Entrepreneurship research: the French literature in perspective

Abstract This article reviews entrepreneurship literature available in French. We reviewed articles published in the following French journals: Management International; Revue Française de Gestion; and Revue Internationale PME, considered relevant venues for entrepreneurship research (LASCH and YAMI, 2008), and based on inclusion and exclusion criteria established and detailed in the methodology. This allowed us to identify 166 entrepreneurship articles published in French from 2006 to 2019. To analyze and categorize these studies, we highlighted their presence in the aforementioned journals, the number of articles published per year, their main research topics, their methodological approach and techniques, and the most prominent researchers. The results show the predominance of specific topics such as public policies and support to entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, entrepreneurial process and opportunities, women entrepreneurship, finance, entrepreneurial education, entrepreneurial behavior, entrepreneurial intention, entrepreneurs’ motivations, and social entrepreneurship. Theoretical-empirical, qualitative studies are prevailing, but there is also room for theoretical papers on entrepreneurship. Finally, several researchers contribute to the field, investigating, writing, and publishing articles on entrepreneurship. In conclusion, we observed the formation of a plural, multifaceted francophone entrepreneurship field that presents theoretical-methodological possibilities and alternatives for the development of research on entrepreneurial phenomena.

摘要 本文对现有法语创业研究文献开展系统性评述。本次研究选取以下法国学术期刊刊发的论文进行梳理：《Management International》、《Revue Française de Gestion》以及《Revue Internationale PME》——上述期刊均被LASCH与YAMI（2008）认定为创业研究的权威刊载平台，且筛选过程严格遵循了在方法部分详细制定的纳入与排除标准。最终我们共筛选出2006年至2019年间发表的166篇法语创业研究论文。为完成对这些研究的分析与归类，我们从以下维度展开研究：论文在上述期刊的刊载分布、年度刊载数量、核心研究主题、研究方法与技术路径，以及该领域的顶尖研究者。研究结果显示，当前法语创业研究领域的核心主题集中于：创业公共政策与扶持措施、内部创业（intrapreneurship）、创业过程与创业机会、女性创业、创业金融、创业教育、创业行为、创业意向、创业者动机以及社会创业。其中以理论-实证结合的质性研究为主流，但创业研究领域的纯理论性论文也占有一定空间。此外，已有多位研究者投身于该领域，开展创业相关研究并撰写、发表了诸多学术论文。综上，我们可以看到一个多元且多维度的法语圈创业研究领域已然形成，该领域为创业现象相关研究的发展提供了多样的理论与方法路径与选择。