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1 – 10 of 34Samuel Wayne Appleton and Diane Holt
Digitalisation is perceived as a new process that may add value to firms. Current theoretical understanding assumes it should be part of a firm's strategy to respond to multiple…
Abstract
Purpose
Digitalisation is perceived as a new process that may add value to firms. Current theoretical understanding assumes it should be part of a firm's strategy to respond to multiple pressures in the business environment. This paper explores the occurrence of digitalisation in a rare context, that of the English agricultural industry in the United Kingdom, a place disproportionality filled with family firms. The general understanding of digitalisation in family firm settings remains embryonic. The authors' explorations make theoretical contributions to research at the intersection of rural entrepreneurship, family business and innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
Utilising a purposive, qualitative approach, primary data was collected from multiple interviews with 28 UK family farms, and secondary data from another 164. Interview transcripts were coded using NVivo, along with secondary data from reports, observations and websites.
Findings
The authors present empirical evidence illustrating how digitalisation manifests incrementally and radically in different types of family farms. The authors present a model that shows the areas of farming that have, and continue to be, digitalised. This increases analytical precision when identifying digitalisation activities that differ depending on the strategy to either scale or diversify. The authors propose that incremental digitalising occurs to a great extent during a scaling strategy, and that radical digitalising occurs to a smaller extent during diversification strategies in family farms.
Research limitations/implications
This research uses a sample of family-run farms from the UK agricultural sector to explore nuanced elements of digitalisation. It should therefore be explored in other types of family firms located in different sectors and geographies.
Practical implications
This research is important because family farms are under increasing pressure and have limited financial resources to deal with the digitalisation agenda. Therefore, empirical evidence helps other farms in similar situations. The authors found digitalisation investments, that tend to be capital intensive, only matter for scalers and less so for diversifiers. Family farms can use the model presented as a tool to evaluate their farm. The tool helps them define what to do, and ideate the potential activities that might be digitalised, to feed into their wider strategy.
Social implications
Family firms, in particular farms, are critical to many economies. The general consenses currently assumes all family firms should digitalise, yet the authors' evidence suggests that this is not the case. It is important to create policies that are sensitive to the needs of different types of businesses, in this case between family firm scalers and diversifiers, instead of simply incentivising digitalisation using a blanket approach usually by offering financial aid. Understanding how digitisation can support (or not) family firm resilience and growth in an effective and efficient manner can have significant benefit to individual firms, and across industries.
Originality/value
The proposed model extends theoretical understanding linking strategy, digitalisation activity and innovation in family farms. It shows that digitalisation is a key building block of scaling strategies, maximising digitalisation to increase efficiency. Yet, diversifying family farms minimise digitalisation, whereby they only digitalise a small amount of the farming activity. This empirical evidence contrasts with the wider narrative that farmers are slower at using new technology. This research found that some are slower because it does not align with their strategy. However, sometimes digitalisation aligns with their strategy during external changes, in which case the diversifiers are quick to act.
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Giovanna Gavana, Pietro Gottardo and Anna Maria Moisello
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of family control on the association between related party transactions (RPTs) and different forms of accrual-based earnings…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of family control on the association between related party transactions (RPTs) and different forms of accrual-based earnings management (AEM) and real earnings management (REM), analyzing the effect of board characteristics on the possible association.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper studies a sample of Italian non-financial listed firms over the 2014–2019 period, by GLS regression models, controlling for the fixed effects of the company's sector of operation and the year.
Findings
Results indicate a different association between RPTs and earnings management (EM) in family and non-family firms. They point out that family firms use RPTs in association with downward AEM and REM perpetrated by abnormal discretionary expenses as well as a substitute of REM via abnormal production costs. For non-family firms, findings indicate only a substitution effect between RPTs and AEM. Furthermore, CEO duality, board gender diversity and the presence of the family on the board positively moderate the association between RPTs and, respectively, REM implemented through sales manipulations, downward AEM and upward AEM.
Originality/value
This study suggests that the socioemotional wealth (SEW) differently affects the relationship between RPTs and EM, according to the form of the latter. It also points out family firms' heterogeneity in earnings manipulations, by providing evidence of the moderating role of board characteristics on the association between RPTs and the various forms of EM.
