‘Learning to fly’: Entrepreneurship Research as a Living Process of Inquiry’

On Thursday, 22^nd February 2024, the ‘Learning to fly: Entrepreneurship Research as a Living Process of Inquiry’ workshop, hosted by the The University of Liverpool Management School’s Brett Centre for Entrepreneurship took place. This innovative event was supported by the European Council of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ECSB) event fund, and the British Academy of Management (BAM) Research Methods and Entrepreneurship Special Interest Groups

Scholars from disciplines including education, sociology, organisational behaviour and anthropology shared insights to the question of ‘how can we make inquiry into entrepreneurship more interesting and purposeful?’. For any inquirer, every moment can become the subject of their curiosity and a point of study. Exploring human practice means dealing with what is discovered through thoughtful processing and appropriate action, however, any new process of inquiry requires the questioning of:

• The relationship between ourselves and our roles as researchers, writers and practitioners
• How we enact our relationships with audiences and wider communities
• The theories and concepts we work with in meaningful ways.

Structured through a series of ‘Creative Acts’, this interactive workshop allowed participants to re-discover, re-explore and re-engage with what inquiry means to researchers, as well as uncovering practices on what it means to be curious, and whether and how researchers view entrepreneurship as a field of inquiry. As well as challenging conventional canons of entrepreneurship scholarship, an opportunity was provided to develop a more contextual and processual account of different methods of inquiry in social sciences.

Professor Pamela Burnard from University of Cambridge delivered an interactive session on voicing a plurality of creativities and dancing between entrepreneurship and studious play. Professor David Coghlan from Trinity College Dubin, delivered a session entitled ‘Putting the knower back into knowing, the practitioner back into practice, the researcher back into research and the entrepreneur back into entrepreneurship’. Professor Andrew Irvine from University of Manchester took participants to the outdoors where they engaged in a walking ethnographic experience. Professor Sophie Wooward from University of Manchester presented on object-based methods and using material methods and approaches as a form of creative methodology, drawing from art, and design based disciplines to research with things. The day drew to a close with Dr. Alexandra Bristow from The Open University, who presented on ‘doing’ our academic careers differently, taking us through visual portraits of academic life.

The event was organised and led by Dr. David Higgins from the University of Liverpool Management School. The day was captured via a series of ‘bricolage’ sessions, that was modelled on a pilot at the University of Strathclyde, as part of the Erasmus+ TrEE (Transforming Enterprise Education) project.  These sessions were facilitated by Professor Mark Saunders from the University of Birmingham, Dr. Fariba Darabi from Bangor Business School and Trudie Murray from Munster Technological University.  The workshop was attended by PhD candidates, early, mid and late career researchers, all seeking to discover and explore different methods of inquiry for Entrepreneurship Research. The event inspired participants to think critically and engage reflexively with their own research practice, in a session where multiple voices were able to find a space and talk to each other.

Author: Dr. David Higgins, University of Liverpool Management School

Social Enterprise and Cost-of-Living Crisis – Research Dissemination Event at De Montfort University

On the 18^th of December 2023, De Montfort University hosted a pivotal research dissemination event facilitated by Leicester Castle Business School researchers. This gathering brought together founders and directors of social enterprises, fostering a rich exchange of insights and strategies in response to the cost-of-living crisis.

The event was divided into two phases:

• The first phase revealed findings from the initial stage of research into social enterprises and their role in addressing the cost-of-living crisis.
• In the second phase, founders and directors participated in a focus group discussion centred on dynamic capabilities for building resilient organisations.

Before revealing phase one findings, Professor David Rae, Associate Dean of Research and Innovation at the Faculty of Business and Law, spotlighted the faculty’s impactful research initiatives.

Professor David Rae, Associate Dean, Research and Innovation Faculty of Business and Law, De Montfort University 

Darsh Chauhan, Knowledge Exchange Officer, explored knowledge exchange approaches and partnerships with social enterprises and charities.

