Exploring Entrepreneurship Practices and Perspectives

Exploring Entrepreneurship examines the nature of entrepreneurial activity in the 21st century, and aims to help students develop the skills and knowledge required by commercial and social entrepreneurs. Readers of this text will gain a deeper insight into the activities of entrepreneurs in both the commercial and social sectors and be able to reflect critically on the nature of entrepreneurship and its role in the creation of new commercial and social ventures. The book opens with a scene-setting chapter, which considers the many faces of entrepreneurship. The remainder of the book is divided into two distinct, but inter-related, sections that cover practical issues related to the creation of an entrepreneurial venture, together with reviews of related research evidence and more theoretical discussion about entrepreneurship. Part One covers the main practical activities involved in developing a new entrepreneurial venture and Part Two explores entrepreneurship from several different perspectives. Each chapter draws on the latest research evidence, along with the voices of entrepreneurs, researchers and policy makers. The text makes considerable use of case-based examples, so that students can learn from the experiences of real entrepreneurs as they struggle to create and to develop their ventures. It provides detailed coverage of many different types of entrepreneurship - from commercial, primarily profit-oriented ventures and what are often termed 'social' enterprises, where the primary aim is to address a social or environmental challenge, rather than simply to secure a profit. In contrast to most other texts, it also addresses 'anti-social' forms of entrepreneurship, with examples that range from the unethical and environmentally-destructive behaviour of legitimate firms to the shady world of organised crime. Exploring Entrepreneurship offers a fresh and contemporary approach to this popular subject area, combining academic rigour and critical reflection with practical relevance. Online Resource Centre: Student Resources: Learning objectives Web-based exercises Weblinks, including links to business plans Multiple choice questions Revision tips Glossary Lecturer Resources: Additional mini cases Outline solutions for the additional mini cases PowerPoint slides Testbank of questions