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1 – 10 of over 2000
Article
Publication date: 14 September 2012

Dugassa Tessema Gerba

The purpose of this paper is to examine the entrepreneurial intentions of undergraduate university students in Ethiopia by making a comparative analysis among different groups of…

4272

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the entrepreneurial intentions of undergraduate university students in Ethiopia by making a comparative analysis among different groups of students.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 156 students completed entrepreneurship intention questionnaire. The questionnaire has seven parts extracting information about personal attraction, subjective norm, self‐efficacy, entrepreneurial intention, need for achievement, locus of control, and instrumental readiness. The respondents were asked to state their agreement/disagreement on statements on a seven‐point Likert type scale.

Findings

The result identified that students who had undergone entrepreneurship education (business management student in this case) tend to have better entrepreneurial intention than those who had not taken entrepreneurship course (engineering students). Also, it was observed that male management students have higher personal attraction towards entrepreneurial career, subjective norms, self‐efficacy and achievement need than female management students, as well as male and female engineering students, while female management students have the lowest instrumental readiness than students in other groups. The study did not find significant difference in entrepreneurial intention of students who had exposure to entrepreneurial activity through family and those who had no such exposures.

Research limitations/implications

The limitation of this research lies in the sample size and the study units (universities) from which samples have been taken. Future research is recommended to predict entrepreneurship intention of students by taking larger sample from more universities in the country.

Practical implications

The study strongly suggests the need to incorporate entrepreneurship education in the curriculum of technical disciplines in Ethiopian universities.

Originality/value

The research provides assessment of entrepreneurship intention of university students in the country/culture which was not explored in the past and hence it further enriches literature and helps to universalize intention theories.

Details

African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, vol. 3 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-0705

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 June 2019

Maqsood Memon, Bahadur Ali Soomro and Naimatullah Shah

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors affecting entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) in a developing country (Pakistan). The literature reports that…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors affecting entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) in a developing country (Pakistan). The literature reports that entrepreneurship education does not enhance the level of ESE of the students. In the same vein, it is strongly emphasized that self-efficacy is the basic element in the entrepreneur’s undertakings. However, limited research has been conducted on the subject and the factors that impact ESE in the context of developing economies.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative approach was adopted, and data were collected from the 564 target respondents of different private and public universities of Pakistan. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate the association between the variables of the conceptual model.

Findings

This study found a positive and significant impact of the predictors, entrepreneurial knowledge, entrepreneurial experiences, instrumental readiness and risk propensity on ESE among the students.

Practical implications

The findings of the study will help in developing self-efficacy for entrepreneurship in young potential entrepreneurs. They will also assist higher education management in developing and designing entrepreneurship academic curriculum and programs for the achievement of program learning outcomes. In addition, the findings will contribute to the literature of entrepreneurship and self-efficacy factors in the context of the developing country.

Originality/value

The results of the study confirm empirically tested factors that have a positive impact on ESE in a developing country setting.

Article
Publication date: 15 November 2018

Atieh Poushneh and Arturo Z. Vasquez-Parraga

This study aims to answer the following question: How can customer readiness be instrumental in non-technology-based service delivery?

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to answer the following question: How can customer readiness be instrumental in non-technology-based service delivery?

Design/methodology/approach

Using a field study, this research examines the role of customer readiness in customer participation in non-technology-based service delivery and its indirect effects on such customer outcomes as perceived service quality, customer satisfaction and customer willingness to recommend.

Findings

The results show that customer readiness is a second-order construct. It has a significant impact on customer participation in service delivery, which in turn impacts three key service outcomes: customer perceived service quality, customer satisfaction and customer willingness to recommend. Four factors influencing customer readiness (consumer previous experience, consumer desire for control, consumer perceived risk and customer organizational socialization) are also empirically evaluated.

Research limitations/implications

Some limitations of the study are related to sample size and use of a type of services. The research tested 13 hypotheses with a limited sample size in one context. A better representation of the population and a more generalizable outcome require more representative samples and studies in various contexts such as banking, hotel services or health care services. This study demonstrated the importance of customer readiness for effective participation in non-technology-based service delivery; it does not address the impact of customer readiness on participation in the context of technology-based services. Future research may also shed light on when and why customers choose technology-based services versus non-technology-based services.

Practical implications

Effective customer participation in service delivery can, and should, benefit from boosting customer readiness.

Originality/value

This research shows the impact of customer readiness on non-technology-based service delivery, more specifically, the impact of customer readiness on customer participation in this type of service delivery. Customer readiness has been found to be beneficial in the provision of technology-based services; yet, its role in the provision of non-technology-based services has not been thoroughly evaluated.

Article
Publication date: 9 April 2021

Ragini and Piyali Ghosh

Purpose of this study is to investigate the role of learner readiness in enhancing transfer of training by empirically testing a moderated mediation mechanism in which learner…

Abstract

Purpose

Purpose of this study is to investigate the role of learner readiness in enhancing transfer of training by empirically testing a moderated mediation mechanism in which learner readiness influences transfer through motivation to transfer, and this indirect impact is moderated by supervisor support.

