Entrepreneurial Strategic Content

Volume 11 of Advances in Entrepreneurship, Firm Emergence and Growth addresses the types of strategies that entrepreneurial companies use to effectively position themselves and gain competitive advantages. A companion to Volume 10 (Entrepreneurial Strategic Processes), Volume 11 identifies several strategic dilemmas and strategic choices that organizations face in their efforts to be more entrepreneurial. Top researchers from a diverse set of perspectives have contributed their latest research on a variety of topics such as celebrity entrepreneurship (Hunter, Burgers, Davidsson), niche strategies by banks (Bamford, Dean, McDougal), acquisition as an entrepreneurial growth strategy (Shrader, Monllor, Shelton), and adaptive strategies in the military (Kropp, Zolin, Lindsay). The strategic implications of tax policies (Franquesa, Anokhin, Mwaka), and the importance of knowledge management (Sciascia, Alberti, Salvato) and human resources management (West, Bernhardt) to the success of entrepreneurial strategies are also highlighted. The last two chapters constitute a spirited debate between researchers with sharply different views about the role of individual versus collective effort to entrepreneurial progress and success. Schoonhoven and Romanelli argue that market-creating processes should take over the focal role most recently played by opportunity-based approaches to defining entrepreneurship. Sarasvathy, Dew, and Ventresca, by contrast, highlight the intellectual vibrancy of opportunity-based approaches, and in their own contribution to this volume, point out future directions for entrepreneurship research based on an opportunity-focused approach.