Revisiting the Entrepreneurial Society framework: A constructive critique from a climate change perspective

Abstract

The Entrepreneurial Society framework occupies a central role not only in research but also in policy discourse. It highlights the important role of new ventures in instigating transformational change to meet new challenges. Yet, the framework was developed in an era when there were few reasons to fear shocks to society. The only shocks theorised were Schumpeterian and those were seen as desirable. This article revisits the Entrepreneurial Society from the perspective of climate change as a cause of shocks that need to be mitigated urgently. The article makes three important contributions to the entrepreneurship literature. First, it explicates contemporary views of the Entrepreneurial Society including contemporary critiques. Second, it outlines key conceptual challenges for the Entrepreneurial Society posed by climate change. Third, it suggests updates to the Entrepreneurial Society framework to strengthen its relevance in the face of climate change to channel entrepreneurial efforts towards a circular economy.