Foundations of Entrepreneurship Research: Theories, Processes, and Contexts

Catalog description

This doctoral seminar offers an overview of the foundational theories, central phenomena, and evolving conversations in entrepreneurship research. The course begins with a social science approach to entrepreneurship, addressing the nature of theoretical contributions and the development of entrepreneurship as a distinct field of scholarly inquiry. Students will engage with core constructs such as opportunity discovery, exploitation, and creation, and examine the factors influencing entrepreneurial action, including business planning, team composition, networks, and resource acquisition. The seminar further explores themes of new venture growth, family embeddedness, and the emergence of new industries. Drawing on diverse theoretical lenses—including institutional theory, ecological perspectives, the resource-based view, and resource dependence theory—the course emphasizes the multi-level, interdisciplinary nature of entrepreneurship scholarship.