The Political Economy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship: From Theories to Practice - Hardcover

'This book provides a broad introduction to economic and sociological innovation and entrepreneurship theory. If you are looking for a book that presents modern innovation theories and their historical predecessors - from Say to Nelson and Winter, from Weber to Putnam - whilst discussing their relative explanatory power, this is it.' Jon Sundbo, Roskilde University, Denmark

This book offers a general theoretical framework for approaching innovation and entrepreneurship, using practical and up-to-date examples to demonstrate three different levels of innovation and entrepreneurship: the macro-level, which concerns the impact of innovation activity on economic growth and production systems; the meso-level, which concerns the relations between firms, research institutes and governmental bodies and their role in innovation activity; and the micro-level, which concerns the dynamics of innovations within firms and organisations. Providing a critical overview of existing research and demonstrating the importance of a transdisciplinary framework for studies of innovation and entrepreneurship, the author advances a general concept of ’collective entrepreneurship’ that emphasises the social and collaborative nature of innovation and entrepreneurship, thus shedding light on processes of innovation and entrepreneurship as active practices of social construction. As such, it will appeal to scholars of economic sociology, political science, economic geography and economists, as well as those with interests in innovation policy.