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The aim is to advance the conceptualisation of island entrepreneurship by investigating how the island context, for example, industry characteristics, social context and formal and informal institutions, influences the development of artisan food businesses in that context.

An applied, qualitative and participatory research approach was implemented. Data were collected during a business development process focusing on food artisans in the Åland Islands. In total, 19 business owners participated in the process. Key informants and public officers were interviewed, and the literature was reviewed. Interviews were analysed using phenomenography to identify representative categories, and the literature was analysed using content analysis.

Island characteristics and context, local institutions, the quality of social capital and gendered institutions influence business activities positively and negatively. Island entrepreneurship entails mobilising agencies to find innovative solutions that enable businesses to overcome obstacles. Most previous research treats business activities as entrepreneurship; however, as self-employment is essential in the island context, it should be highlighted in future studies.

This study illustrates how the island context influences the business development of small firms. Results indicate that local policies (1) benefitting female entrepreneurs, (2) supporting local businesses and (3) promoting locally produced artisan food could generate benefits for the entire artisan food businesses.

Local policies that (1) benefit female entrepreneurs, (2) support local businesses and (3) promote locally produced artisan food have the potential to generate benefits for the entire trade. Policies can benefit from an understanding of the role played by different ecosystem actors. Promoting self-employment can generate benefits for the local entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing agglomeration and helping to solve some challenges caused by the characteristics of islands.

Empirically, this research enhances the knowledge of post-productive responses in the island context. Theoretically, the study advances the conceptualisation of research on the island entrepreneurship context and the local food debate.

The successful implementation of hospital projects (HPs) tends to confront sundry challenges in the planning and construction (P&C) phases due to their complexity and particularity. Employing key performance indicators (KPIs) facilitates the monitoring of HPs to advance their successful delivery. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the KPIs for hospital planning and construction (HPC).

The KPIs for HPC were identified through a systematic review. Then a comprehensive assessment of these KPIs was performed utilizing a meta-analysis method. In this process, basic statistical analysis, subgroup analysis, sensitive analysis and publication bias analysis were performed.

Results indicate that all 27 KPIs identified from the literature are significant for executing HPs in P&C phases. Also, some unconventional performance indicators are crucial for implementing HPs, such as “Project monitoring effectiveness” and “Industry innovation and synergy,” as their high significance is reflected in this study. Despite the fact that the findings of meta-analysis are more trustworthy than those of individual studies, a high heterogeneity still exists in the findings. It highlights the inherent uncertainty in the construction industry. Hence, this study applied subgroup analysis to explore the underlying factors causing the high level of heterogeneity and used sensitive analysis to assess the robustness of the findings.

There is no consensus among the prior studies on KPIs for HPC specifically and their degree of significance. Additionally, few reviews in this field have focused on the reliability of the results. This study comprehensively assesses the KPIs for HPC and explores the variability and robustness of the results, which provides a multi-dimensional perspective for practitioners and the research community to investigate the performance of HPs during the P&C stages.

Given the importance of the growing segmentation of ageing consumers and their increasing interaction with the Internet, digital marketing scholars are becoming more interested in this market. Prior research needs to pay more attention to this market in many contexts of digital marketing. This study aims to provide insights into ageing consumers’ content usage, content typology choices, and online brand advocacy (OBA).

Semi-structured interviews were applied, and 16 consumers from Southern Europe aged 55+ were included. The interviews were transcribed and examined following the principles of content analysis.

According to the research, older consumers display their usage and concerns regarding online content. They have different decision-making processes depending on whether they are purchasing products or services. Likewise, their choices of content typology vary based on the utilitarian or hedonic product category.

This study contributes to the literature by providing insights into this growing segmentation and proposing an OBA framework for older consumers related to content marketing. Finally, the study suggests that older consumers are passive online and active offline brand advocates.

The purpose of this paper is to examine souvenir sellers as unconventional micro-entrepreneurs, focusing on non-economic motives for selling.

