Research Methods in Entrepreneurship
Introduction
Research Methods in Entrepreneurship: Opportunities And Challenges, a special issue of Organizational Research Methods edited by Jeremy Short, Duane Ireland, and Dave Ketchen; Deadline 3 Dec 2007
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Organizational Research Methods
SPECIAL ISSUE ON "RESEARCH METHODS IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES"
Spurred by Joseph Schumpeter’s seminal work in the first half of the 20th century, the entrepreneurship field is emerging today as a distinct area of inquiry. The field is devoted to building knowledge about how individuals and groups identify opportunities in the quest to develop innovative ideas and create new ventures. Although scholarly interest in entrepreneurship appears to be steadily rising across the management discipline, this growth has been accompanied by an increase in questions about the rigor of empirical studies. Research methods in entrepreneurship have been scrutinized along a variety of dimensions, such as construct measurement, research design, data analysis, and levels of analysis. This scrutiny presents researchers with new opportunities to better capture entrepreneurial phenomena in their investigations, as well as new challenges about how to conduct their studies.
The purpose of this special issue is to publish work that will significantly enhance methodological practices in the field of entrepreneurship. In particular, we seek to (a) codify existing challenges about how methods are applied, (b) develop understanding about how to resolve current dilemmas, (c) lay a foundation for increased rigor in future studies, and (d) consider the implications of methodological rigor on the development of the field.
Appropriate topics for the special include, but are not limited to:
- How methods developed in other fields (e.g., finance, psychology, sociology, geography, anthropology) can enhance entrepreneurship research;
- The integration between entrepreneurship theory and method;
- How well extant studies have used particular research designs,measurement approaches, and analytical techniques relative to ‘best practices;’
- How experimental designs can improve understanding of entrepreneurship;
- Overcoming challenges associated with sampling in entrepreneurship, such as obtaining representative samples that are free of survivor bias;
- The construct validity of key metrics, such as growth, entrepreneurial orientation, and performance;
- The measurement of opportunities;
- The pitfalls of using cross-sectional and single-informant designs, and potential remedies;
- The treatment of levels of analysis within entrepreneurship inquiry;
- How qualitative approaches can further enhance the study of entrepreneurship; and
- Philosophy of science issues in the entrepreneurship context.
We invite empirical, conceptual (i.e., new theory about method), methodological, and literature review papers. Two types of papers will be published: (a) Feature Articles and (b) Research Notes. Feature articles are full-length manuscripts typical of ORM contributions. Research notes are narrower in scope than a feature article. Research notes should make an important contribution regardless of length, but the contribution would be narrower, perhaps addressing a more specific issue/topic as opposed to broader issues. They should be approximately 2500 words in length (excluding tables and references).
All papers will undergo the standard double-blind ORM review process and must meet the standards of the ORM Editorial Policy Statement (see ). All articles published in this feature topic must make strong contributions to improving our understanding of research methods in entrepreneurship. Papers that address substantive as opposed to methodological issues are better suited for more substantively focused outlets.
The Guest Editors for this special issue are Jeremy Short, Texas Tech University (jeremy.short@ttu.edu), Duane Ireland, Texas A&M University (DIreland@mays.tamu.edu), and Dave Ketchen, Auburn University (ketchda@auburn.edu).
**** In order to beproposal/summary must be sent by email to jeremy.short@ttu.edu by December 3, 2007. These summaries will be used only to ensure that the focus and scope of each paper is appropriate for the special issue. The guest editors will review the summaries, and authors will be contacted with invitations to submit the full papers. Authors with approved proposals must submit completed manuscripts by July 18, 2008.