Keywords
Business Networks
Peripheral Areas
Bibliometric Analysis
How to Cite
Accepted 2026-06-12
Published 2026-10-10
Abstract
Purpose. This paper maps the state of the art on entrepreneurship and networks in Peripheral Areas (PAs), identifying the most influential authors, outlets and documents, the main thematic streams and emerging trends, and highlighting underexplored topics that deserve further attention.
Design/methodology/approach. We conduct a bibliometric analysis using the R-package bibliometrix. Data were collected from Scopus and Web of Science (timespan 2000–2023) and 937 documents from the Business, Management & Accounting area were analysed with both quantitative and qualitative tools. The study combines performance analysis (publication and citation metrics) with science mapping techniques (citation and co-citation analysis, bibliographic coupling, co-word and co-authorship analyses, thematic evolution).
Findings. Research on entrepreneurship and networks in PAs has grown rapidly (≈20.2% annual growth), concentrated around two dominant streams: contextualised/rural entrepreneurship and social capital/social entrepreneurship. Key outlets and authors are identified (e.g., Entrepreneurship & Regional Development; Bosworth; Anderson; Korsgaard). Thematic mapping uncovers motor themes (social capital, regional/rural development), emerging niches (microfinance, women’s entrepreneurship, migration) and recent topics (digitalisation, coworking). Co-authorship and country maps show modest international collaboration and dense national clusters. The Industrial Marketing & Purchasing (IMP) perspective is under-represented, suggesting a promising avenue.
Practical and Social implications. Findings stress that networks and social capital are central resources enabling resource mobilisation, innovation and place development in PAs. Policy and practice should prioritise network facilitation, place-based support, and social-enterprise promotion to enhance local resilience and inclusive development.
Originality of the study. By merging Scopus and WOS and applying a comprehensive bibliometric workflow (2000–2023), this study provides the first consolidated, multidisciplinary map of entrepreneurship–network research in PAs, pinpoints thematic gaps (e.g., IMP lenses, migrant entrepreneurs, digitalisation) and offers a clear research agenda for future, place-sensitive investigations, with particular regard for the IMP field.
References
Aarstad, J., Haugland, S. A., & Greve, A. (2010). Performance spillover effects in entrepreneurial networks: Assessing a dyadic theory of social capital. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 34(5), 1003-1020. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2009.00346.x
Anderson, A. R. (2000). Paradox in the periphery: an entrepreneurial reconstruction?. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 12(2), 91-109. https://doi.org/10.1080/089856200283027
Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). Bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, 11(4), 959-975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007
Barca, F., Casavola, P., & Lucatelli, S. (2014). Strategia nazionale per le aree interne: definizione, obiettivi, strumenti e governance. Roma, Italia: Materiali UVAL, 31.
Beckmann, M., Garkisch, M., & Zeyen, A. (2021). Together we are strong? A systematic literature review on how SMEs use relation-based collaboration to operate in rural areas. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 35(4), 1-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/08276331.2021.1874605
Bosworth, G. (2012). Characterising rural businesses–Tales from the paperman. Journal of Rural Studies, 28(4), 499-506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2012.07.002
Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In Richardson, J. (Ed.), Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education, 241–258. Westport, CT: Greenwood.
Brown, R. (2016). Mission impossible? Entrepreneurial universities and peripheral regional innovation systems. Industry and Innovation, 23(2), 189-205. https://doi.org/10.1080/13662716.2016.1145575
Burnett, K. A., & Danson, M. (2017). Enterprise and entrepreneurship on islands and remote rural environments. The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 18(1), 25-35. https://doi.org/10.1177/1465750316686237
Caputo, A., & Kargina, M. (2022). A user-friendly method to merge Scopus and Web of Science data during bibliometric analysis. Journal of Marketing Analytics, 10(1), 82-88. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41270-021-00142-7
Cunha, C., Kastenholz, E., & Carneiro, M. J. (2020). Entrepreneurs in rural tourism: Do lifestyle motivations contribute to management practices that enhance sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems? Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 44, 215-226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2020.06.007
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285-296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
Echchakoui, S. (2020). Why and how to merge Scopus and Web of Science during bibliometric analysis: the case of sales force literature from 1912 to 2019. Journal of Marketing Analytics, 8, 165-184. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41270-020-00081-9
Eder, J. (2019). Innovation in the periphery: A critical survey and research agenda. International Regional Science Review, 42(2), 119-146. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160017618764279
Eder, J., & Trippl, M. (2019). Innovation in the periphery: Compensation and exploitation strategies. Growth and Change, 50(4), 1511-1531. https://doi.org/10.1111/grow.12328
Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Building theories from case study research. Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 532-550. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1989.4308385
European Commission (2021). Launch of the rural pact: strengthened governance for EU rural areas. Brussel, Belgium: EU Commission press.
