Editorial

Citation

Marlow, S. and Hill, J. (2003), "Editorial", International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, Vol. 9 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijebr.2003.16009daa.001

Editorial

It is gratifying to work with a journal which continues to grow in popularity, such that the quality of papers reflects the growing complexity and sophistication of the study of self employment, small business ownership and entrepreneurship. In recognition of this growing popularity it has already been noted that the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research will be offered in hard copy as well as in its traditional electronic format from 2004. Accompanying this shift we also intend to expand the number of papers included per issue, reducing our current lead time which, at over 12 months, reflects the popularity of this journal. By changing the format of the journal it should also be possible to include more “special editions” to develop particular areas of contemporary interest and importance, and suggestions for such are always welcome.

Issues 3 and 4 of the IJEBR certainly illustrate the diverse nature of self employment and entrepreneurship. In issue three the paper by Durkan et al., explores the manner in which the Internet might assist small firms to improve their marketing opportunities. It is axiomatic that an appropriate marketing tool is critical for firms’ survival, and given the possibilities of the Internet, firms must successfully exploit this format to fully explore all possibilities. As Durkan et al., argue, however, a prerequisite to successful online firm-customer interactions is the existence of trust between those involved. The authors go on to explore the manner in which such trust is generated and indeed perceived by key players. Rather than looking at issues which affect the firm, once established, in the second paper in Issue 3 Paula Haynes examines the impact that previous employment had on the process of self-employment, and particularly, how the firm founder uses the experience gained from previous work. It has been clearly established that most new enterprises are begun in areas where the founder has developed some social and human capital to support the process of self employment, but this is a rather sweeping presumption regarding degree and utility. Hence, Haynes unpicks this issue with greater consideration of how job dissatisfaction impacts on self employment, arguing that individuals will filter the impact of their previous experience according to their perception of how positive that might prove to have been.

Issue 4 has been jointly edited by myself and Professor Jimmy Hill from the Centre for Entrepreneurship at Liverpool, with papers drawn from the University of Illinois at Chicago Research Symposia on Marketing and Entrepreneurship, held in San Diego, California in July 2002. It has been recognised that there is a cutting edge interface between issues of entrepreneurship and marketing, given that the quality or innovative nature of the idea will be lost if not appropriately marketed to key audiences and consumers. To illustrate this issue a number of diverse papers will be presented so, for example, the paper by Teach and Schwartz draws on a longitudinal study of e-commerce. The possibilities of e-commerce have been explored at length, but this paper considers how this process might be made more efficient, and so more attractive to consumers. Focusing particularly on students in the USA and Australia, the paper explores a number of variables which might impact on attitudes and opinions related to e-commerce, finding that levels of technological adeptness are of importance. In a contrasting approach, the paper by Walton adopts a more conceptual stance, with a consideration of the notion of creativity and, specifically, exploring what is understood by this concept and how it might be “measured”. The author offers a critical evaluation of current thinking regarding the concept and considers how situational and environmental factors will impact on creativity, suggesting that organisations must consider these vital issues if innovative thinking and action is to be facilitated. It is envisaged that further papers will be included to explore the marketing/entrepreneurship relationship in more detail. Overall, IJEBR again offers an eclectic collection of papers which illustrate the broad range of thinking around the key issues of entrepreneurship, self employment and small firm ownership.

Susan Marlow and, Jimmy Hill