Mapping the conceptual structure of entrepreneurship knowledge in Iran: A co-word Analysis

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.

Abstract

Purpose: Entrepreneurship involves the initiation and management of a new business, which can result in value creation, job opportunities, and innovation. Entrepreneurship research includes the scientific and promotional activities undertaken by researchers in this field to explain, investigate, and analyze various entrepreneurial and economic factors and dimensions related to management and other business issues. The field of entrepreneurship in Iran has garnered significant interest from both organizational and individual researchers. This growth has necessitated an examination of the research framework from a conceptual perspective, employing scientometric techniques. Therefore, this research examines the activities in this field through a review of articles to establish a framework for evaluating the concepts and comparing them with international efforts. In this research, we seek to answer two fundamental questions: What is currently happening in the field of entrepreneurship research in Iran? And what conceptual dimensions have researchers focused on?
Methodology: This research is applied in nature and has been conducted using scientometric techniques, including co-word analysis, information clustering, and conceptual network analysis. The research tools utilized include scientometric software such as Ravar_matrix, Ucinet, NetDraw, and VOSviewer. The research community encompasses all articles in the field of entrepreneurship published in domestic journals from 1994 to October 2023.
Findings: The findings indicate that over the past two decades, research in the field of entrepreneurship in Iran has grown significantly, with many researchers contributing to its scientific productions. The results of the co-word analysis indicated that over 3,000 concepts were identified in research within this field in Iran. Among these, the concepts of "organizational entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship education, and innovation" were the most frequently mentioned. Additionally, the co-word pairs "entrepreneurship-organization", "entrepreneurship-development" and "entrepreneurship-village" had the highest number of co-occurrences. In addition, the concepts of social entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship, and academic entrepreneurship have been identified as emerging themes in research. The clustering results indicate that the body of knowledge in this field in Iran comprises seven main clusters.
The first cluster, which pertains to organizational entrepreneurship, the second cluster focuses on the expansion and development of entrepreneurship, and the third cluster related to academic and knowledge-based entrepreneurship are ranked first to third, respectively, in terms of the number of concepts. Other clusters include the fourth cluster, which focuses on the empowerment of entrepreneurship in the community (social entrepreneurship) with 11 concepts; the fifth cluster, which examines the role of creativity, innovation, and risk-taking in entrepreneurship and business, comprising 10 concepts; the sixth cluster, which addresses the role of information and communication technology and knowledge-based companies, also with 10 concepts; and the seventh cluster, which explores culture, individual, and environmental factors in the field of entrepreneurship (individual entrepreneurship) with 7 concepts. Conceptual network analysis reveals that the concepts within this field exhibit numerous interrelationships, with an average network density of 0.2671. This indicates that the network is relatively dense. This statistic indicates that approximately 26% of the connections within the network are established, suggesting that the conceptual network of entrepreneurship in Iran is quite dense. Furthermore, the concepts of "organizational entrepreneurship, innovation, rural entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship development, and entrepreneurship education" exhibit a robust and high-density network.
Conclusion: Solving societal problems relies on the development of new energy solutions through an entrepreneurial approach. Consequently, the academic sector of the country, as the primary foundation for the production and dissemination of entrepreneurial knowledge, plays a crucial role in advancing research activities in this knowledge-driven field. Undoubtedly, addressing the ever-increasing challenges faced by societies, university education, and the influence of information technology has significantly contributed to the growth of research in the field of entrepreneurship in Iran. The findings of this research offer a comprehensive overview of the issues discussed within this field of study. Specifically, according to articles in this field, the knowledge clusters of entrepreneurship in Iran are comparable to those at the global level. Additionally, Iranian researchers have focused on areas conducive to entrepreneurship in their studies.
