The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to global economies, necessitating innovative solutions to reshape devastated financial landscapes. This chapter investigates the intricate and critical nature of these challenges and the pivotal role of entrepreneurship in mitigating their impact. The pandemic particularly threatened the survival of small-scale businesses, underscoring their vulnerability compared to larger firms. However, amidst adversity, it also spurred opportunities, especially in developing economies, where the focus shifted towards small ventures, start-ups, and harnessing local resources. Large enterprises grappled with supply chain disruptions, exacerbating the plight of entrepreneurs who faced cancelled or postponed orders, challenging their ability to meet operational costs and fulfil obligations to suppliers. Consequently, many were compelled to lay off skilled and semi-skilled employees, further fuelling entrepreneurial motivations. This led to the emergence of gig players, as businesses sought strategies to reduce costs. This chapter explores the symbiotic relationship between big and small entrepreneurs in revitalizing economies. Collaboration between these entities, along with gig players—freelancers, start-ups, supply chain actors, and local material providers—can partly fulfil the needs of larger enterprises. Moreover, shifting consumer preferences towards local, organic products are driving the evolution of local entrepreneurial ventures, particularly in rural areas, bolstering digital entrepreneurship. Employing a qualitative approach, this chapter synthesizes existing literature to elucidate the role of gig players in fostering entrepreneurial activity. It addresses key questions such as the identity and significance of gig players in economies, the disruptions precipitating their emergence, and their contributions to entrepreneurial ventures. Through comprehensive analysis, this chapter offers insights into navigating the challenges posed by the pandemic and leveraging opportunities for economic revitalization.

Entrepreneurship has been assumed as a major contribution to the economic development of countries, through the creation of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that produce goods and services for domestic consumption and export, generating jobs and public revenues. For this reason, entrepreneurship has attracted the attention of many researchers in academia to find better solutions that improve the contribution to the economy of countries. This study aims to describe the challenges that entrepreneurs face in the development of their activities. For its realization, a questionnaire survey about entrepreneurship was used, and 3,875 answers were considered valid. For data analysis, it was used correlation analysis, factor analysis, and regressions, as a way to respond to the proposed objectives. Entrepreneurs in Mozambique face several challenges, including financing, training, market, and government policy. These challenges were influenced by demographic factors such as education level and area of education. This research contributes to highlighting the importance of training in entrepreneurship, as it allows the improvement of the business management capacity, and the improvement of the financial knowledge of managers of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, which positively impacts the economic growth of the country. Therefore, it is expected that this study will influence decision-makers to create policies favorable to the development of entrepreneurship and the promotion of training in business areas, to improve the skills of entrepreneurs in Mozambique. The study had as limitations the weak adherence to the completion of the surveys, as well as the imbalance between the regions (north, center, and south). Also, this study was limited by the small number of available studies conducted in developing countries that would allow a comparison of the realities. Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Perceptions; Challenges; Training and Capacity.

The development of tourism villages is regarded as an avenue to accelerate national economic growth, by capitalizing on the potential and uniqueness of these villages to increase value added and enhance the economic welfare of the local community. Scholarly literature has acknowledged that through innovative and distinctive branding strategies, tourism villages have the capacity to undergo a transformative process, evolving from poverty-stricken communities into prosperous ones (Yang and Xu 2022; Zoto et al. 2013). However, it is important to acknowledge that not all tourism villages are equally successful in packaging tourism products, particularly in Indonesia, where they confront resource constraints in terms of human resources, natural endowments, and digital infrastructure. Consequently, these challenges hinder the ability of tourism villages to upgrade their economic status and narrow the development gap vis-à-vis urban centers.

The present chapter examines how entrepreneurial psychology and motivations drive the entrepreneurial process, specifically among MBA/PGDM students in India. Using qualitative interviews and MAXQDA analysis, it develops an Entrepreneurial Motivational Theory. Findings reveal key motivators such as flexibility, work-life balance, wealth creation, meaningful impact, and personal growth. The study highlights the unique cultural, societal, and economic factors influencing Indian students’ entrepreneurial decisions, offering insights into their motivations.

Examining entrepreneurial motivations is an increasingly prominent area of research in the international literature. Different studies have identified different results and motivational factors. Reviewing the relevant literature, there still needs to be a consensus among theorists on which intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors play a key role in becoming an entrepreneur. The chapter aims to map how the term “entrepreneurial motivation” appears in scientific publications and identify the authors, institutions and countries with a particularly high citation rate for this term. The ultimate objective of the authors is to identify networks or clusters of links between specific authors, institutions, and countries and, not least, to present results that will provide an accurate picture of the publication-authorship links in the international literature in this field.

Tourism is widely recognized as one of the most important sectors of economic activity worldwide. Scholars such as Ningrum and Roostika (2021) have found and concluded that the tourism sector combines several business activities that interact and complement each other in supporting the sustainable economic development of any country. However, Vukolic et al. (2022) pointed out that gastronomy tourism is one of the tourism subsectors contributing a significant share of global attention due to an increase in the number of travellers seeking to enjoy local gastronomic experiences. They added that gastronomic tourism helps the tourism destination of any country to differentiate itself from others and give it special importance and thematic potential. Some scholars have found a significant correlation between local gastronomy and tourist visits in supporting the economic development of other tourism subsectors (Santus et al. 2023; Manola and Koufadakis 2020).

Entrepreneurship is an essential process for the competitiveness and innovation of tourist regions, especially considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourist destinations (Long 2017). Since then, territories have been transforming and adapting, competing to attract the interest of businesses, entrepreneurs and investors looking for profitable regions. This increasing competitiveness and fluidity of tourism destinations has sparked a debate on entrepreneurial motivation as a new paradigm for tourism development.

The chapter continues previous endeavors of mapping Romania’s circular social entrepreneurial landscape, identifying the Romanian social entrepreneurs’ main motives for adopting circular business models. After mapping the circular social enterprises, a quantitative investigation was developed. Four main dimensions were considered: personal traits, values and attitudes, personal motives, and externally linked motives. Regarding individual characteristics, the most favorable ratings were attributed to vision achievement, perseverance, and proactivity. Conversely, the least favorable assessment was related to the tolerance for ambiguity. When considering values and attitudes, the highest ranking was egoistic passion, while the lowest was associated with a desire for public recognition. In the realm of personal motivations, the most significant values were observed in the need for flexibility and independence, closely followed by a desire for personal security and new financial resources. Intriguingly, external motivations displayed an even balance between social and environmental concerns. For active circular social entrepreneurs in Romania, the primary drivers are rooted in their values and attitudes, with personal motives playing a relatively minor role. Consequently, this study underscores an altruistic profile and an entrepreneurial commitment equally directed toward society and the environment.

The third mission of universities refers to the alignment of a higher education institutions with the concept of entrepreneurial university. By combining the other two missions, education and research, universities are called to capitalize on the research results developed in their laboratories and orient themselves towards the needs of society and market demands. Recently, there has been an increased interest from universities worldwide to engage in the third mission of entrepreneurship and economic development. Transitioning to an entrepreneurial university requires multifaceted engagement with the industry to transfer the technology developed in universities. Technological transfer is represented by direct research contracts with the industrial environment and transfer of innovative products and services, one way being academic spin-offs and start-ups (Ufuk and Kunday 2015).

Entrepreneurship is considered an engine for the economic growth of a country and a useful strategy to eradicate poverty (Thapa Karki and Xheneti 2018; Farzanegan 2014; Al Matroushi et al. 2020). Entrepreneurial activities are important to improve the economic well-being of a society (Mulawarman et al. 2020). Singh and Gaur (2018) assert that entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of a prosperous economy Also, in many regions, innovation and entrepreneurship are crucial for long-term growth and development (Wannamakok and Chang 2020). Entrepreneurship is a crucial engine for economic growth and provides a workable solution to many societal issues. Almos (2019) argued that entrepreneurship has the potential to empower individuals and serve as a strong catalyst for the creation of jobs, economic growth, innovation, structural change, and economic revival. Entrepreneurial activities help in converting novel ideas into business opportunities, the resurgence of social networks, new job creation, and increased productivity (Jha et al. 2018). Greve and Salaff (2003) defined an entrepreneur as “one who owns, launches, manages, and assumes the risks of economic ventures.” Similarly, Parrish (2010) argued that an effective business must maintain its operations while assisting in the sustainability of the larger socio-ecological system. Furthermore, a wider body of literature provides sufficient evidence that entrepreneurship is now crucial for job creation, innovation, and economic expansion.

Motivations, psychological and sociodemographic characteristics, and “hard and soft conditions” (Porfírio et al. 2016) emerge as the major factors that lead to entrepreneurial success, despite the distinctive diversity of skills associated with its potential. From the perspective of Santos (2008), entrepreneurial potential is a construction based on three dimensions: (1) realization, which is related to the recognition of opportunities, persistence, and effectiveness (Ramalho et al. 2022); (2) planning, which concerns the definition of objectives, search of information, and continuous and permanent control; and (3) power is identified through persuasiveness and relationship building. In addition, it also comprises a complementary dimension: the (entrepreneurial) intention, which is associated with the entrepreneurial desire (Asif 2022; Rehman et al. 2023; Souza et al. 2016; Valeri 2021). Moreover, according to Schlepphorst et al. (2020), intention can be influenced by a set of different motivations, which can trigger an effective behavior. Hence, entrepreneurial motivations are a determinant of entrepreneurial intention (Lang and Liu 2019). For instance, the study conducted by Asif (2022) explained that, for female, intention is a very important motivational force, as it impels them to achieve their long-term goals in an autonomous and stable way. In turn, authors such as Santos et al. (2013) point out four main differentiating characteristics of the entrepreneur, evidence that the literature has corroborated over the years: entrepreneurial motivations (Chell 2008; Hasan et al. 2021a), psychological skills (Marvel and Lumpkin 2007; Rodríguez 2022), social skills (Baron and Tang 2009; Klyver and Arenius 2020), and management skills (Asif 2022; Chell 2008).

This chapter reviews the concept of personal entrepreneurial competencies (PECs) and the role of university, especially quality of teaching (QoT) (based on education receivers’ perception), and the creation of PECs is empirically examined and evaluated. The aim of this chapter is to discover whether there is a relation between satisfaction with the QoT at universities and satisfaction with the creation of PECs. An additional value of this chapter is acquired knowledge about similarities and differences of view regarding acquisition of PECs and their importance in analyzed countries. In order to achieve the objective of this chapter, the study is directed at university students and graduates in China and Poland. The authors used a quantitative approach for the analysis including the Pearson correlation coefficient, the Shapiro-Wilk test and Kruskal-Wallis H test. Correlation analysis showed that there is a moderate positive relationship between the satisfaction with QoT and the satisfaction with the level of creation of PECs at the university in both Chinese and Polish scenarios. A Kruskal-Wallis H test showed that there was a statistically significant difference in the importance of acquiring competencies scores in information seeking, problem-solving skills, self-confidence, leadership skills, communicativeness, and persistence between the two countries while there was a statistically significant difference in the possibility of acquiring competencies scores in initiative, creativity and innovation, information seeking, problem solving skills, leadership skills, and communicativeness between Poland and China.

The aim of this chapter is to address the impact of formal and informal institutions on women’s entrepreneurship and to extend our understanding of issues influencing women-owned businesses and women’s entrepreneurship in the context of a transition economy, such as Georgia. Our work specifically addresses formal institutions, such as governmental initiatives, financial institutions, and business-relevant education. It also addresses informal institutions, such as women’s role in society, the use of informal networks of connections and acquaintances, and gift-giving practices. Drawing on results from an online focus group discussion with women entrepreneurs in Georgia, we provide initial insights into the critical constraints and supporting factors that local women entrepreneurs experience. Based on the interrelation of institutions and women’s entrepreneurship, we conclude that changes in formal institutions do not lead directly to changing informal institutions. Due to the lack of trust in formal institutions, women entrepreneurs are more likely to look for business development solutions outside the official frames, including illegal or unethical means of survival. Nevertheless, increased opportunities – induced by specific entrepreneurship policies and programs – encourage women to enter entrepreneurship. In addition to this, entrepreneurship enables women in Georgia to overcome gender discrimination issues, which is more prevalent in employment relationships in the local labor market than in entrepreneurial activities.

Understanding the contextual embeddedness of individuals’ mindsets is imperative for our understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship. Diverging mindset conceptualizations have, however, resulted in the fuzziness of mindset research. With this taxonomy, we provide not only a theoretical analysis of differences and similarities across mindset conceptualizations but also six conceptual dimensions for a taxonomy of mindsets, namely, (1) relevant root constructs to operationalize mindsets, (2) the nature of mindsets, (3) behavioral implications, (4) contextual embeddedness, (5) level of analysis, and (6) causal relation of mindsets to other phenomena of interests. Our dimensions represent a continuum of underlying conceptual assumptions and a framework for scholars to explore innovative and entrepreneurial behavior based on mindsets. Furthermore, we propose a theory-driven definition for the innovation mindset resembling the entrepreneurial mindset, and we offer future research avenues to better understand the potential of mindset-based research for inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship.

In light of growing social and environmental challenges, social entrepreneurship is emerging as a means of creating multiple values. The notion of addressing these challenges in an entrepreneurial way makes social entrepreneurship an attractive option for policy makers. As a result, efforts to foster social entrepreneurial ecosystems are emerging at various political levels and in different areas. To fully realize their potential, policies should be designed and targeted inclusively. Although research organizations and government institutions have generated several guidelines, there is relatively little methodological research on approaches and characteristics that enhance inclusive social entrepreneurial ecosystems at the local policy level. This chapter uses a multiple case study approach to examine policy approaches for promoting social entrepreneurship, both in general and in finance specifically. Four key characteristics for policymaking in social entrepreneurial ecosystems are ultimately identified.

The fact that this was stated more than two decades ago data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor or national monitors show that not much has substantially changed since then. Women’s participation in entrepreneurial activity remains relatively low compared to that of men in most western capitalist countries. Taking intersectionality (i.e., race, age, and sexual orientation) into account, those proportions get sharper. These developments or rather nondevelopments happen despite the fact that entrepreneurial activity has, for a very long time, been translated into economic growth, disruptive innovations, and personal self-fulfillment. And whereas these examples represent different levels of analysis, which are macro-, meso-, and individual levels, it is difficult to treat them separately.

This chapter aims to look at the concept of inclusive entrepreneurship through the lens of architecture. Using the typology of coworking spaces as an exemplary case, it aims to contribute to a broader discussion on the relationship between space and gender. The focus of this essay is on coworking spaces. Coworking spaces have developed an image of serving as hubs for emerging startups, entrepreneurs, and freelancers. As previous chapters in this book have shown, both the concept of entrepreneurship and the person of an entrepreneur underlie rules dominated by masculinity. This raises the question to what extent or under what circumstances these spaces such as coworking spaces appear to be inclusive and provide equal opportunities for a diverse range of entrepreneurs.

Creating equal opportunities for people regardless of their social group or background is an important aspect for creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive society. Fostering inclusive entrepreneurship will tackle the challenges for social groups who continue to face challenges in the labor market and are under-represented or disadvantaged in entrepreneurship. One of these groups are seniors. These older people can still contribute economically through their experience and business knowledge, which will bring valuable impetus to markets for the national economies as well as on the European internal market.

Migrant entrepreneurs foster innovation, diversity, equity, and inclusion whilst facing legal and socio-economic challenges in their country of residence – the so-called inclusivity tax. This chapter aims to establish migrant entrepreneurs in the public discussion as drivers of inclusion in their local ecosystem whilst highlighting the history and current challenges through 11 qualitative interviews conducted in Germany. Using a mixed-data approach, we invite new views on migrant business makers. We plea for a narrative change to regard migrant entrepreneurs as raw models for inclusive venturing activities to adapt their knowledge, experience, and way of running businesses inclusively and transfer their approaches to the entrepreneurial ecosystems. This contribution suggests entrepreneurial ecosystems become more inviting for all groups of entrepreneurs, starting by revisiting all kinds of entrepreneurs and regarding them as equal and enriching entities for local business making.

You need to be more visible. You need to be louder. You need to be more assertive. You need to be more confident. You should not be interrupted. You must not sell yourself short. You must not speak too softly. You must not let yourself be overshadowed. You must not be vulnerable. You must be friendly, but not too friendly.: The individualized empowerment rhetoric imposed on female entrepreneurs is a neoliberal distraction strategy that shifts the focus off structural gender inequalities by playing back the responsibility to aspiring women entrepreneurs to fix a system that was not designed for them.

While extant studies on entrepreneurial education (EE) highlighted the importance of EE for fostering the entrepreneurial mindset (EM) change (Pittaway L, Cope J, Int Small Bus J, 25(5):479–510, 2007; Naia A, Baptista R, Januário C, Trigo V, Ind High Educ, 28:79–96, 2014; Nabi G, Liñán F, Fayolle A, Krueger N, Walmsley A, Acad Manag Learn Educ, 16(2):277–299, 2017; Fayolle A. (ed) A research agenda for entrepreneurship education. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018), many studies failed to provide quantitative data to actually prove the visible impact of EE on EM at the individual level. In this study, we seek to provide an evidence for how an interdisciplinary EE impacts the individual’s entrepreneurial mindset. We do this by experimenting with a tool that originally stems from tracking the open innovation mindset and is adapted to measuring changes of individual entrepreneurial mindset. More specifically, we investigate what entrepreneurial mindset changes can actually measure.

This research investigates intersectional inequality and its influence on students’ attitudes towards entrepreneurship. The overarching question of this research interest is: “To what extent is the intention to start a business influenced by intersectional inequality?” We conducted a qualitative study with a multi-level approach of an intersectionality analysis according to Winker and Degele (Intersektionalität. Zur Analyse sozialer Ungleichheit. transcript, Bielefeld, 2010). This praxeological intersectionality approach considers three levels of investigation: societal structures including institutions (macro level), interactively produced processes of identity formation (micro level), and cultural symbols (representation level). The results are derived from qualitative narrative interviews and their analysis, using open coding (inductive) as set forth in the grounded theory framework. The results provide evidence of hidden discrimination when it comes to accessing support for starting a business at universities. The results can be condensed into recommendations for action, so instruments can be developed that promote equal opportunities for potential entrepreneurs in tertiary education and, more broadly, in society. The survey was subject to an intersectional multi-level analysis and considers aspects that go beyond the gender perspective. This is a novel approach in entrepreneurship research. This study aims to find out how to sensitize students who were previously skeptical about starting a business to the topic of entrepreneurship.

Financing a startup is one of the greatest challenges for founders – as startups focus on fast growth rather than on break-even in their first years, they need external funds to survive. On the other hand, today more so than in the past decades, money is the most influential change driver. In order to raise startup ecosystems’ diversity, addressing the investment angle is one of the biggest levers – investing can create opportunities to build a better world when done wisely.