Design/methodology/approach

The perception of trainees about the constructs considered has been captured through a survey of 250 employees of a unit of a manufacturing organization in India. For hypotheses testing, PROCESS macro developed by Hayes (2013) has been used.

Findings

Results have confirmed the significant role played by learner readiness in predicting transfer. This apart, supervisor support has been proved to moderate the indirect impact of learner readiness on transfer.

Practical implications

Trainees need to have pre-requisite knowledge to learn the content of a training programme, which would enable them to grasp such content and transfer the same subsequently to work. It is also essential that trainees are willing to attend any training voluntarily. Specific interventions may be designed for supervisors to bolster their catalytic role in training transfer.

Originality/value

An interactionist approach has been adopted by focussing on learner readiness as a less-studied trainee characteristic and supervisor support as a situational factor of transfer. This is construed as a significant contribution of this study to training literature. The potential overlap between learner readiness and motivation to transfer as trainee characteristics is seen to be neutralized by the presence of supervisor support as a moderator. Findings help in understanding how a trainee’s readiness and motivation, together with supervisor’s positive attitude, can enhance transfer.

Details

European Journal of Training and Development, vol. 46 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-9012

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 March 2019

Denis Chênevert, Steven Kilroy and Janine Bosak

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of role stressors (role ambiguity, role conflict and role overload) on change readiness and in turn their effects on the…

1692

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of role stressors (role ambiguity, role conflict and role overload) on change readiness and in turn their effects on the withdrawal process. In addition, it explores the moderating role of colleague support in the relationship between role stressors and change readiness.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from health care workers (n=457) in a large Canadian hospital undergoing large scale change.

Findings

The results revealed that role ambiguity and role conflict had a significant negative association with change readiness. Change readiness was related to turnover intentions which was related to higher levels of absenteeism and actual turnover. Change readiness partially mediated the relationship between role ambiguity and turnover intentions but not for role conflict and role overload. Turnover intentions partially mediated the relationship between change readiness and actual turnover but not for absenteeism. Role conflict had a direct rather than an indirect effect via change readiness on turnover intentions. Finally, colleague support moderated the relationship between all three role stressors and change readiness.

Originality/value

Little is known about the limiting factors of change as well as the factors that protect against them. The authors identify role stressors as a limiting factor for change and highlight their impact on change readiness and the overall withdrawal process. The results, however, also show that some demands are more commonly experienced by health care workers thereby not posing a threat to their change readiness. Colleague support is identified as a coping mechanism for mitigating against the detrimental effects of role stressors.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 32 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 November 2023

Xiadi Li and Hanchuan Lin

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of flexibility-oriented human resource management (FHRM) systems on intellectual capital and organizational…

Abstract

Purpose

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of flexibility-oriented human resource management (FHRM) systems on intellectual capital and organizational resilience. This study also examines the moderating effect of digital capability on the relationship between intellectual capital and organizational resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 219 Chinese businesses in the Yangtze River Delta region of China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to verify the validity and reliability of the measurements, and hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression.

Findings

The empirical results show that FHRM systems are positively correlated with intellectual capital and organizational resilience. Intellectual capital mediates the link between FHRM systems and organizational resilience. Moreover, digital capability serves as a positive moderator between intellectual capital and organizational resilience.

Originality/value

From the perspectives of resilience theory, the resource-based view and the theory of dynamic capabilities, this study is among the first to identify the process mechanism by which FHRM systems affect organizational resilience through intellectual capital. Digital capability is introduced as a situational factor for understanding the effect of intellectual capital on organizational resilience, which provides new insights for further research.

Details

Journal of Intellectual Capital, vol. 25 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1469-1930

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 December 2022

Nadia A. Abdelmegeed Abdelwahed, Bahadur Ali Soomro, Naimatullah Shah and Ummi Naiemah Saraih

Women’s entrepreneurship has become an essential movement in developing economies and is accepted in all working areas. This study aims to propose the effect of institutional…

Abstract

Purpose

Women’s entrepreneurship has become an essential movement in developing economies and is accepted in all working areas. This study aims to propose the effect of institutional support (IS) and entrepreneurial knowledge (ENK) on women’s entrepreneurial self-efficacy (WESE) and venture performance (VP) in a developing country, namely, Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

The constructive theoretical framework comprises of an extensive review of current literature. In this study, the researchers used a deductive approach that used cross-sectional data collected through women entrepreneurs completing a questionnaire. Consequently, this study comprised 324 usable samples.

Findings

The structural equation model reveals that formal institutional support (FIS), informal institutional support (IFIS) and ENK have a positive and significant effect on WESE that is concerned with the VP. Finally, WESE is a potent construct that mediates the association between FIS, IFIS, ENK and VP.

Practical implications

This study’s findings provide policymakers and government with guidance so that, by providing entrepreneurship and technical courses to develop more entrepreneurial self-efficacy, they focus more on women’s entrepreneurship. Ultimately, this improves VP. Finally, this study’s findings would provide guidelines for allocating financial assistance or funds for women. By using these funds, they can start their businesses to tackle miserable conditions, i.e. poverty and unemployment.

Originality/value

This study’s findings help to support the creation of self-employment opportunities and starting a business to improve well-being and socioeconomic conditions.

