Preface
This two-volume set takes an ambitious agenda by seeking to provide a holis-
tic source of information to scholars, students, practitioners, and policy mak-
ers interested in understanding the behavior and decision-making of owners
and managers of small businesses; the operational and strategic challenges
they face and the strategies they implement in response to them; the environ-
mental constraints on their businesses’ ability to emerge, grow, and survive;
and the role their businesses play in the larger economy. As idiosyncratic as
the small businesses that they investigate, the chapters in this set represent
an intentionally eclectic mix of styles, approaches, and contexts in the hopes
of triangulating on what is known about the challenges and opportunities
faced by would-be and practicing small business owners and managers. As
the chapter authors include leading small business researchers from across the
globe, each topic is explored in rigorous, scholarly fashion; thus, due atten-
tion is given to breadth and depth.
The two volumes view small business through distinct lenses. Volume 1
takes a somewhat microview of the small business phenomenon, focusing
mainly on the small business owner. To set the stage for the chapters to fol-
low, this volume begins by assessing the impact of the small business sector on
the economic landscape. With the importance of small business established,
this volume then proceeds to analyze issues pertaining to the creation and
ownership of small businesses of various types. In so doing, it seeks to answer
such questions as why and how do individuals seek to start small businesses
and how is this decision influenced by characteristics of the owner(s)? This
volume then investigates how, once the decision is made to start a small
business, the focal opportunity is identified and exploited. Broad questions
answered in this vein of research include: how do would-be small business
owners navigate their environments in the pursuit of the resources needed
to create their businesses, and how does the timing of those actions matter?
