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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the emergence of microbreweries in Italy over the last 20 years (period 1993-2014) and assess its main determinants.

The recent intense growth is expressed by the increasing number of entries in the sector actually accompanied, in most recent years, by an increasing number of exits. The paper proposes a quantitative assessment of this entry-exit dynamics through a sequence of econometric models known as survival models.

Together with two other orders of possible determinants (idiosyncratic characteristics and the exogenous evolution of the beer market), the paper assesses the role played by specific geographical and local factors within these dynamics. Estimation results show that, whereas market force and individual features unquestionably affect entry and exit choices, geographical and local factors are of limited relevance, especially for the recent entry dynamics.

Although the literature on the so-called craft beer revolution is already vast and increasing, the novel contribution of the paper concerns the specificity (if any) of the Italian case and the role of spatial factors in this respect. This investigation is performed adopting an advanced quantitative approach and this attempt is also quite original within this literature.

Looking back on the last 12 years, the whole planet went through two major economic crises (2008 and 2019), which both had a profound impact on the survival of businesses. The present study aims to develop and empirically test a conceptual framework that investigates the factors that have an influence on firm survival. More specifically, the study proposes a three-dimensional framework that includes performance drivers (utilizing resource-based view [RBV] factors), performance measures and the measurement of firm survival. Such a multi-dimensional approach has very rarely been explored in the existing literature.

A thorough literature review revealed gaps in the literature and offered the basis for developing the proposed conceptual framework of the study. Its empirical examination (hypothesis testing) was conducted with the use of a newly developed structured questionnaire that was distributed to a group of Greek manufacturing organizations (the final sample consists of 364 manufacturing companies). Empirical data were analyzed using the “structural equation modeling” (SEM) technique (multivariate analysis) and other similar techniques (i.e. exploratory factor analysis and analysis of variance). The study is empirical (based on primary data), explanatory (examines cause and effect relationships), deductive (tests research hypotheses) and quantitative (includes the analysis of quantitative data collected with the use of a structured questionnaire).

On the one hand, empirical results point out that “manufacturing-marketing alignment,” “manufacturing capabilities,” “structural configuration” and “business performance under crisis” have the most significant impact and on short-term survival (current situation). On the other hand, “competitive advantage” and “business performance under crisis” have the most significant impact on long-term survival (future situation). Focusing on RBV factors, only “structural configuration” and “manufacturing capabilities” directly affect short-term survival, while “manufacturing–marketing alignment” has an indirect effect on the same factor. Then again, all RBV factors indirectly affect long-term survival. Also, it is confirmed that short-term survival strongly affects long-term survival.

The present study contributes to the debate concerning the antecedents of firm survival, since current empirical findings are quite inconsistent. Specifically, crucial performance drivers and other measures are incorporated into an original model, which reveals their synergies and their impact on the dynamic dimensions of firm survival. Additionally, it enhances the stream of research that investigates firm survival under crisis since very few similar empirical studies have been conducted. Finally, firm survival is not measured as a static concept but rather as a dynamic one (firm survival – current situation and firm survival – future situation). Overall, the final model can explain 35.2% of the variance in “firm survival – current situation” and 46.3% of the variance in “firm survival – future situation.”

This special issue of the Review of Finance and Accounting presents six papers which use survival analysis as a research method to examine a wide range of research questions in accounting, economics, and finance. Although researchers have increased their use of survival analysis as a research method in recent years, its presence in the methods ‘toolbox’ of these disciplines is not comparable to the physical sciences or other social sciences. Whereas survival analysis is routinely used in biomedicine, sociology, and engineering to study questions related to patient survival, marriage, and equipment failure, the use of survival analysis in economic‐based disciplines is not comparable to other disciplines. This issue was assembled in order to highlight the use of survival analysis in economics‐based disciplines with the express purpose of encouraging its use as a research method to examine a wider range of research issues. The papers assembled in this issue are written by authors who have previously demonstrated an interest in survival analysis.

