Queensland University of Technology www qut edu au

Queensland University of Technology www. qut. edu. au Looking Back at 20 Years of Entrepreneurship Research: What Did We Learn? • Per Davidsson • Queensland University of Technology • Jönköping International Business School

www. qut. edu. au Agenda • The Early Conferences • What Did We Learn? • The (Remaining) Challenges of ENT Research • Europe vs. North America Queensland University of Technology

www. qut. edu. au All this is said by the greatest of traitors/sinners • Not RENT regular in recent years (but Babson & Academy regular) • My best RENT papers not in ERD—or thanks to others • I’ve been all over the place topic-wise and levels-wise • I’ve explored more than I have theory-tested • I have had a lead role in projects with huge heterogeneity problems… • Even left the continent… Queensland University of Technology

www. qut. edu. au The Early Conferences… • Brussels 1987 • Vienna 1988 • Durham 1989 • Växjö 1991 • Budapest 1993 Queensland University of Technology

www. qut. edu. au The Early Conferences… • A lot of mapping out the field – Conceptually – Empirically (extremely descriptive) • Some well-known names; some long forgotten • Great diversity of approaches • Some interesting ‘false starts’, e. g. , – Topic: entrepreneurship as career issue – Method: computer simulation, etc. Queensland University of Technology

www. qut. edu. au 20 years—What Did We Learn? • Small New Firms Are Important – Innovation; Job Creation; Regional development • Not so much individuals with unique inborn qualities – Ind. Level: cognition, behaviour, habituals • Environment – clusters; districts; milieux • Teams, Network, Social capital • Process • ‘The Opportunity’ and the Person-Venture fit Queensland University of Technology …and a whole lot else, of course!

www. qut. edu. au 20 years—What Did We Learn? • • • Multi-level phenomenon Complexity Heterogeneity A Challenge to Research! Reason for theory-drivenness and methodological adaptations Queensland University of Technology

www. qut. edu. au A Common Levels Fallacy in Entrepreneurship Research Fallacy Characteristics of individual X Creation of ONE new venture by individual X (possibly with ind Y and Z) Performance of THIS venture Conclusion: distinguish clearly between individual level research and venture or firm level research Queensland University of Technology

www. qut. edu. au Phenomenon-driven research • ‘Complete’ understanding • Population study OR ‘thick description’ case • Of the ‘entire’ phenomenon • As it presents itself ‘in the real world’ • Large, representative sample from the ‘entire population’ • Include ‘all relevant variables’ / care about ‘everything’ Queensland University of Technology

www. qut. edu. au Queensland University of Technology

www. qut. edu. au Theory-driven research • Is X related to Y in the manner predicted by theory Z? • We don’t care what other things may also have an effect on Y • We are not particularly interested in population X in country Q at time T • Current, average practice isn’t necessarily ‘right’ Queensland University of Technology • Experiment! • Use a ‘narrow’ sample (age, gender, education) to reduce heterogeneity • Study / measure a few issues WELL, rather than everything superficially • Control for heterogeneity that has not been designed away

www. qut. edu. au A quantitative example… Baum et al. , JAP, 2004 Queensland University of Technology

www. qut. edu. au A qualitative example… Shane (2000) Org. Science • All cases based on SAME basic innovation • Access to ALL start-ups, successful and unsuccessful • Focus on narrow range of issues—role of prior knowledge • Compelling; convincing results (cf. Sarasvathy; Bhave —more exploratory, but focused) Queensland University of Technology

www. qut. edu. au Europe vs. North America • North American examples…by intention • 20 years of increasing North American influences…which one can have opinions about – Paradigmatically narrow – Focus on quantity, adding lines to CVs – All about packaging; ‘selling’ stories & results – Make-believe theory-drivenness Queensland University of Technology

www. qut. edu. au Europe vs. North America • BUT…the top of that iceberg produces the ‘best’, most influential, most cited research • Why? • Infrastructure/Institutions – Babson & FER vs. RENT & ad hoc books – Ao. M vs. EURAM – JBV & ETP vs. ERD & IJSB • Incentives? Queensland University of Technology

www. qut. edu. au Europe vs. North America • European paradigmatic diversity—a weakness and potential strength – Building and sharing cumulative knowledge Queensland University of Technology

www. qut. edu. au Europe vs. North America • European paradigmatic diversity—a weakness and potential strength – Building and sharing cumulative knowledge • Collaboration among research teams – In a maturing field it takes a combination of skills to conduct top level research and package it for top level outlets Queensland University of Technology

www. qut. edu. au Europe vs. North America • European paradigmatic diversity—a weakness and potential strength – Building and sharing cumulative knowledge • Collaboration among research teams – In a maturing field it takes a combination of skills to conduct top level research and package it for top level outlets • Collaboration with oneself – Stamina; building a research stream (effectuation, bricolage, bootstrapping) Queensland University of Technology

www. qut. edu. au But a strong counter balance to the excesses of the North American system is badly needed! Let’s support RENT, ERD & other European institutions! Thank you! Queensland University of Technology