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It'S All About The Data: Challenges And Solutions In The Study Of Nascent Entrepreneurs

Author

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  • GERGANA MARKOVA

    (Department of Management, Barton School of Business, Wichita State University, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260-0048, USA)

  • JOHN PERRY

    (Department of Management, Barton School of Business, Wichita State University, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260-0048, USA)

  • STEVEN M. FARMER

    (Department of Management, Barton School of Business, Wichita State University, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260-0048, USA)

Abstract

Entrepreneurship research has been criticized for a lack of methodological rigor, although evidence suggests that from a methodological perspective, it is improving (Davidsson, 2006). In this paper, we systematically review the methods used in the study of nascent entrepreneurs to identify challenges associated with the data used in these studies. We also review the field's achievements — notably, the successful use of representative sampling of populations of nascent entrepreneurs — and we raise concerns about the predominant use of secondary data sets and the use of scales originally developed for large, established firms. Drawing on methodological advancements in other fields, we offer suggestions related to study design, data collection, sampling and measurement. Although some of the challenges we note are inherent to the nature of entrepreneurship, we hope our discussion can help researchers design better studies and better interpret their findings.

Suggested Citation

  • Gergana Markova & John Perry & Steven M. Farmer, 2011. "It'S All About The Data: Challenges And Solutions In The Study Of Nascent Entrepreneurs," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 16(02), pages 169-198.
  • Handle: RePEc:wsi:jdexxx:v:16:y:2011:i:02:n:s1084946711001781
    DOI: 10.1142/S1084946711001781
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    Cited by:

    1. Schuster, Charlotte Leonie, 2013. "Entrepreneurship - Methodische Herausforderungen einer jungen Forschungsdisziplin [Entrepreneurship - Methodological challenges of a young research discipline]," MPRA Paper 45472, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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