Abstract
This conceptual study posits that the debate about lack of agreed upon
definition of entrepreneurship is rooted in the varied assumptions
about knowledge claims. Entrepreneurship research is dominated by
the functionalist paradigm which uses an objectivist stance with a view
of regulation. Functionalism prevents the humanistic perspectives and
is incapable of appreciating and enacting a ‘heterogeneous view of
entrepreneur (ship)’. Thus, there is a need to embrace new ways of
generating knowledge that would lead to the development and
enactment of an indigenous view of entrepreneurship in developing
countries. However, acknowledging multiple paradigms can lead to
‘incommensurability’ rooted in debate about uniformity or variation of
‘value(s)’ across contexts. This paper argues that the methodological
choice must be understood along with their overarching philosophies.
It exhibits the value of using social construction to make a holistic
sense of various definitions of entrepreneurship. It contributes to
research and practice by advocating the adoption of clear
philosophical stance and considering alternate paradigms of inquiry.
Muhammad Junaid, Mommin Durrani, Mehboob-ur-Rashid, Nasir Shaheen. (2015) Entrepreneurship as a Socially Constructed Phenomenon: Importance of Alternate Paradigms Research , Journal of Managerial Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 1.
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