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Raju Varghese Vazhapilly and Leena B. Dam
The protagonist of the case is Mr. Prasad Dhumal. Prasad is technically gifted and is considered a subject expert in his line. Prasad exhibits all entrepreneurial traits like high…
Abstract
Purpose
The protagonist of the case is Mr. Prasad Dhumal. Prasad is technically gifted and is considered a subject expert in his line. Prasad exhibits all entrepreneurial traits like high energy, positive and a never say die attitude, technical expertise, etc. In a short career span, Prasad has already been instrumental in opening at least 7 different ventures and is now planning the 8th one and hence the name of the case. None of the ventures have survived. This is a classic case of differences between entrepreneurial qualities and managerial qualities, required for the success of a small business.
Design/methodology/approach
The case is ideal for students of management. The focus areas are Career Management and Entrepreneurship. It also discusses the failure of a business unit from a societal and family perspective rather than simply a financial one. The case is also good to impress upon the audience the distinction between entrepreneurial skills and managerial skills. The focus that the protagonist shows in starting multiple ventures is also a good indicator of objective-driven and clear Career Management, but the lack of the identified skill set to run a business.
Findings
The case brings about the clear distinctions between entrepreneurial qualities and managerial qualities. Career Management has three objectives, expression of the self as a person through the activities one does (job/entrepreneurship) and personal fulfilment, to have an effective work-life balance so that the workplace does not become simply a chore and finally financial security which is also expressed as a reward for something one does or contributes. Even a well-defined career management plan may at times, not yield the desired results.
Research limitations/implications
This is an attempt at a case-based approach highlighting how entrepreneurial zeal and drive may not result in a success of a business venture. Further, the case highlights the serious financial and social isolation that the protagonists faced due to his business failures. The basic learnings from the case are as follows: (1) Start-ups go through phase after establishment; (2) The skill set used to start a venture and sustain it are different and (3) The venture has to survive in a business environment on its merits.
Practical implications
It is a good source material for students of entrepreneurship to understand that sound entrepreneurial qualities may not ensure business success. Businesses may require a blend of managerial, strategic and entrepreneurial qualities to help them navigate through the business environment.
Social implications
Although a lot has been written about entrepreneurship, the social implications of a business failure and the impact on the entrepreneurs, his family and his loved ones forms the crux of the case. Financial losses result in social isolation for the protagonist. The humiliation and isolation associated with a business loss and its serious impact on friends and family also is highlighted in the case.
Originality/value
The case is factual and describes the exact entrepreneurial journey of Prasad.
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Sumaya Hashim, Maura McAdam and Mattias Nordqvist
Drawing on indigenous theory of Ibn Khaldun, the rise and fall of States, this paper explores the agency of women entrepreneurs in family business in Bahrain and the underlying…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on indigenous theory of Ibn Khaldun, the rise and fall of States, this paper explores the agency of women entrepreneurs in family business in Bahrain and the underlying enablers in supporting and facilitating the exercise of this agency. This study attempts to move beyond the Western-centric studies to reflect and bring to light the unique institutional settings of the Gulf States.
Design/methodology/approach
The research builds on a rich qualitative single case of a family business based in Bahrain. The single case study methodology was motivated by the potential for generating rich contextual insights. Such an approach is particularly valuable to gain a more holistic and deeper understanding of the contextualized phenomenon and its complexity.
Findings
In this study the authors show how women entrepreneurs take two different paths to enter and become involved in the family business, the barriers they are subjected to and the active role they play in dismantling the challenges to the extent that they become the main mediators between the family business and central institutions in society.
Originality/value
By incorporating indigenous theory with Western family business concepts, the study extends existing understanding of women entrepreneurs in family business by underscoring the agency that women entrepreneurs have in “doing context” and the role that women play in strengthening common cause and destiny within the family and the business by building and drawing on different forms of loyalty.
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Hamed Ahmadinia, Jannica Heinström, Kristina Eriksson-Backa and Shahrokh Nikou
This research paper aims to delve into the perceptions of health susceptibility among Iranian, Afghan and Tajik individuals hailing from asylum-seeking or refused asylum-seeking…
Abstract
Purpose
This research paper aims to delve into the perceptions of health susceptibility among Iranian, Afghan and Tajik individuals hailing from asylum-seeking or refused asylum-seeking backgrounds currently residing in Finland, Norway and Sweden.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted between May and October 2022 involving a sample size of 27 participants. An adapted framework based on the health belief model along with previous studies served as a guide for formulating interview questions.
