Entrepreneurship is a phenomenon of tremendous societal importance. It is also an elusive phenomenon, and researching entrepreneurship is therefore fun, fascinating and frustrating at times. In Researching Entrepreneurship, Per Davidsson, one of the most highly recognized entrepreneurship scholars shares in a personal and readable way his rich experience and ideas on how entrepreneurship can or should be researched. After a comprehensive treatment of entrepreneurship as societal phenomenon and scholarly domain, the core chapters of the book discuss design, sampling, operationalization and analysis issues on several levels of analysis: individual, venture, firm, industry, region and nation. The book is targeted at doctoral students and other relative newcomers to the field of entrepreneurship research. However, taking a fresh, reflective perspective and looking beyond research conventions, it should provide potential for inspiration and food for thought also for experienced entrepreneurship researchers.

Researching Entrepreneurship (International Studies in Entrepreneurship, 5)

Business & Money

Davidsson, Per

Economics

Springer

New Perspectives on Firm Growth

'This collection of articles by an internationally recognized team of authors is a welcome addition to the literature on firm growth. The authors, singly and together, have previously made important contributions with regard to frameworks for understanding growth, as well as cutting-edge empirical research on the actual growth process. In this volume, the authors bring previous research up-to-date, providing a critical look at what has been published in the last decade and offering new theoretically informed insights in how and why firms grow.'- Howard Aldrich, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USThis insightful volume presents a collection of innovative works by two of the leading researchers of firm growth.The studies extend previous research by providing stronger theoretical underpinnings and using longitudinal databases that can separate in time the firms' growth from its presumed causes. They also break new ground by examining different modes of growth, such as sales growth vs. employment growth, and organic growth vs. acquisition-based expansion. Further, the studies investigate the drivers of firm growth and take a critical look at the effects, such as under what circumstances high growth is associated with high profitability.The issue of how firm growth is achieved and managed, and what consequences it has for different stakeholders is both theoretically interesting and practically important. The book will strongly appeal to academics of entrepreneurship, small business management and strategy.Contributors: L. Achtenhagen, G.N. Chandler, P. Davidsson, F. Delmar, J. Fitzsimmons, S. Girma, A. Lockett, A. McKelvie, L. Naldi, H. Patzelt, D.A. Shepherd, P. Steffens, J. Wiklund

Wiklund, Johan

Management & Leadership

Edward Elgar Publishing

Returnee Entrepreneurs provides a systematic and thematic review of research on returnee entrepreneurs. The primary aims are as follows: Firstly, because of the fragmentation and cross-disciplinary examination of the phenomenon, this monograph compiles a repository of research on the phenomenon and traces its emergence and development. Secondly, it identifies main themes to provide a conceptual mapping of the research stream. Thirdly, it identifies avenues for future research and new research approaches. The review presents insights into an important research stream across diverse literatures facilitating the identification of future research opportunities that are of relevance to the broader interest of entrepreneurship, international business, and management research. The main contributions are (a) to take stock of the insights gained so far about the phenomenon of returnee entrepreneurship; (b) to discuss theoretical implications of our conceptual mapping; and (c) to provide guidance for the design and positioning of future contributions to this research stream.

Returnee Entrepreneurs: A Systematic Literature Review, Thematic Analysis, and Research Agenda (Foundations and Trends(r) in Entrepreneurship)

