Entrepreneurship in a European Perspective : Concepts for the Creation and Growth of New Ventures

One of the most frequently debated issues in management relates to the reasons for success and failure of new companies, corporate initiatives and projects. This textbook focuses on the management challenges of founding a new venture and managing its growth as the firm evolves. It covers crucial management areas in the entrepreneurship context such as entrepreneurial finance, marketing, and human resource management. In this context the authors comment on entrepreneurial ethics, social entrepreneurship and corporate culture as well. More hands-on management topics like writing a business plan and choosing a legal form for a venture are also covered. A key chapter of the book is dedicated to leadership challenges in managing rapidly growing young firms located in new industries and technology areas. The book is written from a Continental European perspective to cater for its European target audience in entrepreneurship courses to be held in English. Target Groups The book is directed towards students and lecturers of Economics, in particular with a focus on Business Management and Entrepreneurship. Business founders and Corporate Management Professionals in business development and corporate entrepreneurship will find important information as well. Authors Prof. Dr. Christine K. Volkmann holds the UNESCO Chair of Entrepreneurship and Intercultural Management at the Schumpeter School of Business and Economics at Wuppertal University and is director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovations Research. Prof. Dr. Kim Oliver Tokarski is Professor of Business Management and Entrepreneurship at the Bern University of Applied Sciences. Dr. Marc Grünhagen is Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Schumpeter School of Business and Economics at Wuppertal University. Foreword One of the most frequently debated questions in management relates to what the r- sons for success and failure of new companies, corporate initiatives and projects are. Obviously, to increase the rate of young enterprises’ success while reducing the n- ber of their failures would be a win-win situation for everyone. It is therefore vital to possess a “road map” or set of good advice on this never-easy undertaking. This book responds to such a need by presenting, in an accessible way, an overall view of the fundamental, critical areas of management of both the start-up and the continuity of new enterprises. Primarily, this book is addressed to students and teachers of the growing academic field of entrepreneurship studies. However, in my opinion, it also has an appeal to students and academics in any scholarly field, for in our times we can well speak about an organic interdependence between “entrepreneurship” and “higher education and research”. A number of reasons exist for this double-helix arrangement. On the one hand, it can be pointed out that the role and conditions of present-day higher education call for much more open and innovative ways with which to approach core tasks such as teaching, the organization of studies and the undertaking of research, not to mention the whole area of funding. Annotation This textbook focuses on the management challenges of founding a new venture and managing its rapid growth as the firm evolves. It covers crucial management areas in the entrepreneurship context such as entrepreneurial finance, marketing, and human resource management. Also, more hands-on management topics like writing a business plan and choosing a legal form for a venture are covered. A key chapter of the book is dedicated to leadership challenges in managing rapidly growing young firms located in new industries and technology areas. The book is written from a Continental European perspective to cater for its European target audience in entrepreneurship courses to be held in English Front Matter....Pages I-XXI Basic Principles of Entrepreneurship....Pages 1-66 Processes, Entrepreneurial Opportunity, Innovation....Pages 67-114 The Business Plan and Formation of the Enterprise....Pages 115-183 Marketing....Pages 185-242 Organization and Personnel....Pages 243-281 Start-up and Growth Financing....Pages 283-345 Growth and Growth Management....Pages 347-449 Back Matter....Pages 451-499