The objective of this study is to investigate how country risk, different political actions from the government and bureaucratic behavior influence the activities in industry supply chains (SCs) in emerging markets. The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of these external stakeholders’ elements to the demand-side and supply-side drivers and barriers for improving competitiveness of Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry in the way of analyzing supply chain. Considering the phenomenon of recent change in the RMG business environment and the competitiveness issues this study uses the principles of stakeholder and resource dependence theory and aims to find out some factors which influence to make an efficient supply chain for improving competitiveness. The RMG industry of Bangladesh is the case application of this study. Following a positivist paradigm, this study adopts a two phase sequential mixed-method research design consisting of qualitative and quantitative approaches. A tentative research model is developed first based on extensive literature review. Qualitative field study is then carried out to fine tune the initial research model. Findings from the qualitative method are also used to develop measures and instruments for the next phase of quantitative method. A survey is carried out with sample of top and middle level executives of different garment companies of Dhaka city in Bangladesh and the collected quantitative data are analyzed by partial least square-based structural equation modeling. The findings support eight hypotheses. From the analysis the external stakeholders’ elements like bureaucratic behavior and country risk have significant influence to the barriers. From the internal stakeholders’ point of view the manufacturers’ and buyers’ drivers have significant influence on the competitiveness. Therefore, stakeholders need to take proper action to reduce the barriers and increase the drivers, as the drivers have positive influence to improve competitiveness.

This study has both theoretical and practical contributions. This study represents an important contribution to the theory by integrating two theoretical perceptions to identify factors of the RMG industry’s SC that affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. This research study contributes to the understanding of both external and internal stakeholders of national and international perspectives in the RMG (textile and clothing) business. It combines the insights of stakeholder and resource dependence theories along with the concept of the SC in improving effectiveness. In a practical sense, this study certainly contributes to the Bangladeshi RMG industry. In accordance with the desire of the RMG manufacturers, the research has shown that some influential constructs of the RMG industry’s SC affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. The outcome of the study is useful for various stakeholders of the Bangladeshi RMG industry sector ranging from the government to various private organizations. The applications of this study are extendable through further adaptation in other industries and various geographic contexts.

The modern construction industry is highly competitive and cost driven, with tangible adversarial relationships between projects' contractual parties at individual and organisational levels; there are conflict of interest as people to survive. Accordingly, team leaders on construction megaprojects (CMPs) in multinational engineering organisations strive to survive in such competitive markets. The research’s aim is to investigate relationships between team leaders' tenure and management styles towards professional subordinates on CMPs and elaborate how corporate governance can optimally address this conflict of interest and adversarial relationships.

The research methodology adopted processes of inducting theory using case studies. A qualitative approach was adopted as a primary data collection and analysis source. It involved case studies through primary data collection in semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 38 professional subordinates (interviewees) to discuss impacts of team leaders' tenure on their management style (a five-team leader, case studies). The research methodology is based on building theories from case study grounded theory research methodologies.

The research introduced the notion that team leader survival syndrome is pronounced and evidenced by adversarial reactions towards new or experienced professional subordinates where team leaders perceive professional subordinates, especially at senior technical levels, as potential risks that jeopardise their positions and employment survival possibilities. The syndrome is proven based on real-life case studies; it is constant, tangible and serious disorder of attitudes and behaviours. Longer tenure stimulates and accelerates these phenomena and syndrome, with 58% of team leaders exhibiting such syndromes. Optimum employee tenure is between 7 and 10 years. Corporate governance provides good resolution practices.

The research implications are useful to construction industry and academia. However, the analysis is limited to the case studies considered in Canada and Qatar. Due to small sample size for both case studies and respondents to the questionnaire survey, it is recommended for future exploration to expand the scope of research to larger sample size and various demographic and geographical locations.

Corporates should acknowledge the presence of team leader survival syndromes. They should thoroughly investigate sociopolitical relationships behind it and seek to understand consequences on professional subordinates. Corporates should also adopt a 360-degree feedback system; they should limit trust given to team leaders in this regard to responsible trust, to eliminate manipulation. Team leaders are perceived as being not always truthful and misrepresent capabilities and performance of their professional subordinates to senior managers. Corporate governance holistic multidimensional perspectives are required to provide resolutions of team leader survival syndromes.