Freire-Gibb, L. C., & Nielsen, K. (2014). Entrepreneurship within urban and rural areas: Creative people and social networks. Regional Studies, 48(1), 139-153. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2013.808322
Gaddefors, J., & Anderson, A. R. (2019). Romancing the rural: Reconceptualizing rural entrepreneurship as engagement with context (s). The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 20(3), 159-169. https://doi.org/10.1177/1465750318785545
Gherhes, C., Vorley, T., & Brooks, C. (2021). The “additional costs” of being peripheral: developing a contextual understanding of micro-business growth constraints. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 28(1), 59-84. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-03-2019-0091
Granovetter, M. (1985). Economic Action and Social Structure: The Problem of Embeddedness. American Journal of Sociology, 91(3), 481–510. https://doi.org/10.1086/228311
Håkansson, H., & Ford, D. (2002). How should companies interact in business networks? Journal of Business Research, 55(2), 133-139. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963(00)00148-X
Håkansson, H., & Snehota, I. (Eds.) (1995). Developing Relationships in Business Networks. London, UK: Routledge.
Hjørland, B. (2013). Citation analysis: A social and dynamic approach to knowledge organization. Information Processing & Management, 49(6), 1313-1325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ipm.2013.07.001
Jack, S. L., & Anderson, A. R. (2002). The effects of embeddedness on the entrepreneurial process. Journal of Business Venturing, 17(5), 467-487. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-9026(01)00076-3
Johannisson, B., & Nilsson, A. (1989). Community entrepreneurs: networking for local development. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 1(1), 3-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985628900000002
Korsgaard, S., Ferguson, R., & Gaddefors, J. (2015a). The best of both worlds: how rural entrepreneurs use placial embeddedness and strategic networks to create opportunities. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 27(9-10), 574-598. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985626.2015.1085100
Korsgaard, S., Müller, S., & Tanvig, H. W. (2015b). Rural entrepreneurship or entrepreneurship in the rural–between place and space. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 21(1), 5- 26. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-11-2013-0205
Kraus, S., Breier, M., Lim, W. M., Dabić, M., Kumar, S., Kanbach, D., Mukherjee, D., Corvello, V., Piñeiro-Chousa, J., Liguori, E., Palacios-Marqués, D., Schiavone, F., Ferraris, A., Fernandes, C., & Ferreira, J. J. (2022). Literature reviews as independent studies: guidelines for academic practice. Review of Managerial Science, 16(8), 2577-2595. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-022-00588-8
Kraus, S., Mahto, R. V., & Walsh, S. T. (2023). The importance of literature reviews in small business and entrepreneurship research. Journal of Small Business Management, 61(3), 1095-1106. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472778.2021.1955128
Kühn, M. (2015). Peripheralization: Theoretical concepts explaining socio-spatial inequalities. European Planning Studies, 23(2), 367-378. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2013.862518
Lafuente, E., Vaillant, Y., & Serarols, C. (2010). Location decisions of knowledge-based entrepreneurs: why some Catalan KISAs choose to be rural?. Technovation, 30(11-12), 590-600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2010.07.004
Leick, B., & Gretzinger, S. (2020). Knowledge sharing for business cluster and business network contexts. Journal of Innovation Economics & Management, 33(3), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.3917/jie.033.0001
Lim, W. M., & Kumar, S. (2024). Guidelines for interpreting the results of bibliometric analysis: A sensemaking approach. Global Business and Organizational Excellence, 43(2), 17-26. https://doi.org/10.1002/joe.22229
Lordkipanidze, M., Brezet, H., & Backman, M. (2005). The entrepreneurship factor in sustainable tourism development. Journal of Cleaner Production, 13(8), 787-798. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2004.02.043
Mair, J., Marti, I., & Ventresca, M. J. (2012). Building inclusive markets in rural Bangladesh: How intermediaries work institutional voids. Academy of Management Journal, 55(4), 819-850. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.0627
Malecki, E. J. (2012). Regional social capital: Why it matters. Regional Studies, 46(8), 1023-1039. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2011.607806
McKeever, E., Jack, S., & Anderson, A. (2015). Embedded entrepreneurship in the creative re-construction of place. Journal of Business Venturing, 30(1), 50-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2014.07.002
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook. Thousand Oaks, USA: SAGE Publications Inc.
