Origin — What Internal Forces Produce Entrepreneurs? (32 Theories)
The Great Man Theory (1841) — Carlyle, Thomas. On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History. James Fraser, 1841.
Protestant Ethic Theory (1905) — Weber, Max. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. 1905. Translated by Talcott Parsons, Scribner, 1930.
Critical Theory & Entrepreneurship (1937) — Horkheimer, Max. "Traditional and Critical Theory." Zeitschrift für Sozialforschung, vol. 6, 1937, pp. 245–294.
Marginal Man Theory (1963) — Hagen, Everett E. On the Theory of Social Change. Dorsey Press, 1962.
Imprinting in Entrepreneurship (1965) — Stinchcombe, Arthur L. "Social Structure and Organizations." Handbook of Organizations, edited by James G. March, Rand McNally, 1965, pp. 142–193.
Cultural Theory & Entrepreneurship (1965) — Hofstede, Geert. Culture's Consequences. Sage, 1980.
Locus of Control (1966) — Rotter, Julian B. "Generalized Expectancies for Internal versus External Control of Reinforcement." Psychological Monographs, vol. 80, no. 1, 1966, pp. 1–28.
Achievement Motivation Theory (1967) — McClelland, David C. The Achieving Society. Van Nostrand, 1961.
Social Capital Theory (1969) — Bourdieu, Pierre. "The Forms of Capital." Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education, edited by J. Richardson, Greenwood, 1986, pp. 241–258.
Procedural Justice (1975) — Thibaut, John, and Laurens Walker. Procedural Justice: A Psychological Analysis. Erlbaum, 1975.
Population Ecology (1977) — Hannan, Michael T., and John Freeman. "The Population Ecology of Organizations." American Journal of Sociology, vol. 82, no. 5, 1977, pp. 929–964.
Power & Entrepreneurship (1978) — Mintzberg, Henry. The Structuring of Organizations. Prentice-Hall, 1979.
Birth Order Theory (1992) — Sulloway, Frank J. Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and Creative Lives. Pantheon, 1996.
Withdrawal of Status Respect (1995) — Hagen, Everett E. On the Theory of Social Change. Dorsey Press, 1962.
Self-Competition Theory (1997) — Cromie, Stanley. "Assessing Entrepreneurial Inclinations." European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, vol. 9, no. 1, 2000, pp. 7–30.
Evolutionary Theory (1999) — Aldrich, Howard E. Organizations Evolving. Sage, 1999.
Misfit Theory (2004) — Brännback, Malin, and Alan L. Carsrud. "Do They See What We See?" Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research, 2004.
Genetic Theory (2008) — Nicolaou, Nicos, et al. "Is the Tendency to Engage in Entrepreneurship Genetic?" Management Science, vol. 54, no. 1, 2008, pp. 167–179.
Emancipation & Entrepreneurship (2009) — Rindova, Violina, et al. "Entrepreneuring as Emancipation." Academy of Management Review, vol. 34, no. 3, 2009, pp. 477–491.
Narcissism & Entrepreneurship (2011) — Mathieu, Cynthia, and Étienne St-Jean. "Entrepreneurial Personality: The Role of Narcissism." Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 55, no. 5, 2013, pp. 527–531.
Disagreeableness Theory (2013) — Antoncic, Bostjan, et al. "The Big Five Personality–Entrepreneurship Relationship." Journal of Small Business Management, vol. 53, no. 3, 2015, pp. 819–841.
Physiological Theory (2016) — White, Reilly E., et al. "Entrepreneurs Under Pressure: Cortisol and Self-regulation." Journal of Business Venturing Insights, vol. 6, 2016, pp. 1–7.
Low Sleep Theory (2017) — Gunia, Brian C. "The Sleep Trap: Do Sleep-Deprived Entrepreneurs Raise Less Capital?" Journal of Business Venturing, vol. 33, no. 4, 2018, pp. 406–422.
Machiavellian Entrepreneurship (2017) — Hmieleski, Keith M., and Robert A. Baron. "Entrepreneurs' Optimism and New Venture Performance." Academy of Management Journal, vol. 52, no. 3, 2009, pp. 473–488.
Biculturalism & Entrepreneurship (2018) — Terjesen, Siri, and Amanda Elam. "Transnational Entrepreneurs' Venture Internationalization Strategies." Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, vol. 33, no. 5, 2009, pp. 1093–1120.
