Tom Elfring – författare

In the world of business, who you know is usually more important than what you know. While most research highlights the personal characteristics and expertise important to business success, this book demonstrates that networking is the core of entrepreneurship. Both counterintuitive and powerful, this perspective reframes entrepreneurial action by placing networking at the center of the process. Traditionally, networks have been regarded as facilitators of business, but Tom Elfring, Kim Klyver, and Elco van Burg argue that networking is actually the basis of entrepreneurial action, and conversely, that entrepreneurial action is networking. In developing an "entrepreneurship as networking" model, the book addresses the persistent problems that plague the dominant "individual-opportunity" approach in entrepreneurship. They describe the key dynamics, mechanisms, and practices of entrepreneurship as networking, and point at fruitful networking strategies for entrepreneurs. Thus, the authors provide an integrated and dynamic account of entrepreneurial agency that prioritizes interaction with the surrounding social environment. They also explain what a viable network is for entrepreneurs and how networking activities affect their endeavours. Their perspective sheds new light on the origins of opportunities and how entrepreneurs access and mobilize resources. The approach also explains how entrepreneurs build legitimacy and exploit the networks they work within. Offering a groundbreaking theory of entrepreneurial action as networking, Entrepreneurship as Networking opens up an entirely new research agenda.

In the world of business, who you know is usually more important than what you know. While most research highlights the personal characteristics and expertise important to business success, this book demonstrates that networking is the core of entrepreneurship. Both counterintuitive and powerful, this perspective reframes entrepreneurial action by placing networking at the center of the process. Traditionally, networks have been regarded as facilitators of business, but Tom Elfring, Kim Klyver, and Elco van Burg argue that networking is actually the basis of entrepreneurial action, and conversely, that entrepreneurial action is networking. In developing an "entrepreneurship as networking" model, the book addresses the persistent problems that plague the dominant "individual-opportunity" approach in entrepreneurship. They describe the key dynamics, mechanisms, and practices of entrepreneurship as networking, and point at fruitful networking strategies for entrepreneurs. Thus, the authors provide an integrated and dynamic account of entrepreneurial agency that prioritizes interaction with the surrounding social environment. They also explain what a viable network is for entrepreneurs and how networking activities affect their endeavours. Their perspective sheds new light on the origins of opportunities and how entrepreneurs access and mobilize resources. The approach also explains how entrepreneurs build legitimacy and exploit the networks they work within. Offering a groundbreaking theory of entrepreneurial action as networking, Entrepreneurship as Networking opens up an entirely new research agenda.

Corporate Entrepreneurship and Venturing is positioned at the crossroads of the strategy and entrepreneurship fields. The common theme is how and why corporate entrepreneurship and corporate venturing can contribute to innovation and strategic renewal in large established companies, in particular it explores ways to balance exploitation and exploration in established companies. The issue is how the locus of entrepreneurship affects the way corporate entrepreneurship addresses the exploitation/exploration challenge. In some chapters corporate entrepreneurship is dispersed across the organization and they examine the key elements of an entrepreneurial culture and the organizational conditions that are favorable to entrepreneurial initiatives. The other chapters contribute to the discussion on the potential role of corporate venturing which is separated from the main parts of the organization. They examine the advantages and disadvantages of corporate venture capital programs as particular forms of focused corporate entrepreneurship.

`Readers interest in an overview of important aspects of the strategy field will find this book a helpful volume to add to their shelves' - Administrative Sciences Quarterly

This is a new overview of the strategy field, with internationally renowned contributors summarizing the latest directions and developments in strategic management theory in the context of their theoretical roots in economics, organization theory, and systems theory.

The contributors outline the most promising new directions on the basis of a systemic treatment of paradigms or schools of thought in strategy: redrawing firm boundaries, developing dynamic capabilities and discovering viable strategy configurations.

The volume will be an invaluable companion to advanced courses in strategy and management, used as a reader alongside case material and field studies. As well as providing a summary and evaluation of the different schools of thought in strategy, the volume offers a synthesis of the American and European approaches.

`Readers interest in an overview of important aspects of the strategy field will find this book a helpful volume to add to their shelves' - Administrative Sciences Quarterly

This is a new overview of the strategy field, with internationally renowned contributors summarizing the latest directions and developments in strategic management theory in the context of their theoretical roots in economics, organization theory, and systems theory.

The contributors outline the most promising new directions on the basis of a systemic treatment of paradigms or schools of thought in strategy: redrawing firm boundaries, developing dynamic capabilities and discovering viable strategy configurations.

The volume will be an invaluable companion to advanced courses in strategy and management, used as a reader alongside case material and field studies. As well as providing a summary and evaluation of the different schools of thought in strategy, the volume offers a synthesis of the American and European approaches.

Entrepreneurship and Cluster Dynamics focuses on the origin and development of clusters and specifically on the role played by the strategic entrepreneurship in these contexts. Although separately entrepreneurship and cluster studies have already attracted the attention of academics and practitioners; this book aims to go further and offer an integrated and interactive view of topics. The cross-cutting approach is one of the main attributes of this book. In fact, the book involves a great range of organizational and economic perspectives, from social psychology to conventional applied economics disciplines. Moreover, these topics allow the use of different levels of analysis, from the individual entrepreneur behind a start-up to the structure of cluster networks, including the organizational levels.An analysis of the change and development of clusters going further than traditional functional approaches by examining how entrepreneurs and their actions are not only influenced by the cluster but also shape the cluster development, will offer an explanation of how entrepreneurship and networking entrepreneurs can foster, perhaps also inhibit, cluster development and change. Finally Entrepreneurship and Cluster Dynamics theorizes about the role of the strategic entrepreneurship in developing start-ups inside already established companies, which can play the role of broker in the cluster.Entrepreneurship and Cluster Dynamics offers a unique opportunity to academics, researchers, and students to learn about relations and interactions between entrepreneurship and cluster perspectives, providing both newly and original theoretical propositions and also rigorous conclusive empirical exercises.

Entrepreneurship and Cluster Dynamics focuses on the origin and development of clusters and specifically on the role played by the strategic entrepreneurship in these contexts. Although separately entrepreneurship and cluster studies have already attracted the attention of academics and practitioners; this book aims to go further and offer an integrated and interactive view of topics. The cross-cutting approach is one of the main attributes of this book. In fact, the book involves a great range of organizational and economic perspectives, from social psychology to conventional applied economics disciplines. Moreover, these topics allow the use of different levels of analysis, from the individual entrepreneur behind a start-up to the structure of cluster networks, including the organizational levels.An analysis of the change and development of clusters going further than traditional functional approaches by examining how entrepreneurs and their actions are not only influenced by the cluster but also shape the cluster development, will offer an explanation of how entrepreneurship and networking entrepreneurs can foster, perhaps also inhibit, cluster development and change. Finally Entrepreneurship and Cluster Dynamics theorizes about the role of the strategic entrepreneurship in developing start-ups inside already established companies, which can play the role of broker in the cluster.Entrepreneurship and Cluster Dynamics offers a unique opportunity to academics, researchers, and students to learn about relations and interactions between entrepreneurship and cluster perspectives, providing both newly and original theoretical propositions and also rigorous conclusive empirical exercises.