Facing the future through entrepreneurship theory: A prospective inquiry framework

Abstract

In this paper, we address a thorny challenge: how can entrepreneurship scholarship enhance its impact without compromising the pursuit of conceptual rigor and theoretical novelty? We propose a prospective inquiry framework for entrepreneurship. It aims to align the scholarly pursuit of theoretical novelty with the entrepreneurs' focus on the future, in a shared aspiration to make a difference in the world. By expanding the focus of theoretical work toward the future, scholarship can focus on the formulation, exploration, and evaluation of alternatives to the present, as theories for desired futures. Prospective inquiry retains the primacy of theorizing while expanding its purpose, value, and use in entrepreneurship research, unleashing its generative power. It opens new spaces for theoretical excellence, dissolves the research-practice gap, and allows researchers and practitioners to theorize and enact their aspirations for the future.