How Should We Study Heterogeneity in Entrepreneurship? Moving the Field to an Inclusive Approach
Entrepreneurship scholarship faces challenges related to diverse populations, striving to balance inclusivity with the recognition of unique entrepreneurial identities. Applying optimal distinctiveness theory, we explore the relationship between belongingness and uniqueness in entrepreneurship research. Catalyzed by Bakker and McMullen’s 2023 article on inclusivity in entrepreneurship, we utilized natural language processing to examine responses about inclusive entrepreneurship from 29 scholars dedicated to marginalized populations. Findings suggest that employing varied research methods and integrating structural and epistemological considerations can enhance our understanding of entrepreneurial heterogeneity. We advocate for entrepreneurship research that values individual experiences while promoting inclusive practices, highlighting the need for evolving scholarly paradigms to reflect entrepreneurial differences.
Authors
- Haya Al‐Dajani
- Friederike Welter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4831-9523)
- Florence Villesèche (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3199-8219)
- Rosanna Garcia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8319-2655)
- Arielle Badger Newman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1641-1536)
- Karin Berglund (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6843-4038)
- Cathy Yang Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9479-9233)
- Miruna Radu-Lefebvre (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2595-9547)
- Angela F. Randolph (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1546-9672)
- José Ernesto Amorós (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9601-0892)
- Laura Galloway (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5948-4546)
- Anne de Bruin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5664-0742)
- Sarah Drakopoulou Dodd (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3140-8194)
- Jessica Lindbergh
- Anna Wettermark (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2076-6594)
- Eunki Ro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0208-2962)
- Mirela Xheneti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7275-7374)
- Rachel Atkins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2169-8896)
- Birgitta Schwartz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6371-3791)
- Jan Keim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6702-8214)
- Christina Lubinski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9150-3284)
- Diana Hechavarria (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3819-8206)
- Jay O’Toole (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6205-5523)
- Gregory N. Price (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0834-9464)
- Alexander Lewis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3106-2920)
- Candida G. Brush (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4876-9420)
- Debora Jackson
- Monder Ram (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1901-6654)
- Pascal Dey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2792-0061)
- William B. Gartner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5863-9988)
- Ezekiel Bonillas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5561-9447)
- Anil Nair (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6033-8095)
- R. Daniel Wadhwani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4221-4077)
- Tabitha Sindani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8638-3767)
Institutions
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute (US)
- University of Southern California (US)
- Bern University of Applied Sciences (CH)
- St. John's University (US)
- University of Auckland (NZ)
- Audencia Business School (FR)
- Stockholm University (SE)
- University of Sussex (GB)
- Aston University (GB)
- Copenhagen Business School (DK)
- Georgia State University (US)
- University of Strathclyde (GB)
- University of New Orleans (US)
- Korea University (KR)
- University of Siegen (DE)
- Örebro University (SE)
- Heriot-Watt University (GB)
- Prince Mohammad Bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship (SA)
- Institut für Mittelstandsforschung (DE)
- California State University, San Bernardino (US)
- The University of Texas at San Antonio (US)
- University of Greenwich (GB)
- Syracuse University (US)
- Old Dominion University (US)
- Babson College (US)
- Tecnológico de Monterrey (MX)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice
- Published
- 2025-10-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1177/10422587251347048
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Entrepreneurship Studies and Influences
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 11.04