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This research examined the effects of entrepreneurial networking, operationalised as network isomorphism and network social capital, on the sustainable growth of small enterprises and the role of innovation in the hypothesised relationship.

The study employed a survey design and the questionnaire method to collect data from 319 small enterprises which were selected via quota sampling from the membership lists of the Association of Ghana Industries and the Ghana Enterprises Agency. Data were analysed using the covariance-based structural equation modelling (CV SEM-Amos) technique.

The study found that most small enterprises participate in business networks, followed by social and political networks. Entrepreneurial networking has a significant positive influence on the sustainable growth of small enterprises, and the influence is strongly mediated by innovation. Compared with network isomorphism, the value derived from social networks has a higher significant effect on sustainable enterprise growth.

Small enterprises that tap into valuable network resources to drive internal innovation should experience sustainable growth, whereas those that do not leverage the power of entrepreneurial networking miss the opportunity to access critical resources for innovation and sustainable enterprise growth.

The paper extends beyond the resource-based view by integrating institutional and network-based theories to offer a unique “entrepreneurial network model.” By testing the model, the empirical findings provide unique comprehensive insights into network isomorphism and network social capital as entrepreneurial mechanisms which facilitate access to network resources for innovations and sustainable growth of small enterprises.

Entrepreneurship education thrives on the pillars of experiential education. Using the case of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, the purpose of this paper is to examine the entrepreneurship clinic (EC) as a viable pedagogy for the promotion of experiential education in entrepreneurship.

The paper relies on insider action research to analyse, within Joplin’s five-step model, the case of the EC at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana.

The analysis showed that the KNUST clinic comprises five main activities including preparation, orientation, selection and matching, coaching and monitoring and evaluation. In relation to Joplin’s five-step model, the first three stages of the clinic provide focus for the clinic while the remaining two stages – coaching and monitoring and evaluation – entail activities that are geared towards action, support, feedback and debrief. Through the clinic, thousands of tertiary students have been trained in entrepreneurship and new venture creation; some selected participants have been coached while others have had the opportunity to qualify for business incubation.

Although the paper discusses some achievements of the clinic in relation to enrolment and fundraising, it does not assess the impact of the clinic on the entrepreneurial competencies, intentions and initiatives of participants, hence, these issues are recommended for future research.

The paper demonstrates that it is feasible to implement the EC methodology, irrespective of the cost and time implications that are often associated with experiential educational methodologies. However, support from university management, funding raising from internal and external sources and technical support from industry and government agencies are key to the sustainability of clinics.

The paper adds novelty to the entrepreneurship education literature by bringing to the fore how a university in an emerging African economy is implementing and managing the EC pedagogy.