How entrepreneurship turns a blind eye to structural injustice

Keim, Jan; Müller, Susan; Dey, Pascal (8 July 2023). How entrepreneurship turns a blind eye to structural injustice (Unpublished). In: 39th EGOS Colloquium. Cagliari. 06. - 08. July 2023.

Text EGOS 2023_Entrepreneurship and Structural Injustices_Full paper_Final.pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to registered users only Available under License Publisher holds Copyright. Download (355kB) | Request a copy

We critically examine entrepreneurship as a solution to grand challenges from a mythic perspective. We argue that the prevailing discourse on entrepreneurship as a means of solving societal problems is based on mythical narratives that offer an incomplete and deceptive account of its capabilities. By focusing on what is excluded or negated, we unveil the myth of entrepreneurship as a solution to grand challenges. Using the concept of ‘structural injustice,’ we demonstrate how explicitly political, complex-sensitive, and holistic explanations of grand challenges are marginalized in entrepreneurship research. We identify three mechanisms, which we call ‘figures of thought,’ that perpetuate the myth while suppressing alternative explanations such as structural injustice. These figures of thought include ‘technical rationality,’ ‘extrapolation fallacy,’ and ‘positive acculturation.’ To demystify entrepreneurship research, we call for a reevaluation of its fundamental pillars, including the researchers themselves, the research methods used, and the language used when discussing entrepreneurship.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Division/Institute:	Business School > Institute for Innovation and Strategic Entrepreneurship Business School > Institute for Innovation and Strategic Entrepreneurship > Strategic Entrepreneurship Business School
Name:	Keim, Jan; Müller, Susan and Dey, Pascal0000-0003-2792-0061
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Language:	English
Submitter:	Jan Keim
Date Deposited:	10 Jul 2023 14:06
Last Modified:	10 Oct 2023 21:46
Related URLs:	Organisation
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Entrepreneurship; Structural injustice; Grand challenges; Myths; Analytical myopia
ARBOR DOI:	10.24451/arbor.19503
URI:	https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/19503