Public Sector Entrepreneurship: Scientific Mapping and Research Agenda

Abstract

Background and Purpose: The concept of entrepreneurship within the public sector is one of the most fiercely debated areas of entrepreneurial research. It has been studied across several academic disciplines such as in management, public administration and political economy, among others. However, while academic output has increased, we found no prior studies providing a clear mapping of the field. Therefore, this research sought to comprehensively examine all peer reviewed articles on public sector entrepreneurship. Methods: Using the Scopus scientific database, our analysis included 133 articles from 1982 to 2022. Following a thorough manual review process, we used VOSviewer to provide a mapping of the field, before identifying research gaps and suggesting directions for future research. Our scientific mapping revealed the leading and emerging thematic clusters in the field. Results: Our results revealed that the leading themes in public sector entrepreneurship include innovation, entrepreneurship, public sector, governance, reinventing government, and public organisations, while emerging trends include public health entrepreneurship, public health innovation, public choice, sustainability, and entrepreneurial orientation, among others. Conclusion: Our research provides useful insights to all researchers interested in examining entrepreneurship within the public sector or in non-profit organisations.

Fuzzy Methods in Entrepreneurship Research

“…Following recent high-quality standards for conducting bibliometric reviews (Donthu et al, 2021; Olumekor, 2022), it was necessary to set some conceptual limits and a clear set of inclusion criteria before beginning the analysis. Therefore, studies would only be included in this article if they met all of the following outlined inclusion criteria: Studies must be exclusively focussed on entrepreneurship or what Shane (2003) describes as the formation of a new business venture or a non-profit organisation.…”

Exploring the Role of Socio-Cultural Factors on the Development of Human Capital in Multi-Ethnic Regions

“…These ideas were buttressed by Adam Smith who believed that the talents of people are integral to the production process, and could be acquired through investments in education and training [35]. Education/training and entrepreneurship can influence the development of public and private sectors [36][37][38], which also influence the level of human capital in a country.…”

Effective altruism and the dark side of entrepreneurship

“…Studies on entrepreneurship have demonstrated the enormous positive impact it can have on society. For example, entrepreneurship can promote job creation and economic growth ( Cumming et al, 2014 ; Fritsch and Wyrwich, 2017 ), improve the public sector ( Hayter et al, 2018 ; Olumekor, 2022 ), foster regional development ( Fritsch and Mueller, 2004 ; Olumekor et al, 2023 ), and help to reduce poverty ( Bruton et al, 2013 ). However, entrepreneurs have also engaged in morally bankrupt, unethical and outright illegal behavior ( Machan, 1999 ; Fisscher et al, 2005 ; Baucus and Mitteness, 2016 ).…”