The man in the black hat

A century after the American Frontier was closed, the cowboy remains an iconic figure. A sturdy individualism, a steely disregard for convention and the bravery to do what’s gotta be done: these are powerful tropes that seemingly define a particular type of heroism. One that seems ageless despite the disappearance of the border environment in which the fictive cowboy operated.

Our aim in this paper is to explore the mythology of the cowboy as depicted in western films and fiction, demonstrating how it draws upon and develops particular kinds of individualism, sociality and morality that were first explicitly explored in the late eighteenth century. And, as theoretically‐laden icon, we examine how the cowboy continues to shape writing and thinking about individuals and organizations, specifically focussing on the works of Ayn Rand and notions of entrepreneurship.