Blog posts and Podcasts

Podcast Feature: Emancipatory Entrepreneurship as the Lifelong Pursuit of Eigensinn
ERD Episode 128 – Thomas Cyron

In this thought-provoking episode of Entrepreneurship Research Digest (ERD), MMTC researcher Thomas Cyron invites us to rethink entrepreneurship through the lens of personal emancipation. Drawing on the philosophical insights of Hermann Hesse, Cyron introduces the concept of Eigensinn—the inner sense of self—as a guiding thread in the lives of emancipatory entrepreneurs.

While entrepreneurship is often seen as a pathway to freedom from social and economic constraints, Cyron's research reveals that these journeys are as varied as the individuals undertaking them. Emancipatory entrepreneurship, he argues, is not a one-size-fits-all trajectory but rather a deeply personal and ongoing process. At its core lies the pursuit of Eigensinn:

1. Discovering one’s inner voice,
2. Recognizing the tensions between that voice and the external world, and
3. Embracing the consequences of staying true to oneself.

The episode explores how Eigensinn offers a unifying yet flexible framework for understanding the motivations behind emancipatory ventures. It highlights the biographical nature of entrepreneurial journeys, showing how the meaning of emancipation can shift across life stages and how remaining attuned to one's inner compass requires courage—especially in the face of radical uncertainty.

This episode is based on a recent paper by Thomas Cyron, Michal Zawadzki, and Mark Edwards, published in the Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship.

📄 Read the paper here External link, opens in new window.
🎙️ Listen to the episode External link, opens in new window.

MMTC member, Duncan Levinsohn, has recently had an inspiring discussion with Tom Roodro from Mötesplats Social Innovation (MSI) about the impact of business contributions to social sustainability.

The conversation is featured on the MSI podcast series, "Obruten Mark" External link, opens in new window. (Swedish only). Obruten Mark or Unbroken Ground in English, is a podcast that discusses social innovation tackling complex societal challenges and highlighting both new and established solutions to various problems, as well as possible ways forward.

The podcast "Unbroken ground" is produced by Mötesplats Social Innovation (MSI), which is a national network, where Jönköping University (JU) forms one of six nodes in Sweden. Three episodes highlight research conducted at JU, and the conversation with Duncan is first. JU's work with MSI is coordinated by Jönköping Academy.

The Esports Research Report External link, opens in new window.

The Esports Research Report is a resource for researchers, students and people interested in esports. We talk to researchers across a range of scientific disciplines who are doing work within the field of esports and games. We also talk to the people engaged in the industry to try build a clearer picture of what is happening within this fast moving and innovative context. Dive into the scientific side of Esports with MMTC member Brian McCauley and Steph Orme, who break down different aspects with fascinating people from esports and science.

This podcast is available in audio formats External link, opens in new window. and also as Youtube videos. External link, opens in new window.

Social Innovation & Sustainable Business Talks series External link, opens in new window.

In this podcast series, you will hear what practitioners from sustainability-oriented companies and academics from different fields focusing on social innovation and sustainability research think about the major challenges and future opportunities in the transition to the circular economy.

The project is partly supported by The Mötesplats Social Innovation project funded by Vinnova, Sweden’s Innovation Agency, and the Media, Management and Transformation Research Centre (MMTC) at Jönköping International Business School in Sweden.