Findings
Notably influenced by cultural background, religious beliefs, psychological states and past traumatic experiences during migration journeys – before arrival in these countries till settling down – subjects’ perception of health concerns emerged significantly shaped. Additionally impacting perspectives were social standing, occupational status, personal/family medical history, lifestyle choices and dietary preferences nurtured over time, leading to varying degrees of influence upon individuals’ interpretation about their own wellness or illness.
Practical implications
Insights garnered throughout the authors’ analysis hold paramount significance when it comes to developing targeted strategies catering culturally sensitive health-care provisions, alongside framing policies better aligned with primary care services tailored explicitly around singular demands posed by these specific communities dwelling within respective territories.
Originality/value
This investigation represents one among few pioneering initiatives assessing perceptions regarding both physical and mental well-being within minority groups under examination across Nordic nations, unveiling complexities arising through intersecting factors like individual attributes mingling intricately with socio-cultural environments, thereby forming unique viewpoints towards health-care belief systems prevalent among such population segments.
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This article conceptualises how the economic well-being of an entrepreneurial household affects its members' mental accounting process to establish its affordable loss for a…
Abstract
Purpose
This article conceptualises how the economic well-being of an entrepreneurial household affects its members' mental accounting process to establish its affordable loss for a plunge decision.
Design/methodology/approach
The article used research literature to analyze the resources available for entrepreneurial endeavours against a household's ability to maintain acceptable minimum material living standards, juxtaposing income and wealth against competing consumption and investment opportunities.
Findings
Mentally accounting for whether household resources can meet minimum material living standards is central to entrepreneurs' ability to raise affordable loss and decide to invest in a new venture. The article proposes that entrepreneurial households establish affordable loss by availing their money exceeding that required to maintain acceptable minimum material living standards. In low-income households, the author assumes that members are not employed and can thus avail their time (versus money) towards affordable loss.
Originality/value
Economic well-being introduces mental accounts of income and wealth and a hedonic reference outcome in the material living standards of households required to meet basic needs. The article introduces the tension entrepreneurial households face between using their income and wealth towards investing in a new business and maintaining their material living standards. It introduces the idea that a loss can be “affordable” according to an entrepreneurial household's ability to remain above its acceptable minimum material living standard. This view prompts scholars to consider a household unit of analysis and avoid assuming an entrepreneur makes the plunge decision in isolation.
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Marko S. Hermawan and Andriani Grace Irene Nomleni
This study describes the accounting mechanism for an ethnic marriage in East Sumba, Indonesia. Blended with a rich culture of Indonesia’s familial piety (Kekeluargaan), the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study describes the accounting mechanism for an ethnic marriage in East Sumba, Indonesia. Blended with a rich culture of Indonesia’s familial piety (Kekeluargaan), the accounting perspective is argued as a root of Indonesia’s norm and plays an important role in defining accounting mechanisms in the Indonesian context.
Design/methodology/approach
The study observes the Belis traditional marriage in East Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, in a qualitative approach. About 12 in-depth interviews from indigenous East Sumba sources, a direct field observation and a historical content analysis were used.
Findings
Traditional objects, local caste and spiritual karma are key factors in determining the Belis marital mechanism, which is intertwined with the Kekeluargaan norm. Marriage involves the unification of assets and liabilities bound to the newlyweds and their extended family and neighbors. The Kekeluargaan underpins the cooperation of both sides of the families with the manifestation of the parties concerned and is connected in mutual understanding based on harmony and respect.
Practical implications
This study suggests that accountants in Indonesia should factor in the organizational cultural context. They can do this by fostering relationships, integrating cultural norms into accounting practices and adopting a broader perspective that considers the impact on multiple stakeholders for more effective accounting.
Originality/value
The value of this study challenges the perspective from a non-western point of view that accounting and Kekeluargaan relate to one another and align the role of culture as a context in accounting.
