I spent many years as a member of the Entrepreneurship Division Research Committee without really knowing why it existed or what it did. Now that I am in my second year of trying to lead it, I think I know…

We have two primary functions. The first is evaluation of papers and decisions about which ones will win several of the awards administered by the Awards Committee. There are two sorts of awards for which we provide input. From among papers submitted for the current year’s annual meeting, we determine the winners of the best empirical, theoretical, family business and social entrepreneurship paper awards. From among papers published approximately ten years previously, and among papers published during the most recent year, we determine the winner of the IDEA Foundational Paper Award and one or more IDEA Thought Leader Awards, respectively. Our second function is to develop and sponsor two PDW sessions at the annual meeting. For example, last year we sponsored successful sessions on “Building Coherent Careers through Commitment to Theory” and on “New Horizons in Individual Differences Research.”

During the last year, we decided – based both the committee’s workload and on the desire to expand participation – to increase the size of the Research Committee substantially. Thirty two strong researchers now volunteer their time to the committee. In addition, we are supported by Kisha Lashley, a PhD student working with Tim Pollock at Penn State who has a deep interest in entrepreneurship research.

Most of our work happens during two very intense periods in the winter and spring and so far my experience is that pretty much everyone pitches in and helps us to do a good and job of evaluating papers for awards. Currently, I am working with Dan Forbes, who leads the Awards Committee, to rationalize the processes and deadlines that guide our work. In addition, during this year I will draft and submit to the division leadership written guidelines for how the Research Committee operates. For me, there is some irony that my role in the Entrepreneurship Division involves bureaucratic rule-mongering!

Also during the last year we created – retroactively – a three-year term structure such that about a third of the members will need to be replaced each year. Please keep us in mind as you think about how you would like to be involved in supporting the division’s activities and let me know if you are interested in joining the Entrepreneurship Division Research Committee. We grow entrepreneurship scholars.