Publishing Opportunities
ECSB aims to strengthen the cooperation with internationally recognized journals and to offer members information on publishing opportunities. This page lists ongoing special issues and call for papers. Members are invited to send information on open calls related to entrepreneurship to our secretariat info@ecsb.org.
"Digital Entrepreneurship: Taking stock and moving forward." Special Issue in International Small Business Journal - Submission deadline 9 February 2025
Guest editors:
Maura McAdam: Dublin City University Business School (maura.mcadam@dcu.ie)
Kathleen Randerson: Audencia Business School (kathleenranderson@yahoo.fr)
Cyrine Ben Hafaïedh: IESEG School of Management (c.benhafaiedh@ieseg.fr)
Scholars are invited to contribute to a Special Issue on “Digital Entrepreneurship: Taking Stock and Moving Forward” on ISBJ, set to be published in September 2026. This issue aims to advance the discourse on digital entrepreneurship by addressing critical yet unexplored dimensions, including its paradoxes, dark sides, and unintended consequences.
The issue will explore themes such as ethical dilemmas, the impact on work-life balance, the digital divide, and the role of social media entrepreneurs.
Deadline to submit a manuscript: February 9, 2025
For more details: McAdam et al., 2024 – ISBJ SI Proposal [Web Version] (sagepub.com)
"Exploring Immigrant Entrepreneurship Through Challenges, Strategies, and Networks" Special Issue in Entrepreneurship & Regional Development - Submission deadline 28 May 2025
Léo-Paul Dana, Dalhousie University, Canada lp762359@dal.ca
Deema Refai, Leeds University Business School, UK D.Refai@leeds.ac.uk
Aki Harima, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia aki.harima@taltech.ee
Renato Pereira, ISCTE Business School, Portugal rpereira@ual.pt
Marco Valeri, Niccolo’ Cusano University, Italy marco.valeri@unicusano.it
Natalia Vershinina, Audencia Business School, France nvershinina@audencia.com
Overview and Motivation
The special issue “Exploring Immigrant Entrepreneurship Through Challenges, Strategies, and Networks” aims to explore the multifaceted domain of immigrant entrepreneurship, elucidating the pivotal role of ethnic and transnational networks (Bhachu 2017; Vershinina et al., 2019) in navigating the entrepreneurial landscape alongside the myriad challenges these entrepreneurs confront. Despite the growing recognition of immigrant entrepreneurs as critical agents of economic innovation, cultural integration, and global market expansion (Duan et al. 2023), there remains a paucity of research that comprehensively addresses the intersection of these elements.
Aims and Scope
This special issue explores into the dynamic realm of immigrant entrepreneurship, aiming to shed light on how ethnic and transnational networks play a pivotal role in navigating the entrepreneurial landscape in tandem with the myriad challenges these entrepreneurs face. Galvanized by the growing acknowledgment of the critical contribution of immigrant entrepreneurs to economic innovation, cultural integration, and global market dynamics, this issue intends to address key gaps in the literature through rigorous empirical and theoretical research.
By examining the nuanced ways in which immigrant entrepreneurs exploit ethnic and transnational networks for opportunity recognition and venture creation (Abd Hamid et al. 2024) and how they leverage these networks to navigate regulatory landscapes, this issue offers valuable insights. It will also focus on the socio-economic contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs, such as job creation, innovation, and cross-cultural exchange, and explore the impact of policy and institutional environments on their entrepreneurial success.
Topics of Interest
Topics of interest for this special issue include, but are not limited to:
The dynamics of ethnic and transnational networks in immigrant entrepreneurship.
- Challenges and barriers in immigrant entrepreneurship, including regulatory, financial, and cultural obstacles.
- Strategies for overcoming entrepreneurial barriers, including innovative business models and market adaptation.
- The economic and social contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs to local and global markets.
- The impact of policy and institutional environments on immigrant entrepreneurship.
- Comparative analyses of immigrant entrepreneurship in various geographical and industry contexts.
- Investigations into how refugee entrepreneurs navigate and overcome specific regulatory, financial, and cultural barriers.
- Explorations into the entrepreneurial experiences of refugees, highlighting unique challenges and strategies.
- Personal narratives and case studies highlighting individual immigrant entrepreneur experiences.
- The resilience of immigrant entrepreneurship.
- The impact of digitalization on immigrant entrepreneurship.
- Immigrant entrepreneurs as agents for a sustainable future.
- The role of immigrant entrepreneurs in regional entrepreneurial ecosystems.
- Refugees as entrepreneurial agents.
Meet the Guest Editors Paper Development Workshop (PDW)
The guest editors will organise a special PDW to develop the ideas and papers intended for submission. The workshop will be held during the International Week on March 12th-13th at ISCTE Business School, Lisbon, Portugal. All interested contributors will have an opportunity to present their work (at any stage of development) for discussion and feedback. Participation in the PDW is not a guarantee of acceptance of the paper for the special issue nor a requirement for consideration of papers for inclusion in the special issue. For more information about the workshop, please contact Professor Renato PEREIRA (renato.pereira@iscte-iul.pt).