Gruenhagen, Jan Henrik

Sawang, Sukanlaya

Business Development & Entrepreneurship

Now Publishers

Entrepreneurship and the Growth of Firms

`Understanding firm growth can be viewed as the Holy Grail by academics as well as policymakers and practitioners. Entrepreneurship and the Growth of Firms is an authoritative, analytical and scholarly integration of theoretical, definitional and methodological debates. Building on their innovative doctoral studies, Davidsson, Delmar and Wiklund provide a fresh and insightful review of the knowledge base relating to the firm growth phenomenon. They critique studies that explore long laundry lists of factors presumed to "explain" firm growth. The following pertinent research questions are explored within multivariate statistical frameworks: "how do firms grow" and "why do firms grow"? The profound contribution of this book is that we find in one place a discussion of the theoretical, definitional, measurement, analytical as well as policy and practitioner issues relating to firm growth and performance. The nice blend of theory, practice and appropriate interpretation of empirical results will be well received by a broad spectrum of readers. Drawing upon their experience, the authors suggest pitfalls that should be avoided when replicating and extending firm growth studies, and they provide useful directions to explore firm growth at several levels of analysis.' - Paul Westhead, University of Warwick, UK 
`Three of the leading experts on business growth offer a comprehensive and interesting coverage of the inter-relationship between entrepreneurship and firm growth from a perspective developed over 16 years of researching the topic. Although individually and collectively their work has already had a substantial impact on the field, I found this collection of works to provide both an in-depth discussion of important aspects of firm growth within a broader context.' - Dean A. Shepherd, Indiana University, Bloomington, US 
`This fine collection of papers written in the famous Swedish scholarly tradition is a "must read" for theorists and practitioners interested in the main engine of economic growth, entrepreneurship.' - Roy Thurik, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 
What characterizes the phenomenon of (small) firm growth, and how can it best be studied? Why and how do firms grow - and why don't they? Is firm growth externally determined or the result of managers' visions and actions? What are the different paths that firms follow in order to achieve high growth? Is growth evidence of entrepreneurship - and is growth always desirable? 
In this book, three leading scholars have integrated some of their most important research in order to answer these questions on firm growth. The result is a volume that builds on studies of many thousands of firms in several different projects. It offers deep insights into the firm growth phenomenon and how it can be studied. 
This research-based study promises to be a valuable resource for academics and students fEntrepreneurship and the Growth of Firmsocussing on business and management, and, more specifically, entrepreneurship. Researchers who aspire to design and conduct further studies leading to deeper and better established insights into firm growth will also find the book invaluable, as will those who encourage and assist firm growth as part of their profession.

Delmar, Frédéric

International

The Entrepreneurship Research Challenge

Entrepreneurship is an emerging, dynamic and to a considerable extent, unpredictable phenomenon. Thus, it makes for a challenging research subject. In this book, one of the most experienced empiricists in the field has collected some of his most important ideas on how improved conceptualization and research design can make this challenge more manageable. 
Per Davidsson addresses questions such as: What precisely is entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship research? What unique contribution can it make compared with research in other fields? Conversely, how can scholars with different disciplinary backgrounds best contribute to the study of entrepreneurship? What does the emergent and highly diverse nature of entrepreneurship imply for research design? And what is required from entrepreneurship researchers - and practitioners - in order for the research to make strong contributions to business and policy practice? 
This comprehensive, in-depth account of how the emergence of new entrepreneurial activity can be studied will be warmly welcomed by researchers and academics in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation and methodology and research design.

'Understanding firm growth can be viewed as the Holy Grail by academics as well as policymakers and practitioners. Entrepreneurship and the Growth of Firms is an authoritative, analytical and scholarly integration of theoretical, definitional and methodological debates. Building on their innovative doctoral studies, Davidsson, Delmar and Wiklund provide a fresh and insightful review of the knowledge base relating to the firm growth phenomenon. They critique studies that explore long laundry lists of factors presumed to 'explain' firm growth. The following pertinent research questions are explored within multivariate statistical frameworks: 'how do firms grow' and 'why do firms grow'? The profound contribution of this book is that we find in one place a discussion of the theoretical, definitional, measurement, analytical as well as policy and practitioner issues relating to firm growth and performance. The nice blend of theory, practice and appropriate interpretation of empirical results will be well received by a broad spectrum of readers. Drawing upon their experience, the authors suggest pitfalls that should be avoided when replicating and extending firm growth studies, and they provide useful directions to explore firm growth at several levels of analysis.'- Paul Westhead, University of Warwick, UK'Three of the leading experts on business growth offer a comprehensive and interesting coverage of the inter-relationship between entrepreneurship and firm growth from a perspective developed over 16 years of researching the topic. Although individually and collectively their work has already had a substantial impact on the field, I found this collection of works to provide both an in-depth discussion of important aspects of firm growth within a broader context.'- Dean A. Shepherd, Indiana University, Bloomington, US'This fine collection of papers written in the famous Swedish scholarly tradition is a 'must read' for theorists and practitioners interested in the main engine of economic growth, entrepreneurship.'- Roy Thurik, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The NetherlandsWhat characterizes the phenomenon of (small) firm growth, and how can it best be studied? Why and how do firms grow - and why don't they? Is firm growth externally determined or the result of managers' visions and actions? What are the different paths that firms follow in order to achieve high growth? Is growth evidence of entrepreneurship - and is growth always desirable? In this book, three leading scholars have integrated some of their most important research in order to answer these questions on firm growth. The result is a volume that builds on studies of many thousands of firms in several different projects. It offers deep insights into the firm growth phenomenon and how it can be studied.This research-based study promises to be a valuable resource for academics and students focussing on business and management, and, more specifically, entrepreneurship. Researchers who aspire to design and conduct further studies leading to deeper and better established insights into firm growth will also find the book invaluable, as will those who encourage and assist firm growth as part of their profession.

