ENTREPRENEUR AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONCEPTS: A HISTORICAL ASSESSMENT AND THE ASSESSMENT OF COMMON CONCEPTS IN THE DEFINITIONS

Abstract

In this study, it is aimed to evaluate the concepts of entrepreneur and entrepreneurship in the historical development process, to determine the prominent elements in the definitions of entrepreneurs that stand out in the literature, and to increase the possibility of reaching an advanced entrepreneurship theory. First of all, domestic and foreign entrepreneurship literature was discussed in detail and a periodic classification was made. Then, the common expressions in these definitions were determined, and finally, these definitions were evaluated within the framework of the determined criteria. Based on the definitions of entrepreneurship put forward in the historical process, common concepts, repetitive elements, accepted common behavior patterns in the definitions of entrepreneurship were analyzed. The basic assumptions of these concepts, the theories and schools that these concepts affect or are affected by and whether the concepts are behaviors or tendencies were evaluated. The journey of the entrepreneur, who is the central actor of Business World, in the historical process and the revealing of 23 basic descriptive elements that emerged in this journey, and establishing relations with the theories that these definitions affect and are affected by are the most basic results of this study. In future research, it is expected that the definitions of entrepreneur and entrepreneurship will be discussed in this context and will shed light on the understanding of the phenomenon and the concept of entrepreneurship. The research has made a unique contribution to the field by handling the controversial definitions in the field of entrepreneurship with a holistic and unifying approach.