The Search for Entrepreneurship

The Search for Entrepreneurship PDF Author: Simon Bridge
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1351869000
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 135

Get Book Here

Book Description
Since the 1980s, governments have often sought to encourage entrepreneurship on the assumption that it creates small businesses as the primary drivers of job creation. As a result, entrepreneurship has become a valid subject for academic research attracting extensive funding. Despite this explosion of scholarship, there is no accepted model of how entrepreneurship operates or even a commonly accepted definition of what it is. Simon Bridge posits that this is because entrepreneurship has been studied based on the false assumption that it exists as a specific discrete identifiable phenomenon operating in accordance with consistent, predictable ‘rules’. So this misdirected search has produced more questions than answers. Accepting that entrepreneurship as we have conceived it does not exist could lead to new and valuable insights into what the different forms of entrepreneurship are and how they might be influenced. Scholars, advanced students and policy makers will find this a thought-provoking insight into the misconceptions of ‘entrepreneurship’.

The Search for Entrepreneurship

The Search for Entrepreneurship PDF Author: Simon Bridge
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1351869000
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 135

Get Book Here

Book Description
Since the 1980s, governments have often sought to encourage entrepreneurship on the assumption that it creates small businesses as the primary drivers of job creation. As a result, entrepreneurship has become a valid subject for academic research attracting extensive funding. Despite this explosion of scholarship, there is no accepted model of how entrepreneurship operates or even a commonly accepted definition of what it is. Simon Bridge posits that this is because entrepreneurship has been studied based on the false assumption that it exists as a specific discrete identifiable phenomenon operating in accordance with consistent, predictable ‘rules’. So this misdirected search has produced more questions than answers. Accepting that entrepreneurship as we have conceived it does not exist could lead to new and valuable insights into what the different forms of entrepreneurship are and how they might be influenced. Scholars, advanced students and policy makers will find this a thought-provoking insight into the misconceptions of ‘entrepreneurship’.

The Search for Social Entrepreneurship

The Search for Social Entrepreneurship PDF Author: Paul C. Light
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 0815701594
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 313

Get Book Here

Book Description
Research on social entrepreneurship is finally catching up to its rapidly growing potential. In The Search for Social Entrepreneurship, Paul Light explores this surge of interest to establish the state of knowledge on this growing phenomenon and suggest directions for future research. Light begins by outlining the debate on how to define social entrepreneurship, a concept often cited and lauded but not necessarily understood. A very elemental definition would note that it involves individuals, groups, networks, or organizations seeking sustainable change via new ideas on how governments, nonprofits, and businesses can address significant social problems. That leaves plenty of gaps, however, and without adequate agreement on what the term means, we cannot measure it effectively. The unsatisfying results are apple-to-orange comparisons that make replication and further research difficult. The subsequent section examines the four main components of social entrepreneurship: ideas, opportunities, organizations, and the entrepreneurs themselves. The copious information available about each has yet to be mined for lessons on making social entrepreneurship a success. The third section draws on Light's original survey research on 131 high-performing nonprofits, exploring how they differ across the four key components. The fourth and final section offers recommendations for future action and research in this burgeoning field.

Search Funds & Entrepreneurial Acquisitions

Search Funds & Entrepreneurial Acquisitions PDF Author: Jan Simon
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780228864035
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 422

Get Book Here

Book Description
In the mid-eighties, a group of enterprising and industrious MBA students at Harvard Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business pioneered an experiment which today we call "Search Funds." Captained and inspired by visionary Leader Irv Grousbeck, they designed a track that allowed them to acquire a company, become its CEO, and, if well executed, also be its largest shareholder. Supported by strong boards and a solid process, it turned an inexperienced entrepreneur into a successful business leader. In this book, Jan Simon, Managing Partner of Vonzeo Capital and Academic Director of the International Search Fund Center at IESE Business School, presents a best-practices-based roadmap for searchers, acquisition entrepreneurs, investors and board members. Drawing on generous contributions from the search fund community as well as his own experience, he sheds light on how this community converted $1.4 billion of investments into $8.7 billion, with $1.8 billion going to the entrepreneurs.

