both in age as well as in terms of experience within entrepreneurship, and therefore provided a suitable scope for this thesis. The research setting was established in cooperation with the municipality and entailed a storytelling workshop for value congruence. Interviews have been conducted with all eleven participants at two different moments in time, both before and after the storytelling workshop in order to obtain rich data and address our research question. To increase our understanding in sensemaking processes, observations were conducted during the workshop. The results of our research show that the entrepreneurs‟ narrative identity was influenced by both interpersonal as well as intrapersonal sensemaking processes. We argue that sensemaking, amongst others, occurred through four layers which we identified as the entrepreneurial sphere, entrepreneurial hub, teams and the self. Consequently, these sensemaking processes affected the entrepreneurs‟ (narrative) identity construction.