Series Editors’ Preface

The ISBE-Emerald Book Series aims to provide a platform for leading edge research that reflects themes of interest to contemporary entrepreneurship scholars. The volumes within the series are proposed and edited by established scholars within the international ISBE membership, and contributions are peer reviewed by experts in their respective fields.

The fourth volume in the series, Exploring Rural Enterprise: New perspectives on research, policy & practice, edited by Colette Henry and Gerard McElwee, draws together contemporary research contributions that seek to critically explore a range of issues relating to rural enterprise. Accordingly, the chapters in this volume consider the various iterations of rural enterprise noting the underpinning synergy of the rural context but exploring the diversity of how this is articulated. Within this overarching theme, the volume contributors explore topics which range across issues relating to networks, social exclusion, communities and gender. Thus, the chapters in this volume use conceptual frameworks which underpin generic entrepreneurial theory and practice but recognise that their articulation within the rural environment acts as a particular lens to offer a novel perspective upon these issues. As the volume editors offer their insightful critique, they draw our attention to the critical nature of rurality and its impact on entrepreneurship, thus furthering understanding in this area.

We are grateful to Colette Henry and Gerard McElwee and their author team for compiling this exciting fourth volume. We also appreciate the support provided by the teams at Emerald Publishing and ISBE’s London office in helping to promote this important series. In keeping with the objectives of series, this volume constitutes a body of peer reviewed contemporary research chapters that will engage our growing ISBE community globally. We look forward to presenting further texts within the series in the near future.

Colette Henry

Susan Marlow

(Editors – ISBE-Emerald Book Series)