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What gets published and what doesn’t? Exploring optimal distinctiveness and diverse expectations in entrepreneurship articles

Author

Listed:
  • Marie Madeleine Meurer

    (Jönköping International Business School)

  • Maksim Belitski

    (University of Reading
    ICD Business School
    Loyola University)

  • Christian Fisch

    (University of Luxembourg)

  • Roy Thurik

    (Montpellier Business School
    Erasmus School of Economics)

Abstract

The field of entrepreneurship has seen remarkable growth, increasing the expectations of academic audiences. Articles need to balance novelty with rigorous methodology, theoretical contributions, social implications, and coherent argumentation to succeed in the publication process. However, navigating these varied and sometimes conflicting expectations to achieve optimal distinctiveness in academic narratives is challenging for authors. To explore how authors can achieve optimal distinctiveness amidst these complex expectations, we studied academic narratives and related editorial decisions of two leading entrepreneurship journals, Entrepreneurship: Theory & Practice (ETP, 4,151 papers) and Small Business Economics Journal (SBEJ, 4,043 papers), using computer-aided text analysis. Our study debunks common assumptions about what makes a successful entrepreneurship paper, providing an empirical basis for understanding actual versus perceived publication requisites. Furthermore, we extend optimal distinctiveness theory by demonstrating that high distinctiveness is not uniformly advantageous, meeting numerous expectations is not necessarily beneficial, and clear language is crucial for complex narratives. Our study underscores that crafting narratives is more nuanced than traditionally believed.

Suggested Citation

  • Marie Madeleine Meurer & Maksim Belitski & Christian Fisch & Roy Thurik, 2024. "What gets published and what doesn’t? Exploring optimal distinctiveness and diverse expectations in entrepreneurship articles," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(3), pages 1139-1170, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:63:y:2024:i:3:d:10.1007_s11187-023-00865-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-023-00865-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Optimal distinctiveness; Publishing success; Entrepreneurship journals; Text analysis; Narratives;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • C8 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs
    • C88 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Other Computer Software
    • C55 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Large Data Sets: Modeling and Analysis
    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups

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