ABSTRACT
There is a rich and diverse empirical tradition in business history that has implicitly examined international entrepreneurship within narratives that recount the makers of global business. In these studies, business historians have often used the term entrepreneurship loosely. They refer variously to enterprising individuals and business owners, to particular organizational forms, to innovation, and to new market exploitation, and sometimes have avoided the use of the term entrepreneurship altogether. This eclecticism has had its advantages, allowing for many different topics and approaches to emerge from the historical narratives that have been produced. However, it has also come at the cost of a lack of clarity about what is meant by entrepreneurship and why it has historically mattered to international business and the global economy. The lack of conceptual clarity inhibits dialogue on entrepreneurship in international business amongst historians and limits our ability to draw out the implications of historical research for broader debates on international entrepreneurship and globalization.
