CFP: Entrepreneurial Activity in the Venture Creation and Development Process (ISBJ)

[entrepreneurship-phd at lists.uni-due.de]

Call for Papers 
International Small Business Journal 
Special Issue 
Entrepreneurial Activity in the Venture Creation and Development Process 
Guest Editors 
Sylvie Laforet, Sheffield University Management School 
Mike Wright, Nottingham University Business School 

An important feature of economic change in the 21st century is the diffusion of entrepreneurship across cultures, economies and continents. The entrepreneurial process is essential to this diffusion. The entrepreneurial process includes the personal, sociological and organisational factors that influence the birth of enterprises and their development. It encompasses a number of key stages that include pre-start, start up, reorientation, establishment of legitimacy, professionalization, growth, IPO, etc. Despite individual elements being individually addressed, the enterprise development process as a whole tends to remain a black box. Yet, the processes may differ across the various phases of development and there may be major challenges in moving across these phases. Failure to address each phase in the process appropriately may frustrate and constrain subsequent phases of development. 

It is also becoming apparent that entrepreneurial ventures may grow in different ways. Some firms seek to build revenues, some may first seek to develop their technological capability before introducing products to the market which may only occur after IPO or strategic sale, and others may adopt hybrid strategies. Although considerable research has focused on different measures of entrepreneurial firm growth and performance and on the economic impact of different types of support programs/ initiatives, theorizing and exploration of the processes behind these different growth paths is lacking. Entrepreneurial activities may take place in both new firms as well in established firms such as those recently listed on a stock market, private equity backed leveraged buyouts, mature corporations and social enterprises. Finally, institutional contexts may differ in the way they facilitate or constrain entrepreneurial activities. There are also variations across both developed and emerging economies in the nature and extent of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs may need to adopt different processes to deal with these institutional contingencies which as yet are little understood. 

This special issue centres on the entrepreneurial process, with a particular focus on adding to understanding of the various dimensions of the heterogeneity of entrepreneurial activity in venture creation and development. It will also seek to present new research approaches and methodologies contributing to the understanding of this field. Specific topics may include, but are not limited to the following: 

- Competitors, customers and value creation 
- Market orientation, market sensing and strategy 
- Market entry strategies and use of digital technology 
- Leveraging of resources 
- Legitimacy building 
- Networking, team and communication building and effectiveness 
- Managing organisational dynamics in family Vs non-family firms 
- Entrepreneurial learning and the process of opportunity identification and exploitation 
- Process stages in commercialisation and exploitation of technological assets 
- Intellectual properties economic appropriation, protection and formalisation 
- Acquisition skills and skills development 
- Organisational, culture and human resource issues 
- Measuring emergence in the dynamics of new venture creation 
- Global capability development 
- Development processes of sustainable entrepreneurs 
- Comparisons between different phases of development 
- Comparisons between different types of entrepreneurial venture 
- The role of different institutional contexts 
- Research issues and methodologies 

The deadline for submission of papers is 28th February 2011. Papers submitted must be original, between 6,000 to 8,000 words in length and comply with ISBJ submission guidelines. Suitable articles will be subjected to ISBJ’s normal review process. Copies should be submitted via email Word attachment (in one file including all figures and tables) to both guest editors at s.laforet at sheffield.ac.uk and mike.wright at nottingham.ac.uk. The guest editors welcome informal enquiries. 

Dr Sylvie Laforet 
Senior Lecturer in Marketing 
University of Sheffield
Management School 
9 Mappin Street 
Sheffield S1 4DT 
United Kingdom 
T +44(0) 114 2223341 
E s.laforet at sheffield.ac.uk 

Professor Mike Wright 
Professor of Financial Studies
Nottingham University
Business School
Jubilee Campus 
Nottingham NG8 1BB
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 115 9515257
E mike.wright at nottingham.ac.uk