Childhood Adversity Theory (2018) — Drennan, Judy, et al. "Impacts of Childhood Experiences on the Development of Entrepreneurial Intentions." International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, vol. 11, no. 5, 2005, pp. 340–356.
Slacker Theory (2018) — Gimmon, Eli, and Jonathan Levie. "Is Leisure an Input in the Creation of New Ventures?" Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, vol. 44, no. 4, 2020, pp. 650–671.
Neurodiversity in Entrepreneurship (2019) — Wiklund, Johan, et al. "ADHD and Entrepreneurship." Academy of Management Perspectives, vol. 31, no. 2, 2017, pp. 135–147.
Brain Parasite Theory (2020) — Johnson, Stefanie K., et al. "Risky Business: Linking Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Entrepreneurship Behaviours." Proceedings of the Royal Society B, vol. 285, no. 1883, 2018, 20180822.
Feminist Theory (2020) — Ahl, Helene. "Why Research on Women Entrepreneurs Needs New Directions." Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, vol. 30, no. 5, 2006, pp. 595–621.
Addiction & Entrepreneurship (2021) — Spivack, April J., and Alexander McKelvie. "Entrepreneurship Addiction." Academy of Management Review, vol. 43, no. 4, 2018, pp. 722–737.
Entrepreneurial Identity (2021) — Fauchart, Emmanuelle, and Marc Gruber. "Darwinians, Communitarians, and Missionaries." Academy of Management Journal, vol. 54, no. 5, 2011, pp. 935–957.
Ecosystem — How Does Context Shape Entrepreneurship? (21 Theories)
Systems Theory (1966) — von Bertalanffy, Ludwig. General System Theory. George Braziller, 1968.
Resource Dependency Theory (1978) — Pfeffer, Jeffrey, and Gerald R. Salancik. The External Control of Organizations. Harper & Row, 1978.
Social Exchange Theory (1981) — Blau, Peter M. Exchange and Power in Social Life. Wiley, 1964.
Actor-Network Theory (1999) — Latour, Bruno. Reassembling the Social. Oxford UP, 2005.
Institution Theory (2001) — North, Douglass C. Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance. Cambridge UP, 1990.
Embeddedness Theory (2002) — Granovetter, Mark. "Economic Action and Social Structure." American Journal of Sociology, vol. 91, no. 3, 1985, pp. 481–510.
Stakeholder Theory (2002) — Freeman, R. Edward. Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Pitman, 1984.
Family Entrepreneurship (2003) — Habbershon, Timothy G., and Mary L. Williams. "A Resource-Based Framework for Assessing the Strategic Advantages of Family Firms." Family Business Review, vol. 12, no. 1, 1999, pp. 1–25.
Born Global Startups (2004) — Knight, Gary A., and S. Tamar Cavusgil. "Innovation, Organizational Capabilities, and the Born-Global Firm." Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 35, no. 2, 2004, pp. 124–141.
International Entrepreneurship (2005) — Oviatt, Benjamin M., and Patricia Phillips McDougall. "Toward a Theory of International New Ventures." Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 25, no. 1, 1994, pp. 45–64.
Structuration Theory (2006) — Giddens, Anthony. The Constitution of Society. Polity Press, 1984.
Knowledge Spillovers (2009) — Acs, Zoltan J., et al. "The Knowledge Spillover Theory of Entrepreneurship." Small Business Economics, vol. 32, no. 1, 2009, pp. 15–30.
Informal Entrepreneurship (2009) — Webb, Justin W., et al. "You Say Illegal, I Say Legitimate." Academy of Management Review, vol. 34, no. 3, 2009, pp. 492–510.
Agglomeration Theory (2010) — Delgado, Mercedes, et al. "Clusters and Entrepreneurship." Journal of Economic Geography, vol. 10, no. 4, 2010, pp. 495–518.
Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Theory (2010) — Stam, Erik. "Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and Regional Policy." European Planning Studies, vol. 23, no. 9, 2015, pp. 1759–1769.
Mixed-Embeddedness Theory (2010) — Kloosterman, Robert, et al. "Opening Economies and Closing Borders." Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. 573, 2001, pp. 54–81.
Xenophilic Theory (2012) — Chand, Masud, and Majid Ghorbani. "National Culture, Networks and Ethnic Entrepreneurship." International Business Review, vol. 20, no. 4, 2011, pp. 438–451.
Place-Based Entrepreneurship (2014) — Korsgaard, Steffen, et al. "The Best of Both Worlds." Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, vol. 27, nos. 1–2, 2015, pp. 1–25.