Details

International Journal of Innovation Science, vol. 15 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-2223

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 March 2018

Alex Bignotti and Ingrid le Roux

Entrepreneurship is considered as a possible solution to youth unemployment, and the number of initiatives fostering youth entrepreneurship has multiplied accordingly, also in…

Abstract

Purpose

Entrepreneurship is considered as a possible solution to youth unemployment, and the number of initiatives fostering youth entrepreneurship has multiplied accordingly, also in Africa. However, the effectiveness of such initiatives also lies in whether young people display personality and contextual dimensions conducive to starting and running businesses. The purpose of this paper is to examine the composition of young South Africans’ “entrepreneurial endowment”, represented by personality traits and contextual variables commonly associated with entrepreneurship.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper surveyed secondary students using a questionnaire constructed from validated measurement instruments, obtaining 827 valid responses. It employed exploratory factor analysis to investigate the composition of respondents’ entrepreneurial endowment. It also compared respondents’ entrepreneurial endowment across demographic variables by means of t-tests and ANOVA.

Findings

The results reveal the existence of an entrepreneurial endowment composed of: need for achievement, locus of control, community support, two role models sub-constructs and two family support sub-constructs. Significant differences from the perspective of gender, cultural background and entrepreneurship education also emerged.

Practical implications

The findings confirm that young South Africans have the entrepreneurial endowment needed to be the recipients of entrepreneurship support and highlight relevant differences across demographic variables.

Originality/value

From a theoretical perspective, this paper unveils the structure of young South Africans’ entrepreneurial endowment, composed of four unique dimensions not found in previous research. The insights gained from comparing entrepreneurial endowment results across different groups offer practical implications.

Details

African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-0705

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2015

Dave Valliere

This paper aims to report on the level of entrepreneurial intent (EI) in southwestern Cameroon, by developing and using a novel scale that avoids the problems of construct…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to report on the level of entrepreneurial intent (EI) in southwestern Cameroon, by developing and using a novel scale that avoids the problems of construct confounds that exist with most EI scales currently in the literature. This scale is also used to measure EI in Canada, as a comparative example of the Western countries typical of previous EI research, to demonstrate the stability of the scale across different cultures.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are collected by survey of random participants in Jamaica and Canada. Factor analysis is used to refine the choice of scale elements from this survey. Nested structural equation modelling is then used to confirm the construct validity and to demonstrate construct stability across the two populations. The population scores are then compared by t-test.

Findings

A novel ten-item scale is developed and is shown to have a stable factor structure across the two populations. Using this measure, it can be newly seen that, contrary to the expectations for low entrepreneurial prevalence and intention expressed in the literature, there is actually no significant EI deficit in Cameroon.

Research limitations/implications

Previous measures of EI in the literature have been seriously confounded by adjacent constructs in the same nomological net, such as beliefs, attitudes and expectations for future behaviours. The research approach taken here demonstrates how these confounds may have led to erroneous conclusions about EI in Cameroon and potentially in other countries. The major limitation of this study is the small sample size, which should be reinforced by replication or extension in future studies.

Originality/value

The development of a scale free of construct confounds represents an important step in the refinement of accurate measurement of this foundational construct in entrepreneurship research. This is underscored by the finding that EI in Cameroon may have been misreported in early research due to confounded measurement.

Details

Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2053-4604

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2017

Dave Valliere

Entrepreneurial intent (EI) is a foundational construct in theories of entrepreneurship. But three challenges currently threaten the author’s ability to accurately measure EI…

Abstract

Purpose

Entrepreneurial intent (EI) is a foundational construct in theories of entrepreneurship. But three challenges currently threaten the author’s ability to accurately measure EI. First, previous measurement approaches have confounded EI with closely related but theoretically distinct constructs such as attitudes and beliefs about entrepreneurship. Second, they have treated EI as an “all-or-nothing” decision, without reflecting the step-wise commitment of the entrepreneuring process. And finally, much of past EI research has been done in Western developed countries without validation in a diverse international context in which unstated assumptions about the EI construct may not hold. The purpose of this paper is to report on the development of a new EI scale that addresses these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Nested structural equation modelling is used to develop and validate a novel scale for measuring EI in international contexts, based on data from 998 respondents in eight countries.

Findings

A two-dimensional substructure to the EI construct is revealed as especially apparent in non-Western countries. Based on this, a new 11-item scale is proposed and validated.

Research limitations/implications

Previous studies utilizing the EI construct may be biased by its imprecise measurement and confounding by other constructs in the nomological net. The present study provides new insight into the nature of the EI construct and a novel instrument for measuring it without bias. The discovered two-dimensional structure for EI measurement may also have implications for theorists interested in antecedents and effects of EI.

Practical implications

Accurate measurement of EI is essential to developing and targeting policies to effect changes in national entrepreneurship. Previous measurements may therefore have contributed to misstatement of policy objectives and allocation of national resources.

Originality/value

This research provides a validated method of measuring EI without the serious confounds of previous scales, and that is robust to a wide range of international settings. It also provides new insight into a two-dimensional substructure to the EI construct that has not been observed in previous studies.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 23 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 2000