Disciplined Entrepreneurship

Disciplined Entrepreneurship PDF Author: Bill Aulet
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118692284
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 288

Get Book Here

Book Description
24 Steps to Success! Disciplined Entrepreneurship will change the way you think about starting a company. Many believe that entrepreneurship cannot be taught, but great entrepreneurs aren’t born with something special – they simply make great products. This book will show you how to create a successful startup through developing an innovative product. It breaks down the necessary processes into an integrated, comprehensive, and proven 24-step framework that any industrious person can learn and apply. You will learn: Why the “F” word – focus – is crucial to a startup’s success Common obstacles that entrepreneurs face – and how to overcome them How to use innovation to stand out in the crowd – it’s not just about technology Whether you’re a first-time or repeat entrepreneur, Disciplined Entrepreneurship gives you the tools you need to improve your odds of making a product people want. Author Bill Aulet is the managing director of the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship as well as a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management. For more please visit http://disciplinedentrepreneurship.com/

HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business

HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business PDF Author: Richard S. Ruback
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
ISBN: 1633692515
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 218

Get Book Here

Book Description
Think big, buy small. Are you looking for an alternative to a career path at a big firm? Does founding your own start-up seem too risky? There is a radical third path open to you: You can buy a small business and run it as CEO. Purchasing a small company offers significant financial rewards—as well as personal and professional fulfillment. Leading a firm means you can be your own boss, put your executive skills to work, fashion a company environment that meets your own needs, and profit directly from your success. But finding the right business to buy and closing the deal isn't always easy. In the HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business, Harvard Business School professors Richard Ruback and Royce Yudkoff help you: Determine if this path is right for you Raise capital for your acquisition Find and evaluate the right prospects Avoid the pitfalls that could derail your search Understand why a "dull" business might be the best investment Negotiate a potential deal with the seller Avoid deals that fall through at the last minute

In Search of Business Models in Social Entrepreneurship

In Search of Business Models in Social Entrepreneurship PDF Author: Samapti Guha
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 9811603901
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 291

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book discusses different innovative business models adopted by social enterprises to bring about social change in terms of creating capabilities among the marginalised section of people. These models also bring the sustainability of the enterprises to serve the people continuously. Establishing a theoretical base for further research in the area of business models in social entrepreneurship, the book consists of research work from various disciplines from scholars with experience and insights on social entrepreneurship, and who discuss one or more aspect(s) of business model, presenting their work with sound research methodologies. The book takes a broader view of the concept – a) social entrepreneurs are driven by social value and justice, b) social entrepreneur may or may not have a market orientation, c) social entrepreneurs solve variety of social problems such as poverty, health, illiteracy, environmental degradation using the principles of business and with the help of social innovation, and d) social enterprise focus on bringing social change by creating social impact. Chapters of this book are divided into three core themes. The first one – Concepts, Patterns and Values – includes contributions related to sustainable development, business model and vale creation in the context of social entrepreneurship, innovation and cross-cultural influence on business models aspects. The chapter of second theme – Enablers and Influencers – discuss role of corporate in promoting social entrepreneurship as a social responsibility, social entrepreneurship and value creation, BoP market, supply chain, structural and infrastructural choices, family as a stakeholder of indigenous enterprise, and women entrepreneurship. The third and final theme – Innovation – addresses social, open innovation and business model innovations, IPR, firm performance, collaboration and alliance, software and biotechnology industries, decision logic behind social enterprise creation, and strategy and strategic philanthropy concepts. Containing contributions from academia, industry professionals, investors, policy-makers, and other professionals, all from multiple disciplines, the book would interest the same vast audience.

The Systematic Search for Entrepreneurial Discoveries

The Systematic Search for Entrepreneurial Discoveries PDF Author: James O. Fiet
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0313095620
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 257