Darsh Chauhan, Knowledge Exchange Officer, De Montfort University

Here is a concise summary of the key insights unveiled during this impactful dissemination:

1. Social enterprise innovations: The event showcased the cost-driven and defensive-market strategies deployed by social enterprises to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. These strategies ranged from fuel vouchers, clothes drive to corporate tour guides, demonstrating these enterprises’ pivotal role in creating solutions aligned with the challenges faced by individuals and communities.

2. Community-centric approaches: Throughout the event, a recurring theme highlighted the importance of community-centric approaches. Social enterprises are not only addressing immediate needs but actively engaging local communities in developing and executing their initiatives. This collaborative effort ensures tailor-made solutions, sensitive to the specific circumstances of the populations they serve.

3. Partnerships and collaboration: Emphasis was placed on the significance of partnerships and collaborations between social enterprises, local councils, and the private sector. By pooling resources and expertise, these entities can amplify their impact and devise a more comprehensive response to the multifaceted challenges posed by the cost-of-living crisis.

4. Leader’s discretion: The autonomy and discretion exercised by social entrepreneurs emerged as a pivotal aspect in crafting responses to the cost-of-living crisis. These leaders not only identify challenges but also leverage their creativity, adaptability, and deep understanding of community needs to design tailored solutions. Their ability to swiftly pivot and implement agile strategies proves invaluable in addressing the dynamic and multifaceted nature of this crisis.

Reflecting on these insights, it is evident that social enterprises stand at the forefront of driving needs-based solutions to the cost-of-living crisis. Their commitment to adaptive innovations, community-centric solutions, collaborative partnerships, and the exercise of leadership discretion paves a promising path for fostering more resilient organisations.

Attendees at the dissemination event 

L-R – Dr Sally Kah (Project Lead), Professor David Rae (Associate Dean, Research and Innovation Faculty of Business and Law) Dr Amal Abuzeinab (Project Member) and Dr Olapeju Ogunmokun (Project Member)

Researchers

Dr Sally Kah, De Montfort University, sally.kah@dmu.ac.uk
Dr Amal Abuzeinab, De Montfort University, amal.abuzeinab@dmu.ac.uk
Dr William Murithi, Ashesi University, Strathmore University, wmurithi@strathmore.edu
Mawish Munawar, Birmingham City University, mawish.munawar@bcu.ac.uk
Dr Olapeju Ogunmokun, De Montfort University, Olapeju.ogunmokun@dmu.ac.uk
Dr Samuel Osei-Nimo, Nottingham Trent University, Samuel.osei-nimo@bcu.ac.uk

For further information about the Social Enterprise and Cost-of-Living Crisis research, please contact the Project Lead – Dr Sally Kah at sally.kah@dmu.ac.uk

Acknowledgement

We thank the following individuals for their contributions and support leading to the completion of the research dissemination. 

Prof. David Rae, Associate Dean, Research and Innovation 
Dr Brahim Herbane, Deputy Head of School, Leadership, Management and Marketing (LMM)
Darsh Chauhan, Knowledge Exchange Officer
Faith Bamidele, Doctoral Candidate, LMM
Jan Holland and Samima Hussain, BAL RIO Team
Surbjit Rai, Executive Support Team, LMM

Finally, the social enterprise founders and directors for participating in this research.

Author: Dr Sally Kah, De Montfort University

PhD Course ‘Ethnographic Methods for Entrepreneurship and Organization Research’

With the generous help of the ECSB, the workshop “Ethnographic Methods for Entrepreneurship and Organization Research” took place on October 23^rd -24^th 2023. The workshop was given by Prof. Boukje Cnossen (Leuphana University) and Prof. Ari Kuismin (University of Jyväskylä) and organized and initiated by Lena Rieck (TU Dresden) and Alexa Böckel (Leuphana University Lüneburg). In the central building at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg campus, more than 25 junior researchers from all over Europe met to learn more about ethnographic methods.

Ethnography is a specific approach to conducting qualitative research in the social sciences. Ethnography is about being in the field and experiencing the phenomenon in situ (getting the emic perspective). Thus, the approach is especially suitable for uncovering complex social phenomena and revealing deep insights from an insider perspective. Whereas neighboring fields, such as organization and management studies have relied on ethnographic research for a while, entrepreneurship and SME research just started to do so. Therefore, the workshop aimed at integrating ethnography into the toolkit of organization and entrepreneurship scholars and support especially junior researchers in the oftentimes challenging research process.