Working Timeline:
- PDW SI Workshop in ISCTE Business School (International Week), Lisbon, Portugal: 12th-13th March 2025.
- Confirmation of acceptance to the PDW workshop: 24th of February 2025
- Submission deadline: May 28 th, 2025
- Publication: 2026
All details available at the full call
"Business Support for Entrepreneurs and Small Firms: Access, Design, and Impacts." Special Issue in International Small Business Journal - Submission deadline 27 June 2025
Guest editors:
Gary Chapman, University of Nottingham, gary.chapman@nottingham.ac.uk
Robert Wapshott, University of Nottingham, robert.wapshott@nottingham.ac.uk
Annalisa Caloffi, University of Florence, annalisa.caloffi@unifi.it
Hanna Hottenrott, Technical University of Munich & ZEW, hanna.hottenrott@tum.de
Oliver Mallett, University of Stirling, oliver.mallett@stir.ac.uk
Introduction Background and Focus of the Special Issue:
In supporting small firms to innovate, grow and succeed, governments – and other actors – around the globe have long provided a range of business support (Chapman and Hottenrott, 2024; Mallett and Wapshott, 2020; Jurado and Battisti, 2019). The support on offer is wide-ranging and multi-faceted, including access to finance (Cowling and Dvouletý, 2023), innovation subsidies and grants (Caloffi et al., 2022; Chapman and Hewitt-Dundas, 2018; Hottenrott and Richstein, 2020) and a range of business advice services (Antcliff et al. 2021; Arshed et al., 2021; Bennett and Robson, 1999). The actors providing the support are increasingly wide-ranging (Hunt and Kiefer, 2017),
including national, local, regional, and international government agencies, universities, large businesses, independent consultants, social enterprises and venture capitalists.
Despite the substantial public and private resources devoted to business support across the globe, important unanswered questions and long-standing concerns surrounding its accessibility, design, and effectiveness remain. For example, Hamilton et al., (2024) highlight that differences, on the basis of gender, persist in access to resources and networks. From a historical perspective, Mallett et al., (2024) illustrate the difficulties in implementing innovative solutions to design more effective and inclusive forms of support. More widely, scholars including Curran (2000) and Fotopoulos and Storey (2019) have questioned the overall effectiveness of support interventions.
For this special issue, we invite contributions that advance these ongoing and crucial debates surrounding the accessibility, design, and effectiveness of different types of business support for entrepreneurs and small firms. These debates include the centrality of business support to the context in which entrepreneurs operate and to prominent debates around research and development, productivity, place-based interventions, inclusivity and practitioner-oriented enterprise education. The audience will include researchers in these areas but also policymakers – and other actors – who are seeking to design, change and deliver more effective, inclusive and accessible business support.
Themes and Questions to be Addressed:
The special issue aims to advance understanding of the accessibility, design and effectiveness of different types of business support. An indicative list of questions that could be explored in the special issue may include:
- Accessibility: Who accesses different forms of business support and who does not? For what reasons and with what implications for business support effectiveness? How does accessibility vary across the types of business support and actors involved in its provision? How can the accessibility of business support be improved?
- Design: What business support is available and what forms does it take across a variety of contexts? How has business support developed over time, and with what implications for support provision today? How can governments and other actors design more inclusive, accessible and effective forms of business support? What factors inhibit the implementation of effective business support?
- Effectiveness: How effective are different forms of business support for supporting smaller firms’ growth, performance, behaviour, survival, innovation and other outcomes? Under what conditions are different forms of business support effective? How do the impacts vary when smaller firms receive multiple forms of business support simultaneously? How do the impacts vary across the different actors involved in the provision of different forms of business support?
Contributions could feature detailed quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods analyses of how different support interventions are associated with outcomes, detailed empirical or theoretical evaluations of programmes and lessons learned, fresh theoretical perspectives on the field, critical analyses of how practices may exclude, and more.
Key dates:
The deadline for submission of papers is June 27, 2025. The Special Issue is scheduled to be published in December 2026. Papers must be original and comply with ISBJ submission guidelines.
Please refer http://isb.sagepub.com/ for submission guidelines and a link to the on-line submission system. In the online system please ensure you submit your paper within Manuscript Type: “Special Issue: Business Support for Entrepreneurs and Small Firms: Access, Design, and Impacts”.
