Theory and Practice of Entrepreneurship

Edited by the late David Smallbone, formerly Professor of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Small Business Research Centre, Kingston University, UK, João Leitão, Head of University Management and Administration, University of Beira Interior and Research Fellow, Technical University Lisbon, Portugal, Mário Raposo, Full Professor of Marketing and Strategy, University of Beira Interior and NECE – Research Unit, Portugal and Friederike Welter, President and Managing Director, Institut für Mittelstandsforschung (IfM) Bonn and Professor, University of Siegen, Germany

‘The papers in this volume showcase the depth and richness of contemporary European research. The contributions offer invaluable insights on diverse facets of entrepreneurship including entrepreneurial universities as catalysts of innovation and regional development, perspectives on small firm internationalization and strategic alliances. This compelling collection is essential reading for all those who wish to stay updated on leading research findings and the methodological diversity that is a hallmark of European research. Very worthwhile policy-relevant angles are an added bonus.’

• Contents:ForewordThomas M. Cooney1. IntroductionDavid Smallbone, João Leitão, Mário Raposo and Friederike Welter 2. The Entrepreneurial Climate at Universities: The Impact of Organizational Factors Mario Geissler, Steffen Jahn and Peter Haefner 3. Overcoming Critical Junctures in Spin-off Companies from Non-elite Universities: Evidence from CataloniaPablo Migliorini, Christian Serarols and Andrea Bikfalvi4. Benefiting from Publicly Funded Pre-Competitive Research: Differences between Insiders and OutsidersVerena Eckl and Dirk Engel 5. A Feminist Inquiry into Entrepreneurship Training Janice Byrne and Alain Fayolle 6. Knowledge and Experience in the Internationalization of Knowledge-Intensive Firms Niina Nummela, Sami Saarenketo, Eriikka Paavilainen-Mäntymäki and Kaisu Puumalainen 7. The Nature of International Relationships and Performance: Policy Implications from the Case of Globally Integrated Small Firms Christos Kalantaridis and Ivaylo Vassilev 8. Exploring Entrepreneurial Exits: A Study of Individual Exit Experiences in Finland and the UK Satu Aaltonen, Robert Blackburn and Jarna Heinonen 9. The Virtualization Potential of SME Networks: An Exploratory InvestigationEmilio Esposito, Pietro Evangelista, Vincenzo Lauro and Mario Raffa 10. Knowledge and Organizational Entrepreneurship: A Relational Perspective Ana Maria Bojica, María del Mar Fuentes Fuentes and Matilde Ruiz Arroyo 11. The Impact of Legitimacy Building Signals on Access to ResourcesCristina Díaz García and Juan Jiménez Moreno 12. Antecedents of the Entrepreneurial Orientation of the Firm: The Case of St Petersburg, RussiaTatiana Iakovleva13. Entrepreneurial Orientation and Performance in Micro-sized Firms: Comparing Agricultural and Non-agricultural FirmsJorunn Grande14. Entrepreneurship in Urban and Rural Switzerland: Similar or Worlds Apart?Heiko Bergmann and Daniel BaumgartnerIndex