The two workshop lecturers Prof. Boukje Cnossen (Leuphana University) and Prof. Ari Kuismin (University of Jyväskylä) put together a program consisting of different inputs, media, and exercises to learn about and ‘do’ ethnography.

The first day was meant to lay out the foundations of the methodology and discuss specific challenges in the research design and execution. Discussing topics like research access, ethical and legal issues, and data analysis enabled all participants to get a very hands-on guide on how to set up an ethnographic project. The day ended with the opportunity to get feedback on the participants’ own projects and a joint dinner in Lueneburg’s old town in the evening.

The second day was full of practical tips and exercises. The participants practiced note-taking and fieldnote-writing in a number of exercises. Moreover, they received helpful advice on what it means to publish ethnographic research, writing genres, and ways to present the rich data obtained in the field.

A special highlight on both days was the digital support by various international experts in ethnographic research. Prof. Cnossen and Prof. Kuismin interviewed Boris Brummans, Katie Stephenson, Alaric Bourgoin, Chahrazad Abdallah, and Nicolas Bencherki to collect further advice and tips from experienced scholars.

Throughout the whole workshop, the lecturers and participants created an engaging atmosphere that was full of discussion and mutual support. We hope to keep the conversation in this wonderful community alive!

Authors: Alexa Böckel, Leuphana University Lüneburg & Lena Rieck, TU Dresden

Teaching Philosophies in Entrepreneurship Education

The pedagogical and didactical aspects of teaching in entrepreneurship education prevail as a major challenge to the field – both in theory and practical application. A pedagogic device of this progression is the research and practice on teaching philosophies and how they may help educators at higher education institutions to develop as entrepreneurship educators.

Birgitte Wraae (UCL University College Lillebælt) and Michael Breum Ramsgaard (VIA University College)

As a pre-event for the 2023 edition of the 3E ECSB Entrepreneurship Education Conference, 35 scholars and practitioners gathered to discuss teaching philosophies. Constructing teaching philosophies has previously shown great value for the academic development of educators and institutions because of their systematic procedures toward addressing educator beliefs, goals, and practices. Therefore, the topic has great relevance to the community around the 3E Conference.

The seminar hosted leading scholars interested in the topic that presented their work on teaching philosophies in higher education, portfolio practices, the educator role, and related topics.

Engaged seminar audience

Placed on Tuesday May 9th, 2023, the seminar gathered scholars that were coming to the 3E 2023 Conference later same week. In an interactive atmosphere, the seminar enabled new insights and ideas for future collaborations and paper developments. The seminar took place at VIA University College centrally located in Aarhus and was open to both 3E Conference delegates for those arriving early but also other interested in the topic.

As an outcome of the event, the participants (and other interested) are invited to contribute to an edited book collecting experiences, new knowledge, and insights about teaching philosophies for entrepreneurship education. In case of interest, please contact Michael Breum Ramsgaard – mibj(a)via.dk

Author: Michael Breum Ramsgaard, VIA University College

9th ENTERYNG Workshop

The 9^th ENTERYNG Workshop (ENTreprenEurship Research workshop for YouNG scholars) was held in the beautiful city of Bergamo from May 25th to May 26th, 2023. The workshop, formerly known as the AEM-TIM workshop and DREAMT-CYFE workshop, was organized by University of Bergamo, University of Pavia, and University of Naples Federico II, and it was co-financed by the ECSB – European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

The workshop provided a remarkable platform for young researchers from around the world to present their research in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation, internationalization, and family business. We were thrilled to receive a tremendous response and accepted 24 submissions from talented PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers representing 15 different universities and 8 countries. 