Also, based on the network's density number, it can be concluded that the concepts exhibit an acceptable relationship with one another, indicating a degree of conceptual convergence in entrepreneurship research. This study was conducted in response to the research proposal by Khaseh et al. (2017). It is hoped that the officials, curators, and researchers involved in the advancement of this field will utilize the findings of this research.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

 
احمدی، ح.، و عصاره، ف. (1396). مروری بر کارکردهای تحلیل هم واژگانی. مجله مطالعات کتابداری و سازمان‌دهی اطلاعات، 28(1)، 125-145. https://nastinfo.nlai.ir/article_1132.html
 
اکبری، م.،  دلبری راغب، ف.، ذوالفقاری، ع.، کلانکی­، ا.، و رازی، س. (1394). ترسیم نقشۀ دانش کارآفرینی ایران بر مبنای مقالات علمی و پژوهشی در ایران. مدیریت فرهنگ‌سازمانی، 13(4)، 1091-1112.
    https://doi.org/10.22059/jomc.2016.55429
بختیاری، م.، موسی‌خانی، م.­، الوانی، م.، و حسینی، ر. (1398). به‌کارگیری روش علم‌سنجی در راستای آمایش آموزش عالی برای توسعه‌ی کارآفرینی دانشگاهی. مدیریت توسعه و تحول، 11(38)، 1-9.  
    https://journals.iau.ir/article_669558.html
حبیبی، ر.،  مختار پور، ر.، و خاصه، ع. (1396). تحلیل سیر تکاملی پژوهش‌های جهانی کارآفرینی با فنون علم‌سنجی. توسعه کارآفرینی، 10(4)، 575-594.   https://journals.ut.ac.ir/article_66376.html
­خاصه، ع.، و حبیبی، ر. (1397). ترسیم دو دهۀ پژوهش جهانی در حوزۀ کارآفرینی: تحلیل علم‌سنجی. مدیریت اطلاعات و دانش شناسی، 5(2)، 63-78.             https://lib.journals.pnu.ac.ir/article_5208.html    
سهیلی، ف.، خاصه، ع.­، و کرانیان، پ. (1398). ترسیم ساختار فکری حوزه علم اطلاعات و دانش شناسی ایران بر اساس تحلیل هم رخدادی واژگان. پژوهش‌نامه پردازش و مدیریت اطلاعات، 34 (98)، 1905-1938.  
    https://jipm.irandoc.ac.ir/article_699570.html?lang=fa
سهیلی، ف.، خاصه، ع.، رستمی، م.، و زارعان، م. (1402). ترسیم نقشه موضوعی مقالات حوزه تربیت اخلاقی نمایه شده در پایگاه وب‌ آو ساینس طی سال‌های 2000-2018. پژوهش­نامه علم‌سنجی، 9(17)، 169-188.
    https://doi.org/10.22070/rsci.2021.5818.1433
صاحبی، ح.، رشادت‌جو، ح.، و ابویی اردکان، م. (1400). علم‌سنجی و تحلیل محتوی پژوهش‌ها در حوزه کارآفرینی سازمانی از منظر کارآفرینی فردی و گروهی در سازمان. مدیریت فردا، 20(66)، 313-328.
    http://www.modiriyatfarda.ir/Article/26870
عباسی، ح.، حسینی‌نیا، غ.، و داوری، ع. (1400). نگاشت مفهومی رفتار کارآفرینانه کارکنان در سازمان‌های دولتی (رویکرد علم‌سنجی). پژوهشنامه مدیریت اجرایی، 13(26)، 193-220.
