Submitting your academic research to NEA25

Neurodiversity is a social movement advocating for the common interests of various neurological minorities, including ADHD, autism, dyscalculia, dyslexia, Tourette’s syndrome, DCD/dyspraxia, mental health conditions, and acquired neurodiversity (Singer, 1999). The term was coined by Singer (1999) in reference to “biodiversity”, to promote the idea that these characteristics should be thought as natural variants in human cognition, instead of deficits or disorders. According to ADHD Aware (2023), one in five people are thought to be neurodivergent, although anecdotal evidence suggests that this proportion is higher amongst entrepreneurs and those running their own businesses. Some studies indicate that up to 35% of entrepreneurs may be neurodivergent (Logan, 2009), far exceeding representation in the general population. This suggests a unique intersection between neurodivergence and entrepreneurial actions, meriting deeper exploration.

With 4.2m people self-employed in the UK (ONS, 2025), neurodivergent entrepreneurs represent a significant section of the business population. While they bring valuable skills such as creativity, lateral thinking, perseverance, and determination (Hatak et al., 2020; Houdek, 2022; Moore et al., 2021), they also face unique challenges related to executive functioning, communication, and mental health. Research into neurodivergent entrepreneurship over the past fifteen years has consistently highlighted correlations between neurodivergence and entrepreneurial skills (Gong et al., 2022; Sedgwick et al., 2019; Wiklund et al., 2016, 2017).
Potential themes to be explored might include neurodivergent approaches to innovation, risk adaptation, leadership styles, access to funding, the efficacy of support networks, and experiences of identity and stigma. Papers that consider existing enterprise and entrepreneurship research through a lens of neurodiversity would also be particularly welcomed. 

References:
ADHD Aware (2023) What is neurodiversity? [Online]. Available at: https://adhdaware.org.uk/what-is-adhd/neurodiversity-and-other-conditions/ (Accessed: 5 February 2025).
Gong, J., Gu, M., Li, Y., Ong, P., Wang, S.X. and Xu, Z. (2022) ‘Established and nascent entrepreneurs: Comparing the mental health, self-care behaviours and wellbeing in Singapore’, Frontiers in Sociology, 7, article 843101 [no pagination].
Hatak, I., Chang, M., Harms, R. and Wiklund, J. (2021) ‘ADHD symptoms, entrepreneurial passion, and entrepreneurial performance’, Small Business Economics, 57, pp. 1693–1713.
Houdek, P. (2022) ‘Neurodiversity in (not only) public organizations: An untapped opportunity?’, Administration & Society, 54(9), pp. 1848–1871.
Logan, J. (2009) ‘Dyslexic entrepreneurs: The incidence; their coping strategies and their business skills’, Dyslexia, 15(4), pp. 328–346.
Moore, C.B., McIntyre, N.H. and Lanivich, S.E. (2021) ‘ADHD-related neurodiversity and the entrepreneurial mindset’, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 45(1), pp. 64–91.
Office of National Statistics (2025) UK self-employment jobs SA: Total (thousands). [Online]. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/timeseries/dyzn/lms (Accessed: 25 January 2025).
Sedgwick, J.A., Merwood, A. and Asherson, P. (2019) ‘The positive aspects of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A qualitative investigation of successful adults with ADHD’, ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, 11(3), pp. 241–253.
Singer, J. (1999) ‘Why can’t you be normal for once in your life?’, Disability Discourse, 1(1), pp. 59–67.
Wiklund, J., Patzelt, H. and Dimov, D. (2016) ‘Entrepreneurship and psychological disorders: How ADHD can be productively harnessed’, Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 6, pp. 14–20.
Wiklund, J., Yu, W., Tucker, R. and Marino, L.D. (2017) ‘ADHD, impulsivity and entrepreneurship’, Journal of Business Venturing, 32(6), pp. 627–656.

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Submitting a proposal

 

Initial abstracts of 900 words maximum should be submitted. Please ensure that your abstract covers the following points:

 

• Purpose

• Theoretical Background

• Methods

• Findings (if available)

• Contribution

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If your abstract is accepted, you will need to submit an abridged paper of 3,000 words maximum before you will be able to speak at the conference. This will be shared via the website before and during the conference.

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Deadlines

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Abstracts should be submitted by Thursday, 31st July. 

Abridged papers should be submitted by Friday, 31st October.

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To submit a proposal, please click here. Any queries should be sent to info@nea.global.

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