Entrepreneurship as a discipline: Outline of a reflection

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present a theoretical reflection on the construction of entrepreneurial knowledge in light of research conducted in the field and its developments. Entrepreneurship, as a discipline, has long been regarded as a ‘category error’ and a non-sense, as it is based on knowledge that does not belong to it, namely that of economics and management. In this respect, academics have described its body of knowledge as incomplete and unstable. Yet, an increasing number of universities now offer entrepreneurship programs, and the very fact that it is taught demonstrates the existence of a distinct body of knowledge underpinned by a field of study that can be transmitted. However, the question of ‘can entrepreneurship be taught?’ has been repeatedly raised ever since researchers began to question its academic legitimacy. However, few studies link the epistemological debate surrounding the absence of a dominant paradigm in entrepreneurship with its actual translation into university teaching frameworks. In this article, we attempt to investigate, in the light of previous research (Kuhn, 1962; Lakatos (1970); Landström, 2020; Fayolle, Verzat & Wapshott, 2016), the extent to which a field of knowledge succeeds in establishing itself as a recognized scientific discipline. Through an analytical and narrative literature review, this article seeks to examine ‘entrepreneurship’ across the four dimensions recognized as establishing its academic legitimacy, namely the epistemological, paradigmatic, disciplinary and pedagogical dimensions. We highlight, through each dimension, its uniqueness as a complex phenomenon with multiple and polysemic meanings, as implicitly reflected in the evolution of various interpretations by researchers in the field. This article identifies potential criteria for the disciplinarisation of entrepreneurship, as well as providing an in-depth perspective on the convergences and divergences surrounding its disciplinarisation.

Classification JEL: L26

Paper type: Theoretical Research