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1 – 10 of 963Selene Pennetta, Francesco Anglani and Shane Mathews
This study aims to define, classify and interconnect the wide range of known entrepreneurial abilities with terms such as skills, capabilities and competencies, which have been…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to define, classify and interconnect the wide range of known entrepreneurial abilities with terms such as skills, capabilities and competencies, which have been used inconsistently within the entrepreneurial field.
Design/methodology/approach
This investigation is based on a systematic literature review and strengthened by a meta-analysis equipped with a bibliometric study to assist the generation of outcomes with a quantitative investigation.
Findings
This study proposes an evolving entrepreneurial ability model which interconnects genetic and acquired skill types, capabilities and competencies and is equipped with an Entrepreneurial Skills Map essential to operate in the 21st century.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed model is specific to the entrepreneurial field.
Practical implications
This study supports universities and government agencies for the development of educational programs to prepare current and future entrepreneurs to match the changes in the new environment that has emerged with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Originality/value
This research contributes to the entrepreneurship research domain by shedding light on the inconsistent use of non-standardised terminologies and providing an entrepreneurial model and updated skills map to guide scholars to frame research in the post-COVID era with more clarity.
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Maria Salete Batista Freitag, Jéssica Borges de Carvalho, Altair Camargo Filho and Fernanda Paula Arantes
The purpose of this study is to investigate how the process of becoming an entrepreneur in the cooperation and poverty contexts takes place.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate how the process of becoming an entrepreneur in the cooperation and poverty contexts takes place.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a phenomenological approach for data collection purposes. Autoscopy, which is a methodological device of reflective nature, was herein applied to a group of interlocutors comprising seven representatives of waste pickers’ cooperatives (RC). Data analysis focused on defining the meaning of participants’ speech was conducted in compliance with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis guidelines.
Findings
The current findings have shown that becoming a representative of cooperatives involves mobilization toward empowerment and a sense of collectively doing on behalf of community interests. Moreover, these RCs become entrepreneurs in the poverty context, as they perceive opportunities, are persistent and take risks pursuing alternatives for both the survival and improvement of theirs own living conditions, and of others.
Research limitations/implications
Adopting a reflective approach associated with an ontology of becoming could have led to deeper results if the current research was a longitudinal study, rather than a cross-sectional one.
Practical implications
Training programs provided for waste pickers should take into consideration that their learning process is mainly based on practice.
Social implications
Behaviors disclosed by participants toward fostering collective and entrepreneurial actions in the poverty context may be an inspiration for future changes.
Originality/value
The methodological option for adopting a reflective approach resulted in a contribution device that is barely applied to research in the management field; thus, the current investigation can introduce a new pathway for further research.
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Andreas M. Hilger, Zlatko Nedelko and Thomas Steger
Long regarded as a far-fetched notion, companies from post-socialist economies (PSEs) increasingly compete with companies from advanced economies in their domestic markets and…
Abstract
Purpose
Long regarded as a far-fetched notion, companies from post-socialist economies (PSEs) increasingly compete with companies from advanced economies in their domestic markets and abroad. This study identifies PSE companies' motives and determinants of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) in advanced economies.
Design/methodology/approach
This study analyses Slovenian business activities in Germany by juxtaposing eight Slovenian investors and three exporters using a multiple case study approach. The authors use content analysis to examine rich data from semi-structured interviews, databases and internal and external documents to provide comprehensive and in-depth insights into PSE investments in advanced economies.
Findings
The authors identify market-seeking motives and competitive advantages which differ from those of other emerging economy companies and offer theoretical suggestions. In contrast to findings from other emerging economies, the authors identify firm- and country-specific advantages, such as high technology, high service quality, a highly educated labour force, and European Union membership, which Slovene companies have employed to enter the advanced German market.
Originality/value
This study represents the first application of springboard theory to explain PSE company investment in advanced economies. The authors offer contextualised explanations of PSE investments in advanced host economies, which have been lacking thus far. The authors also contribute to the scarcity of studies on the effects of supranational institutions on OFDI from emerging economies.
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Armand Mboutchouang Kountchou, Ali Haruna, Honoré Tekam Oumbé and Muhamadu Awal Kindzeka Wirajing
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of Islamic finance on women empowerment in Africa between the periods of 1975 and 2021.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of Islamic finance on women empowerment in Africa between the periods of 1975 and 2021.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses secondary data for 27 African countries obtained from the World Development Indicators, World Population Review and the Varieties of Democracy databases. Four dimensions of women empowerment, namely, economic, social, political and household, are considered while Islamic finance is proxied by a binary variable with 1 and 0 representing the presence and the absence of Islamic finance, respectively. The two-staged least square estimation technique is used to control for the problem of endogeneity.
