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An entrepreneurial journey: reflecting on “me-search,” “we-search,” and the non-WEIRD

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  • Dean A. Shepherd

    (University of Notre Dame)

Abstract

In this presentation, accepting the Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research, I highlight the importance of me-search and we-search in generating research opportunities. I highlight how me-search provided the experiences and motivation for me to explore how (1) entrepreneurs can regulate their grief over business failure to learn from the experience, and (2) locals to a disaster can instantaneously create new ventures without any profit motive (or commercial logic) to alleviate the suffering of others. I also highlight how we-search provided the experiences and motivation for me to explore how (3) entrepreneurship can help individuals navigate chronic adversity, and (4) local scholars can substantially contribute to the field by exploring entrepreneurship in non-WEIRD contexts. I hope that other scholars generate research ideas through me-search and we-search, especially when these processes lead to published entrepreneurship research in non-WEIRD contexts because this is where, I believe, there are many opportunities to advance our understanding of entrepreneurial phenomena.

Suggested Citation

  • Dean A. Shepherd, 2025. "An entrepreneurial journey: reflecting on “me-search,” “we-search,” and the non-WEIRD," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 65(2), pages 757-761, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:65:y:2025:i:2:d:10.1007_s11187-025-01085-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-025-01085-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Trenton Alma Williams & Dean A. Shepherd, 2021. "Bounding and Binding: Trajectories of Community-Organization Emergence Following a Major Disruption," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(3), pages 824-855, May.
    2. Dean A. Shepherd & Trenton A. Williams, 2023. "Different response paths to organizational resilience," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(1), pages 23-58, June.
    3. Williams, Trenton A. & Shepherd, Dean A., 2016. "Victim entrepreneurs doing well by doing good: Venture creation and well-being in the aftermath of a resource shock," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 365-387.
    4. Shepherd, Dean A., 2009. "Grief recovery from the loss of a family business: A multi- and meso-level theory," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 81-97, January.
    5. Shepherd, Dean A. & Saade, Fouad Philippe & Wincent, Joakim, 2020. "How to circumvent adversity? Refugee-entrepreneurs' resilience in the face of substantial and persistent adversity," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 35(4).
    6. Alexandra Mittermaier & Dean A. Shepherd & Holger Patzelt, 2022. "We Cannot Direct the Wind, but We Can Adjust the Sails: Prosocial Ventures’ Responses to Potential Resource Threats," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 33(3), pages 1116-1141, May.
    7. Dean A. Shepherd & Trenton A. Williams, 2014. "Local Venturing as Compassion Organizing in the Aftermath of a Natural Disaster: The Role of Localness and Community in Reducing Suffering," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(6), pages 952-994, September.
    8. Shahriar, Abu Zafar M. & Shepherd, Dean A., 2019. "Violence against women and new venture initiation with microcredit: Self-efficacy, fear of failure, and disaster experiences," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(6).
    9. Dean A. Shepherd & Vinit Parida & Joakim Wincent, 2020. "The Surprising Duality of Jugaad: Low Firm Growth and High Inclusive Growth," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(1), pages 87-128, January.
    10. Trenton A. Williams & Dean A. Shepherd, 2018. "To the Rescue!? Brokering a Rapid, Scaled and Customized Compassionate Response to Suffering after Disaster," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(6), pages 910-942, September.
    11. Chase, Sarah R. & Shepherd, Dean A., 2025. "Waves and rips: Abalone, entrepreneurial variants, and community functioning," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 40(4).
    12. Shepherd, Dean A. & Covin, Jeffrey G. & Kuratko, Donald F., 2009. "Project failure from corporate entrepreneurship: Managing the grief process," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 588-600, November.
    13. Alexandra Mittermaier & Holger Patzelt & Dean A. Shepherd, 2023. "Motivating Prosocial Venturing in Response to a Humanitarian Crisis: Building Theory From the Refugee Crisis in Germany," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(3), pages 924-963, May.
    14. Dean A. Shepherd & Melissa S. Cardon, 2009. "Negative Emotional Reactions to Project Failure and the Self‐Compassion to Learn from the Experience," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(6), pages 923-949, September.
    15. Dean A. Shepherd & Vinit Parida & Joakim Wincent, 2021. "Bribery from a micro, demand-side perspective," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 1661-1680, December.
    16. Shepherd, Dean A. & Osofero, Moses & Wincent, Joakim, 2022. "A personal adversity model of justifying the costs of entrepreneurial action: The case of oil thieves in the Niger DELTA," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 37(1).
    17. Shepherd, Dean A. & Wiklund, Johan & Haynie, J. Michael, 2009. "Moving forward: Balancing the financial and emotional costs of business failure," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 134-148, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance; Financial Aid
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J17 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Value of Life; Foregone Income
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • L31 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs; Social Entrepreneurship
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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