Editors:
Prof. Robert Opoku, Donald School of Business, Red Deer Polytechnic, Canada
Prof. Samuel Adomako, Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham, UK
Prof. Léo-Paul Dana, VIZJA University, Warsaw, Poland
Prof. Rosemond Boohene, School of Business, University of Cape Coast, Ghana
Submission Deadline: 31 October, 2026
Please note that each contributor may submit only one article for inclusion in this book.
About the Book
The Contemporary Issues in Entrepreneurship: Trends, Issues, and Strategies provides a timely and holistic examination of the dynamic forces reshaping entrepreneurship in the 21st century. This edited volume brings together leading and emerging scholars from across disciplines to address both enduring and newly emerging questions in entrepreneurial research and practice. Its distinctiveness lies not only in the scope and depth of its coverage but in its integrative perspective, which connects digital transformation, sustainability, cross-cultural dynamics, social inclusion, well-being, and geopolitics into a coherent narrative on the redefinition of entrepreneurship. This volume argues that contemporary entrepreneurship is fundamentally characterized by its navigation of interconnected global systems—technological, environmental, social, and political. The structure of the six thematic sections centralizes this argument by demonstrating how these forces collectively shape entrepreneurial action.
The first two themes establish the foundational contexts of technological and environmental systems. Theme 1, Digital and Platform-Enabled Entrepreneurship, explores how AI, big data, digital ecosystems, and fintech innovations are transforming how entrepreneurs identify opportunities, scale ventures, and access funding. This responds to a growing body of literature on digital entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ecosystems. This technological context is immediately paired with the pressing environmental and social imperatives of our time. Theme 2, Sustainability and Grand Challenge Entrepreneurship, examines how entrepreneurs engage with global issues such as climate change and inequality, aligning with debates on the role of entrepreneurial action in addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The inclusion of systems thinking and emerging governance models like B Corps reflects a turn toward hybrid, purpose-driven enterprise forms.
Building on these foundations, the volume then explores the social and human dimensions of this new entrepreneurial landscape. Theme 3, Global and Cross-Cultural Entrepreneurship, addresses the realities of international market entry, cultural intelligence, diaspora networks, and the rapid rise of entrepreneurial activity in emerging markets. This resonates with calls for contextualized and globally inclusive research. This global perspective is deepened by a specific focus on equity and inclusion. Theme 4, Social and Inclusive Entrepreneurship, focuses on entrepreneurial responses to social exclusion, poverty alleviation, gender equity, and hybrid business models that prioritize both profit and purpose. It contributes to the growing intersection of entrepreneurship and social innovation studies.
The final two themes address the critical, often overlooked, internal and external pressures that result from operating within these complex, interconnected systems. Theme 5, Entrepreneur Well-being and Work Ethic, critically interrogates the psychological and emotional dimensions of entrepreneurial life. This includes discussions on burnout, the normalization of “hustle culture,” and the role of institutional support systems, responding to increasing scholarly attention on mental health and sustainable work practices in entrepreneurship. This focus on the internal toll finds its counterpart in the macro-level forces that constrain and shape strategy. Theme 6, Geopolitics and Entrepreneurial Strategy, introduces a rarely addressed but increasingly urgent dimension of entrepreneurship: how geopolitical instability, regulatory fragmentation, and ideological shifts affect entrepreneurial behavior, supply chains, and innovation. This theme positions entrepreneurship research at the intersection of global political economy and strategic management, contributing to emerging conversations on the geostrategic orientation of firms.
Collectively, the volume engages with several important scholarly debates that cut across these thematic boundaries: the balance between opportunity- and necessity-driven entrepreneurship in resource-constrained environments; the trade-offs between social impact and financial viability; the role of institutional voids and informal ecosystems in shaping entrepreneurial action; and the effects of macro-level geopolitical shifts on micro-level entrepreneurial strategy. The unification of these diverse but interconnected perspectives advances a forward-looking, interdisciplinary agenda for entrepreneurship research. The book aims to serve as a foundational resource for academics, doctoral researchers, and policymakers seeking to understand how entrepreneurship is being redefined in an era of digital disruption, environmental urgency, societal transformation, and geopolitical flux.
Illustrative topics
The editors do not have any methodological preference. Chapters submitted to this call will undergo a rigorous peer review procedure. We invite theoretical, historical, and policy-oriented contributions from different traditions in business and management that advance the state of knowledge on entrepreneurship.
- AI and Big Data in Entrepreneurial Decision-Making
- Digital Platforms, and entrepreneurship
- Fintech, Crowdfunding, and Digital Access to Capital
- Cybersecurity and Ethical Data Use in entrepreneurship
- Sustainability, Grand Challenges, and Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurship and the UN SDGs
- Sustainable entrepreneurship
- Responsible entrepreneurship
- New ventures, market Entry and internationalization Strategy
- Diaspora and Transnational Entrepreneurial Networks
- Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets
- Social entrepreneurship
- Inclusive Entrepreneurship
- Social Ventures and Bottom-of-the-Pyramid Innovation
- Social innovation and entrepreneurship in the global south
- Gender and Inclusive Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurship, Hybrid Business Models and Impact Scaling
- Geopolitical Strategy and entrepreneurial wellbeing
- Entrepreneurial Hustle and Work-Life Balance
- Geopolitics, and Entrepreneurial Strategy
- Technological Decoupling and entrepreneurship
- Friendshoring, and Strategic entrepreneurship
- Geopolitics and Family Business Management
Note: The book chapter will comprise the following parts and each chapter will follow the following structure/topics:
- Introduction/Definitions
- Critical Issues and Topics
- Current Contributions and Research
- Main Research Methods
- Discussion
- Recommendations for Practice
Each chapter will be between 4,000 to 6,000 words including Tables, Figures and References
Paper Submission Schedule:
Full chapter submission deadline: October 31, 2026
Questions concerning and submissions may be addressed to all the editors of the book. Manuscripts should be submitted to any of the editors below:
Prof. Robert Opoku, Donald School of Business, Red Deer Polytechnic, Canada, Email: /
Prof. Samuel Adomako, University of Birmingham, UK. Email:
Prof. Léo-Paul Dana, VIZJA University, Warsaw, Poland, Email:
Prof. Rosemond Boohene, School of Business, University of Cape Coast, Ghana; Email:
Short Biography:
Robert Opoku is a marketing professor with teaching and consulting experience across four continents. He has worked on projects with major firms including Unilever and Henkel and consulted for multinational consumer and petrochemical companies. He has previously held leadership roles, including Chair of Business Programs and Interim Director of Institutional Research at Red Deer Polytechnic, Canada. He has also held academic positions at institutions such as King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (Saudi Arabia), the University of Ghana, and GIMPA Business School, Ghana; and served as an adjunct professor at MacEwan University (Canada) and Burman University (Canada). His research spans online branding, consumer behaviour, and entrepreneurial intentions in emerging economies, published in top journals like Tourism Management, Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Business Research, Management International Review and Journal of International Management. Robert serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship and African Journal of Economic and Management Studies. He is also a marketing division co-chair of Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) and vice president of membership of International Academy of African Business and Development (IAABD).
Samuel Adomako is Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Birmingham, UK and Professor Extraordinaire, University of South Africa, South Africa. He has held teaching and research positions at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and the University of Bradford, UK. His research has appeared in leading journals, including Research Policy, Journal of Management Studies, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, The Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Product Innovation Management, British Journal of Management, and many others. Professor Adomako is a co-editor of the following books: Corporate Sustainability in Africa: Responsible Leadership, Opportunities, and Challenges by Palgrave Macmillan, Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Africa by Routledge, and Stakeholder Management, Entrepreneurship in Africa by Routledge, and Technology Entrepreneurship in Africa by Routledge. Professor Adomako has edited many special issues in leading journals, such as Journal of International Management, Long Range Planning, Management International Review, Journal of Business Research, and Technovation. He is an Associate Editor of Business Strategy and the Environment. He received his PhD from the University of Warwick. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK.
Léo-Paul Dana is Professor at VIZJA University, Warsaw, Poland. A graduate of McGill University, he has served as Marie Curie Fellow at Princeton University and Visiting Professor at INSEAD, France and at Kingston University, UK. He has published extensively in a variety of journals including Entrepreneurship: Theory & Practice, International Business Review, International Small Business Journal, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Small Business Management, Journal of World Business, Small Business Economics, and Technological Forecasting & Social Change.
Rosemond A. Boohene Professor of Entrepreneurship and Small Enterprise Development. She has 28 years’ experience in higher education and holds a PhD with specialisation in Entrepreneurship and Small Enterprise Development from the University of New England, Australia, PDipCom and MCom (Accounting) from the University of Otago, New Zealand, BCom (Hons) and Dip. Ed. from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana and a Diploma in Small Enterprise Development, Galilee College, Israel. Her research interests include small enterprise development, entrepreneurial orientation, strategy in small firms, women in small businesses and entrepreneurship education. She has also worked on internationally funded projects on business incubation and small enterprises in the e-waste sector as part of promoting circular economy in small enterprises. She served as a reviewer for the flagship Journal of the Business School at the University of Cape Coast had also published in Journals such as Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, Benchmarking and Journal of the Knowledge Economy.
