Conceptual Richness and Methodological Diversity in Entrepreneurship Research edited by Alain Fayolle, Paula Kyro, Tonis Mets and Urve Venesaar

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is a concept that has been widely studied. Each year, it forms the main subject of numerous books, articles and other research documents as well as policy initiatives. One then wonders why or how it remains a fruitful research topic. I can adduce several factors for this, two of which are particularly relevant here: first, entrepreneurship spans disciplinary boundaries; second, it is strongly influenced by geographical and cultural context. It is for these reasons that the edited volume, Conceptual Richness and Methodological Diversity in Entrepreneurship Research , is interesting. The fifth in a series on entrepreneurship in Europe, the 13 chapters of this book are the product of research and dialogue within a multi-country research network. It carefully combines a multidisciplinary flavour with contextual sensitivity, being mindful of European culture and diversity. The first chapter offers the reader some insight into the broad series to which the book belongs. This chapter also highlights the key issues that the book focuses on and summarises the main message of each of the other chapters. Despite being well written and stimulating, particularly concerning the book’s manifesto, one gap is apparent in the introductory chapter: the absence of a conceptual definition of entrepreneurship. That is quite understandably: the book is the fifth in a series and such basic issues as definitions and delimitation should have been addressed much earlier in the series. Notwithstanding, for the reader whose first experience with the series occurs with this book, even a brief mention of what is meant by entrepreneurship in the book would have gone a long way. That being said, the attentive reader will quickly notice from the rest of the chapters that new business formation or self employment are the broad activities that constitute entrepreneurship in this book. For instance, Chapter 2 reminds us that: … creating a venture is a process that begins with the individual’s personal decision … (p. 15)