Signaling Theory (2017) — Connelly, Brian L., et al. "Signaling Theory: A Review and Assessment." Journal of Management, vol. 37, no. 1, 2011, pp. 39–67.
Agency Theory (2019) — Jensen, Michael C., and William H. Meckling. "Theory of the Firm." Journal of Financial Economics, vol. 3, no. 4, 1976, pp. 305–360.
Institutional Voids (2019) — Khanna, Tarun, and Krishna G. Palepu. "Why Focused Strategies May Be Wrong for Emerging Markets." Harvard Business Review, vol. 75, no. 4, 1997, pp. 41–51.
Cognition — How Does the Entrepreneurial Mind Work? (30 Theories)
Uncertainty Bearing (1921) — Knight, Frank H. Risk, Uncertainty and Profit. Houghton Mifflin, 1921.
Ambiguity Tolerance (1949) — Frenkel-Brunswik, Else. "Intolerance of Ambiguity as an Emotional and Perceptual Personality Variable." Journal of Personality, vol. 18, no. 1, 1949, pp. 108–143.
Self-Efficacy (1977) — Bandura, Albert. "Self-Efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change." Psychological Review, vol. 84, no. 2, 1977, pp. 191–215.
Experiential Learning (1984) — Kolb, David A. Experiential Learning. Prentice-Hall, 1984.
Planned Behavior Theory (1991) — Ajzen, Icek. "The Theory of Planned Behavior." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, vol. 50, no. 2, 1991, pp. 179–211.
Individual Ambidexterity (1991) — March, James G. "Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational Learning." Organization Science, vol. 2, no. 1, 1991, pp. 71–87.
Information Processing (1992) — Mitchell, Ronald K., et al. "Toward a Theory of Entrepreneurial Cognition." Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, vol. 27, no. 2, 2002, pp. 93–104.
Expectancy Theory (1993) — Vroom, Victor H. Work and Motivation. Wiley, 1964.
Social Judgement Theory (1995) — Hammond, Kenneth R. Human Judgment and Social Policy. Oxford UP, 1996.
Entrepreneurship & Well-Being (1996) — Stephan, Ute. "Entrepreneurs' Mental Health and Well-Being." Academy of Management Perspectives, vol. 32, no. 3, 2018, pp. 290–322.
Effectuation Theory (2001) — Sarasvathy, Saras D. "Causation and Effectuation." Academy of Management Review, vol. 26, no. 2, 2001, pp. 243–263.
Cognitive Evaluation Theory (2002) — Deci, Edward L., and Richard M. Ryan. Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. Plenum, 1985.
Entrepreneurial Passion (2002) — Cardon, Melissa S., et al. "The Nature and Experience of Entrepreneurial Passion." Academy of Management Review, vol. 34, no. 3, 2009, pp. 511–532.
Goal-setting Theory (2002) — Locke, Edwin A., and Gary P. Latham. "Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation." American Psychologist, vol. 57, no. 9, 2002, pp. 705–717.
Jack of All Trades Theory (2004) — Lazear, Edward P. "Entrepreneurship." Journal of Labor Economics, vol. 23, no. 4, 2005, pp. 649–680.
Regulatory Focus Theory (2004) — Higgins, E. Tory. "Beyond Pleasure and Pain." American Psychologist, vol. 52, no. 12, 1997, pp. 1280–1300.
Hubris Theory (2006) — Hayward, Mathew L. A., et al. "A Hubris Theory of Entrepreneurship." Management Science, vol. 52, no. 2, 2006, pp. 160–172.
Resilience & Entrepreneurship (2014) — Bullough, Amanda, et al. "Entrepreneurial Resilience during Challenging Times." Business Horizons, vol. 57, no. 5, 2014, pp. 521–530.
Actualization Theory (2016) — Maslow, Abraham H. Motivation and Personality. Harper & Row, 1954.
Impulsivity Theory (2016) — Wiklund, Johan, et al. "Entrepreneurship and Psychological Disorders." Journal of Business Venturing, vol. 33, no. 2, 2018, pp. 231–243.
Attribution Theory (2017) — Weiner, Bernard. An Attributional Theory of Motivation and Emotion. Springer, 1986.
Prospect Theory (2017) — Kahneman, Daniel, and Amos Tversky. "Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision Under Risk." Econometrica, vol. 47, no. 2, 1979, pp. 263–292.
Radical Subjectivism (2017) — Lachmann, Ludwig M. The Market as an Economic Process. Basil Blackwell, 1986.