The event featured distinguished keynote speakers who enriched the workshop with their profound knowledge and insights. Prof. Stefano Paleari (university of Bergamo) and Prof. Howard E. Aldrich (University of North Carolina) opened the first day with their inspiring speeches “The future of research in Europe: comparing the policies for talent attractiveness” and “Preparing to write an academic paper”. On the second day, professors David Audretsch and Erik Lehmann shared their knowledge about “Publishing in Entrepreneurship”. 

Both days were filled with several presentations and discussions within the fields of entrepreneurial finance and growth, international business, green entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial university, innovation, family business and SMEs, entrepreneurial ecosystems, and entrepreneurial education. The presentations and discussions were stimulating, reflecting the cutting-edge research and innovative ideas presented by the young researchers. 

The networking opportunities were exceptional, allowing young scholars to connect with peers who share their passion for entrepreneurship research. We hope that the connections made during the workshop will foster future collaborations and research endeavors. 

We would like to thank the organization committee: Davide Hahn, Giovanna Magnani, Tommaso Minola, Ivana Quinto, Pierluigi Rippa, and Antonella Zucchella, from University of Bergamo, University of Pavia, and University of Naples Federico II, for their diligent efforts in bringing this event to life.

Authors: Davide Hahn and Nicoletta Frigeni, Center for Young and Family Enterprise (University of Bergamo)

Fourth Conducting Experiments in Entrepreneurship Research Workshop

On February 28, March 1, and March 2, 2023, the Department of Innovation Management & Strategy of the University of Groningen hosted the ECSB co-branded event “Conducting Experiments in Entrepreneurship Research Workshop.” In this workshop for young scholars, we focused on the use of experimental designs to study entrepreneurship. We received submissions on a wide variety of theoretical topics, and all papers used an experimental design to test their hypotheses. This was already the fourth edition of this online workshop!

On the first day of the workshop, we started with a welcoming session, in which the organizers and ECSB President Ulla Hytti welcomed everyone to the workshop. During the opening session, we took a moment to celebrate the fact that several participants are very active members of the Conducting Experiments in Entrepreneurship Research network. These participants have participated in multiple editions of the workshop and actively engage with the resources the network has to offer. Moreover, we launched the ECSB Special Interest Group for Experiments in Entrepreneurship Research. For more information about this SIG, and to become a member, please have a look at https://ecsb.org/experiments-sig/

During the three days, we got inspired by keynote sessions by Basil Englis (Berry College, USA), Ute Stephan (King’s College London, U.K.) and David Williams (University of Tennessee, USA). On Tuesday, Basil brought all participants on the same page regarding experimental designs with his keynote “So, … what is an experiment anyway?” On the second day of the workshop, Ute discussed the need for experiments to study entrepreneurial well-being in her keynote “Experimenting to enhance entrepreneur well-being? Motivations, opportunities and challenges”. On the third day of the workshop, Dave discussed the importance of experiments to advance entrepreneurship theory in his keynote “Applying experimental methods to advance entrepreneurship research”.

After the keynote presentations, we organized parallel paper presentation sessions in which we discussed over 22 papers using experiments as a methodology. Because we strive to keep a small-scale setting at the workshop, it was possible to allocate 30 minutes to every paper, allowing time for presentation and feedback. Every paper was assigned a peer reviewer and also received feedback from an expert (workshop facilitators) present in each session. This allowed participants to receive extensive and concrete feedback on their work, enabling them to have clear guidelines on how to keep working on their papers. In this edition of the workshop, we were honored to have the presence of Basil Englis, Ute Stephan, Dave Williams, Denis Grégoire, Diemo Urbig, Magdalena Cholakova, Marco Kleine, Matthew Wood, Susana Santos, Mark Schenkel, and Silke Tegtmeier as workshop facilitators.

The guest editors for the Special Issue on “Experimental Designs to Address Current Challenges in Entrepreneurship Education Research” at the journal Entrepreneurship Education & Pedagogy, Sílvia Costa, Susana Santos, Silke Tegtmeier and Mark Schenkel, presented their editorial.

To facilitate and stimulate networking among the participants, we organized “speed meetings” in which participants had the opportunity to meet an expert in a one-on-one setting for about 20 minutes. Many participants loved this addition to the workshop format.

