Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa: A Bibliometric Analysis

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Entrepreneurship Education and Research in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

Part of the book series: Contributions to Management Science ((MANAGEMENT SC.))

Abstract

Bibliometrics is an important field of information science that enables bibliographic material to be studied quantitatively. Using bibliometric techniques, this chapter offers an overview of entrepreneurship research in the Middle East and North Africa. Using the Web of Science and Scopus databases, we identify the most relevant research in this field, classified by the most influential authors and the top papers, journals and countries. The sample includes 657 articles published from 1963 to 2016, from 387 different sources. The findings show that studies addressing this topic have been published mainly in non-JCR-indexed journals. In contrast, it is important to note that the top papers (in terms of citations) appear to be published in well-known journals such as the Journal of Business Venturing, Organization Studies and Technovation. The most significant countries are those in the region being studied (such as Israel) but also the United States. The chapter ends with some recommendations for further research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abramo G, D’Angelo CA, Pugini F (2008) The measurement of Italian universities’ research productivity by a non parametric-bibliometric methodology. Scientometrics 76(2):225–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Addae IY, Singh RP, Abbey A (2015) Cultivating black technology entrepreneurs through HBCU engineering & business programs. J Enterp Educ 18(1):12–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahmad SZ (2011a) Evidence of the characteristics of women entrepreneurs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: an empirical investigation. Int J Gend Entrep 3(2):123–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahmad SZ (2011b) Businesswomen in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: characteristic, growth patterns and progression in a regional context. Equal Divers Incl 30(7):610–614

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahmad SZ (2012) Microfinance for women micro and small-scale entrepreneurs in Yemen: achievements and challenges. Int J Entrep Small Bus 16(1):102–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahmad SZ (2015) Entrepreneurship education in tourism and hospitality programs. J Hosp Tour Educ 27(1):20–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahmad SZ, Saber H (2015) Understanding marketing strategies with particular reference to small- and medium-sized hotel businesses in the United Arab Emirates. Tour Hosp Res 15(2):115–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahmad SZ, Xavier SR (2011) Preliminary investigation of Yemeni women entrepreneurs: some challenges for development and barriers to success. Int J Entrep Small Bus 13(4):518–534

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al Ariss A (2010) Modes of engagement: migration, self-initiated expatriation, and career development. Career Dev Int 15(4):338–358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aria M, Cuccurullo C (2016) Bibliometrix: a R tool for comprehensive bibliometric analysis of scientific literature. http://www.bibliometrix.org

  • Avrahami Y, Lerner M (2003) The effect of combat service and military rank on entrepreneurial careers: the case of Israeli MBA graduates. J Pol Mil Sociol 31(1):97–118

    Google Scholar 

  • Bar-El R, Felsenstein D (1990) Entrepreneurship and rural industrialization: comparing urban and rural patterns of locational choice in Israel. World Dev 18(2):257–267

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baum JR, Olian JD, Erez M, Schnell ER, Smith KG, Sims HP, Scully JS, Smith KA (1993) Nationality and work role interactions: a cultural contrast of Israeli and US entrepreneurs’ versus managers’ needs. J Bus Ventur 8(6):499–512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bjork S, Offer A, Söderberg G (2014) Time series citation data: the Nobel prize in economics. Scientometrics 98(1):185–196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Busenitz LW, Gómez C, Spencer JW (2000) Country institutional profiles: unlocking entrepreneurial phenomena. Acad Manag J 43(5):994–1003

    Google Scholar 

  • Dobratz CL, Singh RP, Abbey A (2015) Using formal internships to improve entrepreneurship education programs. J Entrep Educ 18(1):62–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Dos Santos BL, Holsapple CW, Ye Q (2011) The intellectual influence of entrepreneurship journals: a network analysis. Entrep Theory Pract 35(4):735–754

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Felsenstein D (1994) University-related science parks – ‘seedbeds’ or ‘enclaves’ of innovation? Technovation 14(2):93–110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gartner WB (1990) What are we talking about when we talk about entrepreneurship? J Bus Ventur 5(1):15–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gartner WB (2002) “Who is an entrepreneur?” is the wrong question. In: Krueger NF (ed) Entrepreneurship: critical perspectives on business and management, vol II. Routledge, London, pp 153–177

    Google Scholar 

  • Glänzel W (2003) Bibliometrics as a research field: a course on theory and application of bibliometric indicators. Course handout. http://nsdl.niscair.res.in/jspui/bitstream/123456789/968/1/Bib_Module_KUL.pdf. Accessed 29 Jan 2017

