No Access

A MICRO-ENTREPRENEUR IN THE GIG ECONOMY: CASE STUDY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

THOMAS EVELAND

Ohio Dominican University, Columbus, OH, USA

E-mail Address: evelandt@ohiodominican.edu

Search for more papers by this author

and

HELEN MACLENNAN

Saint Leo University, Tampa, FL, USA

Search for more papers by this author

https://doi.org/10.1142/S108494671950016XCited by:3 (Source: Crossref)

Abstract

Through the methodology of auto-ethnographical case study, this research includes a review of the entrepreneurial nature of the current U.S. workforce and explores the experiences and insights of a micro-entrepreneur to identify challenges faced by many freelance, gig workers, and other micro-entrepreneurs in the current economy. The study consolidates the challenges faced by the micro-entrepreneur into four key areas: formulating and executing strategy, constructing a value web, utilizing mentors and negotiating ambiguity in business. These unique challenges center on the start-up, development and operation of a small business, and are used to provide curricular and pedagogical recommendations for higher education to better serve this burgeoning sector of the workforce.

Keywords:

References

Alstete, JW [2014] Strategy choices of potential entrepreneurs. Journal of Education for Business, 89(2), 77–83. Crossref, Google Scholar
Banning, KC [2003] The effect of the case method on tolerance for ambiguity. Journal of Management Education, 27(5), 556–67. Crossref, Google Scholar
Basaiawmoit, RV and K Wagner [2015] An auto-ethnographic perspective of social entrepreneurship focused student case-competitions and its impact on entrepreneurship education and learning. eLearning, 12. Google Scholar
Beesley, C (2014, November 19). Why a Mentor is Key to Small Business Growth and Survival.[www.sba.gov/blogs/why-mentor-key-small-business-growth-and-survival-0]. Google Scholar
Bovee, CL and JV Thill [2014] Business in Action. Harlow, Essex: Pearson. Google Scholar
Chappa, C, M Varghese and K Chandler [2017] Shaping the gig economy. Proceedings of the Northeast Business and Economics Association, USA, 70–73. Google Scholar
Collins, JC [2001] Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t. New York, NY: Harper Business. Google Scholar
Cope, J and G Watts [2000] Learning by doing–an exploration of experience, critical incidents and reflection in entrepreneurial learning. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research, 6(3), 104–24. Crossref, Google Scholar
Creswell, JW [2013] Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Google Scholar
Creswell, JW [2014] Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Google Scholar
Davies, J, F McGregor and M Horan [2019] Auto-ethnography and the doctorate in business administration: Personal, practical and scholarly impacts. The International Journal of Management Education, 17(2), 201–13. Crossref, Google Scholar
Delaney, TK [2018] Taxing the gig economy. University of Pennsylvania Law Review, 166(6), 1415–73. Google Scholar
Donovan, SA, DH Bradley and JO Shimabukuro (2016). What does the gig economy mean for workers? Congressional Research Service: Report, 1–16. Google Scholar
Dunn, M (2018). Making gigs work: Career strategies, job quality and migration in the gig economy (Doctoral dissertation). Google Scholar
Edmonds, D (2015). More than half of college faculty are adjuncts: Should you care? Forbes, May 28. Google Scholar
Entrepreneur. (n.d.). In Dictionary.com. Google Scholar
Frazer, J (2019, February 15). How the gig economy is reshaping careers for the next generation. Forbes. [www.forbes.com/sites/johnfrazer1/2019/02/15/how-the-gig-economy-is-reshaping-careers-for-the-next-generation/#11b9628a49ad]. Google Scholar
Friedman, G [2014] Workers without employers: Shadow corporations and the rise of the gig economy. Review of Keynesian Economics, 2(2), 171–88. Crossref, Google Scholar
