Engaged scholarship: encouraging interactionism in entrepreneurship and small-to-medium enterprise (SME) research

Simba, A ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0276-8211 and Ojong, N, 2017. Engaged scholarship: encouraging interactionism in entrepreneurship and small-to-medium enterprise (SME) research. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development. ISSN 1462-6004

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Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce a multi-layered theoretical framework to enable engaged scholarship to develop as a practice in entrepreneurship and small business research. To do so, it illuminates the salient features of engaged scholarship, collaborative learning and actor-network theory (ANT).
Design/methodology/approach: The paper follows a narrative or traditional literature review design. Specifically, it adopts a thematic approach for summarising and synthesising a body of literature on engaged scholarship, collaborative learning and ANT with the view to develop a new multi-layered theoretical framework.
Findings: Applying the theory of engaged scholarship to pivot entrepreneurship/SME research provides scholars with an opportunity to unlock the theory vs practice paradox. Moreover, engaged scholarship offers valuable instructions for encouraging interactionism between entrepreneurship researchers and practitioners as well as reconcile their polarised views. Co-production and co-creation of knowledge addresses the concerns often raised by the practitioner community regarding the relevance and applicability of academic research to practice.
Practical implications: The proposed multi-layered framework provides entrepreneurship researchers, and the practitioner community with a taxonomy to use to encourage a joint approach to research. Developing deep partnerships between academics and practitioners can produce outcomes that satisfy the twin imperatives of scholarship that can be of high quality as well as a value to society.
Originality/value: The paper advances the theory and practice of engaged scholarship in new ways that are not common in entrepreneurship/SME research. This enables engaged scholarship to develop as a practice in entrepreneurship and small firms’ research. Through applying the proposed multi-layered framework in research, academics can deliver fully developed solutions for practical problems. The framework is useful in the theory vs practice and entrepreneurship researchers vs practitioner debates.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development
Creators:	Simba, A. and Ojong, N.
Publisher:	Emerald
Date:	27 July 2017
ISSN:	1462-6004
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1108/JSBED-03-2017-0126 DOI
Divisions:	Schools > Nottingham Business School
Record created by:	Jonathan Gallacher
Date Added:	28 Jul 2017 10:47
Last Modified:	28 Jul 2017 10:47
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/31324

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