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1 – 10 of 21Margarida P. Santos, Fernando A. F. Ferreira, Neuza C. M. Q. F. Ferreira, João J. M. Ferreira and Ieva Meidutė-Kavaliauskienė
Gazelle companies are characterized by rapid growth in a short time. Identifying the determinants of this exponential expansion is important as these firms have a significant…
Abstract
Purpose
Gazelle companies are characterized by rapid growth in a short time. Identifying the determinants of this exponential expansion is important as these firms have a significant impact on the economy. They generate increased employment and investment by investors interested in new opportunities. Previous studies have failed to reach a consensus about what fosters high growth in gazelle companies as each firm’s geographical, political and economic context is different. The present research uses cognitive mapping and interpretive structural modeling (ISM) to overcome the limitations of prior investigations and identify factors that can potentially accelerate growth in gazelle companies.
Design/methodology/approach
Two sessions were held with an expert panel with knowledge about and experience with these firms. In the first session, data were collected to create a group cognitive map, while the second meeting comprised ISM-based analyses of the high-growth determinants identified and the causal relationships between them. A final consolidation session was held to discuss the results with two members of the Committee for Central Region Coordination and Development (i.e. Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Centro – a public entity that grants gazelle awards in Portugal).
Findings
The analysis system created was tested, and the results demonstrate that the dual methodology used can increase our understanding of the dynamics of high-growth determinants and lead to more informed and potentially better evaluations of gazelle companies. Indeed, once high-growth determinants in gazelle companies are understood, this information can help other firms implement the same business model to achieve similarly rapid growth. The strengths and shortcomings of this new structured analysis model are also analyzed.
Originality/value
The authors know of no prior work reporting the integrated use of cognitive mapping and ISM in this study context.
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Ana Isabel Gaspar Pacheco, João Ferreira, Jorge Simoes, Pedro Mota Veiga and Marina Dabic
The commercialization of research produced by universities constitutes a core facet of academic entrepreneurship (AE). Academic literature reveals the need to shed light on…
Abstract
Purpose
The commercialization of research produced by universities constitutes a core facet of academic entrepreneurship (AE). Academic literature reveals the need to shed light on entrepreneurial processes in higher education institutions (HEIs). This study intends to fill this gap by researching the mechanisms for facilitating AE and the variables that can moderate the relationship between such mechanisms and AE in Portuguese HEIs.
Design/methodology/approach
Our research model aims to assess the mechanisms of academic entrepreneurship (AE) within a sample of 125 Portuguese public higher education institutions (HEIs). To test our research hypotheses, we employed a structural equation model (SEM) using the partial least squares (PLS) method. Additionally, our evaluation examines the potential moderating effects of incubator programs, support initiatives, and proof-of-concept programs (PoCs). Our research model seeks to evaluate the mechanisms for facilitating AE and explore the effects of including incubator programs, support initiatives, and PoCs as moderators. The seven variables (Research mobilization, Unconventionality, Industry collaboration, University policies, Incubator programs and support initiatives, Proof-of-concept programs, and academic entrepreneurship) were measured using a 7-point Likert scale.
Findings
The results revealed that different drivers of AE influence the creation and development of entrepreneurial activities. Our findings also show the moderating effects of incubator programs, support initiatives, and proof-of-concept programs on AE. We find that incubator programs, other support initiatives, and PoCs maintain a moderating effect on AE and benefit their respective HEIs.
Research limitations/implications
The study examines only the Portuguese HEI context. Therefore, generalizing these results necessitates reservations. However, the responses came from various actors in HEIs, from different academic backgrounds and research interests. This makes the results more generalizable. Limitations are evident in external validity, given that we gathered the data over a relatively short period.
Practical implications
Observed factors are explored to gain a deeper understanding of their influence on the mechanisms of AE. The implications arise from the new perspective presented and the methodology used to identify mechanisms capable of fostering AE. We hope this research will encourage other researchers to study this topic further.
