BOOK TIPS | Entrepreneurship and poverty

Can entrepreneurship be a way out of poverty? In the book Poverty, Disadvantage, and the Promise of Enterprise, professors Michael H. Morris and Susana C. Santos explore the link between poverty and entrepreneurship. Despite the many constraints faced by poor small business owners, such as lack of resources and support, the book also shows how entrepreneurship can improve people’s quality of life.

“Commodity trap” is a concept in the book that deals with how small businesses get stuck in low profitability. The authors discuss strategies to avoid this, and also analyze the fear of failure, the role of religion in entrepreneurship, and the importance of community-based entrepreneurial ecosystems.

The book is aimed at researchers, policy makers and practitioners working at the intersection of entrepreneurship and social development. It highlights concrete knowledge on how entrepreneurship can be used as a tool for human development, rather than just economic profit.