Questions and informal enquiries should be directed to: Dr. Robert Wapshott robert.wapshott@nottingham.ac.uk
Call for papers (pdf)
Call for submissions: Cases on Migrant Entrepreneurship (Edward Elgar) – Submission Deadline for expressions of interests 1 April 2025
Editors
Maud van Merriënboer, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Michiel Verver, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Background
Migrant entrepreneurship is widespread yet often undervalued. Migrant entrepreneurs play a crucial role in fostering economic and social development through job creation and innovation, and contribute to the diversity and resilience of markets and societies (Jones et al., 2018). Vice versa, entrepreneurial activity can have an important emancipatory role for migrants who seek a livelihood, meaningful work or social acceptance in their adopted societies (Villares-Varela & Essers, 2019).
Entrepreneurship can be a promising pathway for migrants to engage with the labour market, both as a result of push factors, such as discrimination and other disadvantages in the labour market, as well as pull factors, such as diverse entrepreneurial resources springing from their embeddedness in home and host country networks (Kloosterman & Rath, 2001; Verver et al., 2020). However, they also face distinct challenges in their entrepreneurial journeys as they often lack knowledge on local regulatory frameworks, have difficulties accessing consumer markets beyond their own ethnic group, experience language barriers, and need to navigate cultural differences (Lassalle& Scott, 2018; Elo et al., 2024)
Trajectories of migration, settling, and venturing into business are idiosyncratic, and migrant entrepreneurship thus takes many forms. Migrant entrepreneurship research has gone beyond the study of traditional ethnic business enclaves or ethnic economies and covers different manifestations in different sectors ranging from corner stores to technology start-ups and from social enterprises to tourism (Vershinina & Rodgers, 2019). Further, individual dimensions such as entrepreneurial motivation, personality traits, and personal background of the entrepreneur (Duanet al., 2023) as well as societal dimensions such as regulatory frameworks and ethnic relations play a role in shaping the entrepreneurial experiences and outcomes of migrant businesses (Ram & Jones, 2016). Lastly, while the early literature mostly considered migrant entrepreneurship in metropolitan areas in the United States and Europe (e.g. Portes & Sensenbrenner, 1993), more recent studies reveal its unique manifestations across the globe (e.g. Bosiakoh, 2017; Cheuk, 2016).
Case study criteria
The overall objective of this case book is to compile a set of real-world teaching cases covering the topic of migrant entrepreneurship that can be used for pedagogical purposes. Together, we anticipate these cases will offer a rich and diverse array of entrepreneurial landscapes, providing teachers and students of entrepreneurship with deeper insights into the multifaceted nature of contemporary migrant entrepreneurship. Each case needs to be followed by teaching notes (including learning objectives and discussion points). Cases can adopt various formats (e.g. empirical, opinion pieces, policy-focused) and draw on a diverse range of disciplines (such as business studies, anthropology, sociology or social geography). Each case will range from 2,000 to 5,000 words.
Deadline and submission details
We invite potential contributors to submit an expression of interest (EOI) outlining the tentative topic, author team, and case description (around 300 words). The acceptance of the EOI will be on a rolling basis and we appreciate it if you send your EOIs before 1 April 2025.
If your EOI is accepted, authors will be required to submit their cases and teaching notes by 1 September 2025. We will also provide more information on the case study format and structure of the teaching notes.
Kindly send the EOI to m.van.merrienboer@vu.nl and m.j.verver@vu.nl. Please feel free to contact Maud van Merriënboer or Michiel Verver for further information or to discuss potential case study ideas.
"Diversity, Inclusion and Entrepreneurship: What we know and what we don’t know" Special Issue in International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research - Deadline 1 November 2025
Guest editor(s)
Dr Spinder Dhaliwal, Professor Thomas Cooney, Professor Colette Henry, Professor Kassa Woldesenbet Beta, Professor David Rae
Introduction
This Special Issue (SI) focuses on diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship. It is based on the premise that entrepreneurship is for everyone, and that no individual should be left behind (Rolle, et al., 2020). Notwithstanding the robust body of literature accumulated in the field to date, we aim to push the boundaries of existing thinking, knowledge, and theories by focusing on the unknown – what we don’t yet know. Accordingly, this SI seeks to curate new thinking and novel arguments at the cutting edge of inclusive entrepreneurship by considering the following:
- What’s really new in inclusive entrepreneurship? What don’t we already know?
- Whose stories are not heard (e.g., displaced, neurodiverse persons)?
- How global crises such as economic downturns, war, natural disasters, pandemics (e.g., Covid) affected inclusive entrepreneurship?
- What role does context play in inclusive entrepreneurship?
- Is there a tension – a contested space – between ‘exclusive’ (for the few) and ‘inclusive’ (for the many) entrepreneurship?
- What are the constraints and enablers of inclusive entrepreneurship?
- What is the role of entrepreneurial leadership in widening diversity & inclusion?
- How can policy frameworks help?
- Is there currently an element of ‘policy neglect’? For example, following periods of major debates about the need to support specific diverse groups, is there a tendency to think ‘the problem has now been solved’ – no further action is required, and a return to mainstream policy approaches is appropriate?
