Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Building and Burning of Bridges: The Paradox of Isolation in Appalachian Entrepreneurship
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Stoll (2017) has identified isolation, which has been linked by multiple academic disciplines with weak entrepreneurship and economic development, as the dominant understanding of Appalachian poverty. Thus, connecting Appalachia with metropolitan centers is a common strategy in the region. However, as Stoll and other scholars point out, the effect of linking urban markets to rural Appalachia has most often resulted in local places becoming subjected to the growth maximization of neoliberalism. Unbridled development in Appalachia is both unsustainable and often leads to the disappearance of local culture and traditions. This is both ethically questionable and may have negative effects on local entrepreneurship. As illustrated by the role traditional Appalachian food-ways have played in the farm-to-table movement, rural entrepreneurs benefit from the unique knowledge and resources of their community when identifying and exploiting business opportunities, as long as local assets and knowledge are preserved. This presents a paradox for those seeking to assist Appalachian entrepreneurs. In order to gain access to urban customers and suppliers, rural entrepreneurs must overcome isolation. Yet, in eliminating isolation, entrepreneurs risk losing the norms and traditions from which to develop new and novel ventures. Therefore, I propose successful entrepreneurship in Appalachia is characterized by both bridge building (isolation reducing) and bridge burning (isolation maintaining), activities. The implication of this insight is that initiatives that seek only to reduce Appalachian isolation are likely to also reduce a community’s entrepreneurial potential. However, initiatives that allow entrepreneurs to connect while preserving some isolation, are more likely to lead to entrepreneurial opportunities.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Alex Naar is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Management Department at Virginia Tech. His dissertation looks at the ways in which rural entrepreneurs develop products and bring them to market. He currently lives in Boone, NC where he teaches various business classes at Appalachian State University. Prior to Virginia Tech, Naar worked at the Center for Sustainable Tourism at East Carolina University.
Building and Burning of Bridges: The Paradox of Isolation in Appalachian Entrepreneurship
Stoll (2017) has identified isolation, which has been linked by multiple academic disciplines with weak entrepreneurship and economic development, as the dominant understanding of Appalachian poverty. Thus, connecting Appalachia with metropolitan centers is a common strategy in the region. However, as Stoll and other scholars point out, the effect of linking urban markets to rural Appalachia has most often resulted in local places becoming subjected to the growth maximization of neoliberalism. Unbridled development in Appalachia is both unsustainable and often leads to the disappearance of local culture and traditions. This is both ethically questionable and may have negative effects on local entrepreneurship. As illustrated by the role traditional Appalachian food-ways have played in the farm-to-table movement, rural entrepreneurs benefit from the unique knowledge and resources of their community when identifying and exploiting business opportunities, as long as local assets and knowledge are preserved. This presents a paradox for those seeking to assist Appalachian entrepreneurs. In order to gain access to urban customers and suppliers, rural entrepreneurs must overcome isolation. Yet, in eliminating isolation, entrepreneurs risk losing the norms and traditions from which to develop new and novel ventures. Therefore, I propose successful entrepreneurship in Appalachia is characterized by both bridge building (isolation reducing) and bridge burning (isolation maintaining), activities. The implication of this insight is that initiatives that seek only to reduce Appalachian isolation are likely to also reduce a community’s entrepreneurial potential. However, initiatives that allow entrepreneurs to connect while preserving some isolation, are more likely to lead to entrepreneurial opportunities.