Sensemaking (2017) — Weick, Karl E. Sensemaking in Organizations. Sage, 1995.
Entrepreneurial Alertness (2019) — Kirzner, Israel M. Competition and Entrepreneurship. U of Chicago P, 1973.
Psychological Capital (2021) — Luthans, Fred, et al. Psychological Capital: Developing the Human Competitive Edge. Oxford UP, 2007.
Simulated Empathy (2021) — McMullen, Jeffery S. "Entrepreneurial Action and the Role of Uncertainty." Academy of Management Review, vol. 31, no. 1, 2006, pp. 132–152.
Design Thinking (2025) — Brown, Tim. Change by Design. HarperBusiness, 2009.
Mindfulness (2025) — Baron, Robert A. "The Role of Affect in the Entrepreneurial Process." Academy of Management Review, vol. 33, no. 2, 2008, pp. 328–340.
Entrepreneurial Entropy (2026) — Shepherd, Dean A., and Holger Patzelt. Entrepreneurial Cognition. Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.
Venture — How Do Ventures Form and Grow? (28 Theories)
Transaction Cost Theory (1937) — Coase, Ronald. "The Nature of the Firm." Economica, vol. 4, no. 16, 1937, pp. 386–405.
Stewardship Theory (1964) — Davis, James H., et al. "Toward a Stewardship Theory of Management." Academy of Management Review, vol. 22, no. 1, 1997, pp. 20–47.
Contingency Theory (1967) — Lawrence, Paul R., and Jay W. Lorsch. Organization and Environment. Harvard Business School Press, 1967.
Entrepreneurial Orientation (1983) — Miller, Danny. "The Correlates of Entrepreneurship in Three Types of Firms." Management Science, vol. 29, no. 7, 1983, pp. 770–791.
Upper Echelons Theory (1984) — Hambrick, Donald C., and Phyllis A. Mason. "Upper Echelons." Academy of Management Review, vol. 9, no. 2, 1984, pp. 193–206.
Competence Destruction (1986) — Tushman, Michael L., and Philip Anderson. "Technological Discontinuities and Organizational Environments." Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 31, no. 3, 1986, pp. 439–465.
Stages Theory (1990) — Churchill, Neil C., and Virginia L. Lewis. "The Five Stages of Small Business Growth." Harvard Business Review, vol. 61, no. 3, 1983, pp. 30–50.
Crossing the Chasm (1991) — Moore, Geoffrey A. Crossing the Chasm. HarperBusiness, 1991.
Resource Based Theory (1991) — Barney, Jay. "Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage." Journal of Management, vol. 17, no. 1, 1991, pp. 99–120.
First Mover Advantage (1992) — Lieberman, Marvin B., and David B. Montgomery. "First-Mover Advantages." Strategic Management Journal, vol. 9, no. S1, 1988, pp. 41–58.
Real Options Theory (1993) — McGrath, Rita Gunther. "A Real Options Logic for Initiating Technology Positioning Investments." Academy of Management Review, vol. 22, no. 4, 1997, pp. 974–996.
Human Capital (1994) — Becker, Gary S. Human Capital. U of Chicago P, 1964.
Contract Theory (1995) — Hart, Oliver, and John Moore. "Incomplete Contracts and Renegotiation." Econometrica, vol. 56, no. 4, 1988, pp. 755–785.
Strategic Choice Theory (1998) — Child, John. "Organizational Structure, Environment and Performance." Sociology, vol. 6, no. 1, 1972, pp. 1–22.
Brand Extension Theory (2003) — Aaker, David A., and Kevin Lane Keller. "Consumer Evaluations of Brand Extensions." Journal of Marketing, vol. 54, no. 1, 1990, pp. 27–41.
Bricolage Theory (2005) — Baker, Ted, and Reed E. Nelson. "Creating Something from Nothing." Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 50, no. 3, 2005, pp. 329–366.
Bootstrapping (2006) — Winborg, Joakim, and Hans Landström. "Financial Bootstrapping in Small Businesses." Journal of Business Venturing, vol. 16, no. 3, 2001, pp. 235–254.
Dynamic Capabilities (2007) — Teece, David J. "Explicating Dynamic Capabilities." Strategic Management Journal, vol. 28, no. 13, 2007, pp. 1319–1350.
Strategic Disagreements (2007) — Ensley, Michael D., et al. "The Importance of Vertical and Shared Leadership." The Leadership Quarterly, vol. 17, no. 3, 2006, pp. 217–231.
