A Primer in Theory Construction is for those who have already studied one or more of the social, behavioral, or natural sciences, but have no formal introduction to the way theories are constructed, stated, tested, and connected together to form a scientific body of knowledge. The author discusses scientific theories in general terms, but also addresses the special challenges of developing scientific knowledge about social and human phenomena.

This Allyn and Bacon Classics Edition contains the complete text of the original copyright 1971 version, with new typography and...

Entrepreneurship is an extremely important, but little understood, component of the U.S. economy. This book aids that understanding by exploring the challenges and outcomes of the start-up phases of new firms. This is the first detailed, large-scale, longitudinally-based analysis of the entrepreneurial process. Three representative samples of new firms and two representative samples of nascent entrepreneurs (those attempting to start new firms) are used to consider a variety of factors that affect successful completion of the major transitions in the life of new businesses: conception,...

Understanding the origins of new businesses--the firm creation process--has been dramatically affected by the development of longitudinal studies of business start-ups. A number of projects have been implemented to track the development of new firms, starting with the emergence of a business idea and organization of a start-up team through the birth of an operational business. The U.S. projects, the first and second Panel Studies of Entrepreneurial Dynamics (PSED I, II), have counterparts in a number of other countries, Australia, Canada, China, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden....

Entrepreneurship is among the most vibrant and important parts of the economy. This important book enhances understanding of entrepreneurial dynamics, providing the first analysis of changes in US entrepreneurial activity. Based on the unprecedented Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics, it examines adult participation in new firm creation and differences in regional firm creation activity. Shedding light on the importance of new firms for job growth, productivity enhancements, innovation, and routes for social mobility, the author tracks the success or failure of entrepreneurs,...

Understanding the origins of new businesses the firm creation process has been dramatically affected by the development of longitudinal studies of business start-ups. A number of projects have been implemented to track the development of new firms, starting with the emergence of a business idea and organization of a start-up team through the birth of an operational business. The U.S. projects, the first and second Panel Studies of Entrepreneurial Dynamics (PSED I, II), have counterparts in a number of other countries, Australia, Canada, China, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. These...