Back to the Future in Entrepreneurship Research?

1. Back to the Future in Entrepreneurship Research? Professor David Watkins Southampton Solent University

2. Changed my Mind about What I was going to Talk About… • Reflect a bit on current methodologies • Use of Bibliometric Data to Identify Emerging Areas of Research • Experience at AoM • Very strong sense of déjà vu in every session I attended • Dishonest research was not excluded • Electronic databases – including full-text – being steadily extended backwards and in Scope • Example: ISBJ now scanned back to Volume 1; Issue 1 • Contacts re Royalties • Photocopies, Library Author’s Rights, etc. • Changing basis of what is available and searchable in literature review • Recent years, almost all journal literature and very recent • Previously, biased towards monographs and book chapters • Core Journals and Others • ‘Nicheification’ • Next big journal?

3. Reflect a bit on current methodologies • Use of Bibliometric Data to Identify Emerging Areas of Research • Experience at AoM • Very strong sense of déjà vu in every session I attended • Dishonest research was not excluded • Electronic databases – including full-text – being steadily extended backwards and in Scope • Example: ISBJ now scanned back to Volume 1; Issue 1 • Changing basis of what is available and searchable in literature review • Recent years, almost all journal literature and very recent • Previously, biased towards monographs and book chapters • Core Journals and Others • ‘Nicheification’ • Next big journal?

4. Two very recent papers reflect on current methodologies… Still Blinded by the Cites: Has there been Progress in Entrepreneurship Research? L F Edelman, T S Manilova and C G Brush AoM Chicago 2009 “During the past 10 years research has grown dramatically in the field of Entrepreneurship …one way to assess the progress of a field is to look at the methods used by scholars conducting empirical research….following Aldrich and Baker (1997) we examined three years of articles published in six leading entrepreneurship journals – 3 from US and 3 from Europe – and 2 benchmark journals over 3 years. (1046 articles). We compared our findings with A + B thus providing a longitudinal perspective. Our findings indicate there has been little change in our research methodologies in the 10 years since A + B conducted their review, however, there is a widening gap in methodologies between the US and Europe.” Aldrich, H. E. and T. Baker (1997). Blinded by the Cites? Has There Been Progress in Entrepreneurship Research? Entrepreneurship 2000 D. L. Sexton and R. W. Smilor. Chicago, Upstart Publishing Company: 377-400.

5. Two very recent papers reflect on current methodologies… Research Methods in the Leading Small Business -Entrepreneurship Journals: A critical Review with Recommendations for Future Research M R Mullen, D G Budeva and P M Doney JSBM 47 (3) 287-307 2009 “Small business and entrepreneurship scholars have made significant progress toward advancing the field and gaining recognition as an important domain of scientific enquiry. However…a strong methodological foundation built on state-of-the-art research technologies in necessary to support further paradigmatic growth and maturation. Using C + L’s 2001 study as a benchmark … critiques research methods in this decade. Included all 665 papers in JSBM, JBV and ETP from 2001 to 02/08….outlines key methodological issues, identifies current trends and offers recommendations…for researchers.” Chandler, G. N. and D. W. Lyon (2001) "Issues of research design and construct measurement in entrepreneurship research: The past decade." Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 25(4): 101-113.2

6. Brief Comment • A + B ….Europe more qualitative than US; more methodological variety; more policy oriented • The 2 new papers sample different journal sets although describing them similarly. The specific findings will be dependent on this staring condition. Specifically, Edelman et al compare US versus European journals. Mullen et al take only the US sub-set of these.

