Course coordinator: Christina Lubinski, Department of Business Humanities and Law (BHL)

Faculty

How the course advances the participants’ ongoing PhD projects
The field of entrepreneurship research is vast and inherently interdisciplinary, often presenting challenges for emerging scholars in clearly defining and justifying their methodological approaches, particularly in the context of publications. This course, with its focus on the frontiers of entrepreneurship research, is designed to equip participants with the skills to more effectively articulate even unconventional or innovative methodological choices. By strengthening their ability to communicate their methods clearly and persuasively, participants will be better positioned to navigate the publication process, enhancing both the quality and impact of their research.

A key component of the course is the submission of a detailed research proposal by each participant prior to the course’s start. These proposals will be reviewed and workshopped in collaboration with the course faculty, allowing students to refine their methodological frameworks and tailor them to specific academic audiences. This iterative feedback process will not only help clarify students’ approaches but also expose them to different perspectives and critiques, fostering a deeper understanding of how to position their work within the broader academic discourse. Additionally, students will engage in a peer-review exercise, where they will review and provide constructive feedback on a classmate’s proposal. This activity is designed to cultivate essential skills in peer evaluation and reflection, encouraging students to think critically about what constitutes constructive feedback. It will also help them become more adept at interpreting and responding to the reviews they receive in their own academic careers, a crucial skill in navigating the often-challenging peer-review process.

For those seeking further engagement, the course offers an optional group project, where 2-3 students collaborate on empirical research, using one of the methodological approaches covered in the course. This project, which involves approximately 70 hours of work per student, provides hands-on experience with real-world data and methodological application. The plans for these projects will be discussed during the course, offering insights not only to the group members but also to the broader class. These discussions will deepen participants' understanding of various research methods, broadening their analytical toolkit and enhancing their capacity to tackle complex research questions in their PhD projects. Through these elements, the course provides a structured, yet flexible framework that directly contributes to the advancement of participants’ PhD projects, from methodological refinement to peer engagement and empirical application.

Learning objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Critically evaluate key methodological approaches in entrepreneurship research and discuss their usefulness for expanding the field.
• Propose new research agendas that expand and challenge the field of entrepreneurship research, organization studies and management.
• Create and evaluate the design of empirical research studies, including various data collection and analysis methods.
• Integrate multiple qualitative methods to generate richer insights and build robust theories.
• Present research methodologies to entrepreneurship and other social science journals. 

Learning material
All readings will be made available on Canvas. Students are encouraged to organize the readings for themselves by adding keywords and comments. Readings are split in required and recommended readings. For a full list of readings see below.

Additional video material will be posted to Canvas. 

Statement of learning activities and teaching methods
This course will be delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, and workshops. Students will be expected to actively participate in class discussions, conduct independent research, and present their findings. Teaching will focus on the following:

• Seminars: Interactive discussions on methodological advances and challenges in entrepreneurship research.
• Workshops: Practical sessions on qualitative interview techniques, coding methods, grounded theory application and ethnographic and historical analysis.
• Peer-to-peer feedback: Group work and feedback sessions that foster collaboration and critical thinking.

Assessment
Research Proposal: Before the course starts, students will submit a proposal (2,500 words) for an empirical project that applies one or more of the methods discussed during the course. Proposals should be in the form of a method section for an entrepreneurship or management journal and should clearly demonstrate how the suggested research would expand the field of entrepreneurship studies. The proposals will be further developed in two workshops during the course. 

Within two weeks after the course ends, students submit an updated version of the research proposal based on feedback and knowledge acquired during the course. The proposal will be graded “Pass/Fail”, and subsequently submitted for feedback by one faculty member and one of the other participants (peer-to-peer feedback).

Students will review and provide feedback on a classmate’s proposal. They will write a developmental review (approx. 2-3 pages long) for one of their fellow PhD student’s updated method proposal within four weeks of receiving it. Reviews will be evaluated by the instructors as “Pass/Fail” with qualitative comments on the style of peer review.

Additional group project - 2.5 ECTS
Students have the option of participating in an additional group project (2-3 students per group, to be prepared before the course starts), engaging in empirical work with a workload of circa 70 hours per student using one of the methodological approaches discussed in the course and reporting on the results. This group project requires the group of students to agree on a project topic before the class starts, for which they will receive feedback during the course. The final submission is a 10 to 15-page report, which outlines the methodological approach (with references), describes how it has been applied to a research question or theme, which challenges the researchers have encountered, how they have addressed these challenges, and which results the project yielded. Group project ideas will be discussed during the course; final deadline for group project submissions is eight weeks after the course has ended. 

Course plan, describing the schedule of every course day, and expected involvement by the students.

Preliminary lecture plan

Canvas
Short description of the IT solution that the organizers intend to use for the course

We use the Learning Management System Canvas to share course materials, submit assignments, and manage discussions. For real-time collaboration, group activities and peer feedback all students will also be able to use Google Docs (integrated in the Canvas platform).

All sessions will be conducted in a hybrid format using Zoom. During the course, we plan to introduce AI solutions, such as GoZigZag and ResearchRabbit, for entrepreneurship research. We post instructional videos and guides to support students’ own work.

