A Scoping Review of Entrepreneurship in the Public Sector

Abstract

Academic interest in public sector entrepreneurship has surged in recent decades. However, the research stream remains fragmented with little coherence or consistency. While this can be expected due to its nascent nature and due to variations in the sizes/duties of public sector institutions around the world, it also justifies the need for a review study providing synthesis and coherence. This paper seeks to fill this void. Using a systematic scoping review method, this article investigates the field of public sector entrepreneurship, exploring the evolution and performance of studies. It also includes a thematic delineation of the main research directions, and identifies knowledge gaps. We unpack the main research methodologies, most frequently studied countries, level of comparative or multi-study analyses, and most popular directions of research, among others. This paper provides a strong base for future research on the topic.