International Entrepreneurship: Innovative Solutions for a Fragile Planet

Despite the accelerating pace of globalization, it is impossible to ignore the marginalization of the developing world, as billions of people continue to slip deeper into poverty. While many theories, policies, and practices have been proposed to help redress the disparities between the "haves" and the "have-nots," only recently have proponents of sustainable economic development and entrepreneurship discovered each other. In this provocative and timely book, A. Coskun Samli fills the gap by making the connections explicit and arguing that entrepreneurship may be the only hope for countries that have fallen into the trap of relying on foreign aid and bowing to the pressures of multinational conglomerates driven by short-term profit-maximizing goals. Samli builds the case that some cultures are, indeed, more entrepreneurial than others, and demonstrates the importance of creating the right conditions, infrastructure, policies, and educational systems that inspire and support new business creation. Outlining the qualities that entrepreneurs possess, he argues that entrepreneurial mindset can be nurtured and developed, and channeled into enterprises that create value for the many and not for just the few at the top. Favoring internal (or "endogenous") strategies to stimulate growth over external (or "exogenous") quick fixes, Samli shows that sustainable development is dependent upon a commitment of government and citizens alike to recognize and create opportunities. Among the potential solutions he advocates are Silicon Valley "facsimiles," where research and educational institutions, private industry, and venture capital are concentrated to facilitate innovation, technology transfer, and knowledge sharing. Employing examples from around the world, Samli is hopeful that entrepreneurship will take root, thrive, and contribute to global prosperity.