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The paper aims to explore how companies communicate their heritage by drawing on heritage marketing and corporate communications literature and mapping the corporate heritage…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to explore how companies communicate their heritage by drawing on heritage marketing and corporate communications literature and mapping the corporate heritage communication strategies of iconic Italian brands.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts an inductive multiple case study approach, analysing the communication of corporate heritage by nine iconic Italian brands (Pastificio Lucio Garofalo, Barovier & Toso, Pasta Farina, Ducati, Amaro Montenegro, Fiat, Bonomelli, Olivetti and Illy).
Findings
In communicating corporate heritage, companies adopt different strategies that vary along two main dimensions – the subject of the story and the tone of voice of the content. The strategies are: (1) heritage for authenticity; (2) heritage for market leadership; and (3) heritage for continuity.
Practical implications
From a theoretical point of view, the study highlights that heritage marketing strategies vary according to underlying strategic themes and narrative approaches. From a managerial point of view, it offers a preliminary guide for the development of corporate heritage communications, also providing indications for their implementation.
Originality/value
This study is amongst the firsts to investigate the strategic antecedents that can shape corporate heritage communication strategies. It represents an integration of the existing literature, which is limited to the descriptive presentation of heritage marketing principles and tools.
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Mauro Paoloni, Marco Tutino, Niccolò Paoloni and Valentina Santolamazza
This work aims to investigate the current financial structure of Italian agri-food micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to understand how MSMEs face innovation challenges…
Abstract
Purpose
This work aims to investigate the current financial structure of Italian agri-food micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to understand how MSMEs face innovation challenges, which are also required to support sustainable development.
Design/methodology/approach
To reach the goal, an empirical longitudinal analysis is performed on a sample of Italian agri-food firms. In detail, to highlight the changes in the use of financial sources between 2013 and 2019, a descriptive ratio analysis is carried out on the data extracted by the AIDA database. In addition, statistical analyses were performed, including t-tests and U Mann–Whitney. Finally, a fixed-effects model is created to analyse the panel data. To ensure homogeneity, the sub-sectors of production and transformation are separately considered.
Findings
The financial structure analysis shows an increase in the equity percentage in the funding sources, attributable to an attempt to compensate for the reduction of banks' funding. However, even though this change has not compromised firms' profitability, the undercapitalisation of companies is still present. Therefore, more equity investments are required to support the innovation process.
Originality/value
The value of the present research is to highlight the choice of using new alternative financing sources instead of traditional banks' credit to implement sustainable and innovative development Italian agri-food sector (AFS). This choice is forced by reducing finance from banks and other financial institutions because of the credit crunch. This issue is even more relevant, considering that MSMEs have structural financial problems but have to fulfil the mission of pursuing innovation in the same way as large companies. Therefore, this paper expands the literature on agri-food, delving into an issue typical of MSMEs and combining agri-food with the need for innovation.
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Edicleia Oliveira, Serge Basini and Thomas M. Cooney
This article aims to explore the potential of feminist phenomenology as a conceptual framework for advancing women’s entrepreneurship research and the suitability of…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to explore the potential of feminist phenomenology as a conceptual framework for advancing women’s entrepreneurship research and the suitability of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to the proposed framework.
Design/methodology/approach
The article critically examines the current state of women’s entrepreneurship research regarding the institutional context and highlights the benefits of a shift towards feminist phenomenology.
Findings
The prevailing disembodied and gender-neutral portrayal of entrepreneurship has resulted in an equivocal understanding of women’s entrepreneurship and perpetuated a male-biased discourse within research and practice. By adopting a feminist phenomenological approach, this article argues for the importance of considering the ontological dimensions of lived experiences of situatedness, intersubjectivity, intentionality and temporality in analysing women entrepreneurs’ agency within gendered institutional contexts. It also demonstrates that feminist phenomenology could broaden the current scope of IPA regarding the embodied dimension of language.
Research limitations/implications
The adoption of feminist phenomenology and IPA presents new avenues for research that go beyond the traditional cognitive approach in entrepreneurship, contributing to theory and practice. The proposed conceptual framework also has some limitations that provide opportunities for future research, such as a phenomenological intersectional approach and arts-based methods.
Originality/value
The article contributes to a new research agenda in women’s entrepreneurship research by offering a feminist phenomenological framework that focuses on the embodied dimension of entrepreneurship through the integration of IPA and conceptual metaphor theory (CMT).
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