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Abstract

This paper is based on a review of the lead author's research, which took the form of a self-narrative from a practitioner about the perceived realities of one small business and its owner. The paper explores the practical application of auto-ethnographic reflexive research methodologies and seeks to demonstrate that structured ways can be developed to enable complexity-inspired reflexive research to take place usefully in organizations. The authors review the appropriateness of a reflexive methodology, using ideas inspired by complexity thinking in the study of small businesses and their owner–managers. They highlight the practical difficulties encountered by a practitioner/researcher when attempting to employ reflexive methodology in the small business environment as a means of illuminating and understanding the driving forces that lie behind the outwardly observable characteristics of small businesses and their owner–managers. The approach remains relatively unknown in small business research and this mirrors a lack of acceptance in wider academic circles. The authors acknowledge the criticisms and discuss the limitations of the use of these techniques, but argue for their benefits to be more widely recognized. The outcomes presented offer an insight into behaviours and motivations not often articulated in the SME business world.

Keywords

reflexivity complexity SME small businesses owner–manager auto-ethnography

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The Application of Reflexivity in Small Business Research and Implications for the Business Practitioner

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