During the next 15 years, 40 million jobs need to be created each year in order to keep pace with population growth and foster greater participation of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in a globally integrated economy. Our paper proposes a new theory that integrates the sustainable use of natural resources, better use of produced capital, and further investment in human capital. Our new theory, Humane Entrepreneurship (HumEnt), encompasses three key research domains: Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and Human Resource Management. The HumEnt theory presents a new perspective on how to create 40 million quality jobs each year and helps address global challenges.

This paper proposes a new theory called Humane Entrepreneurship (HumEnt) and identifies areas for future development of knowledge. The new theory integrates in the Entrepreneurial Strategic Posture (ESP) three different concepts: Entrepreneurial Orientation, Sustainable Orientation, and Humane Resource Orientation. From this perspective, HumEnt theory can be considered an extension of previous research but with a new model for consideration. The components of the HumEnt theory and their relationships are outlined in an initial panel of propositions. HumEnt theory can help address the challenges present in creating a more sustainable world. Finally, a research agenda and questions are presented for future consideration.

In recent years, the increasingly popular topic of economic entrepreneurship has included a concern with entrepreneurial innovation in the not-for-profit sector. It seems to us that this sort of entrepreneurship is not yet generally or fully understood. For example, a New York Times op-ed piece by Nicholas Kristof ( 2008) offers examples of social entrepreneurship. We question whether some of these examples really represent social entrepreneurship: Andrew Klaber's charitable foundation covers the school expenses of children orphaned by AIDS, while Jennifer Staple's organization collects old reading glasses in the U.S. and ships them to poor countries.These are, of course, inspiring examples of young people who have created charities that have done a great deal of good, but they are not examples of entrepreneurship, let alone social entrepreneurship. A central reason is the fact that neither is truly innovative. Many charitable organizations, such as Orphans Against AIDS, provide educational assistance to such children; Save the Children is a wellknown, long-standing example of this work. As for the mission of Staple's Unite for Sight, the Lions Club International has been collecting eyeglasses and distributing them to the poor for many years. One might argue that Kristof 's examples are innovative because they are Internet-based, but both of the much older charities we mentioned also have extensive Internet sites.