Mongeon, P., & Paul-Hus, A. (2016). The journal coverage of Web of Science and Scopus: a comparative analysis. Scientometrics, 106, 213-228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-015-1765-5
Moyes, D., Ferri, P., Henderson, F., & Whittam, G. (2015). The stairway to Heaven? The effective use of social capital in new venture creation for a rural business. Journal of Rural Studies, 39, 11-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2015.02.004
Mukherjee, D., Lim, W. M., Kumar, S., & Donthu, N. (2022). Guidelines for advancing theory and practice through bibliometric research. Journal of business research, 148, 101-115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.04.042
Mumford, L. (1954). La cultura delle città.[Trad. dall'inglese di E. Labò et M. Labò]. Milano, Italia: Edizioni di Comunità.
Pato, M. L., & Teixeira, A. A. (2016). Twenty years of rural entrepreneurship: A bibliometric survey. Sociologia Ruralis, 56(1), 3-28. https://doi.org/10.1111/soru.12058
Paulson, A. L., & Townsend, R. (2004). Entrepreneurship and financial constraints in Thailand. Journal of Corporate Finance, 10(2), 229-262. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0929-1199(03)00056-7
Peredo, A. M., & Chrisman, J. J. (2006). Toward a theory of community-based enterprise. Academy of Management Review, 31(2), 309-328. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2006.20208683
Peredo, A. M., & McLean, M. (2006). Social entrepreneurship: A critical review of the concept. Journal of World Business, 41(1), 56-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2005.10.007
Pike, A., Béal, V., Cauchi-Duval, N., Franklin, R., Kinossian, N., Lang, T., Leibert, T., MacKinnon, D., Rousseau, M., Royen, J., Servillo, L., Tomaney, J. & Velthuis, S. (2023). ‘Left behind places’: a geographical etymology. Regional Studies, 58(6), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2023.2167972
Pugh, R., & Dubois, A. (2021). Peripheries within economic geography: Four “problems” and the road ahead of us. Journal of Rural Studies, 87, 267-275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.09.007
Rey-Martí, A., Ribeiro-Soriano, D., & Palacios-Marqués, D. (2016). A bibliometric analysis of social entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Research, 69(5), 1651-1655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.10.033
Richardson, G. B. (1972). The organisation of industry. The Economic Journal, 82(327), 883-896. https://doi.org/10.2307/2230256
Sánchez, A. D., Del Río, M. D. L. C., & García, J. Á. (2017). Bibliometric analysis of publications on wine tourism in the databases Scopus and WoS. European Research on Management and Business Economics, 23(1), 8-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iedeen.2016.02.001
Scott, A. J. (2006). Entrepreneurship, innovation and industrial development: geography and the creative field revisited. Small Business Economics, 26(1), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-004-6493-9
Steiner, A., & Teasdale, S. (2019). Unlocking the potential of rural social enterprise. Journal of Rural Studies, 70, 144-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2017.12.021
Welter, F. (2011). Contextualizing entrepreneurship—conceptual challenges and ways forward. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 35(1), 165-184. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2010.00427.x
Wiggins, S., & Proctor, S. (2001). How special are rural areas? The economic implications of location for rural development. Development Policy Review, 19(4), 427-436. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-7679.00142
Wigren-Kristoferson, C., Brundin, E., Hellerstedt, K., Stevenson, A., & Aggestam, M. (2022). Rethinking embeddedness: a review and research agenda. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 34(1-2), 32-56. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985626.2021.2021298
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Francesco Mutignani, Roberta Bocconcelli, Alessandro Pagano