A qualitative methodology was used. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 20 souvenir sellers in the Romanian city of Timişoara. These were analysed using thematic analysis which identified four non-economic motives for selling souvenirs.

Souvenir selling was a matter of choice rather than economic necessity. While these sellers were entrepreneurs who were seeking to generate income, non-economic motives were also important. These included passion, hobbyism and interpersonal interactions with customers. Some sellers considered themselves as cultural intermediaries, representing place and tradition to their customers.

In a European context, selling souvenirs can be a matter of lifestyle choice rather than economic necessity. Micro-entrepreneurs are frequently motivated by passion, hobbyism and interpersonal rewards as much as financial profit. This represents a particular form of unconventional or lifestyle entrepreneurship.

The encouragement of on-street souvenir sellers by urban managers can add vibrancy to a city, enhancing the experiences of local communities and visitors. This can also encourage the development of an artisan class to enhance a city’s reputation as a creative place.

Souvenir sellers are little researched, and this is one of few studies that has investigated this group outside Developing World contexts. This study emphasises the importance of unconventional entrepreneurship and non-economic motives for selling souvenirs in a European context.

本研究将纪念品销售商这类非传统微型企业家群体作为研究对象, 重点关注其销售纪念品的非经济动机。

本研究主要采用定性的研究方法, 对20位罗马尼亚蒂米什瓦拉市的纪念品销售商进行了半结构化访谈。通过对访谈结果的主题分析, 本研究发现并提炼出了纪念品销售商的4种非经济动机。

纪念品销售并非经济上的必然选择, 而更多地体现为一种个体的自主决策。尽管这些销售商本质上仍是追求经济回报的企业家, 其销售活动背后的非经济动机同样重要。这些动机包括对事业的激情、业余爱好, 以及与顾客之间的人际互动等。一些销售商视自身为文化传播的中介, (在销售活动中)向顾客展示地域与传统的象征。

在欧洲的语境下, 纪念品销售通常被视为一种生活方式的选择而非经济的迫切需要。微型企业家的销售行为通常受到对事业的激情、业余爱好以及人际关系的多重因素的推动, 而非单纯由经济利益驱使。这呈现出一种独特的非传统生活方式创业形态。

城市管理者可以通过默许纪念品销售商在市区进行销售活动的方式为城市注入活力, 提升当地社区和游客的体验。这同时有助于培养手工艺术家阶层, 进一步增强城市作为创意之地的声誉。

纪念品销售商的相关研究相对比较有限, 本研究在探讨这一群体时跳脱了发展中国家的框架, 同时强调了在欧洲环境下非传统创业和销售纪念品的非经济动机的重要性。

Se utilizó una metodología cualitativa. Se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas a 20 minoristas de recuerdos (souvenirs) de la ciudad rumana de Timişoara. Las entrevistas se analizaron mediante un análisis temático que permitió identificar cuatro motivos no económicos para la comercialización de recuerdos.

Este artículo examina a los comerciantes de souvenirs como micro emprendedores no convencionales, centrándose en los motivos no económicos para su venta.

La venta de souvenirs era una cuestión de elección más que de necesidad económica. Aunque estos vendedores eran emprendedores que buscaban generar ingresos, los motivos no económicos también eran importantes. Entre ellos, la pasión, la afición y las interacciones interpersonales con los clientes. Algunos vendedores se consideraban intermediarios culturales que representaban el lugar y la tradición ante sus clientes.

En un contexto europeo, la venta de recuerdos puede ser una cuestión de elección de estilo de vida más que de necesidad económica. Los micro emprendedores suelen estar motivados por la pasión, la afición y las recompensas interpersonales tanto como por el beneficio económico. Esto representa una forma particular de espíritu empresarial no convencional o de estilo de vida.