Findings
This study revealed that Islamic finance positively affects women empowerment in Africa. Specifically, Islamic finance has positive and significant effects on women political empowerment, women economic empowerment and women social empowerment in Africa but nonsignificant effect on home empowerment. These effects are more pronounced in middle-income than in low-income countries and in countries with higher penetration rate of Islamic finance.
Practical implications
Policymakers should put in place the necessary mechanisms for the promotion of Islamic finance such as the enacting of laws that ensures the creation of full-fledged Islamic banks, encouraging research in Islamic finance and Islamic economics. These policies should equally be backed by the creation of some accompanying measures such as the abolition of social norms that limit women’s ability to take part in decision-making.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study involving an Africa continent-wide analysis of the effects of Islamic finance on women empowerment.
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This study aims to investigate the contextual challenges of emergency Web-enabled teaching from instructors’ point of view and their future preference for online education.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the contextual challenges of emergency Web-enabled teaching from instructors’ point of view and their future preference for online education.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 165 instructors from various public and private universities and university colleges in Malaysia participated in this online survey. Data were analyzed using multiple regression.
Findings
The significant challenges for future preference for online education in terms of their relative importance were supporting learners, effectiveness, disadvantages and advantages of emergency Web-enabled teaching.
Originality/value
This study discusses theoretical, practical and public policy implications for the future of teaching in higher education due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
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A. John William, M. Suresh and Nagamani Subramanian
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are a major source of employment and revenue growth in developing nations like India, but they also face challenges from resource…
Abstract
Purpose
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are a major source of employment and revenue growth in developing nations like India, but they also face challenges from resource shortages, shifting consumer demand and heightened competition. This research aims to discover the aspects that enhance SMEs' competitiveness and performance.
Design/methodology/approach
By analyzing literature and consulting experts, 10 factors that boost a firm's competitiveness were identified. The total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) method was then used to determine their interaction and structural hierarchy. Neutrosophic-MICMAC analysis was employed to assess the driving-dependence power of each factor.
Findings
The study discovered that the factor, namely “entrepreneurial orientation,” was found to be a significant one. “Manufacturing strategy” was found to be extremely dependent on the remaining competitive advantage factors.
Research limitations/implications
This SME-focused framework can be adopted by large businesses to enhance organizational performance by focusing on critical factors. The study depends on experts' judgment, which might be biased. Findings will assist SMEs in identifying significant factors influencing competitive advantage and relationships, increasing awareness of factors contributing to competitive edge.
Practical implications
The results of the research may encourage SME sector managers and practitioners to prioritize the factors that contribute to a firm's competitive advantage.
Originality/value
The majority of research on SME competitive advantage focuses on individual aspects. To add to the body of knowledge on the subject, this study applies the TISM technique to Indian SMEs to identify the contextual interactions among factors that increase long-term competitiveness.
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Junaid Aftab, Monica Veneziani, Huma Sarwar and Muhammad Ishtiaq Ishaq
Entrepreneurial orientation is among the vital factors that contribute to performance, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, the empirical studies…
Abstract
Purpose
Entrepreneurial orientation is among the vital factors that contribute to performance, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, the empirical studies provide mixed results and call for new studies to examine this relationship. Therefore, this study aims to determine the entrepreneurial orientation's (EO) direct and indirect impact (via entrepreneurial competencies) on firm performance. Additionally, the moderating role of environmental dynamism is also tested in entrepreneurial competencies and firm performance relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
The data (N = 332) were collected from managerial rank employees, using a self-administered questionnaire, working in different SMEs in Pakistan. In addition, structural equation modeling (SEM) was executed using SmartPLS 3.2.
Findings
The study's results demonstrate that EO positively influences entrepreneurial competencies and firm performance, and entrepreneurial competencies also mediate the relationship between EO and performance. Additionally, environmental dynamism strengthens the positive relationship between entrepreneurial competencies and performance.
Originality/value
This study identifies that entrepreneurial competency is the missing link between EO and firm performance, due to which the relationship between them is indecisive. This study also contributes to the contingency perspective by explaining the role of environmental dynamism as a boundary condition in strengthening the relationship between entrepreneurial competencies and SMEs' performance in an emerging economy.
