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The rise of the ‘dropout entrepreneur’: dropping out, ‘self-reliance’ and the American myth of entrepreneurial success

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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The rise of the ‘dropout entrepreneur’: dropping out, ‘self-reliance’ and the American myth of entrepreneurial success. / Watt, Peter.
In: Culture and Organization, Vol. 22, No. 1, 01.03.2016, p. 20-43.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Watt, P 2016, 'The rise of the ‘dropout entrepreneur’: dropping out, ‘self-reliance’ and the American myth of entrepreneurial success', Culture and Organization, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 20-43. https://doi.org/10.1080/14759551.2015.1104682

APA

Watt, P. (2016). The rise of the ‘dropout entrepreneur’: dropping out, ‘self-reliance’ and the American myth of entrepreneurial success. Culture and Organization, 22(1), 20-43. https://doi.org/10.1080/14759551.2015.1104682

Vancouver

Watt P. The rise of the ‘dropout entrepreneur’: dropping out, ‘self-reliance’ and the American myth of entrepreneurial success. Culture and Organization. 2016 Mar 1;22(1):20-43. Epub 2015 Dec 13. doi: 10.1080/14759551.2015.1104682

Author

Watt, Peter. / The rise of the ‘dropout entrepreneur’ : dropping out, ‘self-reliance’ and the American myth of entrepreneurial success. In: Culture and Organization. 2016 ; Vol. 22, No. 1. pp. 20-43.

Bibtex

@article{4c472b2ccf004586994542081a86ce09,
title = "The rise of the {\textquoteleft}dropout entrepreneur{\textquoteright}: dropping out, {\textquoteleft}self-reliance{\textquoteright} and the American myth of entrepreneurial success",
abstract = "This paper is an attempt to understand the rise of {\textquoteleft}the dropout{\textquoteright} as a central figure in the wider myth of entrepreneurial success. Over the past decade, a large number of {\textquoteleft}tech entrepreneurs{\textquoteright} share a success that is often attributed to the fact that they {\textquoteleft}dropped out{\textquoteright} from their respective universities. To address this, the paper begins by exploring the inherent irony that a number of high-profile {\textquoteleft}dropout entrepreneurs{\textquoteright} have given graduation commencement speeches: the irony being that their narrative of success and hope is articulated to those who, as graduates, can never follow this path. From this, the paper traces the cultural lineage of {\textquoteleft}dropping out{\textquoteright} over the latter half of the twentieth century from a position of denigration to the embodiment of the celebrated values of entrepreneurship and its central association with {\textquoteleft}self-reliance{\textquoteright} as an ideal that continues to underpin the {\textquoteleft}American Myth of Entrepreneurial Success.{\textquoteright}",
author = "Peter Watt",
year = "2016",
month = mar,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1080/14759551.2015.1104682",
language = "English",
volume = "22",
pages = "20--43",
journal = "Culture and Organization",
issn = "1475-9551",
publisher = "Routledge",
number = "1",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The rise of the ‘dropout entrepreneur’

T2 - dropping out, ‘self-reliance’ and the American myth of entrepreneurial success

AU - Watt, Peter

PY - 2016/3/1

Y1 - 2016/3/1

N2 - This paper is an attempt to understand the rise of ‘the dropout’ as a central figure in the wider myth of entrepreneurial success. Over the past decade, a large number of ‘tech entrepreneurs’ share a success that is often attributed to the fact that they ‘dropped out’ from their respective universities. To address this, the paper begins by exploring the inherent irony that a number of high-profile ‘dropout entrepreneurs’ have given graduation commencement speeches: the irony being that their narrative of success and hope is articulated to those who, as graduates, can never follow this path. From this, the paper traces the cultural lineage of ‘dropping out’ over the latter half of the twentieth century from a position of denigration to the embodiment of the celebrated values of entrepreneurship and its central association with ‘self-reliance’ as an ideal that continues to underpin the ‘American Myth of Entrepreneurial Success.’

AB - This paper is an attempt to understand the rise of ‘the dropout’ as a central figure in the wider myth of entrepreneurial success. Over the past decade, a large number of ‘tech entrepreneurs’ share a success that is often attributed to the fact that they ‘dropped out’ from their respective universities. To address this, the paper begins by exploring the inherent irony that a number of high-profile ‘dropout entrepreneurs’ have given graduation commencement speeches: the irony being that their narrative of success and hope is articulated to those who, as graduates, can never follow this path. From this, the paper traces the cultural lineage of ‘dropping out’ over the latter half of the twentieth century from a position of denigration to the embodiment of the celebrated values of entrepreneurship and its central association with ‘self-reliance’ as an ideal that continues to underpin the ‘American Myth of Entrepreneurial Success.’

U2 - 10.1080/14759551.2015.1104682

DO - 10.1080/14759551.2015.1104682

M3 - Journal article

VL - 22

SP - 20

EP - 43

JO - Culture and Organization

JF - Culture and Organization

SN - 1475-9551

IS - 1

ER -