Ratio Working Paper No. 238. Pragmatic entrepreneurs and institutionalized scholars?

Abstract

Research surveys of the field of entrepreneurship suggest that the maturation and institutionalization of entrepreneurship as a research field brings about both new opportunities and constraints from established thoughts and practices. In this chapter we explore some commonly applied questions and methodological dogmas in the field. In doing so we argue that research in entrepreneurship is becoming increasingly institutionalized with regard to different issues: successively scholarship, research questions, areas/units of analysis, as well as research tools used. When draw upon insights from philosophy of science and research on discovery of research ideas to discuss whether we as researchers pose questions that help us better understand entrepreneurship, its role in society and the way it affects society. We conclude the chapter by using the philosophy of Pragmatism to discuss how Entrepreneurs are pragmatic agents that draw upon a multitude of skills, experiences, repertoires of themselves and of others to reach their goals. Perhaps entrepreneurship research could benefit from learning from such an approach?