Historical Foundations of Entrepreneurship Research

'A major contribution to historical research in entrepreneurship. History is a vital link to our understanding of this critical activity, a link that is no longer missing. It is arguable that history provides us the richest body of information that will enable us to understand what the entrepreneurs can contribute to social welfare and what is lost from misdirection of their efforts. This book provides an abundance of such important insights.' - William J. Baumol, New York University and Princeton University This book historicizes entrepreneurship research, its primary thesis being 'history matters'. Expert contributors discuss the field's long history and explore whether it has developed a mature and comprehensive knowledge base. The intellectual roots of several important theories are then examined in depth because, as entrepreneurship research has become more theory driven, and scholars have borrowed theories from many different fields, it becomes increasingly important to understand their origin. Finally, the book demonstrates how economic history research (for example, the historical and institutional context of entrepreneurial behaviour) can contribute to our understanding of entrepreneurship. Providing a broad overview of myriad theories and both their development and utilization in extant entrepreneurship research, this book will prove a fascinating and illuminating read for students, researchers and academics in the field of entrepreneurship.