Entrepreneurship research: lessons learned from Scott Shane's Intensive PhD Seminar in Entrepreneurship

Scott Shane is a key thinker in entrepreneurship theory and praxis. Twice yearly, he conducts a biannual Intensive PhD Seminar in Entrepreneurship (Seminar) focusing on theory building and key controversies in the entrepreneurship field, with rigorous attention to optimum methodologies for exploring original ideas. The author was selected into the June 2008 Seminar and, in this paper, reflects on research gaps identified by Professor Shane, his approach to methodology and pedagogy. If offers an Australian perspective. As Australian entrepreneurial study and research draws heavily on international literature and Australian researchers are necessarily remote, the Seminar challenged Australian researchers to identify unique aspects of Australian experience that, linked with an identified research gap, could contribute to international understanding of the entrepreneurship phenomenon. INTRODUCTION The author was one of only two Australians chosen to participate in a one-week intensive doctoral workshop conducted by Professor Scott Shane in Cleveland, Ohio in June 2008, supported by the Babson Institute (Seminar). Professor Scott Shane is a leading entrepreneurship thinker and member of the editorial board of significant journals in the field. His stated workshop rationale was to improve the standard of entrepreneurial research. He also indicated directions for possible future research. This paper provides a background to Professor Shane and the Seminar. It overviews key entrepreneurship study areas considered at the workshop. Given the workshop rationale, it then considers Professor Shane’s approaches to research both research gaps identified by him during consideration of his selected literature and design and methodology. It provides an Australian perspective as to the benefit of such an intellectual discourse as well as reflections as to pedagogy in the entrepreneurship field. It concludes with a short discussion of key propositions and implications. BACKGROUND TO PROFESSOR SHANE AND THE SEMINAR Professor Scott Andrew Shane is the A Malachi Mixon III Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies and Professor, Economics at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. A key thinker in forming entrepreneurship theory, he is the author of over 60 scholarly articles including important papers in all key journals in the field. He has written or edited 10 books and serves on the editorial board of Management Science, having edited special editions in this and other journals on entrepreneurship theory. He is an angel investor and runs JumpStart an Ohio-based company funding high-growth business ideas and working with start ups. AGSE 2009