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This study provides a comprehensive framework of adaptation in triadic business relationship settings in the service sector. The framework is based on the industrial network approach (see, e.g., Axelsson & Easton, 1992; Håkansson & Snehota, 1995a). The study describes how adaptations initiate, how they progress, and what the outcomes of these adaptations are. Furthermore, the framework takes into account how adaptations spread in triadic relationship settings. The empirical context is corporate travel management, which is a chain of activities where an industrial enterprise, and its preferred travel agency and service supplier partners combine their resources. The scientific philosophy, on which the knowledge creation is based, is realist ontology. Epistemologically, the study relies on constructionist processes and interpretation. Case studies with in-depth interviews are the main source of data.

The purpose of the study is to investigate and analyze the dynamics of the government-enterprise grain joint storage mechanism, particularly, focusing on profit-driven speculative behaviors exhibited by enterprises within this context. The study aims to understand the various factors influencing the behavior of stakeholders involved in grain storage, including government storage departments, agent storage enterprises and quality inspection agencies.

The study employs a tripartite evolutionary game model to investigate profit-driven behaviors in government-enterprise grain joint storage. It analyzes strategies of government departments, storage enterprises and quality inspection agencies, considering factors like supervision costs and speculative risks. Simulation analysis examines tripartite payoffs, initial probabilities and the impact of digital governance levels to enhance emergency grain storage effectiveness.

The study finds that leveraging digital governance tools in government-enterprise grain joint storage mechanisms can mitigate risks, enhance efficiency and ensure the security of grain storage. It highlights the significant impact of supervision costs, speculative risks and digital supervision levels on stakeholder strategies, offering guidance to improve the effectiveness of emergency grain storage systems.

The originality of this study lies in its integration of digital governance tools into the analysis of the government-enterprise grain joint storage mechanism, addressing profit-driven speculative behaviors. Through a tripartite evolutionary game model, it explores stakeholder strategies, emphasizing the impact of digital supervision levels on outcomes and offering insights crucial for enhancing emergency grain storage effectiveness.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of behaviour-based and buffer-based management mechanisms on enterprise agility using the lens of the agency theory.

This study is based on data collected from 185 manufacturing enterprises using a survey instrument. The authors employ structural equation modelling for data analysis.

The results of this study show that buffer-based mechanisms used for dealing with agency uncertainty of supplier/buyer not only have a positive impact on agility of enterprises, but are also contingent on the behavioural interventions used in the relationship with a supplier/buyer. Behaviour-based mechanisms also positively impact enterprise agility through mitigating the likelihood of supplier/buyer opportunism.

This study demonstrates that buffer- and behaviour-based management mechanisms can be used as complementary approaches against agency uncertainties for enhancing enterprise agility. Therefore, for enterprises to boost their agility, it is vital that their resources and capabilities are fairly distributed across entities responsible for creating buffers through functional flexibility, as well as individuals and teams dealing with stakeholder engagement, in particular, suppliers and buyers.

The authors use the lens of the agency theory to assimilate and model characteristic agency uncertainties and management mechanisms that enhance enterprise agility.

In recent years much attention in the UK has been given to encouraging the establishment and development of viable small firms in order to generate job creation and economic growth. Enterprise agencies, set up by local companies, local authorities and others interested in developing the economic life of the community, have taken a major role in advising and guiding individuals who are starting their own small businesses. Enterprise agencies illustrate the growing importance of the concentration of effort within a community based upon local resources, as opposed to more traditional approaches aimed at bringing in jobs from outside the area by attracting inward investment. Reference is made to the type of services rendered by the agencies which small firm managers and directors find most useful when establishing their businesses. Observations are made about how the counselling relationship develops between the agency and the small firm in the critical early months. With over 250 enterprise agencies in existence, the UK is among the most active of EEC countries in taking positive local initiatives which aid the development of small firms.

The support for local initiatives by large organisations has become substantially institutionalised in the UK through Business in the Community. How much further it will go, and how much it will be supported by government, is the subject of debate and conjecture. An overview of how large firms support small and medium enterprise development — the motivations and how they are changing — is provided. The problems in evaluation and a case study of Shell UK Ltd are provided, and future directions, possible shifts and influences are considered.

The work of local enterprise agencies in the UK and the important role which an effective training programme can make to their continued development is assessed. Important changes have occurred since their initial formation and future changes can be anticipated. Training is therefore required to ensure that agencies remain capable of providing a professional support service. A study covering all agencies in North‐west England of the training needs identified by agency directors is analysed. It stems from an 18‐month project funded by the Training Agency as a Local Development Project with participation from businesses in the community and the agencies themselves. The difficulties involved in defining training needs are considered, in particular the problem of accurately relating training to agency performance and the problems of delivery in the light of the structure and nature of the agencies.

The paper aims to present case studies to uncover the reflections of key participants in a social enterprise network in West Yorkshire. It considers how they learn from failure and how they make sense of the variety of messages about, and approaches to, social enterprise.

The approach taken is based upon sense making in organisations. The paper builds upon the concept of ambiguity as well as Sydow's framework of inter‐organisational trust. Participant drawings of these ideas were used to enhance data generated from face to face interviews.

The paper reviews actors' experiences of failure in projects to explore the relationships of those active in social enterprises and support agencies. From this perspective, uncertainty, ambiguity and unexpected insights into mistrust between organisations were identified as underlying themes.

The concepts of uncertainty, ambiguity, trust and mistrust offer rich ways of perceiving the problems faced by social enterprises. They provide a framework to aid discussions of social enterprise development between academics and practitioners. These concepts may go towards improving understanding in resolving problems and be beneficial in formulating policies and practices that improve service delivery within communities.

Little research looks at lessons learnt from failure and associated issues of ambiguity and trust between social enterprises at a network level. If smaller social enterprises are going to work together in co‐ordinated activity to deliver social projects and to offer economies of scale in contract delivery, trust will be essential. This paper suggests that further research in this area is needed to consider the quality of relationships being nurtured.

This study examines whether Confucian culture can promote enterprise total factor productivity (TFP), and it also studies how transmission mechanism works on enterprise TFP.

Based on the data of A-share listed companies on Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets from 2008 to 2019, this study measures the influence of Confucian culture on enterprise TFP by the number of Confucian academies and Confucian temples within three radius ranges of a company's registered address.

The empirical results show that Confucian culture has a positive effect on the enterprise TFP. The transmission mechanism test shows that Confucian culture can promote the TFP of Chinese enterprises through reducing agency cost, improving agency efficiency and enhancing innovation.

The findings in this study provide implications for policymakers, scholars and enterprises. The results show that Confucian culture can enhance the TFP of Chinese enterprises. Especially in emerging markets including China, the Confucian culture, as an informal institution, can effectively complement formal institutions, promoting enterprise TFP.

This study expands the literature on Confucian culture in two aspects: the influence of Confucian culture on TFP and its transmission mechanism. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to identify a link between Confucian culture and enterprise TFP.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the institutional challenges of coordinating regulatory agencies and the costs associated with compliance requirements in Tanzania’s tourist industry.

This paper is based on qualitative research conducted in the northern tourism circuit of Tanzania. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with owner-managers of tourism enterprises, heads of regulatory agencies and leaders of business associations (n=60). The findings were analysed through triangulating the data from various sources to establish emerging themes and patterns in accordance with the theoretical underpinnings and research objectives.

The findings show that tourism enterprises are governed by a multitude of national, sub-national and sectoral institutions mandated to impose several taxes, fees and levies on enterprises. As a result, tourism enterprises are required to obtain duplicate licences and are subjected to uncoordinated inspections. The poor treatment by regulatory agencies, the unclear basis for estimating taxes and levies, inadequate tax education and closure of businesses were also reported as key regulatory challenges. Most challenges emerge from agentification of the public sector and the lack of a legal framework in which to formally facilitate coordination and information sharing amongst government agencies.

The paper proposes streamlining the functions of divergent institutions governing the industry by increasing intergovernmental coordination through delegating some functions, sharing information and enforcing formal inter-ministerial and cross-government consultation structures.

This paper adds value to previous regulatory assessments by empirically analysing the specific sector and showing how the principal–agent relationship for the public sector can be improved through enforcing coordination of the multiple agencies governing the tourist industry.

Industry, government and funding bodies have long called for the inclusion of entrepreneurship and enterprise within education provision at all levels: engagement with enterprise develops entrepreneurial skills, which in turn will enhance both the employability of the recipient and contribution to the knowledge led economy. This paper seeks to examine an innovative approach to the development, implementation and assessment of enterprise and entrepreneurship.

The authors were directly engaged with a Scottish Enterprise programme between November 2006 and 2008 inclusive. The observations drawn from this time are part of an ongoing study, which has adopted an action research approach, to assess and deliver transferable skills.

The programme delivers skills and economic benefits within an international setting. Enterprise agencies, universities and employers have come together to deliver a programme that generates economic benefit while enhancing participant and client capability. It does so by combining and addressing business and technology connectivity, experiential learning and reflective practice.

This paper examines the rationale behind such initiatives and links this to the direct experience of programme development, delivery and assessment; the aim being to “unpack” the programme in such a way as to allow others to access the experience. This should in itself encourage discussion around the academic and pedagogical underpinnings of such enterprise offerings.

The authors hope that this paper helps inform the policy debate (within government, funding and enterprise agencies and representatives of industry and commerce) by addressing the question: how best to engage with practice in a meaningful and enterprise led manner?