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Article
Publication date: 1 February 2024

Dave Valliere and Charlene L. Nicholls-Nixon

Although business incubators are a widely recognized form of entrepreneurial support, this paper aims to challenge the assumption that incubation is necessarily beneficial for…

Abstract

Purpose

Although business incubators are a widely recognized form of entrepreneurial support, this paper aims to challenge the assumption that incubation is necessarily beneficial for early-stage entrepreneurs, and considers cases where, due to variability in the motives and behaviours of entrepreneurs, incubation may be unwarranted or even undesireable.

Design/methodology/approach

This study presents a theoretically derived typology of incubated entrepreneurs, based on their entrepreneurial competence and capacity for learning, which asserts that incubation may be unwarranted or even undesireable for three of the four proposed entrepreneur types. Qualitative data from interviews with entrepreneurs and managing directors from 10 business incubators is used to illustrate the existence of these types.

Findings

The data provides evidence of entrepreneurial types whose incubation may be counterproductive to the goals and objectives of their host incubators.

Practical implications

Implications for incubator management (intake screening and ongoing monitoring of portfolio) are developed and aimed at improving the outcomes of business incubation for stakeholders.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the incubation typology literature by challenging a widely held assumption that entrepreneurs have the potential to benefit from incubation and by reconceptualizing incubators as “crucibles” that perform a critical function in distinguishing high-potential entrepreneurs.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 31 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 January 2024

Julia Anamaria Sisu, Andrei Constantin Tirnovanu, Cristina-Claudia Patriche, Marian Nastase and George Cristian Schin

This study explores the enablers of students “entrepreneurial intentions by identifying the factors that raise students” interest in embracing an entrepreneurial career.

Abstract

Purpose

This study explores the enablers of students “entrepreneurial intentions by identifying the factors that raise students” interest in embracing an entrepreneurial career.

Design/methodology/approach

Entrepreneurship education is increasingly attracting attention as a means of fostering entrepreneurial activity and creating a culture of innovation. Developing students' entrepreneurial intentions is critical to promote entrepreneurship. This research is built on a mixed method approach of partial least squares structural equation modelling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis.

Findings

The factors that influence students ‘entrepreneurial intentions are identified: business incubation programmes, non-reimbursable grants for entrepreneurial students, networking events to promote entrepreneurship, mentoring services, innovation labs for business idea validation and entrepreneurship courses. This knowledge can help develop effective entrepreneurship education programmes. The study also provides actionable insights for educational institutions and policymakers. It underscores the need for innovative educational platforms such as entrepreneurial bootcamps. It also highlights the value of advanced learning environments such as decision theatres to foster a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the body of knowledge on entrepreneurship education. It highlights the need for a multidisciplinary approach to understand the factors that shape students’ entrepreneurial intentions.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 December 2023

Karikari Amoa-Gyarteng and Shepherd Dhliwayo

This study clarifies the intricate nature of globalization's impact on unemployment rates in South Africa. Given the heterogeneous views on globalization's effect on economic…

Abstract

Purpose

This study clarifies the intricate nature of globalization's impact on unemployment rates in South Africa. Given the heterogeneous views on globalization's effect on economic development, this study aims to offer a nuanced perspective. Furthermore, it aims to explore the mediating role of entrepreneurial development in shaping the complex relationship between globalization and unemployment.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs four key indicators to measure entrepreneurial development, globalization and unemployment rates in South Africa. Hierarchical regression is used to evaluate the relationship between globalization and unemployment rates, and how entrepreneurial development mediates this relationship. Additionally, both the Sobel test and bootstrapping analyses were employed to verify and validate the mediating relationship.

Findings

The study demonstrates that globalization constitutes a crucial determinant of (un)employment rates in South Africa. The study shows that entrepreneurial development, specifically in the context of established business ownership, but not total early-stage entrepreneurial activity, exhibits an inverse relationship with unemployment rates. Moreover, it was observed that the positive impact of globalization on entrepreneurial development in South Africa becomes evident as SMEs advance to the established stage.

Research limitations/implications

The study's concentration on South Africa constrains the applicability of the results to other nations.

Practical implications

Based on the findings of this study, it is essential for emerging economies, such as South Africa, to take measures to foster a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem that can aid in the growth and international competitiveness of young SMEs.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study represents the first endeavor to analyze the potential impact of entrepreneurial development, as measured by both nascent and mature SMEs, on the correlation between globalization and unemployment.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 31 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 December 2022

Eugine Tafadzwa Maziriri, Brighton Nyagadza and Tinashe Chuchu

This study aims to determine the impact of innovation conviction, innovation mindset and innovation creed on the need for achievement and the success of women entrepreneurs. The…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to determine the impact of innovation conviction, innovation mindset and innovation creed on the need for achievement and the success of women entrepreneurs. The study also investigates the impact of entrepreneurial education in moderating the relationship between the need for achievement and women’s entrepreneurial success.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a structured questionnaire and a quantitative research design. Data were gathered from 304 women entrepreneurs in South Africa’s Gauteng province. The data were analysed using smart partial least squares.

