Trailblazing In Entrepreneurship

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license.In this book, the authors present a challenge for future research to build a stronger, more complete understanding of entrepreneurial phenomena. They argue that this more complete picture of entrepreneurial phenomena will likely come from scholars who undertake at least some trailblazing projects; from scholars who broaden the range of research questions, the potential outcomes of entrepreneurial action, and the selection and combination of research methods; and from researchers who avoid the endless debates about the margins of the field and its sub-fields or about whether one theoretical or philosophical lens is superior to another. This book offers suggestions for future research through a variety of topics including prosocial action, innovation, family business, sustainability and development, and the financial, social, and psychological costs of failure. It promises to make an important contribution to the development of the field and help academics, organizations, and society make useful contributions to the generation of entrepreneurial research.

In this book, the authors present a challenge for future research to build a stronger, more complete understanding of entrepreneurial phenomena. They argue that this more complete picture of entrepreneurial phenomena will likely come from scholars who undertake at least some trailblazing projects; from scholars who broaden the range of research questions, the potential outcomes of entrepreneurial action, and the selection and combination of research methods; and from researchers who avoid the endless debates about the margins of the field and its sub-fields or about whether one theoretical or philosophical lens is superior to another. This book offers suggestions for future research through a variety of topics including prosocial action, innovation, family business, sustainability and development, and the financial, social, and psychological costs of failure. It promises to make an important contribution to the development of the field and help academics, organizations, and society make useful contributions to the generation of entrepreneurial research. This work was published by Saint Philip Street Press pursuant to a Creative Commons license permitting commercial use. All rights not granted by the work's license are retained by the author or authors.

Historically for centuries, women and especially enterprising women in business and entrepreneurship have not been seen. Women have been excluded from leadership roles especially in business, commerce and entrepreneurship. Women have had to dull their shine so others would feel good about themselves. Women have been made to feel less worthy, so someone else (usually male counterparts) could feel worthy. Women have been held back because of the fear they would outshine others. In business and in corporate America, so often our gender and the color of our skin (for Black and brown women) has been a source of contention and a stumbling block. Today, women are the fastest growing demographic of new businesses, yet we have so far to go. Women are embarking on entrepreneurship in record numbers because we are tired of being told what we can and cannot accomplish, what to do; how to do it and when. We are tired of working 10 times harder for a fraction of the pay. We are tired of being tired and feeling unworthy. The purpose of this book is threefold. Firstly, it is to acknowledge God as our guide and the creator, founder and CEO of any business or entrepreneurial journey we embark on. He is the creator of the business plan and the standard operating procedures. He is the one that gives us purpose. He sends us the resources and he illuminate our path. Secondly, it is to shout from the rooftops that the tide is turning. No longer will we feel inadequate, that we are not enough or that we don't deserve everything we have worked to achieve. No longer will we allow our past mistakes to dictate our future successes. Not only have we earned it, but we deserve it and we down right DEMAND the respect and honor we are due! Thirdly, we hope to leave our trail of sparkle and shine in an illuminated path of glitter for the next generation of women in business to follow as they spring forth, create and blaze their own trails. If there is one thing, we hope you take away from this compilation it is, wherever you go, whatever you do...leave a trail of glitter for those who will come behind you! We were all born with a little glitter inside of us. Some of us just haven't begun to sprinkle it yet.

This open access book investigates the inter-relationship between the mind and a potential opportunity to explore the psychology of entrepreneurship. Building on recent research, this book offers a broad scope investigation of the different aspects of what goes on in the mind of the (potential) entrepreneur as he or she considers the pursuit of a potential opportunity, the creation of a new organization, and/or the selection of an entrepreneurial career. This book focuses on individuals as the level of analysis and explores the impact of the organization and the environment only inasmuch as they impact the individual’s cognitions. Readers will learn why some individuals and managers are able to able to identify and successfully act upon opportunities in uncertain environments while others are not. This book applies a cognitive lens to understand individuals’ knowledge, motivation, attention, identity, and emotions in the entrepreneurial process.

Executives worldwide have studied and emulated U.S. entrepreneurs from Bill Gates to Michael Dell. Yet, we know next to nothing about the pioneers who are reshaping the world's second largest economy: China. In the face of murky ownership structures, inconsistent access to capital, shifting industrial policy, and other obstacles, an elite few Chinese firms have thrived during the turbulence of the last decade. In Made in China, Donald N. Sull profiles eight of these formidable ventures to reveal the secrets behind their surprising success. Based on extensive research, including in-depth interviews and access to corporate archives, Made in China explores these entrepreneurs' winning strategies, from how they anticipate and maneuver through emerging threats and opportunities ("active waiting") to how they manage risks and how they consistently out-execute rivals. Taken together, these principles represent a comprehensive model for managing in unpredictable environments worldwide. An insider's look at the playbook of some of the world's savviest and most resilient entrepreneurs, Made in China is essential reading for companies operating in China or in any volatile industry or market. Sull is an associate professor of management practice at London Business School. Previously an assistant professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, Sull was also a consultant at McKinsey & Co., Inc. He advises both multinational firms and new ventures in several countries.

Entrepreneurial and Small Business Development in Africa focuses on entrepreneurial development and the development of small businesses in Africa. The central idea of this book is that entrepreneurial development and small business development are connected. Entrepreneurship is lauded as an engine of growth (economic development and job creation), with small businesses often contributing to new job creation. Also, entrepreneurship and small business development are the heart of many countries’ economies. The decision to focus on entrepreneurial development and small business development is that first, there is a consensus that most entrepreneurial activities are aimed at creating small new ventures. Second, countries that give special attention to entrepreneurship stand a chance of industrialization. Third, Africa has been reported as having a rich entrepreneurial landscape as the continent’s wealthiest individuals generated their wealth as trailblazing entrepreneurs. Fourth, small-scale entrepreneurs and businesses form the backbone of economic activities across the continent. A motivation to focus on entrepreneurial and small business development is the generally accepted view that start-ups in Africa are growing calling for understanding into how to enhance productivity, efficiencies, and application of new technologies. The book aims to enhance the understanding of stakeholders (business owners, governments, practitioners) to overturn challenges such as inadequate start-up capital, competition, lack of employees with the right skills, and low use of technology. The ability to develop entrepreneurship in Africa, and the role of small-medium enterprises cannot be underestimated. The promotion of entrepreneurship in Africa is crucial as it creates jobs, provides decent livelihoods, and contributes to GDP. Most entrepreneurial initiatives in developing economies entail identifying opportunities and new venture creation. It is worth recognizing that most new ventures created take the form of small businesses and the entrepreneurial processes involve entrepreneurs’ knowledge and skills, identifying opportunities, involvement in setting up a business and managing the business. The various aspects of this book focus on many entrepreneurial activities that are undertaken on the African continent. This book is focused on African countries since there is a reason to be optimistic about the prospects for growth and entrepreneurship. To achieve entrepreneurial success in African countries, the African Development Bank (2021) proposes that there must be a link between macro and firm-level characteristics that will serve as the mix of entrepreneurship in societies. This book, therefore, considers some macro-level factors such as education, training, and skills development, technological developments, government programs, and entrepreneurial challenges and opportunities. At the firm-level, this book focuses on entrepreneurial initiatives such as branding and marketing.

When proactive minds come together results are intended, goals are achieved, and connections are made. Join the Think Network Mastermind group as they share their wealth of experience through the theme of Levelling Up. These 8 trailblazers don't hold back in sharing their knowledge for readers to benefit. This is a book for every idea planted, start-up and those who enjoylearning through the challenges and successes of others. Contributors:GARY DOHERTY; AMY DOHERTY; MAUREEN O'SHAUGHNESSY; SARAH BLAKE; JUDE MORROW; JOANNE MCMULLAN; AMANDA SCHUBERT; NINA AOUILK