El fomento de los vendedores ambulantes de souvenirs por parte de los gestores urbanos puede aportar dinamismo a una ciudad, mejorando las experiencias de las comunidades locales y de los visitantes. Esto también puede fomentar el desarrollo de una clase artesanal para mejorar la reputación de una ciudad como lugar creativo.

Los comerciantes de souvenirs están poco investigados, y éste es uno de los pocos estudios que ha investigado este grupo fuera de los contextos del mundo en desarrollo. Destaca la importancia del espíritu empresarial no convencional y de los motivos no económicos para la venta de recuerdos en un contexto europeo.

The textile industry harms the environment at every stage of production, from the acquisition of raw materials to the disposal of finished products. It is very important for the textile industry to adapt to the basic policies on environmental sensitivity and sustainability to keep up with the transformation in production processes and the rapid changes occurring around the world in order to exist in global competition. Within the scope of sustainable development goals, it is of great importance to measure and evaluate indicators of all processes of the sector. This paper aims to present application of multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods for the assessment of sustainable development in textile industry.

The data of a multinational clothing company’s four-year sustainability performance between 2018 and 2021 were evaluated under 22 sustainability parameters determined using two new MCDM techniques, namely the combined consensus solution method and multi-attribute ideal real comparative analysis. In determining the criteria, priority key indicators were determined by taking into account the sector’s relationship with the environment, raw material consumption and social adequacy.

According to the application results of both methods, the year 2021 shows the best performance. It has been seen that the sustainability performance of the Inditex group has increased over the years and the results of the applied models support each other. It can be suggested that the proposed approach be applied to evaluate the progress in the textile sector with the relevant data on a particular company or on a macro scale.

This study makes an important contribution to the field in terms of the fact that the methods used are recent and have no application in the field of textiles. It allows the evaluation of different sustainability criteria together using a single method. It is very important to share data on sustainability indicators with customers, employees, suppliers, investors, partner organizations and society and evaluate performance. Analyzing sustainability performance on the basis of annual reports is important in terms of identifying good practices, sharing them with the community and setting an example. In addition, using scientific methods in the evaluation of the sustainability report data published by companies regularly provides significant feedback for policymakers and academics.

Coaching is a widespread form of human development that has grown considerably in recent years. However, it is not well understood in entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and little is known about the success factors for coaching in SMEs. Thus, this article presents a theoretical framework for coaching SMEs. The paper reports on a study carried out to develop and validate a coaching model for entrepreneurship in SMEs.

A mixed methods approach was undertaken in SMEs in the Iranian pharmaceutical industry. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the samples and the model's dimensions.

The results show five chief constructs of the entrepreneurial coaching model. In particular, the authors determine the importance of early goal setting and identify the essential characteristics of an effective entrepreneurial coach.

Firstly, the data relied solely on the pharmacy industry in Iran, indicating a need for future studies to explore coaching programs across various industries and countries. Additionally, a quantitative aspect of the research involved participants answering questionnaires based on their perceptions. This subjective nature introduces a potential for inaccuracies in participants' perceptions and expectations. Furthermore, the inherent bias of program stakeholders may have led to exaggerated responses. To mitigate these issues, it would be beneficial to conduct experimental and longitudinal research, which could address these concerns more effectively.

By utilizing a theoretical framework, the authors goal is to define the essential features of coaching in SMEs and compare it to other developmental interventions to highlight both commonalities and distinctions. This approach addresses the recent suggestions in coaching literature to distinguish coaching practices tailored for particular groups, specifically entrepreneurs involved in SMEs.

This study contributes to understanding the essential features for successful entrepreneurial coaching in SMEs.

This paper examines the relationship between marketing automation emergence and the marketers' use of heuristics in their decision-making processes. Heuristics play a role for the integration of human decision-making models and automation in augmentation processes, particularly in marketing where automation is widespread.

This study analyzes qualitative data about the impact of marketing automation on the scope of heuristics in decision-making models, and it is based on evidence collected from interviews with twenty-two experienced marketers.

Marketers make extensive use of heuristics to manage their tasks. While the adoption of new automatic marketing tools modify the task environment and field of use of traditional decision-making models, the adoption of heuristics rules with a different scope is essential to defining inputs, interpreting/evaluating outputs and control the marketing automation system.

The paper makes a contribution to research on the relationship between marketing automation and decision-making models. In particular, it proposes the results of in-depth interviews with senior decision makers to assess the impact of marketing automation on the scope of heuristics as decision-making models adopted by marketers.

This paper aims to examine the types of user misbehaviours in the sharing economy (SE) context. SE offers a fruitful study setting due to the scope of potential misbehaviour and the expanded role of consumers.

The study drew on online archival data from the AirbnbHell.com website, where people share their stories about their Airbnb-related negative experiences. The authors reviewed 405 hosts’, guests’ and neighbours’ stories and coded the identified forms of misbehaviours into categories. The typology thus developed was validated in the context of the Uber Rides service.

User misbehaviours in the SE context can be distinguished based on the domain in which the user role is violated and the nature of violated norms. These two conceptual distinctions delineate a four-fold typology of user misbehaviours: illegal, unprofessional, unbefitting and uncivil behaviours.

The trustworthiness of the stories could not be assessed.

The presented typology can be used as a mapping tool that facilitates detection of the full scope of misbehaviours and as a managerial tool that provides ideas for effective management of misbehaviours that correspond to each category.

The paper presents the first empirically derived comprehensive typology of user misbehaviours in SE settings. This typology enables classification of a broad set of misbehaviours, including previously overlooked unprofessional behaviours carried out by peer-service providers. The study also puts forward a revised definition of consumer misbehaviours that encompasses the impact of misbehaviours on parties not directly involved in the SE-mediated exchange.

This study aims to provide an understanding of how directors perceive the relationship between board independence and corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance which has remained under-researched.

The qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews of 19 directors from 14 organisations operating in Australia. Data were analysed following the six-phase process of thematic analysis.

The findings indicate that independent directors contribute to board CSR decisions in two major ways: they bring an outsider view to the board, and they monitor managers in taking decisions that consider the interests of the broader stakeholder groups.

The in-depth analysis of director independence and CSR highlights the structural and behavioural aspects of director independence and CSR playing out in board rooms. Propositions are offered which can be tested to advance the research in this arena.

The findings suggest that efforts are required at organisational policy level to ensure the effectiveness of director independence for CSR.

This study provides insights into the “black box” of boardroom dynamics highlighting important contextual factors influencing director independence and CSR decisions previously under-explored.

Whistleblowers are individuals who detect and report misconduct in an organization. They help to mitigate organizational misbehavior and resulting damages effectively and relatively quickly. Whistleblower protection has not been systematically required in the European Union (EU), leaving many large organizations unregulated. This study aims to get in-depth insights into how unregulated organizations design, handle and view whistleblowing with the advent of a novel EU Whistleblowing Directive.

The authors conducted 17 semistructured interviews with a diverse group of organizations headquartered in Germany and inductively analyzed them following Grounded Theory. Linking the Grounded Theory to the legal endogeneity model, they developed seven perspectives that help to explain how organizations view whistleblowing.

In trying to make sense of the role of whistleblowing in the organization’s governance, organizations and their managers assume different perspectives. These perspectives guide their approach to whistleblower protection in the context of evolving regulation with little regulatory guidance. Perspectives vary in the degree of supporting whistleblowing regulation, from viewing whistleblowing as a natural, everyday governance tool to denying it and fearing denunciation. Most organizations exhibit several perspectives.

Little is known about day-to-day whistleblowing practices from the perspective of organizations. The authors fill this research gap by providing initial evidence on how organizations approach whistleblowing and the EU Whistleblowing Directive. Identifying organizations’ perspectives may help us understand how ineffective or noncompliant whistleblowing systems emerge and how organizations can improve.