  • Gross PLK, Gross EM (1927) College libraries and chemical education. Science 66(1713):385–389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heilbrunn S, Davidovitch L (2011) Juggling family and business: work-family conflict of women entrepreneurs in Israel. J Entrep 20(1):127–141

    Google Scholar 

  • Heilbrunn S, Kushnirovich N (2008a) Impact of ethnicity on financing of immigrant businesses. Int J Bus Glob 2(2):146–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heilbrunn S, Kushnirovich N (2008b) The impact of policy on immigrant entrepreneurship and businesses practice in Israel. Int J Public Sect Manag 21(7):693–703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heilbrunn S, Abu-Asbeh K, Nasra MA (2014) Difficulties facing women entrepreneurs in Israel: a social stratification approach. Int J Gend Entrep 6(2):142–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hitt MA, Ireland RD, Camp SM, Sexton DL (2001) Strategic entrepreneurship: entrepreneurial strategies for wealth creation. Strateg Manag J 22(6–7):479–491

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoselitz BF (1963) Review of entrepreneurs of Lebanon: the role of the business leader in a developing economy by Yusif A. Sayigh. Bus Hist Rev 37(3):299–300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Itani H, Sidani YM, Baalbaki I (2011) United Arab Emirates female entrepreneurs: motivations and frustrations. Equal Divers Incl Int J 30(5):409–424

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kane TJ (2010) The importance of startups in job creation and job destruction. Kauffman foundation research series: firm formation and economic growth. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1646934. Accessed 29 Jan 2017

  • Kessler MM (1963) Bibliographic coupling between scientific papers. J Assoc Inf Sci Technol 14(1):10–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Kushnirovich N, Heilbrunn S (2008) Financial funding of immigrant businesses. J Dev Entrep 13(2):167–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Landström H, Harirchi G, Åström F (2012) Entrepreneurship: exploring the knowledge base. Res Policy 41(7):1154–1181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lerner M, Hendeles Y (1993) New entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial aspirations among immigrants from the former USSR in Israel. In: Churchill NC, Birley S, Doutriaux J, Gatewood EJ, Hoy FS, Wetzel WE Jr (eds) Frontiers of entrepreneurship research, vol 36. Elsevier, New York, pp 562–575

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerner M, Brush C, Hisrich R (1997) Israeli women entrepreneurs: an examination of factors affecting performance. J Bus Ventur 12(4):315–339

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lerner M, Menahem G, Hisrich RD (2005) Does government matter?: the impact of occupational retraining, gender and ethnicity on immigrants’ incorporation. J Small Bus Enterp Dev 12(2):192–210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lotka AJ (1926) The frequency distribution of scientific productivity. J Wash Acad Sci 16(12):317–323

    Google Scholar 

  • Mair J, Schoen O (2007) Successful social entrepreneurial business models in the context of developing economies: an explorative study. Int J Emerg Mark 2(1):54–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malach-Pines A, Levy H, Utasi Á, Hill TL (2005) Entrepreneurs as cultural heroes: a cross-cultural, interdisciplinary perspective. J Manag Psychol 20(6):541–555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marlow S, McAdam M (2013) Gender and entrepreneurship: advancing debate and challenging myths; exploring the mystery of the under-performing female entrepreneur. Int J Entrep Behav Res 19(1):114–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marshakova IV (Маршакова ИВ) (1973) Система связей между документами, построенная на основе ссылок (по указателю «Science Citation Index») [System of connections between documents based on references (as the Science Citation Index)]. Nauchno-Tekhnicheskaya Informatsiya (Научно-техническая информация [Scientific and Technical Information]) 2(6):3–8

    Google Scholar 

  • McCormick B, Wahba J (2001) Overseas work experience, savings and entrepreneurship amongst return migrants to LDCs. Scott J Polit Econ 48(2):164–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDougall PP, Oviatt BM (2000) International entrepreneurship: the intersection of two research paths. Acad Manag J 43(5):902–906

    Google Scholar 

  • Merigó JM, Yang J-B (2015) Accounting research: a bibliometric analysis. Aust Account Rev 27:71. https://doi.org/10.1111/auar.12109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meydani A (2008) Political entrepreneurs and electoral capital: the case of the Israeli state economy arrangement law. Constit Polit Econ 19(4):301–312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moriano JA, Gorgievski M, Laguna M, Stephan U, Zarafshani K (2012) A cross-cultural approach to understanding entrepreneurial intention. J Career Dev 39(2):162–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mosadegh Rad AM (2006) The impact of organizational culture on the successful implementation of total quality management. TQM Mag 18(6):606–625

