William B. Gartner

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

William B. Gartner is a foundational figure in entrepreneurship research, best known for his seminal work on the behavioral and process-oriented dimensions of new venture creation. His key research areas include entrepreneurial behavior, opportunity recognition, and the dynamics of nascent entrepreneurship. Gartner’s major contribution lies in shifting the field’s focus from the traits of entrepreneurs to the actions they take, most notably through his influential paper “Who is an Entrepreneur?” Is the Wrong Question (1988), which has garnered over 7,000 citations and reshaped how scholars conceptualize entrepreneurship as a process. His work on the “entrepreneurial event” and the creation of new organizations has been widely adopted, influencing both theory and practice. Gartner’s impact is reflected in his h-index of over 50 and his role as a founding editor of the journal *Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice*. He has also contributed to the study of entrepreneurial narratives and the role of imagination in venture creation. For students and researchers, Gartner’s legacy offers a compelling framework for understanding entrepreneurship not as a fixed identity, but as a dynamic, actionable process—a perspective that continues to inspire empirical and theoretical advances in the field.