The research has discovered a phenomenon that team leaders on CMPs in architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) organisations, prompted by virtue of long tenure in corporates or by power of their managerial level in organisations, perceive their professional subordinates, especially senior technical employees, as potential risks. It is thought promoting them would put their own positions and security of tenure at risk. Hence, team leaders act adversarially, to enhance their own survival prospects. This research introduced the novel team leader survival syndrome and introduced analyses, practical implications and recommendations.

Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises are the live wire of construction industry in developing countries. These classes of establishments are most affected by economic contraction and turmoil, thus affecting their performance and survivability. Hence, the purpose of this study is to investigate and prioritize the survival determinants of construction consulting organization during economic contraction in Nigeria using quantity surveying firms as a focal point.

The study adopted the descriptive-survey design and quantitative data were collected through questionnaire purposely administered to quantity surveying firms in the Southwestern part of Nigeria. The data obtained from 99 quantity surveying firms on survival determinants were analysed using various statistical analysis such as mean score, standard deviation, Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis H test, and so on. Principal component analysis was used to identify the principal components of survival determinants, while the factors were prioritized using fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE).

The result of the analysis reveals eight factors that significantly determines the survival of firms during the period of economic contraction. Furthermore, the eight grouped factors were prioritized accordingly namely firm's innovation and diversification, ownership structure and networking, education level and management skills, and so on.

This study investigated the survival determinants of quantity surveying firms and prioritized it with the opinions of principal partners in quantity surveying establishments. As against obtaining large survey responses from all quantity surveyors in the study area that may not have practical experience of managing firms, the limited responses received provide valid basis to broaden the horizon of professionals and other stakeholders on the key determinants for firms to survive economic turmoil.

This study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing information on prioritized factors that must be considered in an appropriate order by quantity surveying firms to survive economic contraction.

The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss a model to evaluate the top management quality and its impact on the default probability/survival probability of companies operating in the Italian food and beverage industry. The focus is on SMEs and private companies (ie. companies with no external or public rating). The general aim of this paper is to initiate a new field of research enjoying the fast and growing number of information underlying the development of the private lending market (both banking channel and private debt channel) and the recent developments in assessing the managerial styles of leadership.

The methodology used in the research is a mixed method based on quantitative and qualitative analysis. The authors have followed the sequential mixed methods design (Creswell and Plano Clark, 2007; Almalki, 2016) belonging to a practice perspective (Tashakkori and Creswell, 2007). The two components (quantitative and qualitative) are integrated in the combined approach: a final proposed evaluation model is explained and discussed.

According to the experience (and private market best practice) the leadership style has a material impact on the survival probability of a company (and, on the contrary, on the default probability of a company). In other words, the leadership style – other variables be equal – can provide significant information to investors about the future evolution of the financial performance and related credit risk. In the paper, the authors provide a useful model (and tool) in order to capture the above mentioned relationship to support investment decisions in food and beverage industry.

While a positive relationship between a participative style of leadership and the financial performance is widely accepted in the literature; there is no published research on the relationship between managerial styles of leadership and default probability/survival probability. There are several workstreams to be performed in future research in order (1) to provide more business evidence and (2) to extent the analysis to further industries (other than food and beverage). The first step is to collect more data and company information on managerial styles of leadership and to start to track, to measure and monitor the evolution of the credit risk over time in each of the four clusters identified in the combined model.

The practical implication is to provide a methodological contribution to develop an evaluation model of top management quality to be used for the certification of the quality system. The proposed evaluation model is intended to support both (1) the ISO quality management system certifiers and (2) financial analysts and auditors in order to assess the going concern and the business sustainability and (3) the credit risk assessment and evolution in investment decisions.

The authors believe that a more deep understanding on the effectiveness of managerial styles of leadership on credit risk can improve the credit and investment allocation and to enhance the borrowing capabilities of the food and beverage industry (with relevant implications on number of employees and size of new investments).

This is the first applied research on the link between the default probability/company survival probability and the quality of management in the Italian food and beverage industry.

This paper aims to investigate the effect of business incubation metrics based on an adaptation of the lean start-up (LS) framework on start-up survival after incubation. This study also analyzes the obstacles in implementing the LS framework as incubation metrics.

