Philosophical Reflexivity and Entrepreneurship Research

Entrepreneurship scholarship has grown into a multi-paradigmatic field, yet it still lacks consensus on what entrepreneurship fundamentally is. This edited volume steps back from the usual empirical questions to ask a more foundational one: how do the philosophical assumptions we bring to research shape what we can see, say, and study about entrepreneurship? The chapters gathered here confront that question directly, not by dismissing existing approaches but by making their underlying premises visible and open to debate.

Why Philosophy Matters for Entrepreneurship Research

Philosophy is not an abstract add-on to entrepreneurship research; it frames the questions scholars ask, the evidence they accept, and the explanations they build. By examining post-positivist, critical realist, social constructionist, and other philosophical positions, the book shows how different starting points lead to different understandings of opportunity, uncertainty, imagination, failure, and the entrepreneur. Readers are invited to become more reflexive about their own research choices and to defend them against competing alternatives.

What the Book Explores

The volume covers a wide range of philosophical and methodological territory. Chapters consider the shifting meanings of ‘entrepreneur’ and ‘entrepreneurship,’ the role of imagination and social construction in opportunity formation, the value of critical realism for applied entrepreneurship studies, and the nature of failure and uncertainty. Contributions also address postcolonial deconstruction, cosmopolitanism, orientalism, and the deontic architecture of the firm. Together, they map a field in transition and suggest directions for future inquiry.

Approaches and Perspectives

• Critical realism as a supporting philosophy for entrepreneurship and small business studies.
• Social constructionism and its implications for entrepreneurial opportunity.
• Reflexivity as a practice for questioning taken-for-granted assumptions.
• Philosophical pluralism that engages with uncertainty, imagination, and failure.

Rather than promoting a single paradigm, the book creates space for philosophical reflexivity in the conduct and publication of scholarly enquiry. Each chapter offers a distinct perspective, but they share a commitment to examining the assumptions that underpin mainstream entrepreneurship thinking.

Who Will Find It Valuable

This collection is intended for scholars, researchers, and advanced students in entrepreneurship and related social science disciplines. It will be particularly useful for those who want to situate their work within broader philosophical debates, and for readers who are willing to question the frameworks they habitually use. The writing is rigorous but accessible, making complex ideas available to doctoral students and established academics alike.

A Reflective Resource for the Field

By bringing philosophy into direct conversation with entrepreneurship research, this volume helps readers see familiar topics in a new light. It does not offer simple answers. Instead, it provides tools for thinking more carefully about the foundations of the field and for conducting research that is more aware of its own assumptions. For anyone interested in the future direction of entrepreneurship scholarship, these chapters offer a thoughtful and challenging resource.

Available in digital format from Digital Delights, this ebook edition is ready for scholars and research libraries.