Entrepreneurship research has begun to examine the construction of an occupational identity for entrepreneurs, arguing that this identity is intersected by a variety of discourses, including gender, class and race/ethnicity. Yet, these studies only partially account for the myriad ways that entrepreneurial identity, and occupational identity more broadly, may manifest across the US or globally. In this article, we discuss how high-tech entrepreneurial identities are constructed in conjunction with place-based 'transcendent' and 'locale-specific' discourses. Empirical results from two studies of hightech entrepreneurs in the western US demonstrate that place both shapes and constrains the possibilities for constructing an 'ideal entrepreneurial self'. The implications of our research suggest: (i) the importance of 'relocating place' to understand the regional shaping of entrepreneurial identity and occupational identity; (ii) the significance of place serving as a rich organizing discourse for studies of intersectionality; and (iii) the complex ways in which entrepreneurial and occupational identities are shaped by place while simultaneously engaged in 'place-making'.

This case study reveals how organization members communicatively manage multiple targets and sources of identification during a time of company transition. Interview accounts are used to examine how members discursively construct understanding as they discuss two competing value-based identity structures. Results reveal three distinct discursive strategies—comparison, logic, and support—that members use to manage identity tensions, and eight corresponding communicative tactics used to enact those strategies. This focus on communicative strategies and tactics is important because identities are expressed through language, and discourse is the means available to organization members for negotiating various identity structures. Discursive strategies are central to the identity formation process and provide a window into the sensemaking of participants.

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In a globalized world, place may play a much larger role in shaping occupational identities than scholars realize. Rather than serving as mere context in which identity work is conducted, cities, states, and regions are highly influential in shaping various parts of identity. This study of high-tech entrepreneurs in a city in the Rocky Mountain West of the United States shows that place was significant for framing identity narratives related to occupation. In addition, place helped to frame and organize other discursive resources for identity work such as gender, class, and race. This study highlights the ways in which attention to place can (a) surface important contemporary discursive resources for identity work, (b) allow scholars to see how aspects of complex identities are organized, and (c) show how the material, geographic world shapes the ways in which people socially construct their identities.

Many trace inorganic contaminants (e.g., lead, arsenic, nickel, vanadium, uranium) can accumulate on the surface of or be occluded within corrosion scales formed in drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs). However, few data are available on the actual concentrations of these contaminants beyond system entry points. An investigation was conducted to determine the occurrence levels and patterns of 11 trace inorganic contaminants in DWDSs. Among the trace inorganic contaminants that were found in practically all studied samples of intact corrosion scales and solids mobilized during hydrant flushing, barium was the most concentrated on a mass basis, followed by, in decreasing order, lead, nickel, vanadium, arsenic, chromium, uranium, cadmium, antimony, selenium, and thallium.