Editorial: Aims in a finite and uncertain society

Citation

Aránega, A.Y. and Fernandez-Vazquez, J.-S. (2023), "Editorial: Aims in a finite and uncertain society", International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, Vol. 29 No. 7, pp. 1397-1401. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-08-2023-051

A new concept of society, known as Society 5.0, proposed by the Japanese Government, aims to balance economic progress and the resolution of social problems (Huang et al., 2022; Narvaez Rojas et al., 2021). The constant growth of new technologies and industries generates multiple new scenarios in an environment of uncertainty (Guetto et al., 2022). This uncertainty is compounded by rising supply prices, the economic, political and social consequences of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and conflicts between countries (Welsh et al., 2022). Companies and individuals need to adapt to this new environment, and some find it easier than others (Corvello et al., 2022), with technologies and digitalisation playing an increasingly important role in strategic decision-making and human behaviour (Yezza et al., 2021).

Therefore, this special issue focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship, technologies, knowledge management in an uncertain environment and the exposure of technological strategies and technological entrepreneurship. The papers were selected from the 2022 conference of the Academy of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Knowledge, which was a “hybrid”, attended both in person and virtually: technologies made it possible for researchers from different parts of the world to connect with one another. The theme of the conference – “Greening, Digitizing and Redefining Aims in an Uncertain and Finite World” – perfectly suits the current context. The papers selected for publication in this special issue address new entrepreneurship education (EE), entrepreneurship skills and human behaviour and the challenges presented by digitalisation in today's society.

Contributors

Maria Ripollés and Andreu Blesa focus on the importance of Construal Level Theory (CLT) in explaining how EE promotes entrepreneurial action. They distinguish between compulsory and voluntary EE and explore two boundary conditions: learning orientations and learning motivations. Applying CLT to entrepreneurship, they propose that perceived psychological distance influences the abstract–concrete continuum in entrepreneurial actions and that EE influences the perception of psychological distance. They make two further proposals based on the ideas developed by the Styles of Learning and Teaching (SoLT) approach to people's learning orientations and motivations. First, a stronger learning orientation in EE students is associated with a weaker inverse relationship between compulsory EE and entrepreneurial action and a stronger direct relationship between voluntary EE and entrepreneurial action. Second, greater motivation on the part of students to engage in mastery-oriented learning is associated with a weaker inverse relationship between compulsory EE and entrepreneurial action and a stronger direct relationship between voluntary EE and entrepreneurial action. To test the hypothesised relationships, they surveyed 150 Spanish university students and used PLS analysis. The results demonstrate no effect between compulsory EE and entrepreneurial action but a strong effect for voluntary EE. Their study conceptualises students' entrepreneurial actions through the abstract-concrete continuum, which is an original conceptualisation matching the logics of effectuation and bricolage.

The second contribution, by Ekaterina Zabelina, Jorge Cruz-Cárdenas, Olga Deyneka, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Maksimenko, Jorge Guadalupe-Lanas and Carlos Ramos-Galarza, focusses on the characteristics of the perceived (psychological) time perspectives of entrepreneurs who choose green businesses. Their study explores whether green entrepreneurs' perceived time perspective has particular features and whether these features contribute to their choice of green business. Using a sequential exploratory mixed-method design, their study conducts a series of 20 in-depth interviews with green entrepreneurs in Russia, an emerging economy, and then formulates the hypotheses. The hypotheses are then tested by surveying 389 green and non-green entrepreneurs. The survey data support several hypotheses. Green entrepreneurs have a longer time perspective and a wider time horizon than non-green entrepreneurs. They are more inclined to be farsighted and to formulate forecasts and scenarios. They are also more willing to give up today's pleasures for the sake of the future; that is, they feel more responsible for their actions. They perceive the future more negatively than their non-green counterparts. Thus, the ability to be farsighted and to perceive the future in a more negative light is the distinctive characteristic of entrepreneurs choosing the field of the green economy. This study contributes to the least examined area in the relevant literature by identifying internal factors that explain green entrepreneurship. It is also one of the first to provide an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of green entrepreneurs' perceived (psychological) time perspectives.