Social implications
the engagement of universities at the global level should be emphasised in future policy. While universities in innovation systems often have a local focus, their engagement in innovation ecosystems transcends the boundaries of geographic locations.
Originality/value
PoCs had a significant positive moderating effect on the impact of research mobilization and university policies on AE. Thus, we find interactions between universities and industry boost AE. This study demonstrates how AE benefits HEIs by extending orientation towards mobilizing research, unconventional approaches, cooperation with industry, and university policy implementation. We thus advocate a new approach, demonstrating the influence that the mobility of research, unconventionality, industry collaboration, and university policies hold over AE.
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Joao J. Ferreira, Ana Joana Candeias Fernandes and Stephan Gerschewski
This paper reviews the literature on the business models of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It seeks to examine the profile, conceptual and intellectual structure of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper reviews the literature on the business models of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It seeks to examine the profile, conceptual and intellectual structure of the literature whilst leveraging the findings to suggest promising future paths to advance our knowledge on business models of SMEs.
Design/methodology/approach
The study resorts to a systematic literature review that conducts descriptive, bibliometric (i.e. co-word occurrence analysis and bibliographic coupling of documents analysis) and content analyses to review the literature on business models of SMEs. The research protocol included 301 articles collected in the Web of Science (WoS) database in the descriptive and bibliometric analyses. The bibliometric analysis was performed using the VOSviewer software.
Findings
The descriptive analysis portrayed the profile of this research stream. The systematisation of the co-word occurrence analysis describes the four clusters that comprise the conceptual structure of this research field. The content analysis of the bibliographic coupling of documents’ clusters portrays the seven clusters that involve the intellectual structure of this research area.
Originality/value
The integrated and holistic approach adopted in this study provides a detailed overview of the literature on business models of SMEs. We propose an integrative framework for the literature that bridges the main themes that form the conceptual and intellectual structure of this field of research. A comprehensive agenda for future research is suggested and implications for theory, policy and practice are stated.
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Bianca Sousa, João J.M. Ferreira, Shital Jayantilal and Marina Dabic
The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive framework that identifies thematic clusters and their interconnections within Global Talent Management (GTM), global…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive framework that identifies thematic clusters and their interconnections within Global Talent Management (GTM), global careers and talent management (TM).
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, this study conducted a co-citation analysis using bibliographic data to unveil the intellectual connections and relationships among thematic articles related to GTM sourced from the Web of Science.
Findings
This review highlights three key research themes: experiences working abroad, TM approaches and the complex nature of GTM as a living system.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation of this research is the sample itself. Content analysis based on the co-citation method resulted in some more recent releases being omitted.
Practical implications
The practical implications of the paper include providing a structured framework for understanding the complexities of GTM.
Social implications
Research into the academic literature in this area is divided into various clusters, empirically demonstrating how GTM and global mobility are intertwined, revealing the need for us to more thoroughly comprehend the social ramifications of GTM practices and activities and the need to further analyse the influencing social aspects in a GTM strategy, like diversity, increased mobility and virtual reality.
Originality/value
The analysis revealed the emergence of three distinct thematic groups: (1) global work experiences, (2) TM approaches and (3) GTM.
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Edgar Nave, João Ferreira and Luís Miguel Marques
Entrepreneurship is an activity of recognised economic and social interest, leading scholars to examine contextual factors that justify variations between economies and…
Abstract
Purpose
Entrepreneurship is an activity of recognised economic and social interest, leading scholars to examine contextual factors that justify variations between economies and governments to configure more favourable conditions to entrepreneurial activity. In this sequence, this study aims to analyse the effect of reforms produced in the business environment on entrepreneurial rates of a set of 18 high-income economies.
Design/methodology/approach
A panel data (2010–2019) methodology was adopted using 10 Doing Business indicators from World Bank and Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) from Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM).
