ABSTRACT
Before analysing the role of entrepreneurship in the emergence of the aviation industry in the United Kingdom, the United States and Europe from 1903 to 1945, it is necessary to first have an appreciation of the nature of emerging industries, why entrepreneurs are attracted to them and how they work independently and with other organisations to build an industry’s credibility and legitimacy. In this chapter, therefore, an examination is undertaken of the dynamic nature of emerging industries, where established frameworks of knowledge do not yet exist. In doing so, the role of communities of practice is emphasised. This chapter uses examples from the early aviation industry in Europe and America to describe the process by which entrepreneurs and the broader community worked together to establish the emerging aviation industry.
