Charting New Directions in Entrepreneurship Research

Like all peer-reviewed journal articles, the papers published here were subjected to rigorous peer review and editorial oversight. This screening was in addition to the fact that authors could submit papers to the special issue of New England Journal of Entrepreneurship only if the paper had previously been presented at an Eastern Academy of Management (EAM) conference (either in the United States or internationally). Thus, each of the articles in this special issue has been through at least two independent peer-review processes, one at an EAM conference and another at NEJE. This rigorous two-tier procedure resulted in a selection of quality articles that we hope you will enjoy. These articles also represent the leading edge of knowledge in entrepreneurship research

The Influence of Emotional Carrying Capacity and Network Ethnic Diversity on Entrepreneurial Self- Efficacy: The Case of Black and White Entrepreneurs

Purpose: One key determinant of entrepreneurial success is entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE), defined as an individual’s confidence in his or her ability to perform entrepreneurial tasks. Whereas previous research has examined how individual and business factors influence ESE, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of entrepreneurs’ social networks upon ESE. The paper examines such relationships for black and white entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 110 black and white entrepreneurs responded to a survey measuring ESE and critical constructs representing elements of the quality of entrepreneurs’ networks: emotional carrying capacity (ECC) and network ethnic diversity. Findings: The authors found significant, positive relationships between both ECC and network ethnic diversity on ESE for white entrepreneurs but only found a significant positive relationship between ECC and ESE for black entrepreneurs. Originality/value: While research is clear about the role that ESE plays in entrepreneurial activities, few studies have focused on the factors that improve ESE. In the present work, the authors study the role of context by examining how entrepreneurs’ social networks influence ESE. The authors examine such influences for both white and black entrepreneurs to better understand the implications of ethnicity

Transitional Entrepreneurship: Unleashing Entrepreneurial Potential Across Numerous Challenging Contexts

Transitional entrepreneurship refers to the practices of entrepreneurs from communities facing adversity who navigate substantial life transitions as they launch and manage new ventures in response to various changes and challenges in their environment. Entrepreneurship is not only a critical driver of economic growth and social development (Ahlstrom et al., 2019; McCloskey, 2010) but can also represent a life-changing transition for most, if not all, of the entrepreneurs themselves. Transitional entrepreneurship entails strategic pivots or transformations that enable entrepreneurs to adapt and thrive in evolving circumstances. In this regard, transitional entrepreneurship research focuses on entrepreneurs from veterans, minorities, immigrants, refugees, women, historically marginalized groups and economically distressed communities. The major goal of this special issue is to draw attention to the endeavors of entrepreneurs from these communities and to pull together some of the disparate research on the important topic of transitional entrepreneurship

Classics in Entrepreneurship Research: Enduring Insights, Future Promises

Academic inquiry into entrepreneurial phenomena has had a rich history over several decades and continues to evolve. This editorial draws attention to the classics: seminal articles that make profound contributions to the development of an academic field in entrepreneurship studies. We focus on the formative years of entrepreneurship research, specifically the 1970s and 1980s, to identify classics using a key informant approach that surveys members of the journal editorial board. Each nominated classic is introduced and discussed by an editorial board member, with particular focus on research opportunities that may be pursued going forward. Analyzing classics allows for the recognition of substantive advances in entrepreneurship research and provides an opportunity to delve into the academic progress achieved in understanding entrepreneurial phenomena

Examining the Impact of Positive Gender Stereotypes on Women’s Venture Creation Intentions: The Mediating Role of Relative Gratification and Entrepreneurial Self-efficacy

The following study examines the cognitive process through which the association of stereotypically feminine characteristics to entrepreneurship increases women’s venture creation intentions through the mediating role of relative gratification and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. The results of the study suggest that, compared to negative and nullified gender stereotypes, positive gender stereotypes increase women’s venture creation intentions serially through relative gratification and entrepreneurial self-efficacy and through relative gratification when it is independent of entrepreneurial self-efficacy. However, independent of relative gratification, entrepreneurial self-efficacy mediates the relationship between positive gender stereotypes and women’s venture creation intentions when positive stereotype is compared to the nullified stereotype

Examining the Impact of Working from Home on a Working Mother’s Organizational Commitment: The Mediating Role of Occupational Stress and Job Satisfaction

Considering the unique challenges that women experience following childbirth, we examined the impact of working from home (WFH) on their post-delivery organizational commitment. Drawing on the norm of reciprocity, we hypothesized a direct relationship between WFH and organizational commitment, and indirect relationships through the mediating roles of occupational stress and job satisfaction. Results showed that WFH positively impacts a working mother’s post-delivery continuous and value commitment to the organization. Job satisfaction was found to mediate the relationship between WFH and continuous and value commitment, while occupational stress mediated the relationship between WFH and value commitment

Qualitative research in entreprenuership: Current research practices and suggestions for the future

We investigate the state-of-science with regard to qualitative research in entrepreneurship. Specifically, we analyze and synthesize qualitative entrepreneurship research published in top-tier journals over the past fifteen years. Findings reveal that while qualitative research has grown in usage, notable biases and omissions remain in the body of research accumulating in the qualitative tradition of entrepreneurship studies

Women Entrepreneurs Building Resilience During Crisis: Evidence From Iran

Women entrepreneurs have to deal with the gendered impact of crisis on their business activities. Regardless, they successfully adapt to the disruptions and new market realities caused by crisis. Given that resilience explains how individuals maintain functioning or even thrive despite challenges, it becomes crucial to understand women entrepreneurs’ resilience building during times of crisis. This study used a qualitative approach to examine how women entrepreneurs build resilience during crisis by specifically examining the challenges they face and the coping strategies they utilize to build their resilience. Using a sample of Iranian women entrepreneurs operating health related businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic, we offer a comprehensive understanding of women entrepreneurs' resilience building process. Our findings suggest that resilience building is not only a gendered phenomenon but a contextual one

Bearing the Unbearable: Exploring Women Entrepreneurs Resilience Building in Times of Crises

Recently, women entrepreneurship has become of particular interest to corporate social responsibility (CSR) scholarship, however, little is known about the impact of crises on women’s business activities and how they adapt to the disruptions and new market realities caused by a crisis. To design CSR initiatives that genuinely cater to the needs of women entrepreneurs, it is imperative to acquire an in-depth understanding of their unique experiences during times of crisis. This study employed a qualitative methodology to investigate the development of resilience among women entrepreneurs amidst crisis. The study sample comprised Iranian women entrepreneurs who were operating health-related businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to challenges related to money, market, management, motherhood, macro and meso level factors, women entrepreneurs were found to face crisis related challenges such as emotional exhaustion, altruism, fear of failure and uncertainty. Additionally, the findings revealed the different problem-based and emotion-based coping strategies (e.g., bootstrapping and emotional regulation) that women entrepreneurs used to build entrepreneurial resilience as well as business resilience. The resultant findings offer a comprehensive understanding of women entrepreneurs’ resilience-building process and suggest that resilience-building is a contextual as well as a gendered phenomenon. Implications for entrepreneurship research as well as women entrepreneurship and ethics literature is discussed