Findings
In the light of institutional theory, the study shows that improving the business environment for entrepreneurs does not ensure an increase in TEA. Specifically, only the indicators Dealing with Construction, Registering Property and Enforcing Contracts positively impacted the TEA.
Originality/value
This is the first study that monitors and provides evidence regarding the effectiveness of business environment reforms towards entrepreneurship. The authors provide considerable theoretical-practical implications for scholars, entrepreneurs and policymakers to restructure public policies to support entrepreneurial activity.
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Andreia C.B. Ferreira, Ricardo Gouveia Rodrigues, Ana R. Gouveia, Oliva M.D. Martins, Hugo Ferreira, João Alfredo Pereira and Paulo Duarte
The use of insects as food is a proposed solution for the increased demand for food worldwide, but it lacks acceptance because of restrictive emotional factors. This article aims…
Abstract
Purpose
The use of insects as food is a proposed solution for the increased demand for food worldwide, but it lacks acceptance because of restrictive emotional factors. This article aims to understand better customers' emotions’ role in considering and consuming insect-based food.
Design/methodology/approach
To assess their acceptance, an experiment was developed with 38 participants living in Portugal to identify how people feel when consuming processed insect bars compared to cereal bars (of equal flavour). A video was recorded “before”, “during” and “after” the consumption of such foods, and the triggered emotions and affective states were identified using the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) and the circumplex model of affect, respectively. After consumption, the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) was asked to be completed.
Findings
It was observed that the valence and arousal of the emotions and affective states triggered during consumption were higher in the insect bar than in the cereal bar. Its consumption resulted in surprise and a positive evaluation. Processed insect-based foods may result in a potentially increased acceptance of this new food alternative in the market.
Originality/value
Prior studies briefly identified disgust as a primary emotion activated by insect-based food. The current research deeply studied emotional responses to insect-based processed foods in the Western world using the dimensional emotional models. This study offers arguments for the insect-based food industry to invest in processed food justified by its potential for acceptance. In addition, it motivates further research focused on other insect-based products (e.g. non-processed ones).
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Sofia Gomes, João M. Lopes and Luís Ferreira
The technological and digital revolution has introduced important changes in the tourism industry. However, capturing the extent of the new tourism 4.0 paradigm is still…
Abstract
Purpose
The technological and digital revolution has introduced important changes in the tourism industry. However, capturing the extent of the new tourism 4.0 paradigm is still difficult. This study aims to assess the dimensions related to the concepts of industry 4.0 in tourism and hospitality, tourism innovation and tourism ecosystem when considered simultaneously, and their role in promoting a new wave of competitiveness in the tourism industry.
Design/methodology/approach
A bibliometric study was conducted based on tourism 4.0, hotel 4.0, tourism innovation and tourism ecosystem using 120 eligible articles published between 2008 and 2021 from the Web of Science database.
Findings
This study demonstrated the advances in industry 4.0 in tourism and hospitality publications over 13 years and identified five interconnected dimensions: (1) knowledge transfer in tourism; (2) networking tourism innovation; (3) sources of tourism innovation; (4) smart tourism ecosystem and (5) innovation research in tourism. It was also concluded that tourism development should be a regional competence based on strategic networking and externalisation of regional knowledge flows.
Research limitations/implications
This bibliometric review provides important implications and recommendations for several players of industry 4.0 in tourism and hospitality and policymakers. Not only did it make it possible to create a state of art, but also to categorise the existing interconnections between the dimensions of Tourism 4.0, Hotel 4.0, Tourism innovation and Tourism ecosystem to optimise its implementation and generate greater value. In addition, practical implications were inferred that improve the tourism sector’s competitiveness, helping strategic decision-making at the level of policymakers and actors in this sector.
