Public entrepreneurship literature from 2010 to 2019: A systematic review

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the article is to review some basic issues surrounding public entrepreneurship (PE), as it is perceived as a measure to improve the performance of public organizations.Research Design & Methods: This article uses Systematic Assessment Quantitative Technique (SQAT) advanced by Australian researchers (Catherine Pickering and Jason Antony Byrne). It allows the reproduction of verifiable reviews, through geographical, theoretical, and methodological gaps identification in literature. 61 peer-reviewed PE articles from six quality academic databases were systematically reviewed based on the following headings: time and geographical distributions, article type (conceptual or empirical), theories, themes, and methods of data collection.Findings: The analysis shows that large numbers of PE articles were published in 2016, with more publications in North America and Europe, while Africa has meagre publications. Most of PE articles are conceptually inclined and this suggests more empirical studies be conducted so as to have scientific knowledge of PE adoption. Besides, the study revealed that PE is mostly adopted by federal and state governments across the globe with little or no adoption at the local government level. Significant numbers of PE articles utilized one research method (the survey was dominantly used), future researchers can explore PE studies by merging more research methods to broaden the scope of PE.Implications & Recommendations: This study provides a clear picture of what is been investigated and has provided guides for future researchers to widen the knowledge adoption of PE around the globe for better service provision by public stakeholdersContribution & Value Added: The study systematically reviewed 61 peer-reviewed PE articles from six quality academic databases (Emerald, Elsevier, Sage, Springer, Taylor & Francis, and Wiley), thereby facilitating the understanding of PE and providing guides for future researchers of PE around the globe.