Get Book Here

Book Description
Entrepreneurs do much more than manage small businesses. At the heart of entrepreneurship is the discovery process. An idea is conceived and then exploited for profit. But if the idea is neither useful nor unique, its exploitation will generate only average profits. Therefore, the idea and the process that leads to its discovery are of the utmost importance to the success of any new venture. Can the discovery process be taught, or must one be born with the talent to unearth promising opportunities? Fiet argues that entrepreneurial discovery can indeed be taught, and he proposes a theory of the informational elements that constitute the discovery process. Entrepreneurship as an academic discipline has often been criticized for lacking intellectual rigor and a theoretical foundation. Fiet supplies both in this scholarly book, which approaches entrepreneurial competence from an academic perspective. There are three primary characteristics of entrepreneurial competence: tacit knowledge of an entrepreneur's field of endeavor, which can be improved by trial and error; the knowledge of decision rules that enable one to make rational informational investments based upon the signals of opportunities; and the unequal distribution of entrpreneurial competence among the population. Recognizing that entrepreneurs start out at different stages of competence, Fiet asserts that anyone cam improve using his book as a pedagogical aid. This volume fills a void in the entrepreneurship literature, which too often is indistinguishable from that which informs courses on small business management.

The $100 Startup

The $100 Startup PDF Author: Chris Guillebeau
Publisher: Currency
ISBN: 0307951529
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 306

Get Book Here

Book Description
Lead a life of adventure, meaning and purpose—and earn a good living. “Thoughtful, funny, and compulsively readable, this guide shows how ordinary people can build solid livings, with independence and purpose, on their own terms.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Happiness Project Still in his early thirties, Chris Guillebeau completed a tour of every country on earth and yet he’s never held a “real job” or earned a regular paycheck. Rather, he has a special genius for turning ideas into income, and he uses what he earns both to support his life of adventure and to give back. Chris identified 1,500 individuals who have built businesses earning $50,000 or more from a modest investment (in many cases, $100 or less), and focused on the 50 most intriguing case studies. In nearly all cases, people with no special skills discovered aspects of their personal passions that could be monetized, and were able to restructure their lives in ways that gave them greater freedom and fulfillment. Here, finally, distilled into one easy-to-use guide, are the most valuable lessons from those who’ve learned how to turn what they do into a gateway to self-fulfillment. It’s all about finding the intersection between your “expertise”—even if you don’t consider it such—and what other people will pay for. You don’t need an MBA, a business plan or even employees. All you need is a product or service that springs from what you love to do anyway, people willing to pay, and a way to get paid. Not content to talk in generalities, Chris tells you exactly how many dollars his group of unexpected entrepreneurs required to get their projects up and running; what these individuals did in the first weeks and months to generate significant cash; some of the key mistakes they made along the way, and the crucial insights that made the business stick. Among Chris’s key principles: If you’re good at one thing, you’re probably good at something else; never teach a man to fish—sell him the fish instead; and in the battle between planning and action, action wins. In ancient times, people who were dissatisfied with their lives dreamed of finding magic lamps, buried treasure, or streets paved with gold. Today, we know that it’s up to us to change our lives. And the best part is, if we change our own life, we can help others change theirs. This remarkable book will start you on your way.

Competition and Entrepreneurship

Competition and Entrepreneurship PDF Author: Israel M. Kirzner
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022637548X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Get Book Here

Book Description
Stressing verbal logic rather than mathematics, Israel M. Kirzner provides at once a thorough critique of contemporary price theory, an essay on the theory of entrepreneurship, and an essay on the theory of competition. Competition and Entrepreneurship offers a new appraisal of quality competition, of selling effort, and of the fundamental weaknesses of contemporary welfare economics. Kirzner's book establishes a theory of the market and the price system which differs from orthodox price theory. He sees orthodox price theory as explaining the configuration of prices and quantities that satisfied the conditions for equilibrium. Mr. Kirzner argues that "it is more useful to look to price theory to help understand how the decisions of individual participants in the market interact to generate the market forces which compel changes in prices, outputs, and methods of production and in the allocation of resources." Although Competition and Entrepreneurship is primarily concerned with the operation of the market economy, Kirzner's insights can be applied to crucial aspects of centrally planned economic systems as well. In the analysis of these processes, Kirzner clearly shows that the rediscovery of the entrepreneur must emerge as a step of major importance.

Pioneers in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Research

Pioneers in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Research PDF Author: H. Landstrom
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387236333
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 380

Get Book Here

Book Description
Around the world there is increasing interest in issues of small business and entrepreneurship. This book encapsulates the knowledge that can be gained from the most significant research contributions in this field. In addition it provides a historical-doctrinal review of the development of entrepreneurship and small business research, and presents some of the key pioneers that have shaped the research field.