Entrepreneurship and the Philosophy of Science

Abstract

Entrepreneurship plays a pivotal role in driving economic development and social transformation. Yet its definition has been a long-standing subject of debate. This study adopts a perspective rooted in the philosophy of science to develop a rulebook for evaluating definitions based on four criteria: essentiality, expressiveness, interpretability, and clarity. Through systematic literature review and experimental validation, the scientific rigor and applicability of the rulebook were assessed. Three experiments were designed to test the rulebook’s effectiveness in academic research, corporate management, and cross cultural contexts. The results indicate that the rulebook significantly enhances the logical consistency and scientific robustness of definitions, fostering consensus within the academic field of entrepreneurship studies and improving financial performance and social impact through optimized definitions in corporate practices. Furthermore, the study examines the applicability of the rulebook in dynamic environments and multicultural contexts, offering a novel theoretical framework and methodological guidance for future research on definitions. This research not only enriches the theoretical foundation of entrepreneurship studies but also provides insights for refining definitions in other contested domains.