Abstract
Transformational Entrepreneurship is an edited book that aims to investigate the transformational potential of opportunity identification and entrepreneurial activity in addressing significant economic and social challenges. It explores some of the ambiguities and potential tensions in what is still a relatively new and emerging field, integrating what the editors term ‘social and sustainable forms of innovation’ (p. 14) and its potential links to social activism. The book therefore seeks to demonstrate that ‘transformational entrepreneurship is more than a buzz word but a significant sub-topic within the general entrepreneurship and sociology literature’ (p. 200). This review will set out a general overview of how the editors and collected authors have succeeded in achieving this aim.
The book opens with a preface by Saurav Pathak that defines transformational entrepreneurship as ‘that form of entrepreneurship that seeks to maximize both economic impact alongside long-term societal impact’ (p. ix). The collection of research chapters that follows are bookended by an introduction and conclusion by editors Ratten and Jones. These sections set out, respectively, a background and a future for transformational entrepreneurship. The introduction establishes the interdisciplinary nature of transformational entrepreneurship and details the ways in which this form of activity can bring about change (both change that might be viewed as ‘positive’ and as ‘negative’). The conclusion sets out what Ratten and Jones see as the future for transformational entrepreneurship, arguing for the need for more multilevel research and studies of the resources needed to secure more transformational impacts.
There are 10 content chapters featuring an impressively international range of contexts and authors who explore transformational entrepreneurship in relation to a variety of challenges, the majority through analysis of detailed case studies. National contexts include, for example, Portugal, Columbia, Australia, Tunisia, America and China. This variety is important for drawing out the importance of context and, across the book, beginning to draw out some comparative insights. For example, several chapters identify interesting cultural impacts that may be important in shaping differences in entrepreneurial attitudes and outcomes. Also important is the range of industries discussed, including agriculture, tourism, mining and sport. For example, the focus on the informal car and car parts industry on the border of Poland and Germany in a chapter by David and Terstriep supports a fascinating and nuanced analysis of informal ethnic entrepreneurship. This maximizes the strengths of an edited book where additional insight can be gained from reading across the different chapters.
The chapters address both economic and social impacts but the emphasis overall is, valuably, on the latter. This includes, for example, impacts in response to the challenges facing ethnic minorities and women entrepreneurs as well as more general issues such as those relating to corporate social responsibility and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Several chapters draw out the importance of communities while others highlight factors such as religion that are too often downplayed in studies of entrepreneurship. For example, the chapter by Omri studies ‘the effects of Islamic religious capital on entrepreneurial creativity and innovative behavior in the workplace’ (p. 117). Again, the variation of focal points for different chapters and the detail in much of the analysis helps to develop the apparent potential for considerations of transformational entrepreneurship and the value of the book as a whole.
Overall, this book is therefore successful in developing the concept of transformational entrepreneurship and its potential for economic and societal impact. It demonstrates compelling ways in which wider societal impacts can be achieved and is suggestive of future avenues for further development. A weakness or limitation of the book is that some chapters fail to fully explore the implications of their findings which may have helped to fully draw out the potential of the overall contribution and cross-chapter comparative insights. Nonetheless, the book achieves its aims in gathering together a fascinating collection of chapters that highlight the importance of transformational entrepreneurship and, further, of understanding the networks through which entrepreneurs operate and the embedded nature of entrepreneurial activities and their implications. This book makes a valuable contribution to these ongoing debates.