    https://doi.org/10.22080/jem.2021.19737.3333
عربیون، ا.، عبدالله زاده، غ.، و  شریف‌زاده،  م. ش. (1394). تحلیل محتوای پژوهش‌های کارآفرینی در ایران. پژوهش‌های مدیریت منابع انسانی، 7(2)، 79 -104. https://hrmj.ihu.ac.ir/article_14275.html?lang=fa
غفرانی، ن.، حسینی، ر.، و موسی خانی، م. (1401). علم‌سنجی مدرسه کارآفرین مبتنی بر توسعه نگرش کارآفرینانه. مدیریت توسعه و تحول، 14(51)، 19-25.  https://sanad.iau.ir/Journal/jdem/Article/949440
مصلح شیرازی، ع. ن.، و پوست­ور، ع. (1385). کارآفرینی و امکان‌سنجی طرح‌های سرمایه‌گذاری صنعتی. تهران: دانشگاه تهران، مرکز کارآفرینی. 466 ص. https://lib.ut.ac.ir/site/catalogue/736956
Abbasi, H., Hosseininia, G. H., & Davari, A. (2021). Conceptual Mapping of Employees’ Entrepreneurial Behavior in Government Organizations Using a Scientometric Approach. Journal of Executive Management, 13(26), 193-220.
      https://doi.org/10.22080/jem.2021.19737.3333 [In Persian].
Ahmadi, H., & Osareh, F. (2016) Co-word Analysis Concept, Definition and Application. Librarianship And Information Organization Studies, 28(1), 125-145.
      https://nastinfo.nlai.ir/article_1132.html?lang=en#ar_info_pnl_cite  [In Persian].
Akbari, M., Delbari Ragheb, F., Zolfaghari, A., Kalanki, A., & Razi, S. (2016). Designing Knowledge Map of Entrepreneurship in Iran based on Iran's Persian Scientific Researches. Organizational Culture Managing, 13(4), 1091-1112.  
      https://doi.org/10.22059/JOMC.2016.55429  [In Persian].
Aldrich, H. (2012). The Emergence of  Entrepreneurship as an Academic Field: a Personal Essay on Institutional Entrepreneurship. Research Policy, 41(7), 1240– 1248.
      https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2012.03.013   
Aparicio, G., Iturralde, T., & Maseda, A. (2019). Conceptual structure and perspectives on entrepreneurship education research: A bibliometric review. European research on management and business economics, 25(3), 105-113.
      https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iedeen.2019.04.003
Arabiun, A., AbdollahZadeh, G., & Sharifzadeh, M. S. (2015). Content analysis of entrepreneurship research in Iran. Journal of Research in Human Resources Management, 7(2), 79-104. https://hrmj.ihu.ac.ir/article_14275.html?lang=en [In Persian].
Bakhtiyari, M., Moosakhani, M., Alvani, S. M., & Hosseini, S. R. (2019). Usage of Scientometric Method in Higher Education Regional Preparation For the Development of Entrepreneurial University. Journal of Development & Evolution Mnagement, 11(38), 1-9.
      https://journals.iau.ir/article_669558.html [In Persian].
Chandra, Y. (2018). Mapping the evolution of entrepreneurship as a field of research (1990–2013): A scientometric analysis. PlOS One, 13(1), p e0190228.
      https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0190228
Ortiz-de-Urbina-Criado, M., Nájera-Sánchez, J. J., & Mora-Valentín, E. M. (2018). A research agenda on open innovation and entrepreneurship: a co-word analysis. Administrative Sciences, 8(3), p 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci8030034
Deveci, İ. (2022). Review of entrepreneurship education literature in educational contexts: Bibliometric analysis. Participatory Educational Research, 9(1), 214-232.
      https://doi.org/10.17275/per.22.12.9.1
Dionisio, M. (2019). The evolution of social entrepreneurship research: a bibliometric analysis. Social Enterprise Journal, 15(1), 22-45.  
      https://doi.org/10.1108/SEJ-05-2018-0042 
Fellnhofer, K. (2019). Toward a taxonomy of entrepreneurship education research literature: A bibliometric mapping and visualization. Educational Research Review, 27, 28-55.
      https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2018.10.002
Fernandes, C., Ferreira, J. J., Veiga, P. M., Kraus, S., & Dabić, M. (2022). Digital entrepreneurship platforms: Mapping the field and looking towards a holistic approach. Technology in Society, 70, p 101979.
      https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.101979
Ghofrani, N., Hosseini,  R., & Musa Khani, M. (2022). Scientometrics of entrepreneur school based on the development of entrepreneurial attitude. Journal of Development evolution Management, 14 (51), 19-25   https://sanad.iau.ir/Journal/jdem/Article/949440 [In Persian].