Findings

The results showed that innovation conviction, innovation mindset and innovation creed have positive and significant impacts on the need for achievement. It was also discovered that the need for achievement and entrepreneurial education have a positive and significant impact on women's entrepreneurial success. Moreover, the results showed that entrepreneurial education had a positive and significant moderating effect on the nexus between the need for achievement and women's entrepreneurial success.

Practical implications

By comprehensively examining the impact of innovation conviction, innovation mindset and innovation creed on the need for achievement and women's entrepreneurial success, this study has valuable implications for academics.

Originality/value

This research will add to the corpus of information on women's entrepreneurship and small business management in Africa, which is generally overlooked by academics in developing countries.

Details

European Journal of Innovation Management, vol. 27 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1460-1060

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2024

Mahmud Akhter Shareef, Yogesh K. Dwivedi, Md. Shazzad Hosain, Mihalis Giannakis and Jashim Uddin Ahmed

This study has conducted exploratory research to understand who should comprise the members of a resilient supply chain for promoting an entrepreneurial ecosystem of a startup…

Abstract

Purpose

This study has conducted exploratory research to understand who should comprise the members of a resilient supply chain for promoting an entrepreneurial ecosystem of a startup project and to determine the mechanisms for the balanced coexistence of all stakeholders. This is necessary to ensure mutual benefits for all stakeholders, each of whom has multidimensional interests. Additionally, this supply chain must be able to withstand any potential disruption risks.

Design/methodology/approach

This research has employed a mixed-design approach. In this context, the study conducted an extensive qualitative and quantitative investigation, including 30 interviews and a survey involving 180 potential stakeholders in this supply network, respectively in the capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka. The analysis of the interviews utilized principles of matrix thinking, while structural equation modeling (SEM) through LISREL was employed to understand cause-and-effect relationships.

Findings

Network, platform and governance—these three independent constructs have the potential to contribute to the dependent construct, a resilient supply chain, aimed at promoting an entrepreneurial ecosystem for startup projects. It has been revealed that the management of such projects depends on the rules and regulations within the ecosystem. An excellent governance mechanism is essential for this purpose. To facilitate coexistence, the establishment of a platform is crucial, where cooperation among all members is mandatory.

Practical implications

For practitioners, three distinctive but closely interdependent issues are explored and resolved in this philanthropic study. It has unfolded the elements of any startup project with essential settings.

Originality/value

The identification of the structural dynamics of potential stakeholders within the entrepreneurial ecosystem of startups is largely absent in existing literature. Therefore, there is a need to comprehensively investigate the entire network, including their roles, responsibilities and associations. This study makes a significant and novel contribution to the existing literature. Academics and practitioners alike have ample opportunities to learn from this new aspect of relationships across three distinct areas: the entrepreneurial ecosystem, startup projects and the development of a resilient supply chain.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 30 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 November 2023

Bob Ssekiziyivu, Vincent Bagire, Muhammed Ngoma, Gideon Nkurunziza, Ernest Abaho and Bashir Hassan

The purpose of this study was to explore how transport companies in Uganda execute strategies in a turbulent business environment.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore how transport companies in Uganda execute strategies in a turbulent business environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted an exploratory qualitative methodology using the data collected through an open-ended instrument. Utilizing the qualitative data analysis software QSR NVivo9, the data were analyzed following the Gioia's methodology. Verbatim texts were used to explain the emergent themes.

Findings

The study's findings show that to successfully execute strategies, companies in Uganda communicate, coordinate and put control systems in their operations. The activities undertaken include customer care, timely settlement of complaints, comfortable seats, playing local music, partnerships with reliable fuel stations, setting up strategic offices, cost management, use of experienced drivers, sub-renting vehicles and inspections.

Originality/value

The study produces a pioneering result of how transport companies execute strategies in a turbulent business environment, an aspect that has not been adequately highlighted in previous studies.

Details

Journal of Work-Applied Management, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2205-2062

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 12 March 2024

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).

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 30 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 September 2022

Seun Oladele, Johnson Laosebikan, Femi Oladele, Oluwatimileyin Adigun and Christopher Ogunlusi

The purpose of this study is to explore the strength and value-relevance of social capital in an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) provides a new…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the strength and value-relevance of social capital in an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) provides a new perspective to explaining the configurations and interactions that shape entrepreneurial outcomes in regions. Research on the nature of interactions in EEs is still an ongoing debate. The authors draw from “organisational fields” studies to critically examine the interactions among actors in a non-transparent EE using the case of the Lagos region.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology is based on a qualitative study of 40 semi-structured interviews with various ecosystem actors in the Lagos region, including financiers, government officials, universities, founders and venture capitalists. Additionally, data from the semi-structured interviews were triangulated with data obtained from a two-day focus group discussion Summit where Lagos’ EE issues were raised. This study analysed both data using thematic analysis.

Findings

This study suggests that in a non-transparent EE, four types of interactions are apparent: collaborative, stratified, clustered and unleveraged. Authors argue that in a non-transparent EE, there are blockages and distortions in the flow of resources to entrepreneurs and a higher proportion of entrepreneurs are unable to plug into the ecosystem to extract value for their businesses without a strong social capital.

Practical implications

The authors argue that entrepreneurs require deliberate effort to improve structural and relational social capital to plug into their ecosystem to extract value for their businesses.

Originality/value

The focus on interaction in a non-transparent EE is a novel approach to studying interactions within EEs. In addition, the study is an early attempt to explore entrepreneurial interactions within the Lagos region.

Details

Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2053-4604

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 January 2023

Ehsan Masoomi, Kurosh Rezaei-Moghaddam and Aurora Castro Teixeira

This paper aims to investigate the evolution, roots and influence of the rural entrepreneurship literature.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the evolution, roots and influence of the rural entrepreneurship literature.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a bibliometric exercise, the analysis starts with investigation of studies on entrepreneurship and gathering all (772) articles on rural entrepreneurship (from 1981 to 2020) found in both Scopus and Web of Science up to 15 August 2020. Citation analysis of the references/citations of 755 articles are listed in the abstract database, generating a citation database involving 46,432 references/citations. This paper considers 635 (out of the 772) articles on rural entrepreneurship (i.e. articles cited in one or more studies), generating a database of 10,767 studies influenced by the rural entrepreneurship literature.

Findings

This study discovers that the relative importance of rural entrepreneurship within the entrepreneurship literature has increased in the last few years, but rural entrepreneurship remains a European concern; the most frequently addressed topics include growth and development, institutional frameworks and governance and rurality, with theory building being rather understudied. Most of the studies on rural entrepreneurship are empirical, involving mainly qualitative analyses and targeting high income countries; rural entrepreneurship is rooted in the fields of economics and entrepreneurship and is relatively self-referential.

Originality/value

This study provides a comprehensive and updated investigation of evolution of the rural entrepreneurship literature. The assessment of the literature’s scientific roots of rural entrepreneurship had not yet been tackled before. To the best of the author’s knowledge this study can be considered as the first effort for identifying the scientific influence of the rural entrepreneurship literature.

Details

Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, vol. 18 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6204

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 February 2024

Xin-Zhou Qi, Eric Ping Hung Li, Zhuangyu Wei and Zhong Ning

This study examines the impact of university science parks’ (USPs) capabilities on revenue generation and introduces regional innovation as a moderating variable. This study aims…

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines the impact of university science parks’ (USPs) capabilities on revenue generation and introduces regional innovation as a moderating variable. This study aims to provide insights into enhancing revenue generation and fully leveraging the role of USPs in promoting revenue generation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation for 116 universities in China from 2008 to 2020, using hierarchical regression analysis to examine the relationships between variables.

Findings

The findings suggest that USPs play a beneficial role in fostering revenue generation. Specifically, the provision of incubation funding demonstrates a positive correlation, while USPs size exhibits an inverted U-shaped pattern, with a threshold at 3.037 and a mean value of 3.712, highlighting the prevalent issue of suboptimal personnel allocation in the majority of USPs. Moreover, the analysis underscores the critical moderating influence of regional innovation, affecting the intricate interplay between USPs size, incubation funding and revenue generation.

Research limitations/implications

The single country (China) analysis relied solely on the use of secondary data. Future studies could expand the scope to include other countries and employ primary data collection. For instance, future research can further examine how regional development and USPs strategic plan impact revenue generation.

Practical implications

The study recommends that USPs managers and policymakers recognize the importance of incubation funding and determine the optimal quantity of USPs size to effectively foster revenue generation in USPs. Policymakers can use regional innovation as a moderating variable to reinforce the relationship between USPs size and incubation funding on revenue generation.

Social implications

The study’s findings can contribute to the strategic industry growth and economic development of nations by promoting revenue generation. Leveraging the role of USPs and implementing the study’s recommendations can strengthen innovation and technology capabilities, driving strategic industry growth and economic development. This can enhance global competitiveness and promote sustainable economic growth.

Originality/value

This study introduces regional innovation as a moderating variable and provides empirical evidence of its influence on the relationship between USPs size and incubation funding on revenue generation. This adds value to research to the existing literature on USPs and revenue generation by showcasing the importance of examining the regional impact in research and innovation.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 30 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

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