7. Experience at AoM • Is Academy of Management picking right papers? By implication, is ‘the Academy’ in general able to do this? • Own Experience of Review • Ranking issue • Experience of Attending • Déjà vu • Dishonesty

8. Electronic databases – including full-text – being steadily extended backwards Adams, A. • Barriers to Product Innovation in Small Firms: Policy Implications Bennett, D. C. • State Aids to small firms in the European Community Curran, J. and Stanworth, J. • Franchising in the modern economy - Towards a Theoretical Understanding Ettinger, J.-C. • Some Belgian Evidence on Entrepreneurial Personality Gillingham, D. • Attribute Modelling as a Consulting Aid to Small Business Johannisson, B. • Swedish Evidence for the Potential of Local Entrepreneurship in Regional Development Kirby, D. • Government Policies Towards the Small Retail Business in Japan Leyshon, A. • The UK Government Small Business Model - A Review Lowe, J. and Crawford, N. • Technology Licensing and the Small and Medium-sized Firm O'Farrell, P. N. • Small Manufacturing Firms in Ireland: Employment Performance and Implications Schmidt, K.-H. • Labour Market segmentation in small business Schmidt, K.-H. • Employment Effects of New Technologies in Small Business Star, A. D. and Robinson, A. • Absolute and Relative Concentration in United States Retailing Walbank, M. • Equity Sharing Policies in New Venture Funding Watkins, J. and Watkins, D. • The Female Entrepreneur: Background and Determinants of Business Choice- Some British Data

9. Characterising Publication Outlets for Entrepreneurship Research SOURCE: Watkins, D. and D. Reader (2004). Identifying Current Trends in Entrepreneurship Research: A New Approach. Annual Review of Progress in Entrepreneurship Research, Volume 2: 2002-2003. Brussels, European Foundation for Management Development: 311-324.

10. ABS Rankings ( 4 >> 1

11. Would these ISBJ Articles now Appear in Another or a ‘Niche’ Journal rather than the Core? Adams, A. • Barriers to Product Innovation in Small Firms: Policy Implications Bennett, D. C. • State Aids to small firms in the European Community Curran, J. and Stanworth, J. • Franchising in the modern economy - Towards a Theoretical Understanding Ettinger, J.-C. • Some Belgian Evidence on Entrepreneurial Personality Gillingham, D. • Attribute Modelling as a Consulting Aid to Small Business Johannisson, B. • Swedish Evidence for the Potential of Local Entrepreneurship in Regional Development Kirby, D. • Government Policies Towards the Small Retail Business in Japan Leyshon, A. • The UK Government Small Business Model - A Review Lowe, J. and Crawford, N. • Technology Licensing and the Small and Medium-sized Firm O'Farrell, P. N. • Small Manufacturing Firms in Ireland: Employment Performance and Implications Schmidt, K.-H. • Labour Market segmentation in small business Schmidt, K.-H. • Employment Effects of New Technologies in Small Business Star, A. D. and Robinson, A. • Absolute and Relative Concentration in United States Retailing Walbank, M. • Equity Sharing Policies in New Venture Funding Watkins, J. and Watkins, D. • The Female Entrepreneur: Background and Determinants of Business Choice- Some British Data

12. Sub-themes in Entrepreneurship Research • Corporate entrepreneurship • The economic role of entrepreneurs • Organisation change and development • Start up and growth of new ventures • Formal venture capital • Strategic management in entrepreneurship • Female/ethnic minorities and family business • Characteristics of entrepreneurs/hip • Government policy and regional development SOURCE: Reader, D. and D. Watkins (2006). "The Social and Collaborative Nature of Entrepreneurship Scholarship: A Co-Citation and Perceptual Analysis." Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 30(3): 417-441 (And this ETP Special Issue more generally…)

13. What ‘Niches’ are developing? • Social Enterprise • Community Enterprise • Women’s Enterprise • Entrepreneurial Strategy

14. What New ‘Niches’ are developing? • Social Enterprise (Emerald) • Community Enterprise (?) • Women’s Enterprise (Emerald) • Entrepreneurial Strategy (Wiley) • Etc…….

15. What Other Entrepreneurship Journals on ABS list will become ‘Core’? • FBR already has IF (rising) but a special case • Venture Capital? • JoE? • JEC? • IJEBR? • Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal?

16. …Thank you for listening!