Business angels are recognized as playing a key role in financing the start-up and early stages of new ventures. However, our knowledge of how business angels operate remains limited and highly fragmented. This Handbook provides a synthesis of research on business angels. It adopts an international perspective to reflect the spread of angel investing around the world. The increasing number of government initiatives to promote angel investing is also reflected in the book with an assessment of the most common support schemes. Adopting an international focus, the expert group of contributors examine business angels themselves; the evolution of the market; the various stages of the investment process and the role of public policy in influencing angel investment. They each conclude their chapters with an agenda for future research on business angels. Students and scholars of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial finance, and related subjects will find this book to be an invaluable resource to their work.In particular, they will benefit from the research agendas that that concludes each chapter This Handbook will also be of interest to policy-makers and other practitioners looking to enhance their understanding of the design and need for such interventions. Contributors include: F.M. Amatucci, M. Atienza, S. Avdeitchikova, T. Botelho, C. Carpentier, V. Collewaert, L. Hornuf, H. Keinonen, T. Lahti, H. Landstroem, D. Lingelbach, M. Liu, C. Mason, A. Maxwell, D. Politis, G. Romani, W. Scheela, A. Schwienbacher, J.-M. Suret, R. Sorheim, Y. Tan, J. Wang

In this unique and timely volume, Scott Shane systematically explains the formation of university spinoff companies and their role in the commercialization of university technology and wealth creation in the United States and elsewhere. The importance of university spinoff activity is discussed and the historical development of university spinoff ventures is traced over time. Scott Shane provides in-depth analysis of the four major factors that jointly influence spinoff activity: the university and societal environment, the technology developed at universities, the industries in which spinoffs operate, and the people involved. He documents the process of company creation, focusing on the formation of spinoffs, the transformation of the spinoff's technology into new products and services, the identification and exploitation of a market for these new products and services and the acquisition of financial resources. Also detailed are the factors that enhance and inhibit the performance of university spinoffs, as well as the effect that they have on the institutions that spawn them. Authoritative and highly readable, this volume will appeal to scholars researching the spinoff phenomenon, university technology transfer officers, inventors, policymakers, external entrepreneurs and investors.

This book presents selected theoretical and empirical papers from the 26th and 27th Eurasia Business and Economics Society (EBES) Conferences, held in Prague, Czech Republic, and Bali, Indonesia. Covering diverse areas of business and management in various geographic regions, it addresses a range of current topics, such as human resources, management, SMEs and marketing. It also includes related studies that analyze management and marketing aspects, e.g. workplace learning, gamification in business, resilience and entrepreneurship, the use of IT tools in small businesses, and dynamic marketing capabilities in an intercultural environment.

The development of web technologies has enhanced the availability of online business opportunities for entrepreneurs. By implementing these new technologies, business growth is ensured and the global economy is strengthened. Key Challenges and Opportunities in Web Entrepreneurship is a pivotal reference source for the latest research on bridging the gaps between theoretical and practical issues in the field of digital entrepreneurship. Featuring extensive coverage on relevant areas such as e-business, crowdfunding, and vertical social networks, this publication is an ideal resource for researchers, academics, practitioners, and students interested in recent trends on entrepreneurial endeavors in the digital age.

The contributors to this collection provide a wealth of new analyses of both traditional and emerging aspects of entrepreneurship, from a variety of national perspectives and from a variety of disciplines. Globalization has begun to dismantle the barriers that traditionally segregated local business opportunities and local firms from their international counterparts. Local markets are becoming integral parts of broader, global markets. As globalization proceeds apace, entrepreneurs and small businesses will play a more prominent role on the global business arena. The volume is divided into three sections. The first looks at the internationalization process itself while the second focuses on factors facilitating this process in small and medium-sized firms. The last section examines emerging dimensions in management policy. This book provides valuable insights for business leaders, policy formulators, students and academics alike in understanding and coping with our rapidly changing world.

This original book is the first serious study investigating the crowdfunding phenomenon, which has developed deep meaning for various stakeholders benefiting from this funding collection mechanism and its innovative new role, especially in the processes of business creation and spread of entrepreneurship. The actors involved -promoters, supporters, and the platforms through which the campaigns are launched - constitute an ecosystem in continuous evolution, which has grown dramatically and allows for its further development. Irini Liakopoulou has conducted with the "multiple paper thesis" method in which original and innovative contributions are presented, applying new techniques and methodologies. The book's goal is to foster debate about crowdfunding, an under-researched topic whose implications are not fully understood but will be a vital part of social and economic life in the future.

In an effort to safeguard the environment, consumers have begun pressuring global businesses to create environmentally-friendly products and sustainable business practices that promote the preservation and protection of communities and nature. To create and maintain positive consumer relationships, new and existing businesses must enact policies that allow them to make an effective and smooth transition toward sustainability to contribute to economic growth by creating offerings with environmental and social value. Recent Advancements in Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibility provides emerging research that examines entrepreneurial strategies and business practices that can be implemented to provide eco-friendly services to the community and that offer solutions to various social and environmental problems. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as green marketing, corporate identity, and business ethics, this book is ideally designed for CSR managers, human resources professionals, entrepreneurs, managers, executives, corporate leaders, business professionals, academicians, researchers, and students seeking current research on the expanding area of sustainable business practices.

