Research on effect factors on entrepreneurial networks: A comprehensive review of literature

This paper reviews literature addressing effect factors from the network perspective of understanding their contribution to the existing knowledge. Over the past few years much has been written about the rapid spread of various types of firm networking, the area of effect factors for entrepreneurial networking is still a challenging research field. The paper make use of a discourse analysis to examine a selection of empirical research articles from 2000 to 2012 on entrepreneurial networks in entrepreneurship research in order to convey the key concept, main findings, key contribution and the methodology. Moreover, it identifies in a broader literature the networking determinants in entrepreneurship and default of the existing research. The main finding of the studies reviewed is that the building and developing network relationship is affected by various factors. However, scholars were not able to collate these factors systematically yet. According to the empirical evidence, the effect factors of entrepreneurial network mainly focus on family, gender, culture, technology, trust, geographical proximity and entrepreneurs’ characteristic. Methodologically, the current status of research on networks and entrepreneurship validates that most of the knowledge is gained through cross-sectional surveys. Entrepreneurs may reveal their thoughts, their experience and reflections only if the relationship between the researcher and the researched is symmetrical. Qualitative approaches are suggested in order to “tap” the voice. The findings of the discursive approach to research texts on entrepreneurial networks, is that the discourse is limited. Directions for future research on the effect factors for entrepreneurs’ networks are also provided and researcher hopes that the literature review on entrepreneurial network will give some inspiration to researchers.