Entrepreneurship is an emerging, dynamic and to a considerable extent, unpredictable phenomenon. Thus, it makes for a challenging research subject. In this book, one of the most experienced empiricists in the field has collected some of his most important ideas on how improved conceptualization and research design can make this challenge more manageable.Per Davidsson addresses questions such as: What precisely is entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship research? What unique contribution can it make compared with research in other fields? Conversely, how can scholars with different disciplinary backgrounds best contribute to the study of entrepreneurship? What does the emergent and highly diverse nature of entrepreneurship imply for research design? And what is required from entrepreneurship researchers - and practitioners - in order for the research to make strong contributions to business and policy practice?This comprehensive, in-depth account of how the emergence of new entrepreneurial activity can be studied will be warmly welcomed by researchers and academics in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation and methodology and research design.

Job Hunting & Careers

Nascent Entrepreneurship reviews the empirical literature on 'nascent entrepreneurship', takes stock of these findings as well as theoretical and methodological developments, and concludes by developing suggestions for future research in this area. It will be of interest to all researchers and practitioners in entrepreneurship.

Nascent Entrepreneurship: Empirical Studies and Developments (Foundations and Trends(r) in Entrepreneurship)

Achtenhagen, Leona

Naldi, Lucia

In this book, one of the most highly recognized entrepreneurship scholars shares in a personal and readable way his rich experience and ideas on how entrepreneurship can be researched. Entrepreneurship is a phenomenon of tremendous societal importance. It is also an elusive phenomenon, which makes researching it fun, fascinating―and frustrating at times. In this fully updated edition, numerous real examples accompany the treatment of problems and solutions concerning design, sampling, operationalization and analysis. 
Researching Entrepreneurship is targeted primarily at research students and academics who are relatively new to research or to entrepreneurship research. This said, basic knowledge of research methods is assumed, and when foundational issues are discussed they are typically approach from a non-standard angle and/or with an eye to illuminate entrepreneurship-specific problems and solutions. This makes large parts of the contents potentially valuable for entrepreneurship scholars at any level of research proficiency. The book is also of interest to sophisticated, non-academic users with a professional interest in collecting and analyzing data from emerging and young ventures, and to those who make use of published entrepreneurship research. For example, analysts in marketing research or consultancy firms, business associations, statistical agencies and other government offices may find this book to be a valuable tool. Moreover, while the examples are derived from entrepreneurship research, the book provides a unique "experienced empirical researcher" (rather than "textbook method expert") treatment of issues that are of equal relevance across the social sciences. This goes for topics like the role of theory; research design; validity assessment; statistical inference, and replication.
Entrepreneurship research has developed rapidly in the decade that has passed since the first edition. Therefore, all chapters have been comprehensively updated and many have been extended; sometimes to twice the original length. Two of the original chapters have been excluded to make room for entirely new chapters on “the Dependent Variable” and “The Entrepreneurship Nexus.” While retaining a unique, personal tone, the author uses examples and references that build on contributions from a large number of top entrepreneurship researchers.

Researching Entrepreneurship: Conceptualization and Design (International Studies in Entrepreneurship, 33)

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Davidsson, Per. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Davidsson, Per

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Davidsson, Per. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Researching Entrepreneurship (International Studies in Entrepreneurship, 5)

New Perspectives on Firm Growth

Returnee Entrepreneurs: A Systematic Literature Review, Thematic Analysis, and Research Agenda (Foundations and Trends(r) in Entrepreneurship)

New Perspectives on Firm Growth

Entrepreneurship and the Growth of Firms

The Entrepreneurship Research Challenge

Entrepreneurship and the Growth of Firms

The Entrepreneurship Research Challenge

Nascent Entrepreneurship: Empirical Studies and Developments (Foundations and Trends(r) in Entrepreneurship)

Researching Entrepreneurship: Conceptualization and Design (International Studies in Entrepreneurship, 33)