Arnold Cooper

Abstract

Since the 1960s, Arnold Cooper has been one of the leading entrepreneurship scholars and can be considered as a pioneer in strategic management as well as in entrepreneurship research. His pioneering work on spin-offs in Silicon Valley and new technology-based firms has significantly enhanced our understanding of entrepreneurial phenomena. Cooper can also be said to be the archetype of an entrepreneurship researcher, as his research is wide-ranging, and for having attempted to answer many of the fundamental questions that define the research field. His contributions are not merely empirical but also methodological — he was for example one of the first researchers to carry out longitudinal studies of a large number of companies — and he has also made a whole range of theoretical contributions. Arnold Cooper’s strength is his ability to combine a strong theoretical base with good empirical research. Furthermore, he was one of the first entrepreneurship researchers to have his work published in the leading management journals, which is an indication of the quality of his research.