Diversity, Inclusion and Entrepreneurship: What we know and what we don’t know

Submit your extended abstract here by 30th March 2025

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 Spinder Dhaliwal ([email protected]): submitted by 30th March 2025
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