Cover -- Contents -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter by Chapter Synopsis -- Part 1: The Concepts of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Systems of Innovation -- 1 The Concept of Innovation and Entrepreneurship -- Definitions and Types of Innovations -- Entrepreneurship and Innovation -- Schumpeter's Evolutionary Economic Theory -- A Sociological Approach -- Definitions of Entrepreneurship -- 2 Innovation as a Strategy and a Competitive Advantage -- Principles and Practices of Innovation -- Innovation as a Competitive Advantage -- Individual and Organizational Innovation -- 3 The Concept and the Characteristics of 'Systems of Innovation' -- The Concept of 'Systems of Innovation' -- Historical Roots of Innovation Systems -- Current Approaches to Innovation Systems -- Characteristics of the Systems of Innovation -- Part 1: References/Bibliography -- Part 2: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and the Evolution of Competition -- 4 Characteristics of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises -- Types and Definitions of SMEs -- The Characteristics of an SME -- Management and Organizational Structure of SMEs -- 5 The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise and the Entrepreneur -- The Role of the Entrepreneur/Owner/Manager -- Entrepreneurial Competencies and Competitiveness -- Constraints on the Survival and Growth of SMEs -- Business Constraints of SMEs -- 6 Ethnic and Female Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners -- Ethnic Entrepreneurship -- Starting up an Ethnic Minority Small Business -- A Combination of Push and Pull Towards Self-Employment -- Female Entrepreneurs -- Need for More Research and Support -- 7 Business Networks, Strategic Alliances, Open Innovation and the SME -- World Wide Web and the SME -- The Evolution and Internationalization of Competition -- Business Networks and Strategic Alliances.

Small Firms Networks -- Hoffmann and Schlosser's Strategic Alliance Theory -- The Open Innovation Paradigm -- 8 Tacit Knowledge and Emotional Intelligence -- the Intangible Values of SMEs -- The Creative and Innovative Power of the Human Mind -- Entrepreneurs, Innovation and SMEs -- The Role and Personality of the Entrepreneur -- Tacit Knowledge -- Emotional Intelligence -- A Model Towards Augmenting an SME's Value -- Part 2: References/Bibliography -- Part 3: Business Clusters, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Innovation -- 9 The Concept of Business Clusters and their Life Cycle -- Geographical Proximity -- The Genesis of Industrial Districts -- The Californian School -- Business Clusters: Competition and Co-operation -- Regional Innovation System -- The Life Cycle of Clusters -- 10 Business Clusters, SMEs, Innovation and Competitiveness -- The Importance and the Role of SMEs Within Clusters -- Principles and Characteristics of Business Clusters -- Competitive Advantages for SMEs -- Enhancing Innovation Through Clusters -- The 'Third Italy' and the Prato Cluster -- Innovative Capabilities Within Clusters -- The Central Role of Learning and Knowledge -- The Silicon Valley Cluster -- 11 A Two Dimensional Model of Innovation and Business Clustering -- Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Business Clustering -- The Two-Dimensional Model of Innovation and Business Clustering -- Instead of an Epilogue -- Part 3: References/Bibliography -- Index.