Handbook of Entrepreneurship Research

Interest and attention to entrepreneurship has exploded in recent years. Yet, much of the research and scholarship has remained elusive to academics, policymakers and other researchers. This reflects two crucial aspects of the entrepreneurship literature. First has been the explosion of new findings and insights, both theoretically and empirically. Second, most of this scholarship has been rooted in traditional academic disciplines, spanning a broad spectrum of fields such as management, finance, economics, sociology and psychology. The International Handbook of Entrepreneurship brings together leading scholars from each of these disciplines to provide an overview of what the issues are for entrepreneurship when viewed through the lens provided by the academic disciplines as well as a synthesis about what has been learned and what questions should be high on the agenda for future research. The Handbook will provide a roadmap to an emerging complex but intriguing field of entrepreneurship. Research and theory on entrepreneurial phenomena is advancing rapidly in scope and quality. The year 2003 is an excellent time for a comprehensive status report by the best scholars in the field. Acs and Audretsch have clearly organized such a statement--it will be a boon to all those seeking an authoritative overview of the current status of entrepreneurial research. The focus on advanced economies or the advanced sectors of developing countries reflects the emphasis in the extant research and theory. This new Handbook sets the framework for an expansion of attention to the vast majority of entrepreneurs--who are operating in the third world. Paul D Reynolds, London Business School, UK and Babson College, USA In The Handbook of Entrepreneurship Research, Acs and Audretsch have compiled an impressive collection of contemporary contributions from many of the very best scholars in entrepreneurship across disciplines. It provides doctoral students with a broad yet solid introduction to the field, and established scholars with an overview that is otherwise very hard to obtain. It is a must read for every academic who is serious about entrepreneurship.Per Davidsson, The Jönköping International Business School, Sweden Acs and Audretsch have assembled a virtual who's who list of researchers in the fledgling field of entrepreneurship. Even more usefully, the Handbook also includes reviews of the vast array of work closely related to entrepreneurship that has appeared primarily in economics, psychology and sociology journals; despite their relevance, locating these studies can prove difficult as their authors frequently do not focus on the implications for their research for entrepreneurship. As its Handbook label implies, it should be a valuable reference tool for those in the area for years to come. Olav Sorenson, University of California, Los Angeles, USA