Call for Chapters Research Handbook on Entrepreneurial Teams: Theory and Practice Edward Elgar Publishing

1. Research Handbook on Entrepreneurial Teams: Theory and Practice
Editors:
Cyrine Ben-Hafaïedh, IÉSEG School of Management, France
Thomas M. Cooney, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland
Entrepreneurship research has almost exclusively been marked by the notion of the entrepreneur being viewed as a lone actor, a concept which originated in economic theory and widely supported by the media who generally focus on individual success stories. However, the importance of team entrepreneurship cannot be overlooked much longer as an increasingly substantial body of work has highlighted the quantitative and qualitative importance of entrepreneurial teams (ETs), a term which Cooney (2005: 229) defined as “two or more individuals who have a significant financial interest and participate actively in the development of the enterprise”. Recent research has shown that nearly half of new ventures are team-based (up to two-thirds in some sectors such as high-tech) and there is also growing evidence to suggest that ETs tend to register superior performance (e.g. growth) in comparison to their solo counterparts. However, while special issues of academic journals have been devoted to ETs (e.g. International Small Business Journal, 2005; Entrepreneurship, Theory & Practice, 2013), the total number of research articles on this topic remains relatively low.
Wright and Vanaelst (2009) selected 18 influential studies for their book ’Entrepreneurial Teams and New Business Creation’ which provide an excellent overview of the topic. This led Ben-Hafaïedh (2012) to call for the increased use of the input-mediator-output-input (IMOI) framework instead of the classical input-process-output (IPO) which is generally associated with research into entrepreneurial teams. Furthermore, she highlighted the importance of not solely considering the inputs as “composition” but to go back to the genesis of ETs, their formation. More recently, Klotz et al. (2014) published a literature review which combined the upper echelons approach from strategic management (which is the dominant approach in ET research) with the inputs-mediators- outcomes framework from organizational behavior. This work should spearhead an increased focus on the role of mediators and a greater distinction between internal processes and emergent states (e.g. collective cognition, cohesion, team confidence, affective tone) when analyzing ETs. Hence, while research on ETs appears to have taken stock of its brief past, it is now ready for a new stage where its idiosyncratic issues can be addressed more specifically and future research agendas identified.
This book aims to give a current and comprehensive review of the topical issues in ETs and to provide theoretical and methodological insights for future research contributions. Each chapter will address practical implications and some chapters may focus more precisely on ET support at the micro (e.g. in incubators) and/or macro (e.g. policies) levels. The Editors therefore wish to invite both conceptual and theoretically informed empirical papers addressing the present and future issues in ET research which collectively would offer a comprehensive representation of the theory and practice of ETs. The following list gives some of the potential topics that might be addressed:
 ET formation: how do ETs form? How does this process unfold with the opportunity identification and implementation?
 ET composition: what ET characteristics are most important?
 ET mediators: interpersonal processes (conflict, etc.) and emergent states?
 ET outcomes: individual level (e.g. satisfaction, well-being), group level (ET performance), firm level (new venture performance), macro level?
 ET turnover: what are the antecedents and the consequences of ET membership changes?
 Impact of the types of ETs and settings: take-over teams, academic spin-offs, intrapreneurial teams (corporate entrepreneurship), immigrant entrepreneurship, gendered aspects, social entrepreneurship, etc.?
 Methodologies to address ETs issues?
 Public policies and support schemes for team entrepreneurship?
Extended abstracts (±2000 words) of potential chapter contributions should clearly highlight: Objectives; Literature review; Approach/Method; Results/Findings; Implications for theory and practice; Value. They should be sent to the Editors (c.benhafaiedh@ieseg.fr and thomas.cooney@dit.ie) by September 15, 2014. Notification of first acceptance will be given by September 30, 2014 and complete chapter contributions are required by December 31, 2014. A review process will be organized by the Editors who retain the final decision on a chapter’s inclusion. The last revision of the chapter should be made by February/March 2015.
Call for Chapters – DEADLINE EXTENSION: 09/15/2014
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