Introduction to the special issue on entrepreneurship processes

Extant research in entrepreneurship has evolved from viewing entrepreneurship as an isolated phenomenon to studying it as a process that is initiated with individual involvement and that – as it unfolds – is affected by several factors. Moving from a rationalist perspective, researchers have recognized that planned activities are often combined with random occurrences, predetermined actions can be supplanted by rash decisions, and personal inclinations may need to be adjusted to fit with social expectations. Consistent with this perspective, there is a growing body of literature focusing on entrepreneuring or entrepreneurship processes. Up to now, it is not totally or uniquely clear what scholars mean or refer to when they write about entrepreneurship processes. Selected papers are presented by referring to the two main research issues they deal with. The first research issue is entrepreneurial opportunities and new venture creation (the first cluster), and the second is entrepreneurial learning and decision-making (the second cluster).