The chapter discussces the low participation of Swedish women inventors in new technology appropriation activities and the mechanisms that impact on their opportunities to benefit from their creative endevours.

The two topics highlighted in this volume, entrepreneurship and co-operatives, and education within these fields, may be regarded as essentially disparate themes. However, looking more closely it is apparent that these have some interesting intersections. The main focus relates to innovation and entrepreneurship among co-operatives, the public sector, and the private sector

This work is a product of the collaboration between Södertörn University in Stockholm, Sweden, and Moshi Co-operative University in Moshi, Tanzania. In both countries we aim to understand, how enterprises with different ownership forms and other kinds of state and private organizations contribute to economic growth or decline. The volume is an overview of research about entrepreneurship and co-operatives but also of education in these areas. The intention is to contribute to the promotion of research on these topics in both countries and enhance future collaboration between the two Universities.

This book seeks to understand how society and businesses are affected by, and respond to, the coronavirus crisis in various parts of the world. The volume explores: new CSR perspectives given the pandemic situation; SME perspectives and responsibility during the early stages of the pandemic; how large companies responded to the crisis; the challenges and opportunities provided by the use of digital technologies; and how leaders, entrepreneurs and individuals manage in uncertain times.

Pulling together conceptual and empirical studies from Spain, Mexico, Sweden, Nigeria, Ghana and Kuwait , the book offers a truly international  perspective as it examines how the pandemic has challenged a number of existing CSR assumptions, concepts and practices. It will be valuable reading for academics working in the fields of management, CSR, sustainability and crisis management.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed serious challenges to businesses across the globe. However, the effects of pandemic on businesses vary widely across nations, regions, and industries. Some businesses are being pushed into liquidation and bankruptcy while others are struggling to maintain operational continuity. Yet others are forced to repurpose their expertise and resources in order to meet a sudden upsurge in the demand for their products and services. Likewise, there is a variation in the understandings and responses of entrepreneurs to the COVID-19 crisis. Our case study illustrates these variations. Using a multiple case study, we explore the perceptions, strategic responses, and managerial practices of Swedish SMEs during the COVID-19 crisis. The aim is to gain some insight into how SMEs manage the COVID-19 pandemic from both economic and CSR perspectives. The results indicate that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is related to the state of the industry in which the case companies are located, and the pre-crisis status of the companies. The perceptions of the entrepreneurs also differ. Some entrepreneurs perceive the crisis as a threat to their business while others see opportunities for innovation. These perceptions are likely to guide the strategic choices and managerial practices of the entrepreneurs. Digitalization is a common denominator with regard to social responsibility. However, the primary focus is on socially responsible practices for the health and safety of employees.

In this introductory chapter we discuss what happens to corporate social responsibility during the COVID-19 crisis. Specifically, we consider how organisations responded to the pandemic and the implications of such organisational responses for corporate social responsibility (CSR) research and practice. We then describe the nine chapters included in the book and finally reflect on these new arrangements between businesses and society.

A wide range of policy and practical initiatives aimed at improving the engagement and performance in CSR in SMEs have been initiated at all levels of society. A central issue is to what extent and how SMEs may be engaged in CSR initiatives. This chapter discusses CSR in Swedish SMEs, more specifically how successful migrant entrepreneurs (SUME) can be engaged in initiatives facilitating the labor market integration of new migrants. The CSR perceptions, motives, and priorities of SUME in participating in initiatives that address broader social issues are explored.

Cross-sector collaboration has become a prominent feature of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in business organizations. In the past few years in Sweden, for example, a wide range of policies, programs, and projects have been initiated to facilitate the labor market integration of new migrants. A common feature of these projects is cross-sector collaboration between the private sector, the public sector, and civil society (nonprofit organizations). However, the phenomena is not yet well understood. Why are cross-sector CSR initiatives increasing? How are they organized? What are the sources of values? What factors influence cross-sector collaborations? How are cross-sector collaborations evaluated? Our main concern in this paper is how tri-sector CSR collaborations are initiated, implemented, and create values for various stakeholders. Furthermore, we explore the factors that influence the effectiveness of tri-sector collaborative efforts. The objective is to contribute to our understanding of the 20 conditions for cross-sector collaboration in addressing social issues. Understanding tri-sector collaboration is important because these have the potential to generate transformative values for individuals and society