Entrepreneurial Improvisation (2009) — Baker, Ted, et al. "Improvising Firms." Research Policy, vol. 32, no. 2, 2003, pp. 255–276.
Sports-Based Entrepreneurship (2011) — Ratten, Vanessa. "Sport-Based Entrepreneurship." International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, vol. 7, no. 1, 2011, pp. 57–75.
Lean Launchpad (2013) — Blank, Steve. "Why the Lean Start-Up Changes Everything." Harvard Business Review, vol. 91, no. 5, 2013, pp. 63–72.
Co-Creation Theory (2016) — Prahalad, C. K., and Venkat Ramaswamy. "Co-Creation Experiences." Journal of Interactive Marketing, vol. 18, no. 3, 2004, pp. 5–14.
Business Model Innovation (2017) — Foss, Nicolai J., and Tina Saebi. "Fifteen Years of Research on Business Model Innovation." Journal of Management, vol. 43, no. 1, 2017, pp. 200–227.
Affordance Theory (2018) — Nambisan, Satish. "Digital Entrepreneurship." Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, vol. 41, no. 6, 2017, pp. 1029–1055.
Optimal Distinctiveness (2018) — Zhao, Eric Yanfei, et al. "Optimal Distinctiveness." Strategic Management Journal, vol. 38, no. 1, 2017, pp. 93–113.
Stratified Systems Theory (2018) — Jaques, Elliott. Requisite Organization. Cason Hall, 1989.
Entrepreneurial Responsibility (2024) — Wiklund, Johan, et al. "Entrepreneurship and Well-Being." Journal of Business Venturing, vol. 34, no. 4, 2019, pp. 579–588.
Opportunity — How Do Opportunities Arise? (21 Theories)
Risk-Bearing Theory (1755) — Cantillon, Richard. Essai sur la Nature du Commerce en Général. 1755.
Coordinator Theory (1767) — Say, Jean-Baptiste. A Treatise on Political Economy. 1803.
Profit Maximization (1860) — Mill, John Stuart. Principles of Political Economy. 1848.
Creative Destruction (1874) — Schumpeter, Joseph A. Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy. Harper & Brothers, 1942.
Utility Theory (1890) — Marshall, Alfred. Principles of Economics. Macmillan, 1890.
Harvard School Theory (1950) — Cole, Arthur H. Business Enterprise in Its Social Setting. Harvard UP, 1959.
Hot & Cold Innovations (1964) — Burns, Tom, and G. M. Stalker. The Management of Innovation. Tavistock, 1961.
X-Efficiency Theory (1966) — Leibenstein, Harvey. "Allocative Efficiency vs. X-Efficiency." American Economic Review, vol. 56, no. 3, 1966, pp. 392–415.
Resource Scarcity Theory (1969) — Penrose, Edith. The Theory of the Growth of the Firm. Wiley, 1959.
Diffusion of Innovations (1970) — Rogers, Everett M. Diffusion of Innovations. Free Press, 1962.
Niche Theory (1978) — Hannan, Michael T., and John Freeman. "The Population Ecology of Organizations." American Journal of Sociology, vol. 82, no. 5, 1977, pp. 929–964.
Architectural Innovation (1990) — Henderson, Rebecca M., and Kim B. Clark. "Architectural Innovation." Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 35, no. 1, 1990, pp. 9–30.
Disruptive Innovation (1997) — Christensen, Clayton M. The Innovator's Dilemma. Harvard Business School Press, 1997.
Information Asymmetry (2000) — Akerlof, George A. "The Market for 'Lemons.'" Quarterly Journal of Economics, vol. 84, no. 3, 1970, pp. 488–500.
Individual-Opportunity Nexus (2003) — Shane, Scott, and S. Venkataraman. "The Promise of Entrepreneurship as a Field of Research." Academy of Management Review, vol. 25, no. 1, 2000, pp. 217–226.
Long Tail Theory (2006) — Anderson, Chris. The Long Tail. Hyperion, 2006.
Generativity Theory (2006) — Zittrain, Jonathan L. The Future of the Internet. Yale UP, 2008.
Jobs to be Done (2007) — Christensen, Clayton M., et al. Competing Against Luck. HarperBusiness, 2016.
First Principles Theory (2017) — Vance, Ashlee. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. Ecco, 2015.
External Enabler Theory (2020) — Davidsson, Per. Researching Entrepreneurship. 2nd ed., Springer, 2016.
Interpretive Philosophy (2025) — Gadamer, Hans-Georg. Truth and Method. Sheed & Ward, 1975.