Habibi, R., Mokhtarpour, R., & Khasseh, A. A. (2018). Analysis of Evolutionary Trends in Global Entrepreneurship Research using Scientometric Techniques. Journal of Entrepreneurship Development, 10(4), 575-594. https://journals.ut.ac.ir/article_66376.html  
      [In Persian].
Khasseh, A. A., & Habibi, R. (2018). Mapping two decades of world research in entrepreneurship: A scientometric analysis. Digital and Smart Libraries Researches, 5(2), 63-78. https://lib.journals.pnu.ac.ir/article_5208.html?lang=en  [In Persian].
Landström, H., Harirchi, G., & Åström, F. (2012). Entrepreneurship: Exploring the knowledge base. Research policy, 41 (7), 1154-1181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2012.03.009
Maditati, D. R., Munim, Z. H., Schramm, H. J., & Kummer, S. (2018). A review of green supply chain management: From bibliometric analysis to a conceptual framework and future research directions. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 139, 150-162.
      https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2018.08.004
Mosleh Shirazi, A. N., & Poostvar, A. (2005). Entrepreneurship and feasibility of industrial investment plans. Tehran: Tehran University, Entrepreneurship Center. 466 p.
      https://lib.ut.ac.ir/site/catalogue/736956 [In Persian].
Nichols, M. D., & Petzold, A. M. (2021). A crisis of authority in scientific discourse. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 16, 643-650. 
      https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11422-020-09989-1
Sahebi, H., Rashadtjoo, H., & Aboie Ardakan, M. (2020). Scientometrics and content analysis of research in the field of organizational entrepreneurship from the perspective of individual and group entrepreneurship in the organization. Modiriat-E Farad Journal, 20 (66), 313-328. http://jiu.ir/en/Article/26870 [In Persian].
Secundo, G., Rippa, P., & Cerchione, R. (2020). Digital Academic Entrepreneurship: A structured literature review and avenue for a research agenda. Technological forecasting and social change, 157, p 120118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120118
Soheili, F., Khasseh, A., & Koranian, P. (2019). Mapping Intellectual Structure of Knowledge and Information Science in Iran based on Co-word Analysis. Iranian Journal of Information Processing & Management, 34(16), 1938-1905.
      https://jipm.irandoc.ac.ir/article_699570.html?lang=en [In Persian].
Soheili, F., Khasseh, A., Rostami, M., & Zarean, M. J. (2023). Thematic Map of Moral Education Studies Indexed in Web of Science 2000_2018. Scientometrics Research Journal, 9(17), 169-188. https://doi.org/10.22070/rsci.2021.5818.1433 [In Persian].
Sreenivasan, A., & Suresh, M. (2023). Exploring the contribution of sustainable entrepreneurship towards sustainable development goals: A bibliometric analysis. Green Technologies and Sustainability, 1(3), p 100038.
      https://doi.org/10.1016/j.grets.2023.100038
Tan Luc, P., Xuan Lan, P., Nhat Hanh Le, A., & Thanh Trang, B. ( 2020). A Co-Citation and Co-Word Analysis of Social Entrepreneurship Research," Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 13(3), 324-339. https://doi.org/10.1080/19420676.2020.1782971
Teixeira, A. A. (2011). Mapping the (in) visible college (s) in the field of entrepreneurship. Scientometrics, 89(1), 1-36.  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11192-011-0445-3
Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. scientometrics, 84(2), 523-538.
      https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3
Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2017). Citation-based clustering of publications using CitNetExplorer and VOSviewer. Scientometrics, 111, 1053-1070.
      https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11192-017-2300-7
Wu, Y., Wang, Z., & Lu, Y. (2023). Mapping the evolution of entrepreneurial research themes in China: a combination analysis of co-word and critical event. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 40(3), 1133-1167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-022-09815-y

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics