The entrepreneurial function has long been overlooked both by economists and business theorists, though courses in entrepreneurship are increasingly popular in business schools. Bhide (Harvard Business Sch.) draws on both of those disciplines for theory, which he then extends through the analysis of data from 100 interviews with leaders of high-growth companies. This groundbreaking work shows the complementary roles held by innovative startup companies in areas with high uncertainty and little financial investment and by more established companies, which focus on large-scale projects with more certain payoffs. The characteristics of promising startups and their founders are carefully outlined and contrasted with those of more established firms, and Bhide explains why so few firms make the transition from successful startup to ongoing large enterprise. Offering a wealth of avenues for future research as well as insights for potential entrepreneurs, this book is sure to be cited for years to come.--A.J. Sobczak, Covina, CA Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information