(Re-) Constructing the Entrepreneurial Spirit

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce discourse analysis as a method to investigate on different levels of analysis how the major German newspapers discuss the phenomenon of ‘entrepreneurial spirit’, and how this discussion changes over the years 1997-2003 (and thus before, during and after the Internet boom). We relate the analysis to the context of entrepreneurship in Germany over the same period and conclude with implications for policy-makers.