- How might networks, communities and organisations influence diversity & inclusion practices in entrepreneurship?
- How does media, especially social media, influence inclusive and diverse entrepreneurship?
- Are current methodological approaches appropriate to fully explore the full spectrum of inclusive entrepreneurship?
- Is there scope to develop novel methodologies in this field?
- Why have previously highlighted groups been ignored in current political strategy?
Inclusive entrepreneurship aims to promote economic participation and growth for underrepresented groups, including persons with disabilities, refugees, and the elderly (Bakker & McMullen, 2023). It intersects with sustainability and social entrepreneurship (Rodrigues et al., 2022) and is seen as crucial to achieving inclusive growth (Baskaran et al., 2019; Abosede & Onakoya, 2013). Business incubators, academia, and social enterprises play significant roles in fostering inclusive entrepreneurship (Baskaran et al., 2019). However, debates surround its implementation and outcomes. While entrepreneurship can stimulate economic development, poorly designed policies and programmes may dilute the quality of entrepreneurs and hinder growth (Abosede & Onakoya, 2013). Additionally, weak institutions coupled with alert entrepreneurs may lead to destructive outcomes if policies and programmes focus solely on economic indicators (Hall et al., 2012).
Recent research on diversity and entrepreneurship highlights the need for a more comprehensive understanding of entrepreneurial diversity. Studies emphasise the importance of acknowledging heterogeneity in entrepreneurship research (Aluthgama-Baduge & Rajasinghe, 2022) and call for an intersectional approach to address key challenges in conceptualising diversity (Meyer et al., 2021). Entrepreneurship can be a mechanism for achieving inclusion and diversity, but its effectiveness is complex and context dependent. While entrepreneurship offers opportunities for social inclusion, especially for underrepresented groups (Ratten, 2019; Alexandre-LeClair, 2014), overreliance on it as a solution may be overly optimistic (Blackburn & Ram, 2006). Factors such as culture, ethnicity, gender, and social networks influence entrepreneurial engagement (Alexandre-LeClair, 2014; Owalla et al., 2021). Women and minorities face greater barriers in entrepreneurship, including access to capital and biased evaluations (Henry et al., 2024; Collis et al., 2023; Pines et al., 2010, Dhaliwal 1998).
Furthermore, researchers advocate for developing “the economics of spatial diversity” to better understand the relationships between diversity, innovation, and entrepreneurship (Karlsson et al., 2019). Additionally, the need for theoretical reflections on concepts of diversity and difference has been identified (Janssens & Steyaert, 2003).
Despite the robust body of research accumulated to date, there remains a need to address knowledge gaps and unresolved issues in entrepreneurship and diversity studies (Ferreira et al., 2015; Parker, 2005). This Special Issue aims to fill this gap by focusing on the “unknowns” – what we don’t yet know about diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship.
List of topic areas
Indicative list of themes and key features of the Special Issue
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons with disability
- People with criminal convictions
- Entrepreneurs from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds
- Refugees
- Migrant
- Displaced entrepreneurs
- Indigenous
- Roma
- Women
- Marginalised youth / NEETs
- Seniors
- LGBTQ+
- Encouraging the venture types, start-up and growth strategies of diverse entrepreneurs
- Encouraging and supporting diverse entrepreneurs through targeted policies, training, technology and AI
In addition to displacement entrepreneurship, the following themes could also be explored in terms of encouraging “surprises” and “pushing boundaries” – one of the key aims in this SI.
- Inclusive Technology and Digital Entrepreneurship: How do the digital divide continues to disproportionately affect entrepreneurs from marginalized communities, especially neuro-diverse individuals, women, rural populations, and those in developing economies
- Neurodiversity in Entrepreneurship: What is the potential for neurodiverse individuals to introduce innovation due to their different ways of thinking and problem-solving?
- The role of diverse Entrepreneurial Leadership in the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Movement and in supporting underrepresented groups by fostering more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems
- Entrepreneurial ventures that explicitly aim to address racial and gender equity
- The role social entrepreneurship can play in driving systemic change and supporting marginalized communities
- The relationship between entrepreneurship and the UN Sustainable Development Goals on Equality (e.g., SDG 8, SDG 10)
Submissions Information
Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available at: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ijebr
Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/ijebr#jlp_author_guidelines
Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.
Key deadlines
Approximate Timeframe:
Extended abstract (max 900 word/2 pages) to editors: (recommended) before 30th March 2025. Editor details can be found at the top of the page
Submission of full paper via ScholarOne: between 1st September and 1st November 2025 (https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ijebr)
1st reviews expected: January/February 2026
2nd reviews expected: June/July 2026
Expected publication: end 2026/early 2027
See: Diversity, Inclusion and Entrepreneurship: What we know and what we don’t know | Emerald Publishing