Exploring Legitimacy in Entrepreneurship Education: Towards a Theoretical Framework

Andreas Walmsley, Birgitte Wraae

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingArticle in proceedingsResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Adopting Suchman’s (1995) conceptualisation of legitimacy within organisations, this study seeks to understand firstly, how entrepreneurship education itself has been legitimised, secondly, how entrepreneurship educators are legitimised, and lastly, how pedagogical approaches in EE are legitimised. The theoretical framework for the paper distinguishes between institutional legitimacy and strategic legitimacy. We seek to both understand how societal institutions (e.g. policy makers, industry) frame entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education, and how HE institutions in turn respond strategically to this framing. These legitimisation strategies can be framed as being ‘pragmatic’, ‘moral’ and ‘cognitive’ (Suchman, 1995). The study will draw on data drawn from the UK in the first instance.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 17th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship : ECIE 2022
EditorsPantelis Sklias, Nikolaos Apostolopoulos
Number of pages4
Volume17
PublisherAcademic Conferences and Publishing International
Publication date2022
Edition1
Pages733-736
ISBN (Print)9781914587481
ISBN (Electronic)9781914587498
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022
Externally publishedYes
Event17th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, ECIE 2022 - Pafos, Cyprus
Duration: 15 Sept 202216 Sept 2022

Conference

Conference17th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, ECIE 2022
Country/TerritoryCyprus
CityPafos
Period15/09/202216/09/2022
SeriesProceedings of the European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, ECIE
ISSN2049-1050

Keywords

  • Educator
  • Enterprise
  • Entrepreneurship education
  • Institutional environment
  • Legitimacy
  • Pedagogy

Cite this