A new book on entrepreneurship examines how adopting an entrepreneurial mindset can be a catalyst for success
Members of the Strathclyde community attended the launch of “Entrepreneurial Thinking: Mindset in Action" at the Technology and Innovation Centre on Thursday 18th April. The authors, Dr Lucrezia Casulli and Dr Suzanne Mawson, from the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Innovation, unveiled the textbook designed to reshape the conventional views of entrepreneurship, emphasising its value as a mindset for achieving success.
The book delves into the essence of entrepreneurship, presenting it as not just a pathway to business creation but as a comprehensive set of skills, competencies, and behaviours crucial for generating innovative ideas and creating value.
Dr Lucrezia Casulli said:
The hope is that our book will challenge readers to look beyond standard narratives of ‘heroic’ entrepreneurial individuals, to identify how you can become a creator of value in our volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world.
The event, attended by Strathclyde’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Jim McDonald, and Associate Principal Professor Jill MacBryde among others, highlighted that Strathclyde is committed to cultivating entrepreneurial thinking as a cornerstone of both employability and essential life skills. This commitment not only enhances academic offerings but also solidifies Strathclyde’s reputation as a leading entrepreneurial campus that nurtures future-ready, innovative thinkers who are equipped to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
This concept of entrepreneurship as a mindset is the foundation of the University’s entrepreneurship strategy and drives its sector-leading Entrepreneurship for All (E4A) approach, which ensures that every student, irrespective of their field of study, has the opportunity to develop their entrepreneurial skills.
The University’s inaugural E4A opportunity is the Exploring Entrepreneurship Challenge (EEC) - an annual entrepreneurial training programme that encourages students from all faculties and levels of study to explore entrepreneurship, develop an entrepreneurial mindset, and enhance their employability.
Committed to transforming the curriculum to embed entrepreneurship, the University is now creating a 10-credit module “Exploring Entrepreneurial Thinking” that will be offered as an elective to all students at Strathclyde in the 24/25 academic year, with the book being used as a base for the module.
Professor Jill McBryde said:
This new book is another example of how Strathclyde is leading the way in entrepreneurial education, firmly aligning with its mission of developing the entrepreneurial mindsets of every student, staff member and alumnus of the University.
"Entrepreneurial Thinking" is now available from Sage. It stands as a beacon for educators, students, professionals, and anyone eager to embrace an entrepreneurial approach to life's challenges. Use code UKBMAN30 for 30% off.
About the Authors
Dr Suzanne Mawson is a Reader in Entrepreneurship at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Innovation. Her research centres around how entrepreneurs think, make decisions and act in pursuit of developing and growing their businesses, as well as how such growth-oriented individuals can be supported through policy interventions and training.
Dr Lucrezia Casulli is a Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Innovation. Her areas of interest are firmly in the area of entrepreneurial cognition and mindset as antecedents to individual and team-level behaviour. She has also authored a series of research and evaluation reports for Scottish Enterprise and Scottish EDGE, which have helped develop ecosystem support for both start-ups and internationally growing firms.