Guillory, S (2014, May 12). Attention micro-entrepreneurs: You’re not alone in small business. [www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2014/05/12/attention-micro-entrepreneurs-youre-not-alone-in-small-business/#2d8c0118406d]. Google Scholar
Harbour, S (2019, February, 27). What’s in a name: Are you a solopreneur, micro-entrepreneur, entrepreneur, or small-business owner? [sba.thehartford.com/business-management/whats-in-a-name-are-you-a-solopreneur-micro-entrepreneur-entrepreneur-or-small-business-owner/]. Google Scholar
Hecht, J (2018, August 17). You need a mentor. Here’s where to find one for free. [www.entrepreneur.com/article/318024]. Google Scholar
Kess, S, JR Grimaldi and JA Revels [2018] Financial planning for workers in the gig economy. CPA Journal, 88(8), 68–70. Google Scholar
Kinchin, IM and C Wiley [2018] Tracing pedagogic frailty in arts and humanities education: An auto-ethnographic perspective. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 17(2), 241–64. Crossref, Google Scholar
Kosonovich, K (2018). U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics: Spotlight on statistics. [www.bls.gov/spotlight/2018/contingent-workers/home.htm]. Google Scholar
Kuratko, DF and MH Morris [2018] Examining the future trajectory of entrepreneurship. Journal of Small Business Management, 56(1), 11–23. Crossref, Google Scholar
Kurin, J [2017] A third-way for applying U.S. labor laws to the online gig economy: Using the franchise business model to regulate gig workers. Journal of Business and Technology Law, 12(2), 193–226. Google Scholar
Malin, MH [2018] Protecting platform workers in the gig economy: Look to the FTC. Indiana Law Review, 51(2), 377–411. Crossref, Google Scholar
McFeely, S and R Pendell (2018, August 16). What workplace leaders can learn from the real gig economy. Gallup. [www.gallup.com/workplace/240929/workplace-leaders-learn-real-gig-economy.aspx]. Google Scholar
Micro-entrepreneur (n.d.). In OxfordDictionaries.com. Google Scholar
NPR/Marist (2018, January). Picture of work. [maristpoll.marist.edu/nprmarist-poll-results-january-2018-picture-of-work/#sthash.w7FIDc8M.dpbs]. Google Scholar
Rigg, C and B O’Dwyer [2012] Becoming an entrepreneur: Researching the role of mentors in identity construction. Education and Training, 54(4), 319–29. Crossref, Google Scholar
SBA (2017). Table of size standards. Small Business Administration. [www.sba.gov/document/support–table-size-standards]. Google Scholar
Smith, A (2016). Gig work, online selling, and home sharing. Pew Research Center. [www.pewinternet.org/2016/11/17/gig-work-online-selling-and-home-sharing/]. Google Scholar
Thackston, R and D Umphress . [2013] Micro-entrepreneurs: The Rise of the MicroISV. IT Professional, 15(2), 50–56. Crossref, Google Scholar
Theroux, JM [2009] Real-time case method: Analysis of a second implementation. Journal of Education for Business, 84(6), 367–73. Crossref, Google Scholar
Todoli-Signes, A [2017] The end of the subordinate worker? The on-demand economy, the gig economy and the need for protection for crowd-workers. International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations, 33(2), 241–68. Crossref, Google Scholar
Tronsor, WJ [2018] Unions for workers in the gig economy: Time for a new labor movement. Labor Law Journal, 69(4), 181–93. Google Scholar
U.S. Census Bureau (2018). Total non-employer establishments. Retrieved from [www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US#]. Google Scholar
UPS (2014, January 9). The UPS Store Makes “Mentoring Month” Matter for Small Business Owners. [www.theupsstore.com/about/pressroom/small-business-mentoring-month-2014]. Google Scholar
Walling, R [2010] Start Small, Stay Small: A Developer’s Guide to Launching a Startup. Altadena, CA: The Numa Group LLC. Google Scholar
Yin, RK [2009] Case Study Research. Design and Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Google Scholar
Yin, RK [2010] Qualitative Research from Start to Finish. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Google Scholar