The paper by Pedro Torres, Mário Augusto and Rui Quaresma contributes to this stream of research by examining the influence of a country's culture on the next generation's intention to become managerial leaders of their family business, with a focus on institutional and in-group habits of co-operation. In particular, their study addresses the following research questions: To what extent are parental support and self-efficacy important to motivate next-generation family members to engage in their family business? What is the effect of institutional and/or in-group habits of co-operation on next-generation engagement? Does institutional and/or in-group habits of co-operation moderate the relationship between parental support and next-generation engagement? Does institutional and/or in-group habits of co-operation moderate the relationship between self-efficacy and next-generation engagement? Using cross-national data from the Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students' Survey (GUESSS) and the Global Leadership and Organisational Behaviour Effectiveness study (GLOBE), hierarchical linear modelling is employed to test the hypotheses using a sample of 33,390 observations collected in 20 countries. The main findings are that both institutional and in-group habits of co-operation practices may increase next-generation engagement levels. These cultural practices can amplify the relationship between family business self-efficacy and next-generation engagement. However, institutional collectivism can slightly reduce the positive impact of parental support on young people's intention to become leaders of their family business. Their results also reveal that parental support has a stronger direct effect on next-generation engagement than family business self-efficacy. Their study suggests that researchers investigating family succession intention should consider the direct effect exerted by parental support on the next generation. Their results also suggest that parental support can effectively enhance the next generation's intention to become leaders of their family business. Thus, family leaders who wish to encourage next-generation engagement should give their children instrumental assistance, career-related modelling, verbal encouragement and emotional support.

The next paper, by Adam Smith and Stephen Lanivich, asks which individuals are more likely to deviate from institutional expectations at a societal level and engage in entrepreneurship. Their paper addresses the role of income in allowing individuals to resist dominant institutional norms and engage in opportunity entrepreneurship. The authors suggest that income level moderates the relationship between dominant institutional logics and important types of entrepreneurial behaviour. That is, high-income individuals are less impacted than low-income individuals by institutional logics that do not support opportunity entrepreneurship. More specifically, the positive effects of a national business system that reflects and replicates market logics within a society have a greater impact on the tendency of low-income individuals to pursue opportunity entrepreneurship than on those with high incomes. The authors' theorising provides context on the impact of income on opportunity entrepreneurship, and they contribute to a more nuanced understanding of embedded agency within the perspective of institutional logics.

Oana Daniela Lupoae, Riana Iren Radu, Violeta Maria Isai and Oana Iuliana Mihai present a starting point in stimulating entrepreneurs' interest in a sector that has been overlooked but is full of possibilities. It was considered that PLS-SEM is an appropriate method for this research, where prediction of interest for sustainable entrepreneurship plays a central role. Invitations to complete a questionnaire were sent to people who are already entrepreneurs or intend to become entrepreneurs soon, and 153 responses were collected and validated. The structural equation model analysed three dimensions of sustainable development linked with entrepreneurial intentions. The results showed that interest in the environment is irrelevant in deciding whether or not to develop a sustainable business model based on horse manure. Their analysis found that the an inclination to consider societal need as a criterion indicates a positive and strong correlation with entrepreneurs' interest in transforming horse manure into bioenergy or biofertiliser and that improvements in social sustainability have a positive effect on maximising a company's results. Their study aims to stimulate interest in research and entrepreneurship in the horse industry by presenting the sustainability factors and suggesting technological innovations, services, products and business models. There is an acute need for entrepreneurs in the equine sector with a shared vision of the sustainability pillars of a business and the ability to cope with environmental challenges. The ultimate goal of developing sustainable entrepreneurship models is to improve people's quality of life. Sociologists emphasise the importance of social capital in community satisfaction, whilst eco-minded people suggest that human well-being is possible by protecting the environment. This knowledge can generate new opportunities for an entrepreneur, so that he can systematically focus on the determining factors influencing society's expectations.

