Currently, very little academic research exists on the intersection of entrepreneurship and philanthropy. This unique Handbook fills that gap, exploring how and why entrepreneurs who drive success in the for-profit world become engaged in philanthropy. Top scholars in the fields of family business, entrepreneurship and philanthropy explore the many facets of this fascinating subject.These expert contributors explore an exciting new field of research on entrepreneur philanthropists who have generated wealth through the creation and development of their own business enterprises. The book offers a broad overview of entrepreneurship and philanthropy, along with a focus on specific groups of entrepreneur philanthropists (including women, Black Americans, multi-generational family companies and technology entrepreneurs) and a selection of case studies from around the world. This pioneering Handbook will appeal to scholars in the fields of business, entrepreneurship, nonprofit and philanthropic studies, public policy and administration, as well as practitioners and policymakers with an interest in the practical aspects of entrepreneurship and philanthropy. Contributors: P.M. Anyansi, C. Anyansi-Archibong, D.B. Audretsch, X. Bai, W.J. Baumol, C.G. Brush, E.D. Carson, N.M. Carter, T.T. Coates, V. Cox Edmondson, M.P. Feldman, E.J. Gatewood, A. Graddy-Reed, P.G. Greene, M. Hart, J.R. Hinger, R. Holman, F. Hoy, K. Liket, L. Meijs, D.O. Renz, K. Rosplock, L. Roza, P.G. Schervish, L. Stilwell, R.J. Strom, M.L. Taylor, J. Tyler, M. Vermeulen, S. Zhao, Y. Zhao

While the public policy community has turned to entrepreneurship to maintain, restore, or generate economic prosperity, the economics profession has been remarkably taciturn in providing guidance for public policy for understanding the links between entrepreneurship and economic growth as well as for framing and weighing policy issues and decisions. The purpose of this volume is to provide a lens through which public policy decisions involving entrepreneurship can be guided and analyzed. In particular, this volume provides insights from leading research concerning the links between entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic growth that shed light on implications for public policy. The book makes clear both how and why small firms and entrepreneurship have emerged as crucial to economic growth, employment, and competitiveness as well as the mandate for public policy in the entrepreneurial society.

How much credit can be given to entrepreneurship for the unprecedented innovation and growth of free-enterprise economies? In this book, some of the world's leading economists tackle this difficult and understudied question, and their responses shed new light on how free-market economies work--and what policies most encourage their growth.

The contributors take as their starting point William J. Baumol's 2002 book "The Free-Market Innovation Machine" (Princeton), which argued that independent entrepreneurs are far more important to growth than economists have traditionally thought, and that an implicit partnership between such entrepreneurs and large corporations is critical to the success of market economies.

The contributors include the editors and Robert M. Solow, Kenneth J. Arrow, Michael M. Weinstein, Douglass C. North, Barry R. Weingast, Ying Lowrey, Nathan Rosenberg, Melissa A. Schilling, Corey Phelps, Sylvia Nasar, Boyan Jovanovic, Peter L. Rousseau, Edward N. Wolff, Deepak Somaya, David J. Teece, Naomi R. Lamoreaux, Kenneth L. Sokoloff, Yochanan Shachmurove, Ralph E. Gomory, Jonathan Eaton, Samuel S. Kortum, Alan S. Blinder, Robert J. Shiller, Burton G. Malkiel, and Edmund S. Phelps.

While the public policy community has turned to entrepreneurship to maintain, restore, or generate economic prosperity, the economics profession has been remarkably taciturn in providing guidance for public policy for understanding the links between entrepreneurship and economic growth as well as for framing and weighing policy issues and decisions. The purpose of this volume is to provide a lens through which public policy decisions involving entrepreneurship can be guided and analyzed. In particular, this volume provides insights from leading research concerning the links between entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic growth that shed light on implications for public policy. The book makes clear both how and why small firms and entrepreneurship have emerged as crucial to economic growth, employment, and competitiveness as well as the mandate for public policy in the entrepreneurial society.