PhD course
DR430E Foundations and Future Perspectives in
Entrepreneurship Research
ECTS credits: 7.5
Level of course: Ph.D. course
Type of course:
Elective for students in business or other social science disciplines studying entrepreneurship
and innovation for their PhD.
The course is offered as part of Norsi Ping research school.
Duration: 24-28th March 2014.
Location: Bodø.
Language: English.
Faculty:
Bodø Graduate School of Business, University of Nordland, Norway, is the institutional
course organizer, in cooperation with Circle, Lund University. The course is part of
Norwegian Research School on Innovation, PING
Main faculty:
Professor Sara Carter, Strathclyde University, Scotland
Professor Johan Wiklund, Syracuse University, USA/Bodø Graduate School of Business
Professor Paul Westhead, Durham University, England/Bodø Graduate School of Business
Professor Åsa Lindholm Dahlstrand, Lund University, Sweden
Professor Hans Landstrøm, Lund University, Sweden
Additional faculty:
Associate professor Gry Agnete Alsos, Bodø Graduate School of Business,
Associate professor Tommy Høyvarde Clausen, Bodø Graduate School of Business,
Associate professor Espen John Isaksen, Bodø Graduate School of Business,
Administrative coordinator:
Grete Ingemann Knudsen, Bodø Graduate School of Business
Content
The theme for the course is perspectives on entrepreneurship at the individual and corporate
level. Students will become familiar with the foundations of entrepreneurship research as well
as with current debates and knowledge gaps in the field of entrepreneurship. The course is
designed to provide students with an opportunity to become familiar with different aspects of
entrepreneurship research and to discuss this in relation to their own research projects.
During the course students participate in plenary sessions, smaller group sessions where they
present and receive feedback on their own work, and contribute to the discussion of their peer
students’ work. The plenary sessions will include questions and dialogue and there will be
good opportunities for informal discussions among participants and faculty.
Themes covered in the course include:
 Foundations of entrepreneurship research
 Contextualizing entrepreneurship research
 Individual level entrepreneurship
 Entrepreneurial intentions
 Firm level entrepreneurship
 The development of dynamic capabilities in entrepreneurial firms
 Academic entrepreneurship
 Financing of new and technology-based firms
 Publishing entrepreneurship research
Learning outcomes
After completing the course the students will be able to:
Knowledge
 Overview knowledge about entrepreneurship at individual and firm level, as well as
the foundations for entrepreneurship literature and the role of context
 Overview knowledge about relevant theories and current debates in entrepreneurship
literature
 Understand knowledge gaps and central debates related to entrepreneurship
 Understand the most relevant core concept(s) for own Ph.D. work
Skills
 Critically discuss, evaluate and position own research with the various theoretical
perspectives related to entrepreneurship and relate them to own Ph.D. work.
 Apply one or more research streams to a research topic of relevance for the Ph.D.
student’s own work
General competence
 Reflect on and consider theoretical problems in a general sense in research
 Communicate (in writing and orally) problems, analyses, and results to colleagues,
including contributing in academic debates in conferences
Organization and learning activities
This is an intensive course of one week with individual study required prior to and after the
meeting. The course integrates lectures by experts in the field and discussions of the course
literature by the participants. Students are supposed to present and participate in exercises
individually and in groups.
Practical information
Registration:
Registration deadline: 15th February 2014
To register, students should fill in an application form with attachments, and deliver a one
page abstract.
The abstract should include initial ideas of a course paper. The course paper should relate to
the topic of the course and preferably also to the student’s dissertation topic
Location and accommodation
The course will take place at the campus of University of Nordland, Bodø.
Hotel accommodation is pre-reserved for participants at Rica hotel Bodø until February 21st.
Please indicate in the application form if you want accommodation and for how many nights.
Prices for hotel:
Sunday-Monday: kr. 970,- single room
Monday-Friday: kr. 1395,- a night for single room
Participants will pay for hotel accommodation and travel themselves. Students accepted for
the Norsi Ping research school will get these expenses refunded when final course paper has
been accepted.
Course fee:
The course is free for Norsi Ping and Norsi Pims students.
Other candidates should pay a course fee of: 1000,- NOK
Course syllabus
Examination
Active participation in the form of presentations and discussions (written and oral) on selected
articles during the course week is compulsory. The individual draft research paper delivered
before, and the full paper delivered after the course week will be evaluated by the grades
‘passed’ or ‘non-passed’.
Literature
Too be completed
Tentative Program
Monday 24th March
Arrival
11.00-12:00 Opening session: Presentation of faculty and participants
12.00-13:00 Lunch
13.00-16.00 Introduction to entrepreneurship. Paul Westhead
Individual level entrepreneurship
17:00-18:00 Entrepreneurial intentions. Espen Isaksen
Dinner
Tuesday 25th March
09.00-12.00
12.00-13.00
13.00-14:00
15:00-17:00
Firm level entrepreneurship and firm growth: Johan Wiklund
Lunch
Creation of dynamic capabilities in entrepreneurial firms. Tommy Clausen
Academic entrepreneurship. Åsa Lindholm-Dahlstrand
Dinner
Wednesday 26th March
09.00-12.00
12.00-13.00
13.00-14.00
14.00-17:00
Contextualizing entrepreneurship research. Sara Carter
Lunch
Gender perspectives to entrepreneurship. Gry Agnete Alsos
Group discussions of student papers
Groups of 4-5 students lead by faculty
A. Johan Wiklund
B. Åsa Lindholm-Dahlstrand
C. Sara Carter
D. Paul Westhead
E. Hans Landström
Dinner
Thursday 27th March
09.00-12.00
12.00-13.00
13.00-15:00
Foundations of entrepreneurship research. Hans Landström
Lunch
Group discussions of student papers
Groups of 4-5 students lead by faculty
A. Johan Wiklund
B. Åsa Lindholm-Dahlstrand
C. Sara Carter
D. Paul Westhead
E. Hans Landström
Social activity
Dinner
Friday 28th March
09.00-10.00 Financing entrepreneurial ventures. Hans Landström
10.00–13.00 Publishing entrepreneurship research:
Editor’s perspective – Sara Carter
Author’s perspective – Johan Wiklund
Reviewer’s perspective – Paul Westhead
Panel with Sara, Johan, Paul, Hans and Åsa
13.00-14.00 Lunch
14.00-15.00 The future of entrepreneurship research. Johan Wiklund
15:00Closing session, questions and answers: All faculty
Departure