The study by Mabel Pisá-Bó, José Fernando López Muñoz and Josefina Novejarque-Civera investigates the personal factors that influence innovative entrepreneurship and offers contextual insights from high-income European countries. Their study has three aims: to measure the differences in entrepreneurial innovativeness amongst high-income European countries, to uncover the factors that lead to entrepreneurial innovativeness and to suggest policies that may enhance a region's level of entrepreneurial innovative activity. Along with data from macroeconomic indicators and the Adult Population Survey (APS), the authors used a sample of 4,430 nascent and new entrepreneurs from 16 high-income European countries drawn from Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data. The data were analysed using logistic regression analysis. Their study confirms that both individual and regional qualities influence the decision to become innovative entrepreneurs in high-income European countries. Indeed, the strong GDP effects revealed in the regressions suggest that entrepreneurial innovativeness cannot be fully explained by individual-specific factors. That is, entrepreneurial innovation has a factual component and does not entirely depend on the creativity of individual entrepreneurs. The authors show that the availability and quality of objective opportunities for innovative new businesses vary across European regions: The northern and western European regions score higher for creating innovative entrepreneurship than the southern and eastern regions. They also demonstrate the considerable influence of various individual-level characteristics, such as education, self-employment and age. Higher education is positively related to innovative entrepreneurship in high-income European countries, and self-employed people are less likely than employees to be involved in innovative startups.

The next contribution, by Maria Sarabia, Francisco del Olmo García, Fernando Crecente Romero and Maria Teresa del Val, discusses the fact that longevity is one of the greatest challenges facing society in the coming decades. That is why it is necessary to go beyond thinking about the classic problems arising from this phenomenon, such as the consequences for pension systems, and to analyse the social changes and life decisions that longevity produces. Whereas longevity leads to a lengthening of the working life of senior professionals (50 years of age or over), difficulties in the labour market limit their possibilities. Thus, entrepreneurship, adding value with their knowledge and experience, becomes a career alternative for this group. This paper studies the sociodemographic characteristics of senior entrepreneurs in Spain, where average longevity is one of the highest in the world. Based on information from the Spanish National Statistics Institute's Labour Force Survey, the authors analysed the factors that differentiate senior professionals who have decided to undertake a business project. The factors that stand out as most important are age, level of education and household characteristics such as the partner's job and whether or not they have children. The region and the sector of activity are also relevant factors. The study concludes that entrepreneurship amongst seniors in Spain is often a matter of necessity, as factors such as unemployment and pension reform have an influence. The conclusions will help to guide public policies promoting entrepreneurial activity by senior professionals and to develop a more flexible labour market adapted to the phenomenon of greater longevity.

The paper by Alba Yela Aránega and Rafael Castaño Sánchez measures the effectiveness of tools based on experiential learning, such as outdoor training accompanied by mindfulness, in improving the emotional skills of young Asian professionals and potentially helping them break down the barriers imposed by their environment. Their study applied these tools in the Asian environment after using them and confirming their measurability in Europe. The study compares the findings with young Asian professionals with those with young European professionals. The participants were young professionals who had just finished their studies, as the current educational system requires young people to develop the professional skills they will soon need in employment. 46 Asian and 49 young European professionals completed a series of outdoor training sessions. Pre- and post-session questionnaires were used to obtain the participants' self-assessments of their own emotional competencies. The results showed that outdoor training had a greater effect on the young Asian professionals than on their European counterparts, overall, and particularly in Teamwork abilities. This tool was positively received by both groups of participants.

The last contribution, by Alexandru Capatina, Dragos Sebastian Cristea, Adrian Micu, Angela Eliza Micu, Giuseppe Empoli and Federica Codignola, analyses the influence of various combinations of antecedent conditions on start-ups' acceptance into business incubators in Italy and Romania. The conditions considered were business idea potential, business plan quality, entrepreneurial team features, business project progress stage, available financial resources, debts of potential incubated companies, commitment to apply for national/EU funds, business area related to incubator mission, proposed technological content level, technological transfer from university/research centres and spin-off of a partner-entity of the incubator. Their study fills a research gap by focussing on the selection practices of incubators, inverting the logic of the conventional research approach. More precisely, their study aims to observe the conditions under which incubators accept start-ups in two countries at different stages of their entrepreneurial ecosystems' development. Their fuzzy set analysis results reveal that Romanian and Italian business incubators are characterised by different main predictors of the outcome. In the Italian dataset, the most prominent precursors of business incubation performance are entrepreneurial team features, the financial resources available and the debts of potential incubated companies. In the Romanian dataset, the most relevant factor for business incubation success is the presence of technological transfer from university/research centres. Their research contributes to the literature stream focussed on the acceptance of start-ups into incubators and uses a myriad of start-up selection criteria to enrich the fast-growing fsQCA-based research related to business incubators.