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naqvi O (2012) Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa: opening the floodgates. Innovations 7(2):11–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naser K, Mohammed WR, Nuseibeh R (2009) Factors that affect women entrepreneurs: evidence from an emerging economy. Int J Organ Anal 17(3):225–247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nederhof AJ, Meijer RF, Moed HF, van Raan AFJ (2000) Research performance indicators for university departments: a study of an agricultural university. Scientometrics 27(2):157–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Price DJS (1963) Little science, big science. Columbia University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Pritchard A (1969) Statistical bibliography or bibliometrics? J Doc 25(4):348–349

    Google Scholar 

  • Raijman R, Tienda M (2000) Immigrants’ pathways to business ownership: a comparative ethnic perspective. Int Migr Rev 34(3):682–706

    Google Scholar 

  • Razin E (1989) Relating theories of entrepreneurship among ethnic groups and entrepreneurship in space – the case of the Jewish population in Israel. Geogr Ann Ser B Hum Geogr 71(3):167–181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reichel A, Lowengart O, Milman A (2000) Rural tourism in Israel: service quality and orientation. Tour Manag 21(5):451–459

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schnell I, Sofer M (2003) Embedding entrepreneurship in social structure: Israeli-Arab entrepreneurship. Int J Urban Reg Res 27(2):300–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shane S, Venkataraman S (2000) The promise of entrepreneurship as a field of research. Acad Manag Rev 25(1):217–226

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharir M, Lerner M (2006) Gauging the success of social ventures initiated by individual social entrepreneurs. J World Bus 41(1):6–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slutsky A, Shamai S, Arnon S, Schnell I, Greenberg Z (2016) Comparison of very small businesses of Arabs and Jews in the North Israel periphery. Int J Entrep Small Bus 28(1):117–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Small H (1973) Co-citation in the scientific literature: a new measure of the relationship between two documents. J Am Soc Inf Sci 24(4):265–269

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sofer M, Schnell I (2000) The restructuring stages of Israeli Arab industrial entrepreneurship. Environ Plan A 32(12):2231–2250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toutkoushian RK, Porter SR, Danielson C, Hollis PR (2003) Using publications counts to measure an institution’s research productivity. Res High Educ 44(2):121–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Praag CM, Versloot PH (2007) What is the value of entrepreneurship? A review of recent research. Small Bus Econ 29(4):351–382

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Raan AFJ (2003) The use of bibliometric analysis in research performance assessment and monitoring of interdisciplinary scientific developments. Technikfolgenabschätzung – Theorie und Praxis 1(12):20–29

    Google Scholar 

  • van Raan AFJ (2005) Fatal attraction: conceptual and methodological problems in the ranking of universities by bibliometric methods. Scientometrics 62(1):133–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wagstaff A, Culyer AJ (2012) Four decades of health economics through a bibliometric lens. J Health Econ 31(2):406–439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yemini M, Bronshtein Y (2016) The global–local negotiation: between the official and the implemented history curriculum in Israeli classrooms. Glob Soc Educ 14(3):345–357

    Google Scholar 

  • Yemini M, Haddad J (2010) Engineer-entrepreneur: combining technical knowledge with entrepreneurship education – the Israeli case study. Int J Eng Educ 26(5):1220–1229

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahra SA (2011) Doing research in the (new) Middle East: sailing with the wind. Acad Manag Perspect 25(4):6–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zilber TB (2007) Stories and the discursive dynamics of institutional entrepreneurship: the case of Israeli high-tech after the bubble. Organ Stud 28(7):1035–1054

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Economy and Social Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain

    Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent

  2. Department of Managerial Decision Sciences, IESE Business School – Universidad de Navarra, Barcelona, Spain

    Inés Alegre

  3. IUDESCOOP, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    Domingo Ribeiro-Soriano

Authors
  1. Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Inés Alegre
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Domingo Ribeiro-Soriano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Chairholder, UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, Paris, France

    Nezameddin Faghih

  2. Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Reza Zali

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Berbegal-Mirabent, J., Alegre, I., Ribeiro-Soriano, D. (2018). Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa: A Bibliometric Analysis. In: Faghih, N., Zali, M. (eds) Entrepreneurship Education and Research in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) . Contributions to Management Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90394-1_15

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation