Most leadership research has been undertaken in corporate contexts and little attention has been given to leadership development in entrepreneurial and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This book argues that the study of entrepreneurs as leaders is a gap in both the leadership and the entrepreneurship literatures. The impact of leaders is a crucial factor in the success or failure of smaller entrepreneurial firms and has implications for our understanding of new venture viability and growth.

Featuring conceptual and empirical chapters from a wide range of cultures and entrepreneurship and leadership ecosystems, this Research Handbook is the first of its kind to present a systematic overview of the entrepreneurial leadership field, providing a state-of-the-art perspective and highlighting unanswered questions and opportunities for further research. It consolidates existing theory development, stimulates new conceptual thinking and includes path-breaking empirical explorations.

With its international perspective illustrating the practice of entrepreneurial leadership in a wide range of organizational contexts, the Research Handbook on Entrepreneurship and Leadership offers an essential reference to students and researchers in entrepreneurship and leadership alike.

Contributors: A. Bagheri, S. Barnes, R.G. Bell, M. Brännback, A. Carsrud, M.-H. Chen, M.H. Cone, J. Croad, A. Gibb, E. Hamilton, P. Harrison, R. Harrison, G. Haskins, O.M. Hatem, S. Kempster, D.F. Kuratko, C. Leitch, A. Lincoln, M. McAdam, S. Mueller, Z.A.L. Pihie, D. Rae, M. Renko, M.A. Roomi, A. Röschke, L. Schjoedt, C. Skaveniti, R. Smith, S. Smith, V. Stead, V. Tzoumpa, V.S. Valencia, T. Volery, J.L. Whittington, H. Zhang