The story's end : a narrative analysis of entrepreneurial exit

Based on a period of participant observation I examine the exit of the Managing Director from a family owned business. The study reflects on theories of entrepreneurial exit at both the level of the individual and the organisation. Through the adoption of a two step empirical analysis based on narrative theory, conclusions are drawn regarding the events and the Managing Director’s actions which were antecedent to his announcement of exit. The article contributes insights regarding how an individual entrepreneur might come to make decisions regarding their exit from their firm, with respect to the context in which the firm operates. The article provides both a thick description of one local culture that will be useful for stimulating reflection amongst practitioners and prompting the operationalisation of more nuanced variables that might be adopted in future survey research.