Impact — What Does Entrepreneurship Do to the World? (22 Theories)
Risk Compensation Theory (1975) — Wilde, Gerald J. S. Target Risk. PDE Publications, 1994.
Liquidity Constraint Theory (1989) — Evans, David S., and Boyan Jovanovic. "An Estimated Model of Entrepreneurial Choice under Liquidity Constraints." Journal of Political Economy, vol. 97, no. 4, 1989, pp. 808–827.
Productive/Unproductive/Destructive Entrepreneurship (1990) — Baumol, William J. "Entrepreneurship: Productive, Unproductive, and Destructive." Journal of Political Economy, vol. 98, no. 5, 1990, pp. 893–921.
Corporate Entrepreneurship (1997) — Sharma, Pramodita, and James J. Chrisman. "Toward a Reconciliation of the Definitional Issues in the Field of Corporate Entrepreneurship." Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, vol. 23, no. 3, 1999, pp. 11–27.
Lifestyle Entrepreneurship (2000) — Marcketti, Sara B., et al. "Quality of Life and Lifestyle Entrepreneurship." Social Indicators Research, vol. 76, no. 2, 2006, pp. 253–269.
Necessity vs Opportunity Entrepreneurship (2002) — Reynolds, Paul D., et al. Global Entrepreneurship Monitor: 2001 Executive Report. Babson College, 2002.
University Spinout Entrepreneurship (2005) — Shane, Scott. Academic Entrepreneurship. Edward Elgar, 2004.
Serial Entrepreneurship (2010) — Ucbasaran, Deniz, et al. "The Nature of Entrepreneurial Experience, Business Failure and Comparative Optimism." Journal of Business Venturing, vol. 25, no. 6, 2010, pp. 541–555.
Hybrid Entrepreneurship (2010) — Folta, Timothy B., et al. "Hybrid Entrepreneurship." Management Science, vol. 56, no. 2, 2010, pp. 253–269.
Born Open Startup (2010) — Chesbrough, Henry W. Open Innovation. Harvard Business School Press, 2003.
Spinout Entrepreneurship (2011) — Agarwal, Rajshree, et al. "Knowledge Transfer Through Inheritance." Academy of Management Journal, vol. 47, no. 4, 2004, pp. 501–522.
Social Entrepreneurship (2017) — Mair, Johanna, and Ignasi Martí. "Social Entrepreneurship Research." Journal of World Business, vol. 41, no. 1, 2006, pp. 36–44.
Pecking Order Theory (2019) — Myers, Stewart C., and Nicholas S. Majluf. "Corporate Financing and Investment Decisions." Journal of Financial Economics, vol. 13, no. 2, 1984, pp. 187–221.
Digital Entrepreneurship (2019) — Nambisan, Satish. "Digital Entrepreneurship." Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, vol. 41, no. 6, 2017, pp. 1029–1055.
Sustainable Entrepreneurship (2020) — Dean, Thomas J., and Jeffery S. McMullen. "Toward a Theory of Sustainable Entrepreneurship." Journal of Business Venturing, vol. 22, no. 1, 2007, pp. 50–76.
Circular Economy & Entrepreneurship (2022) — Geissdoerfer, Martin, et al. "The Circular Economy—A New Sustainability Paradigm?" Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 143, 2017, pp. 757–768.
Zombie Firms Theory (2022) — Caballero, Ricardo J., et al. "Zombie Lending and Depressed Restructuring in Japan." American Economic Review, vol. 98, no. 5, 2008, pp. 1943–1977.
Entrepreneurial Energy Theory (2024) — Cardon, Melissa S., and Pankaj C. Patel. "Is Stress Worth It?" Applied Psychology, vol. 64, no. 2, 2015, pp. 379–420.
Entrepreneurship & Democracy (2024) — Audretsch, David B. The Entrepreneurial Society. Oxford UP, 2007.
Rogue Entrepreneurship (2024) — Williams, Colin C. The Informal Economy and Entrepreneurship. Edward Elgar, 2014.
Event-Based Entrepreneurship (2026) — Davidsson, Per. "Entrepreneurial Opportunities and the Entrepreneurship Nexus." Journal of Business Venturing, vol. 30, no. 5, 2015, pp. 674–695.
Entrepreneurship & AI (missing) — Obschonka, Martin, and David B. Audretsch. "Artificial Intelligence and Big Data in Entrepreneurship." Small Business Economics, vol. 54, 2020, pp. 529–539.