Description:
There are certain areas of inquiry in which dialogue between management theories and business history remains undeveloped. Entrepreneurship is an outstanding example. As Jones (2008) asserted, “despite having too much to offer the study of entrepreneurship and management, business history has developed in a separated silo”. The declining attention to historical context in empirical entrepreneurial research is perplexing bearing in mind that entrepreneurship emerged as an academic concept within a historicist research tradition (c.f. Sombart, 1915; Weber, 1923; Schumpeter, 1911, 1954). Until recently, however, these intellectual origins have been largely forgotten within mainstream entrepreneurship research (Lopez, Zozimo, Román, & Jack, 2016; Wadhwani 2010; Wadhwani & Jones, 2014).
Yet, recent works and academic events suggest that the moment is ripe for re-engaging historical dynamics, historical contexts and entrepreneurial processes (Cassis and Minoglou 2005; Landström and Lohrke 2010; Wadhwani and Jones 2014). Not by chance, one of the last Conferences of the Academy of Management included a Programme Development Workshop on Entrepreneurship and History.
The intersection between the empirical evidence provided by business history and the theoretical and conceptual reasoning provided by management is a fact. History provides the proper ground for discussing theoretical problems by offering the space-time coordinates in which the entrepreneurial phenomenon effectively operates. Meanwhile, management offers solid theoretical and conceptual tools that help us to understand explain and analyze entrepreneurial experience in its various expressions. Drawing on both history and management theory together constitutes a valuable tool to advance the study of entrepreneurship, contrasting existing theories and bringing new ideas that, in turn, develop new ones (Casson and Godley 2005).
The proposed online session is intended to open a door for increased interdisciplinary approaches to research at the intersection of entrepreneurship and business history. We would like to focus on the service industry as the ground to explore this crossroads between business historians and management theorists, although remained opened to proposals in other sectors.
The objective is to discuss how the use of business history methods can illuminate the study of entrepreneurial processes, mainly in service industries, and how entrepreneurship theory can inform and enrich their historical analysis. So, this session welcomes works from business history dealing with entrepreneurship (in broad terms) in service industries and including questions, concerns, proposals related to entrepreneurship theory. We also welcome entrepreneurship theorical research drawing on historical examples and methods. To sum up, any attempt to bridge business history and entrepreneurship theoretical research is welcome. We would be particularly interested in works including the following questions (but not limited to them):
How do entrepreneurial opportunities unfold over time?
How does the past shape entrepreneurial processes and activities?
How do historical contexts shape entrepreneurial activity?
How do entrepreneurs draw on their past to make decisions?
How do historical changes or disruptions affect entrepreneurial ventures and how do entrepreneurs deal with them?
How do entrepreneurial opportunities emerge under specific historical contexts, and how do entrepreneurs’ responses work in driving change and taking advantage of the opportunities?
Format
We are particularly interested in attracting participation from attendees who may be new to this area of inquiry. To do so, we propose an online session in which attendees could present their ongoing research and engage in dialogue to generate and refine research questions and ideas (i.e. developing answers or solutions to address these issues).
Purpose:
Our session aims to reinforce the ties between business history and entrepreneurship theory, creating a space where scholars from both areas meet and discuss their works.
Expectations of the Participants:
Participants would expect to enrich their network of scholars working at the crossroads between business history and organization studies. The online session would also constitute an opportunity to respond to the “historic turn” in entrepreneurship, and to build a “theoretical history” and a “historical theory” that can strengthen business history studies on entrepreneurship.