Book Description

This book, by two leading authorities on innovation and entrepreneurship is a tour de force of some of the challenges, and opportunities, that face entrepreneurs in emerging economies as they attempt to cross the divide between an old and a new economic order. It presents a fascinating account of the myriad of obstacles facing entrepreneurs in post-Soviet countries and, because it is based on case studies presents both a detailed, and ultimately a human, picture of how businesses have been built. World Entrepreneurship Society Innovating and enterprising in countries where these activities have been centralised or prohibited for decades is a daunting venture. Showing how this was nevertheless possible by comparatively reviewing six cases in as many different European and Asian post-Soviet countries, is the great challenge that this important book has skilfully solved. The book illustrates the diversity of successful innovation and entrepreneurship processes in relation to the institutional context, and highlights the importance of the human and social factor and the need to consider the specificities of the countries and the transition process. Bruno Dallago, University of Trento, Italy This is a great book that integrates multiple perspectives and offers fresh insights into the role and nature of innovation and entrepreneurship especially in emerging economies. Aidis and Welter did a magnificent job in assembling some of the best minds and writings on this important topic. The book adds richly to the literature and provides a crucial roadmap for future scholarship. Shaker A. Zahra, University of Minnesota, US Little is known about innovative and successful enterprises in the countries that, until 1990, were part of the Soviet Union. Most previous research has extensively covered barriers to entrepreneurship and innovation that exist in these countries, some of which undoubtedly represent a hostile and harsh environment for any entrepreneurial activity. In this book, a different perspective is introduced. The focus is shifted to the innovative potential that these environments provide, demonstrating how entrepreneurs have been able to convert possibilities in hostile business environments into successful businesses. Through this collection of six in-depth case studies, the authors illustrate how successful and innovative businesses were able to develop in countries such as Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyztan, Moldova and Ukraine. Each case study presents an overview of the country s key economic indicators and the role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the economy, followed by the presentation of a case study of a successful SME. Teachers, researchers and students of entrepreneurship will find much to interest them in this book, as will students of international business and anyone conducting business in Europe.