A fresh look at patterns and assumptions in the field of entrepreneurship: What can we learn?

• Published date: 01 December 2019
• Author: Sharon F. Matusik,Gary Dushnitsky
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/sej.1324
• Date: 01 December 2019

RESEARCH ARTICLE

A fresh look at patterns and assumptions in the

field of entrepreneurship: What can we learn?

Gary Dushnitsky

1

| Sharon F. Matusik

2

1

Strategy & Entrepreneurship Area, London Business School, London, UK

2

Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado-Boulder, Colorado

Correspondence

Gary Dushnitsky, London Business School,

Sussex Place, London, UK.

Email: gdushnitsky@london.edu

Abstract

Research Summary:This article invites scholars to recon-

sider how the evolution of entrepreneurial phenomena

affects the underlying theories employed in our field. We

highlight three themes affected by changes to the entrepre-

neurial journey nowadays in a way that can challenge some

foundational research in each area. To that end, we engage

in a dual conversation; explicitly revisiting extant theories,

as well as deliberately seeking out practice insights on how

behaviors and actions are changing. This approach provides

fertile ground for future work to re-examine the theoretical

assumptions we often take for granted. Such investigation

can either provide fresh evidence of the robustness of

extant theory, or create new pathways of inquiry. For entre-

preneurship scholars who are dedicated to researching inno-

vation and progress in firms and individuals, this is an

exciting time to create innovation and progress in our field.

Managerial Summary:Has the entrepreneurial journey

remained unchanged over the past decades? And if there have

been substantive changes, what are they? And what are their

implications? These are critical questions that talk to entrepre-

neurship scholars and practitioners alike. The purpose of this

article is to encourage a dialogue among and across the two

groups. We present dual theory-practitioner conversations

around three points of dialogue; the origin of entrepreneurial

Gary Dushnitsky and Sharon F. Matusik contributed equally to this study.

Received: 25 June 2019 Accepted: 25 June 2019 Published on: 8 July 2019

DOI: 10.1002/sej.1324

© 2019 Strategic Management Society

Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. 2019;13:437–447. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/sej 437