Science Mapping of the Knowledge Base on Sustainable Entrepreneurship, 1996–2019

Trin Thananusak
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Trin Thananusak: Center for Research on Sustainable Leadership, College of Management, Mahidol University, 69 Vipavadee Rangsit Rd., Bangkok 10400, Thailand

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 13, 1-20

Abstract: After the launch of the United Nations’ Brundtland’s report in 1987, entrepreneurship has been promoted as one of the tools for achieving sustainable development. Since then, the studies in sustainable entrepreneurship have flourished and this topic has emerged as a subfield of entrepreneurship research. In order to examine the current stage of sustainable entrepreneurship (SE) research, this review utilized science mapping tools to analyze 712 Scopus-indexed documents written on the topic of sustainable entrepreneurship. This review assesses the size, publication evolution, and worldwide dispersion of research publications of this knowledge base as well as topics that have gained increased interest over the past few years. The review documented an emerging knowledge base, concentrated in Western developed societies. Sustainable entrepreneurship has evolved from earlier incarnations such as ecopreneurship and social entrepreneurship. Author co-citation analysis, three Schools of Thoughts (or three sub-themes) were identified in this knowledge base, namely Sustainable Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship, and Sustainability Innovation. This review aspires to provide a baseline bibliometric analysis of sustainable entrepreneurship research that both charts the evolution of this knowledge base and points towards productive lines of future inquiry.

Keywords: sustainable entrepreneurship; sustainability; ecopreneurship; social entrepreneurship; sustainability innovation; science mapping; bibliometric review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:13:p:3565-:d:243786

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