A STRATEGIC MARKETING PERSPECTIVE ON ENTREPRENEURS & INNOVATION

Objective: To uncover the underlying and, to this time, unexplored connections between the theories of Strategic Marketing and Entrepreneurship, using innovation as the underlying phenomena. Method/Approach: This theoretical paper discusses the aforementioned literatures and shows that innovation can be seen as a connection between methodological individualism from the entrepreneurial theory of the firm and Strategic Marketing literature. The basic literature on entrepreneurship from that standpoint and the most used references in Strategic Marketing were compared. Main Results: More than exposing the connections, the paper brings two objective results: a framework encompassing both fields' previous theoretical developments and a comparative table with theoretical concepts and original contributions, both offering paths to be followed by future theoretical and empirical research. Theoretical and Methodological Contributions: The work contributes by presenting the complementarity among the literatures, improving interdisciplinarity, and by taking a first step to (re)insert individualism as a valid methodological approach in (Strategic) Marketing. It does so, specifically, by considering the entrepreneur as a central figure in any organization. Relevance/Originality: This is previously unexplored territory. Some scholars discuss the importance of power exercising individuals, but the use of the theoretically sound approach brought about by the entrepreneurial theory of the firm to discuss Strategic Marketing matters is unprecedented. Management or Social Implications: By adopting an individualistic approach to the Strategic Marketing analysis, scholars will enhance their set of tools to understand organizational and market dynamism. It also contributes to approximate academic and practitioner's approaches.