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Paolo Capolupo, Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli and Lorenzo Ardito
Given the limited understanding of the process of transgenerational entrepreneurship and that knowledge is a fundamental antecedent of entrepreneurial endeavors, this study aims…
Abstract
Purpose
Given the limited understanding of the process of transgenerational entrepreneurship and that knowledge is a fundamental antecedent of entrepreneurial endeavors, this study aims to shed light on how entrepreneurial families (EFs) nurture entrepreneurship across generations, which knowledge is required within the EF to spur new entrepreneurial activities, and how is this knowledge acquired.
Design/methodology/approach
Considering the paucity of empirical evidence on the topic under investigation and the related exploratory nature of this study, the authors adopted a qualitative approach by conducting a case study on an Italian wine-making family business.
Findings
The case analysis reveals that EF members are required to acquire different types of knowledge at different generational stages to spur new entrepreneurial activities, specifically technical knowledge in the second generation and business knowledge in the third generation. Moreover, the data analysis shows two mechanisms, namely, trust among generations and role separation, that, during both generational transitions, enabled and empowered the younger generations to exploit their knowledge to explore entrepreneurial opportunities and engage in new entrepreneurial activities.
Originality/value
This study provides novel insights into the role of knowledge in transgenerational entrepreneurship, particularly looking at knowledge acquired by EF members across generations. Accordingly, this research contributes to the literature streams of transgenerational entrepreneurship, knowledge management in family businesses and broader knowledge management research.
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The current research aims at investigating the mediating effect of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on the link between entrepreneurial education and choice of the university among…
Abstract
Purpose
The current research aims at investigating the mediating effect of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on the link between entrepreneurial education and choice of the university among students. The main focus of this paper is that when entrepreneurial education is properly-implemented at universities, it leads to several positive outcomes such as positive eWOM. Therefore, if the entrepreneurial education is used as a marketing model, it can be considered as the innovative model for attracting more students. By implementing this model, the university can enhance its approach to cultivating a positive image, potentially leading to increased student enrollments.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a sample of 483 undergraduate students in different universities. As well, it used a structured questionnaire during the data collection. Additionally, the study used partial least squares (PLS-SEM) in analyzing direct and indirect relationships.
Findings
The findings of this study suggest that entrepreneurial education and eWOM are critical factors for student selection to the universities. This is because eWOM significant mediates the link between entrepreneurial education and university choice.
Research limitations/implications
This study used cross-sectional design. Therefore, future research can use a longitudinal design in examining the link between independent and dependent variables so as to look into the changes over time.
Practical implications
The study presents potential strategies that universities can employ to market their programs more effectively. By strengthening their entrepreneurial education initiatives, universities can enhance their reputation and create positive eWOM, which can lead to higher enrollments.
Originality/value
This study offers innovative marketing approaches for universities and their programs. Instead of heavily investing in advertising, the study suggests that strengthening entrepreneurial education initiatives can be a more effective marketing strategy. The findings suggest that a positive reputation generated by strong entrepreneurial education initiatives can lead to positive eWOM, which, in turn, influences university selection. Therefore, universities can consider enhancing their entrepreneurial education offerings to attract more prospective students. The study also highlights the notion that quality speaks for itself, while a lack of quality requires advertising.
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The entrepreneurial ecosystem within Chinese vocational colleges offers a unique platform to investigate the interplay between entrepreneurial passion, education and intention…
Abstract
Purpose
The entrepreneurial ecosystem within Chinese vocational colleges offers a unique platform to investigate the interplay between entrepreneurial passion, education and intention. This study aims to assess the effect of entrepreneurial education on alertness, passion and mindset, in turn, on entrepreneurial orientation and intentions. In addition, the study examines the mediating role of the entrepreneurial mindset between entrepreneurial passion and education; and to identify the moderating effect of entrepreneurial self-efficacy between entrepreneurial orientation and intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a cross-sectional methodology based on self-reported data from students across various Chinese vocational colleges, the study used a quantitative method to derive its findings.
Findings
The results highlighted a strong positive effect of entrepreneurial education on passion, mindset and alertness. The study also found that an increased emphasis on entrepreneurial education fostered a proactive entrepreneurial orientation, a significant predictor of entrepreneurial intentions. The entrepreneurial mindset played a pivotal mediating role, enhancing the direct effects observed. Moreover, students with higher entrepreneurial self-efficacy exhibited a more substantial inclination towards entrepreneurial intentions, further buttressed by their orientation.
Originality/value
This study underscores the critical role of fostering passion, education and self-efficacy in cultivating entrepreneurial intentions among students in Chinese vocational colleges, offering valuable theoretical and managerial implications for educators and policymakers alike.
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