12. National System Perspective on Entrepreneurship

Christensen argues that, although the National Systems of Entrepreneurship literature has established metrics that potentially can bring research forward toward a holistic understanding of the entrepreneurship process, there is still a need to develop the operationalization of the theoretical base for a better assessment of the relevant metrics for entrepreneurship measurement. He maintains that the functionalist approach to innovation system analyses is better suited to bridge the theoretical foundation and the relevant empirics. Christensen also suggests that more attention should be paid to the implications for empirical analyses due to the fact that entrepreneurship is a process and that solely focusing on the output metrics of entrepreneurship renders analyses that cannot capture the full picture. Implications for renewed theoretical understanding, entrepreneurship measurement, teaching, and policy are put forward.