This study uses mixed methods. Quantitative research using multiple linear regression was applied to the data of 30 start-ups incubated at Bandung Techno Park for the 2014–2017 period and survival tracking data after the incubation. A qualitative approach to complete the explanatory work was conducted through in-depth interviews with 12 respondents, including start-up graduates from the incubation program, program managers and mentors.

This study confirms that several LS incubation metrics significantly affect start-up sustainability after incubation. In addition, this study also explains several problems in applying the LS discipline that needs attention to increase incubation success.

Research was conducted only at one technology business incubator (TBI) model that focuses on digital start-ups in the emerging ecosystem. Research results can be biased in different situations and ecosystems.

The explanation of the relationship of LS-based incubation metrics to the survival of start-ups, as well as the challenges of their implementation, can be a reference for TBI management to consider and prioritize intervention strategies, thereby improving TBI’s business processes and increasing the success rate of incubated start-ups.

The creation of university start-ups and spin-offs has become a key performance indicator mandatory for technology universities in Indonesia. The existence of TBI institutions in universities as channels of technology commercialization is essential. The incubator’s success in creating a new technology-based company will have a significant social impact on the surrounding environment.

Although the LS method is popular in start-up communities and among practitioners, it is rarely used in the incubation process at universities. These results can be considered for university TBIs to explore LS as an incubation management tool to increase the success rate of incubated start-ups.

The study aims to understand how practicing organizational performance evaluation (OPE) is related to the performance paradox (tensions between creative freedom and survival challenges) in “evaluation-hesitant” cultural and creative industries (CCI) organizations.

Mixed methods research, consisting of moderation analyses and unstructured expert interviews.

A conceptual model is developed to explain how creative freedom and survival challenges affect OPE in “evaluation-hesitant” CCI organizations.

The authors bring a new understanding to the factors that contribute to evaluation-hesitance in CCI. The paper contributes to discussing both the theory of paradox and flow theory in explaining the relations between OPE, creative freedom and survival challenges.

The purpose of this paper is to test the interaction effect of government support in the relationship between business skills, capital adequacy, access to finance, access to market, entrepreneurial education, and small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) survival in post-war communities in Northern Uganda.

Cross-sectional research design was used in the study and quantitative data were collected from 304 SMMEs located in Gulu District using a semi-structured questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) through the use of analysis of moment structures was adopted to establish the interaction effect of government support in the relationship between business skills, capital adequacy, access to finance, access to market, entrepreneurial education, and SMMEs survival in post-war communities in Northern Uganda. Furthermore, Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to show the association between the variables under study.

The results revealed that there is a significant interaction effect of government support in the relationship between business skills, capital adequacy, access to finance, access to market, entrepreneurial education, and SMMEs survival in post-war communities in Northern Uganda. Besides, the results indicated that business skills, capital adequacy, access to finance, access to market, entrepreneurial education, and government support have significant and positive impacts on SMMEs survival in post-war communities in Northern Uganda.

The study employed cross-sectional research design, thus, ignoring longitudinal study approach. Besides, the sample was selected from only Gulu District, therefore, leaving out other Districts located in Northern Uganda.

Advocates of recovery programs and interventions in developing countries should consider government support as a vital factor in promoting business skill, capital adequacy, access to finance, access to market, and entrepreneurial education in order to enhance SMMEs growth in post-war communities. In addition, governments in developing countries should offer investment incentives and tax waivers to infant SMMEs in post-war communities like in Northern Uganda.

The study examined the interaction effect of government support in the relationship between business skills, capital adequacy, access to finance, access to market, entrepreneurial education, and SMMEs survival in post-war communities in developing countries. Thus, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to test the interaction effect of government support in the relationship between business skills, capital adequacy, access to finance, access to market, entrepreneurial education, and SMMEs survival in post-war communities in Northern Uganda. The use of government support as a moderator in the relationship between business skills, capital adequacy, access to finance, access to market, entrepreneurial education, and SMMEs survival is scarce in entrepreneurship literature and theory. This creates uniqueness in this study.