Critical Management Studies (CMS)

Apologies for cross-posting

Publication opportunity: special issue "Intensifying Research on the Dark Side of Entrepreneurship" of the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing (IJEV).

The dark side on entrepreneurship (DSE) is an emerging but rapidly growing field of academic research. DSE research was sparked by the recognition that entrepreneurship research typically focuses on the positives of entrepreneurship (Shepherd, 2019; Weiskopf & Steyaert, 2009; Wiklund et al., 2011; 2019), including phenomena such as wealth creation, economic growth, regional and urban development, innovation, and job creation (Casson, 2003, Kirzner, 1985). The list of positives is constantly expanding, as evidenced by the fact that entrepreneurship is increasingly seen not only as a driver of economic wealth creation but also as an engine of emancipation and positive social change (Calás et al., 2009, Laine & Kibler, 2022). While these positive elements are important, they represent only a relatively specific part of entrepreneurship. DSE scholars have thus argued that focusing exclusively on the bright side of entrepreneurship comes at a significant cost, as the "fairy tales of entrepreneurial success hide the dark side of entrepreneurial behaviours and the damage they cause" (Dannreuter, 2020, p. ix).

In light of this rapidly expanding field of research, we propose this special issue as an opportunity to intensify DSE research further. The list below provides an overview of the topics under consideration for the special issue and invites empirical (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches) and conceptual contributions as well as review articles, but it does not claim to be exhaustive.

Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

·         Literature reviews that cluster, synthesize, or typologize DSE research which has so far remained fragmented (De Sordi et al., 2022)

·         Using new theoretical perspectives and approaches (incl., e.g., economic, philosophical, political science, and sociological perspectives) to problematize common understandings of DSE phenomena while helping us cast a new light on them (Dey et al., 2022).

·         New theoretical perspectives and approaches that problematize common understandings of DSE phenomena and help us shed new light on them.

·         Conceptual papers that outline different gradations and intensities of the dark side, e.g., from largely unintended negative spillover effects in the pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities to predatory business models entrepreneurs use to extract or 'steel' value created by others (Hanlon, 2014).

·         Empirical and conceptual contributions that explore how the dark and bright sides of entrepreneurship are inextricably linked in practice (Scheaf & Wood, 2022).

·         Research that explores whether ethical and legal rule-breaking, such as exploitation, fraud, or corruption, are merely a necessary evil or something that should and can be prohibited (e.g., through governance mechanisms, regulation, or moral principles) (Smith & McElwee, 2014).

·         Research that focuses on "dark personality factors" of entrepreneurs as necessities or "success factors" of doing business.

·         Empirical research examining "dark" business models.

·         Studies looking at how to prevent, mitigate, and balance the negative psychological and societal effects of entrepreneurship (Shepherd, 2019)

·         Empirical and conceptual research that identifies and unpacks the underlying relationships between DSE and the "dark side of values" (Risi & Marti, 2022).

·         Research that links corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate social irresponsibility (CSiR), and DSE, developing theoretical and/or empirical insights for research on DSE and potentially also for CSR and/or CSiR scholarship.

·         Research examining whether, how, and why DSE serves as the originator and driver of grand societal challenges-the complex, uncertain, and evaluative problems that societies face (Ferraro et al., 2015; George et al., 2016).

The full call for papers can be found here:

https://www.inderscience.com/info/ingeneral/cfp.php?id=5639

The deadline for the special issue is September 30, 2023.

The guest editorial team

Pascal Dey, Sebastian Gurtner, David Risi and Kim Oliver Tokarski, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland

Contact us with questions or for more information: Pascal (pascal.dey@bfh.ch), Sebastian (sebastian.gurtner@bfh.ch), David (david.risi@bfh.ch), Kim (kim.tokarski@bfh.ch)