Why has the United States economy successfully moved beyond its chief competitors? This collection suggests that at least some of the answers to the pattern of divergent development can be found in the role of the entrepreneur. By examining the process that new firms and entrepreneurs play in the economy, the essays in this volume make a fundamental contribution to our understanding of the macroeconomy. The public policy implications of this process are clear. Countries that encourage entrepreneurship and free entry will have better macroeconomic performance than those that retard it.
Reviews
'While recent years have seen a welcome growth of research into small companies and business start-ups, acadmeics still face the problem of getting a clear mental image of what exactly is under consideration ... Research in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) also faces some daunting problems of collecting and interpreting data ... this collection of 13 papers is an impressive indication of the value of systematic analysis in this field ... the substantive contributions [are] consistently well-written and often insightful ... the key lesson that emerges is the need for caution when attempting grand generalisations ... the volume is a testament to the principle that goos research should focus on interesting problems, even it the domain is complex and defies simplistic conclusions.' The Times Higher