Readings (required and recommended)

• Akemu, O., & Abdelnour, S. (2018). Confronting the Digital: Doing Ethnography in Modern Organizational Settings. Organizational Research Methods, 23(2), 296-321. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428118791018.
• Barinaga, E., & Otieno, S. (Forthcoming). Social Innovation as an Ongoing Epistemic Achievement: The Case of a Community Currency in Rural Kenya. In V. Nowak, M. Roy, & M. Bull (Eds.), Handbook on the Social Solidarity Economy. Chattenham: Edward Elgar.
• Brattström, A., & Wennberg, K. (2022). The Entrepreneurial Story and its Implications for Research. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 46(6), 1443-1468. 10.1177/10422587211053802.
• Cassell, C., & Johnson, P. (2006). Action research: Explaining the diversity. Human Relations, 59(6), 783-814. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726706067080.
• Christianson, M. K. (2016). Mapping the Terrain: The Use of Video-Based Research in Top-Tier Organizational Journals. Organizational Research Methods, 21(2), 261-287. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428116663636.
• Dacin, M. T., Zilber, T. B., Cartel, M., & Kibler, E. (2024). Navigating Place: Extending Perspectives on Place in Organization Studies. Organization Studies, 45(8), 1191-1212. 10.1177/01708406241252944.
• Decker, S., Foster, W., & Giovannoni, E. (Eds.). (2023). Handbook of Historical Methods for Management. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
• Fletcher, D. E. (2011). A Curiosity for Contexts: Entrepreneurship, Enactive Research and Autoethnography. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 23(1-2), 65-76. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985626.2011.540414.
• Gehman, J., Glaser, V. L., Eisenhardt, K. M., Gioia, D., Langley, A., & Corley, K. G. (2017). Finding Theory–Method Fit: A Comparison of Three Qualitative Approaches to Theory Building. Journal of Management Inquiry, 27(3), 284-300. https://doi.org/10.1177/1056492617706029.
• Gioia, D. A., Corley, K. G., & Hamilton, A. L. (2012). Seeking Qualitative Rigor in Inductive Research: Notes on the Gioia Methodology. Organizational Research Methods, 16(1), 15-31. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428112452151.
• Greve, H. R. (2018). Show Me the Data! Improving Evidence Presentation for Publication. Management and Organization Review, 14(2), 423-432. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/9978D529146C8166E8FDB22D27003D88.
• Hargadon, A. B., & Wadhwani, R. D. (2023). Theorizing with Microhistory. Academy of Management Review, 48(4), 681-696. 10.5465/amr.2019.0176.
• Kibler, E., Ginting-Szczesny, B. A., Vaara, E., & Heikkilä, J.-P. (2021). Envisioning Entrepreneurial Engagement in North Korea. Academy of Management Discoveries, 8(3), 459-489. 10.5465/amd.2020.0066.
• Kibler, E., Mandl, C., Farny, S., & Salmivaara, V. (2020). Post-failure impression management: A typology of entrepreneurs’ public narratives after business closure. Human Relations, 74(2), 286-318. 10.1177/0018726719899465.
• Leitch, C. M. (2007). An Action Research Approach to Entrepreneurship. In H. Neergaard & J. P. Ulhoi (Eds.), Handbook of Qualitative Research Methods in Entrepreneurship (pp. 144-169). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
• Lubinski, C., Wadhwani, R. D., Gartner, W. B., & Rottner, R. (2024). Humanistic Approaches to Change: Entrepreneurship and Transformation. Business History, 66(2), 347-363. 10.1080/00076791.2023.2213193.
• Muñoz, P., Farny, S., Kibler, E., & Salmivaara, V. (2024). How Founders Harness Tensions in Hybrid Venture Development. Business & Society, 00076503241255483. 10.1177/00076503241255483.
• Ravasi, D. (2016). Visualizing Our Way through Theory Building. Journal of Management Inquiry, 26(2), 240-243. https://doi.org/10.1177/1056492616680575.
• Salmivaara, V., & Kibler, E. (2019). “Rhetoric Mix” of Argumentations: How Policy Rhetoric Conveys Meaning of Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 44(4), 700-732. 10.1177/1042258719845345.
• Shepherd, D. A., Wiklund, J., & Dimov, D. (2021). Envisioning Entrepreneurship’s Future: Introducing Me-Search and Research Agendas. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 45(5), 955-966. https://doi.org/10.1177/10422587211026872.
• Van Burg, E., Cornelissen, J., Stam, W., & Jack, S. (2020). Advancing Qualitative Entrepreneurship Research: Leveraging Methodological Plurality for Achieving Scholarly Impact. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 46(1), 3-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/1042258720943.
• Wadhwani, R. D., Kirsch, D., Welter, F., Gartner, W. B., & Jones, G. G. (2020). Context, Time, and Change: Historical Approaches to Entrepreneurship Research. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 14(1), 3-19. 10.1002/sej.1346.
• Welter, F., Baker, T., Audretsch, D., & Gartner, W. B. (2017). Everyday Entrepreneurship—A Call for Entrepreneurship Research to Embrace Entrepreneurial Diversity. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 41(3), 311-321. https://doi-org.esc-web.lib.cbs.dk/10.1111/etap.12258.
• Whiting, R., Roby, H., Symon, G., & Chamakiotis, P. (2018). Participant-Led Video Diaries. In A. Bryman & D. A. Buchanan (Eds.), Unconventional Methodology in Organization and Management Research (pp. 190–211). Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198796978.003.0010.
• Wiklund, J., Wright, M., & Zahra, S. A. (2019). Conquering Relevance: Entrepreneurship Research's Grand Challenge. Entrepreneurship: Theory & Practice, 43(3), 419-436. https://doi.org/10.1177/1042258718807478.
• Zankl, J., & Grimes, M. (Forthcoming). Taming Unicorns: Toward a New Normal of Responsible Entrepreneurship. Academy of Management Review. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2021.0406.