We have enlarged our network with more than 60 participants representing 23 countries! It is great to see the community of entrepreneurship scholars that use experimental designs grow! We look forward to reading all the great experiments presented during the workshop in print soon!

Finally, we are honored to have co-organized this event with the generous support of ECSB and look forward to the next edition.

Authors: Arjan Frederiks and Sílvia Costa, University of Groningen

6th Paper Development Seminar (6PDS) on Entrepreneurial Process Research

On April 17^th-18^th, 2023, the 6^th Paper Development Seminar (6PDS) on Entrepreneurial Process Research was held at the Faculty of Economics and Business Sciences (FCEyE) of the University of Seville (US). This 6PDS has been jointly organized with the “Observatorio dle Emprendimiento de España” (GEM-Spain), and sponsored by the ECSB, the IUSEN, and the PYMED research group.

This 2023 edition brought together some of the most prestigious researchers and editors of international scientific journals in the field of entrepreneurship. Specifically, we were accompanied by (alphabetical order):

• Matthias Fink, professor of innovation management and Vice Director of the Institute of Innovation at Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria; and professor of strategy at Grenoble Ecole de Management, France. Associate editor of Technology Forecasting and Social Change.
• Sarah Jack, Director of the SSES Center, Professor and Jacob and Marcus Wallenberg Chair in Sustainable and Innovative Entrepreneurial Development at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE), Sweden; and Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy, Lancaster University, United Kingdom. Associate editor of Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, and editor of Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice.
• Paul Jones, Head of the School of Management and Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Swansea University, United Kingdom. Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research.
• Christina Theodoraki, Associate professor in Entrepreneurship & Strategy at TBS Education, France; And Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Development Strategies SPEA at the University of Indiana, USA. Editor of Small Business Economics and Associate Editor of the Journal of Small Business Management.

During the seminar, the guest speakers conducted most interesting sessions on academic careers, publishing, and research trends. In addition, 20 papers were presented from a total of 26 participants and researchers from different EU countries as well as Spain registered for the seminar. They received feedback from other fellow participants in the room, and the papers were also reviewed and commented by at least two of the invited speakers. The sessions were very active and participative, and – according to the participants – they were real fun.

Thanks to the support from the ECSB, a Best Paper Award has been granted to one of the participants. The award includes a free 1-year membership to the ECSB. The plenary speakers, together with the local organizing committee, decided on the Best Paper Award, which was granted to the paper entitled “The Nature and Pathways of Passion in Entrepreneurship: investigating different conceptualizations with meta-analytical structural equation modelling” by Vanessa Naumann; Holger Steinmetz; Michael Gielnik and Slawa Tomin. Congratulations!!

Given the quality of the papers presented, three runners-up awards were also granted to the following papers “Of patriarchy, resisting occupation, and a virtual bazaar: An Institutional Theory Critique of the Emancipatory Potential of Palestinian Women’s Digital Entrepreneurship”, by Doaa Althalathini, Hayfaa Tlaiss; “(Un)doing identities: a framework of situated identities in entrepreneurial resource acquisition”, by Maud van Merrienboer; Wouter Stam; and “Identity Work of Intrapreneurs: A Process Study of Corporate Venturing”, by Frederic-Alexander Starmann, Slawa Tomin, Sylvia Hubner.

The 6PDS included a social programme to facilitate networking and community building. On the evening of the first day, a guided tour throughout the city took place. The participants had the opportunity to visit the “Mushrooms” rooftop and enjoy one of the most impressive views of the city including the magnificent Cathedral and Bell tower (Giralda). At the end of the tour, the participants enjoyed a roof-top cocktail dinner in a historical site by Guadalquivir River. 

By Francisco Liñán, Professor, University of Seville

Granada International Doctoral Summer School in Entrepreneurship Research (GIDSSER)

The Granada International Doctoral Summer School in Entrepreneurship Research (GIDSSER) took place in Granada (Spain), on June 14-17, 2022. The summer school was addressed to PhD students and early career researchers, with the aim to provide them with an opportunity to expand their knowledge and understanding of entrepreneurship as a societal phenomenon, by learning and receiving feedback for their projects from renowned scholars in the field of entrepreneurship.

