Neoliberalist Undercurrents in Entrepreneurship Policy

Abstract In this article, we have endeavoured towards a more critical perspective upon the widely adopted and promoted ‘common sense fact’ that entrepreneurship is an everlastingly positive economic activity, directly contributing to growth and social benefits, that must thus be embraced by all. By first acknowledging neoliberalism as the dominant ideology of our times, we then proceeded to trace its origins and ask how it might have affected both our academic research and the socioeconomic policies driving it. We contend that the ideology, along with the zeitgeist of the entrepreneur-hero, has led to our taken-for-granted impression that entrepreneurship is a panacea. It is our hope that renewed efforts into questioning our assumptions will demystify old acceptances, giving way to new policies that can reflect rigorous research conclusions and contextual realities.