Practical implications
Apart from state of the art, this bibliometric review made it possible to categorise the existing interconnections between the dimensions of tourism 4.0, hotel 4.0, tourism innovation and tourism ecosystem to optimise its implementation and generate greater value. Practical implications were inferred that improve the tourism sector’s competitiveness, helping strategic decision-making at the level of policymakers and several players in this sector.
Originality/value
This study addresses the existing literature gap in the interconnection of industry 4.0 with tourism and hospitality by describing the most relevant conceptual interconnections and setting practical implications for improving the competitiveness of the tourism industry. Furthermore, it integrates previous studies and outlines future lines of investigation.
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Walter Leal Filho, Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis, Amanda Lange Salvia, Bárbara Maria Fritzen Gomes, Claudio Ruy Portela de Vasconcelos and Clarissa Ferreira Albrecht
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in academic routines. These changes have also contributed to an increase in the number of papers submitted to journals, citations and…
Abstract
Purpose
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in academic routines. These changes have also contributed to an increase in the number of papers submitted to journals, citations and, ultimately, to changes in metrics. This study aims to address a gap between theory and practice, analysing the changes in the impact factor (IF) of a sample of 30 environment/sustainability-related journals, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used an expert-driven literature analysis and an assessment of a selected sample of 30 environment/sustainability-related journals’ increased trends.
Findings
The unprecedented trend observed when analysing the results obtained in the IF of environment/sustainability-related journals contribute to the body of knowledge on this topic, allowing us to understand how specifically the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced scientific publishing, despite the restrictions imposed by lockdowns and access to research knowledge and facilities.
Research limitations/implications
Based on a sample of 30 environment/sustainability-related journals, this study can highlight lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting specific measures which may be addressed to contribute to upkeep levels of publishing in the environment/sustainability field covered in this study.
Practical implications
This study will contribute to setting the stage for additional research on the influences of the COVID-19 pandemic on scientific publishing’s impact in environment/sustainability areas of knowledge. The implications of this research will allow us to set the basis for more extensive research in other areas of knowledge.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is unique, as it addresses the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic in 30 considered exemplary environment/sustainability-related journals, the main research area of all the authors involved in this publication.
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Marcello Angotti, Aracéli Cristina de S. Ferreira, Teresa Eugénio and Manuel Castelo Branco
This study seeks to collaborate with the discussions on the usefulness of the narrative approach in accounting. In this context, this study aims to elaborate small collective…
Abstract
Purpose
This study seeks to collaborate with the discussions on the usefulness of the narrative approach in accounting. In this context, this study aims to elaborate small collective stories, developed from interviews, to expose the population’s perception of the social and environmental impact (positive and negative externalities) resulting from iron ore mining in the city of Congonhas-Minas Gerais (MG).
Design/methodology/approach
This research, using counternarratives, aims to elaborate small collective stories, developed from 52 interviews, to expose the population’s perception of externalities resulting from the exploitation of iron ore in the city of Congonhas-MG, Brazil, to give more insight for social and environmental accounting reporting. A qualitative investigation is used with a narrative approach that focuses on a specific event in the participants’ lives.
Findings
The authors sought to create a sense of collective experiences of the interviewees through narratives representative of the residents’ perception of externalities in the form of small collective stories. However, it can be observed that the local population recognizes the impact of numerous externalities. Likewise, the use of narratives allows the reader to experience another reality – a reflection on the impact of business activities in a given context. Unlike conventional corporate social reporting, models based on qualitative information can be inclusive, produced by/for the community toward action that transforms the local reality.
Originality/value
This study intends to contribute to the debate on reporting models that are developed by and for external stakeholders. This approach has the potential to improve participants’ both awareness and engagement, supporting transformative social action. This study makes several contributions. It contributes to the literature with a narrative approach, which is not often used in the accounting literature; it brings insights from the Latin American context, which is especially valuable given how the Anglo-American accounting literature includes few papers addressing this context; it presents the view of marginalized communities that are too often overlooked (this narrative approach offers important insights into the lived experience of people at a very granular level).
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