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New publication on big data in entrepreneurship research

New publication on big data in entrepreneurship research

Distribution of entrepreneurial news Distribution of entrepreneurial news Distribution of entrepreneurial news
© von Bloh, J.; Broekel, T.; Özgun, B.; Sternberg, R.

In a joint paper with Tom Broekel (University of Stavanger) and Burcu Özgun (Middle East Technical University, Ankara) Rolf Sternberg and his PhD student Johannes von Bloh contribute towards the exploration of Big Data in entrepreneurship research. They use a newly developed dataset based on publications of the German Press Agency (dpa) to explore the relationship between news coverage of entrepreneurship and regional entrepreneurial activity. The paper was recently published in Small Business Economics (SBE) and the authors apply sentiment analysis to investigate the impact on sentiment of entrepreneurial press releases. The results show mixed outcomes regarding the relationship between reporting of entrepreneurial events, i.e. media coverage, and entrepreneurial activity in German planning regions. At this stage, the empirical results reject the idea of a strong relationship between actual entrepreneurial activities in regions and the intensity of it being reported. However, the results also imply much potential of Big Data approaches for further research. The paper provides an entry point into Big Data usage in entrepreneurship research and authors suggest a number of relevant research opportunities based on the results.

von Bloh, J.; Broekel, T.; Özgun, B.; Sternberg, R. (2020): New(s) data for Entrepreneurship Research? An innovative approach to use big data on media coverage. Small Business Economics 55(3), 673-694. DOI: 10.1007/s11187-019-00209-x