The summer school was organised by a group of professors and researchers of the Department of Business Administration I of the University of Granada (UGR). With the collaboration of UGR Emprendedora and GEM (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor) Spain, and thanks to the financial support of ECSB, UGR International School for Postgraduate Studies, the UGR School of Business and Administration, and its Unit of Excellence, GIDSSER gathered 29 international participants coming from 13 countries and 26 universities. Among the 29 participants, 23 were doctoral students, 4 early career researchers and 2 were professors. Within the first group, 5 students were granted with a scholarship covering the expenses for the registration fee.

The programme was structured around master lectures in the morning, focused on 5 hot topics, and workshop sessions in the afternoon, as a space for the participants to present and discuss their projects with a specialist scholar, and also with their peers. Prof. Ted Baker chaired the workshop sessions on context in entrepreneurship studies, and inequality and entrepreneurship, prof. Matthew Grimes on social entrepreneurship, prof. Jeffrey York on sustainability, prof. Miruna Radu-Lefebvre on founder identity, and prof. Claire Leitch on entrepreneurship and gender. A meet-the-editors session was also included, with the participation of prof. Miruna Radu-Lefebvre (editor of Entrepreneurship and Regional Development), and prof. Juan Pablo Maicas (editor of Business Research Quarterly). Finally, all the attendees participated in a session about how to write a research paper taught by prof. Jeffrey York.

GIDSSER had two venues, representing respectively the newest flagship and the most ancient heritage of the University of Granada. The first two days the event took place in Breaker UGR, the disruptive entrepreneurial space of the university, while the second part of the programme was developed in the beautiful Carmen de la Victoria, located in the quarter of the Albayzín, a legacy of the Al-Andalus period.

In both spaces, GIDSSER was developed in a stimulating and lively atmosphere, with a high level of participation from the young researchers, who demonstrated in every session their involvement with entrepreneurship research, through their questions to the speakers and the constructive comments and feedback offered to their colleagues.

Participants were also able to enjoy several social activities, which complemented the academic programme. A wine tasting in the emblematic Corrala de Santiago, also part of the UGR heritage, offered the participants the opportunity to discover the link between the cinema and Granada. The walking tour in the Albayzín showed the historical and architectural evolution of the city, while providing amazing views of the Alhambra citadel and its surrounding hill.

GIDSSER has fostered the creation of new and promising networks for the development of the entrepreneurship research community. We also hope that it has opened new opportunities and provided new insights for the professional development of the young scholars who attended the event. This summer school has been an inspiring and pleasant experience not only for participants, but also for speakers and the members of the organising committee.

Authors: Matilde Ruiz and Ana Bojica (University of Granada), Coordinator and Director of GIDSSER, on behalf of the Organising Committee.

Congress of the Departments of Entrepreneurship and Innovation & ENTIME Conference in Gdańsk

The Faculty of Management and Economics of the Gdańsk University of Technology organized two events devoted to entrepreneurship. On April 20, 2022, the 4th Congress of the Departments of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and on April 21-22, the 9^th international ENTIME Conference – Entrepreneurship in Modern Economy.

The Congress gathered 40 people from various Polish universities. The guests shared their didactic experiences in the field of entrepreneurial education at the university level, assisted by prof. Alain Fayolle – undisputed authority on this topic. Both the speeches of the panelists (vice-chancellor of the University of Lodz, Prof. Agnieszka Kurczewska (ECSB president-elect), President of Excento – Mariusz Machajewski and Robert Bajko from the GUT Startup School were very well received and stimulated the discussion.

Some participants of the congress

A total of 50 people from 23 research centers, including six from abroad, participated in the ENTIME conference, following the congress. Issues related to research, related challenges and successes in the academic community were discussed.

The keynote speeches were delivered by prof. Alain Fayolle (University of Cagliari), and prof. Francisco Liñán (University of Sevilla). Those distinguished researchers talked about perspectives in entrepreneurship research, focusing on process and context, and about the specific topics in this research which are gender and sex aspects.