This book elucidates and maps the societal impact of experience and heritage, participation, and entrepreneurship in the cultural sector. The contributions address and explore the relevance of culture, cultural entities, and heritage as collective memories and reservoirs of experience for other social systems, change and societal innovators like entrepreneurs. Insofar, cultural activities can be understood as a bridge between past experiences and future challenges. The first key focus is the participation of people in various contexts, initiatives, and projects. Such participation unleashes creativity and connects different societal layers - culture, economy, and innovation. Accordingly, a second focus is the entrepreneurial efforts and ideas that originate within arts and culture. Readers will find critical empirical and theoretical studies that challenge the current understandings of the cultural sector from different theoretical perspectives and with different methodological approaches. A variety of topics are explored within the thematic areas of cultural heritage, managerial practices, participation, and cultural entrepreneurship, as well as their inter-relations. Ultimately the aim is to provide the reader with a better understanding of the sometimes conflicting, sometimes mutually fertilizing areas of the arts, culture, business, management, and innovation. The book will be of interest to scholars, students, professionals, and policymakers.

While characteristically 'Austrian' themes such as entrepreneurship, economic calculation, tacit knowledge and the temporal structure of capital are clearly relevant to the business firm, Austrian economists have said relatively little about management, organization, and strategy. This innovative book features 12 chapters that all seek to advance the understanding of these issues by drawing on Austrian ideas. Building on existing research in transaction cost economics, agency theory, evolutionary economics and the resource-based theory of the firm, the authors cover a wide range of theoretical and applied topics. These include knowledge management, authority and hierarchy, modularity, corporate restructuring, telecommunications regulation and competitive advantage. They clearly show how Austrian ideas can usefully engage, challenge and extend more mainstream perspectives on economic organization. There are many books on Austrian economics and many more on the theory of the firm, but virtually none that integrate these two bodies of literature. Scholars of Austrian economics and academics interested in strategy, organization and the theory of the firm will draw great value from this insightful book.

Business systems undergo a number of transitions as the needs and demands of society change. With heightened connectivity driven by the development of the Internet, new opportunities for venture development and creation have become available to business owners and entrepreneurs.Crowdfunding for Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Innovation is a pivotal reference source for the latest scholarly research and business practices on the opportunities and benefits gained from the use of crowdfunding in modern society, discussing its socio-economic impact, in addition to its business implications. Featuring current trends and future directions for crowdfunding initiatives, this book is ideally designed for students, researchers, practitioners, entrepreneurs, and policy makers.New financing models such as crowdfunding are democratizing access to credit, offering individuals and communities the opportunity to support, co-create, contribute and invest in public and private initiatives. This book relates to innovation in its essence to anticipate future needs and in creating new business models without losing revenue. There are tremendous unexplored opportunities in crowdsourcing and crowdfunding; two sides of the same coin that can lead to a revolution of current social and economic models. The reading of this book will provide insight on the changes taking place in crowdfunding, and offer strategic opportunities and advantages.

The study of dynamics of institutional change in emerging markets are subjects of great interest in contemporary political economy. The dynamics and quality of institutional change can have significant impacts on the long-run performance of economies, economic growth and development of nations, and play a fundamental role in societies. It provides a comprehensive understanding of legal-economic institutions, and sheds light on the way to global peace by producing a better understanding of the dynamics of historical change. Topics range from institutional uncertainty, hybrid market order and labor market institutions, to good governance of institutions and WTO rules as trade institutions, as well as entrepreneurship and institutional change in emerging markets, and the role of modern technologies. This edited volume emphasizes legal-economic institutions, and the role of management and entrepreneurship on dynamics, trends, and implications of institutional change in emerging markets. Presenting research articles by eminent scholars and experts engaged in education and research, who address and discuss the most recent issues in the field, they reveal new insights into the dynamics of institutional change for researchers interested in development of new theories and comparative studies, especially in the era of emerging markets. The book is appealing to a wide range of global audience, can serve as a useful reference work in education and research, offers innovative and productive discussions, and can satisfy scholarly and intellectual interests, regarding institutional development and a broad spectrum of its interactions with functioning of markets and economies.

In the modern globalized business world, entrepreneurial success can be more difficult to achieve. Innovativeness, effective decision-making, and a drive for success are just a few factors influencing entrepreneurial behavior. Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation in the Middle East is a comprehensive reference source for the latest scholarly material on the analysis of entrepreneurial activities in the framework of cultural diversity. Highlighting crucial perspectives and topics in business contexts, such as job satisfaction, intrapreneurship, and corporate governance, this book is ideally designed for academics, professionals, practitioners, and students interested in business enterprises in the Arab culture.

Though entrepreneurship has been studied for decades, in recent years, the study of "rural entrepreneurship" has emerged as an upcoming subtopic of the area. With the growth and continual ease of utilizing digital technologies to support entrepreneurial activities, these technologies now provide unique opportunities for advancing rural entrepreneurship. Though prior research focused on challenges for IT use in rural areas that specifically investigated investment and management issues, it is important to study all challenges and opportunities involved in this developing area of research. Rural Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Digital Era is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research on the utilization of digital technologies in rural business ventures. Unlike other references, this book studies the conceptualization process of rural entrepreneurship and innovation with the intention of providing guidelines and support for entrepreneurs. While highlighting topics such as microfinancing, risk management, and rural development, this publication explores innovative practices as well as the methods of IT investment and management. This book is ideally designed for business professionals, entrepreneurs, business researchers, academics, and business students.

Information and communication technologies related to digital networks enable the continued rise of entrepreneurial business opportunities and inventive business models. E-Entrepreneurship and ICT Ventures: Strategy, Organization and Technology provides a unique and quintessential overview of the current state of conceptual and empirical research at the interface of e-business and entrepreneurship research. Contributing an enhanced understanding of the important interface of e-business and entrepreneurship, this reference publication brings together leading academics and practitioners from around the world, offering essential reading material for students, educators, managers, entrepreneurs, and political decision makers interested in applying and fostering e-business concepts in an entrepreneurial environment.