Abstract
Entrepreneurship Centres is the second book in a Palgrave Pivot series on transformational entrepreneurship, the first being Maas and Jones (2015). In this latest contribution, transformational entrepreneurship is defined by the editors as ‘the creation of an innovative virtue-based organization for the purpose of shifting resources out of an area of lower and into an area of higher purpose and greater value under conditions requiring an holistic perspective’ (p. 5, following Miller and Collier, 2010). The book collects reflections on the contribution to such activities by centres based in higher education institutions (HEIs). It is structured into four parts: introductory material, UK case studies, international cases and a conclusion.
The first part of the book includes a pair of brief chapters in which the editors set out their agenda, first in terms of the importance of transformational entrepreneurship and socio-economic development and then establishing the specific case of entrepreneurship centres. Entrepreneurship centres are those centres within HEIs dedicated to the stimulation of enterprise and entrepreneurship, and here, Maas and Jones build on previous work on entrepreneurship centres (and HEIs more generally) that have argued for a transformative role, for example, in regional development (Menzies, 2000). Maas and Jones propose that such centres have an important role to play in modern HEIs, providing a rationale for the collected case studies.
Part 2 contains a collection of UK-based case studies from Coventry University’s International Centre for Transformational Entrepreneurship (which is led by the book’s editors); Lancaster University’s Department for Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Innovation; and a more general overview of Scottish universities and entrepreneurship. These case studies not only identify best practices in terms of the potential value of placing such centres outside business schools, entrepreneurs in residence and other collaborations outside the university but also discuss important constraints such as shifting trends, demand and politics.
The third part of the book presents a set of four international case studies of entrepreneurship centres from EDEM Business School (Spain), University of Cantabria (Spain), University of Calgary (Canada) and University of Cape Coast (Ghana). These case studies draw out insights relating to the need for students to be encouraged to be proactive and innovative and the importance of different forms of and venues for collaboration, including wider entrepreneurial and student communities (and across a variety of disciplines). They also discuss the ways in which entrepreneurship centres are engaged in a variety of different activities, including education, research and engagement, as well as, more specifically, relevant activities such as business incubation.
The editors provide a valuable concluding chapter in the final part of the book that sets out a concise set of recommendations building on the preceding case studies. They emphasise the importance of regional differences and suggest that entrepreneurship centres require not only a clear focus on vision, strategy and resourcing but also the different areas of activity relating to curriculum development, research agendas and staffing. Furthermore, they argue for the importance of attending to the geographical provision of services and national networking. For the editors, these factors are vital for ensuring the continued relevance and contribution of entrepreneurship centres that seek to ‘make a dynamic impact on socio-economic development through transformational practices’ (p. 151).
Taking the book as a whole, the international range of case studies is invaluable, drawing out some important contextual variations. As Maas and Jones emphasise, ‘regional and national differences need to be taken into consideration when strategies for entrepreneurship centres are created’ (p. 144). Several of the case studies also provide fascinating insight into the historical development of entrepreneurship centres, which are not a new phenomenon (Menzies, 2000). However, the relationship to the virtue-based nature of transformational entrepreneurship is not always clear in the case studies, which can tend to focus on economic rather than social purpose, in line with a lot of mainstream entrepreneurship research and debate (Hjorth, 2013; Mallett and Wapshott, 2015). Overall, however, this is an interesting collection of case studies, providing a good example of the value of fast turnaround, flexible publishing. This has allowed the timely publication of case studies of practical as well as academic relevance that engage in ongoing debates and innovations in the support and education of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs.