Guidelines for African Scholar Best Paper Competition

About the Competition
The Conference on Business and Entrepreneurship in Africa is a three-day event focused on the pivotal role of entrepreneurship in Africa. As scholars living on the continent, you understand the effects of the entrepreneurial process, its associated challenges, and its promising opportunities to strengthen various African economic sectors. Therefore, your perspective is needed as we seek to understand the future of Africa's economic prosperity.
The "Business and Entrepreneurship in Africa" Best Paper Competition seeks papers that demonstrate an expertise in understanding the role of entrepreneurship in Africa and lend new insight to this largely understudied area. Up to two winners will receive an award which includes free conference registration and paid hotel expenses during the conference in Quebec, Canada, on May 17-19, 2012.

Eligibility:
The competition is open to field professionals, professors, and other researchers who study issues related to business and entrepreneurship on the continent. Applicants must currently reside in Africa and be affiliated with an African university or a research institution. Government officials are not eligible to apply.

Prizes
Up to two scholars will be chosen to win an award which includes the following prize

• Formal recognition of the winning papers at the conference
• Free conference registration and paid hotel expenses for the duration of the conference
• Publication of the winning papers in the journal of developmental Entrepreneurship

Paper Topics & Submission Guidelines
Papers may address any phase or aspect of business or entrepreneurial process, such as start-up, finance, growth, management, and influences of and effects on economic development, and may focus solely on one country, on comparisons between countries, or cross-border businesses. Possible areas of study include, but are not limited to:• Opportunities and challenges faced by entrepreneurs in Africa

• African business and entrepreneurship in the midst of global financial crises
• Financial markets and business finance in Africa
• Private equity, venture capital, microfinance, and financing entrepreneurship
• Capital flows and financial market development in Africa
• Institutional and economic reforms and entrepreneurship
• Business ethics and legal `environment of business in Africa
• The Diaspora and entrepreneurship
• Cross-country comparisons and implications
• The role of social networks (domestic and/or global)
• Business education and entrepreneurship
• Women in business and entrepreneurship
• The role of the informal sector

Papers should not exceed 25 pages, including all references and appendices. Please submit the abstracts and completed papers through the conference website at africabusinessprogram.com. Abstracts should indicate results and conclusions of the work to be described in the final paper. The deadlines for submission of abstracts and the papers for competition are February 1 and 15, 2012, respectively. Full names, affiliations, mailing addresses, telephone, fax numbers, e-mail addresses, and a complete CV should be included with abstracts and final paper submissions.

Judging Criteria & Review Process
Acceptable papers will meet the mission and standards of the Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship and shall:

• Demonstrate expertise and understanding of business and entrepreneurship in Africa;
• Show applications for business and entrepreneurship practice and policy;
• Contribute to the larger body of literature in the field;
• Adequately define the theoretical framework and formulate the appropriate research question;
• Demonstrate an innovative approach and critical thinking; and
• Demonstrate high-quality writing and presentation of the material.

Paper submissions will be judged in a double-blind review process.

Competition Rules

• Competition winners must present their own work at the conference; no substitutes will be permitted.
• Multiple-co-authored papers are allowed. However, if chosen, only one author will receive the paid-hotel expenses stay for the duration of the conference.
• Only one entry per author may be submitted.
• Only unpublished, non-copyrighted manuscripts should be submitted. Submission of a paper will imply that it contains original unpublished work and is not being submitted for publication elsewhere. Authors will be granted permission to reprint or otherwise use portions of their published papers.

*Manuscripts may be submitted in French.

Please submit your abstract or session proposal no later than February 1, 2012 by emailing your submission to: africabusiness@syr.edu.