In addition to the traditional panels with scientific presentations, a methodological panel titled: “A bumpy road to research success. Pitfalls and traps.” was held: in which both the participants registered for the conference and all those willing to participate, with access to the Internet, could participate.

Panelists: prof. Wojciech Czakon, prof. Milena Ratajczak-Mrozek, prof. Przemysław Hensel and prof. Krzysztof Zięba shared their experiences in scientific work, pointing to both its highlights and shadows. It was an amazing lesson for young (and not only) researching that what they see in the media are only successes, but everyone also notes failures. It’s just that he doesn’t boast about them too often. This panel was recorded and placed on the YouTube channel, so it is possible to play it at any time (link). All presentations as well as the panel were delivered in English.

The conference was co-financed by the ECSB – European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

The honorary patronage over the event was taken by the Marshal of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Mieczysław Struk, and the Rector of the Gdańsk University of Technology, prof. Krzysztof Wilde.

Author: Julita Wasilczuk, Gdańsk University of Technology

5th Paper Development Seminar (5PDS) on Entrepreneurial Process Research

On April 25^th-26^th, 2022, the 5^th Paper Development Seminar (5PDS) on Entrepreneurial Process Research was held at the Faculty of Economics and Business Sciences (FCEyE) of the University of Seville (US).

This 2022 edition brought together some of the most prestigious researchers and editors of international scientific journals in the field of entrepreneurship. Specifically, we were accompanied by:

• Robert Blackburn, Professor at the University of Liverpool, and the Editor-in-Chief of the International Small Business Journal.
• Marco van Gelderen, from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and editorial board member at Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice.
• Ulla Hytti, Professor of Entrepreneurship at the School of Economics, University of Turku (Finland), and Associate Editor at Entrepreneurship & Reginal Development and Research Editor at Entrepreneurship Education & Pedagogy.
• Ute Stephan, Professor of Entrepreneurship at King’s College London and an Editor at Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice and Consulting Editor at the Journal of International Business Studies.

In addition to the presence of this distinguished group of editors, a total of 30 participants and researchers from different EU countries as well as Spain registered for the seminar, who, in addition to participating in the different plenary sessions, presented their research papers, which were reviewed and commented on, and received suggestions from the different experts in the seminar sessions.

Organised by the US, the 5PDS local organizing committee is chaired by Francisco Liñán, Full Professor of the Department of Applied Economics I at the US. It has benefitted from the support by:

• The European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ECSB)
• “Instituto Tomás Mercado de Economía y Negocios” (IUSEN) at the US
• The Department of Applied Economics I of the US
• The PYMED research group (US)
• The nationally funded project “TIC Empresari@s” (Ref. PID-2019 110166GB-100)

Thanks to the support from the ECSB, a Best Paper Award has been granted to one of the participants. The award includes a free 1-year membership to the ECSB. The plenary speakers, together with the local organizing committee, decided on the Best Paper Award, which was granted to the paper entitled “Are entrepreneurs more upwardly mobile?”, co-authored by Matthew J. Lindquist and Theodor Vladasel.

Given the quality of the papers presented, two runners-up awards were also granted to the following papers “How does universities’ entrepreneurial support nature entrepreneurship among doctoral students”, co-authored by Matteo Opizzi and Michela Loi, and “How do female loan officers manage loan portfolios? Evidence for loans to entrepreneurs in a microfinance institution”, co-authored by Aurora Samaniego, Antonio Blanco-Oliver and María-José Palacin-Sanchez.

Participants of the 5PDS

The 5PDS included a social programme to facilitate networking and community building. On the evening of the first day, a guided tour throughout the city took place. The participants had the opportunity to know some of Seville history, the fist location of the University of Seville upon foundation in 1505, and even the origins of the city emblem (NO8DO). At the end of the tour, the participants enjoyed a roof-top cocktail dinner with magnificent views over the Guadalquivir River and Seville’s old town.

Author: Francisco Liñán, Professor, University of Seville, head of the 5PDS Local Organizing Committee.