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The main aim of this chapter is to analyze the history of entrepreneurship in the footwear cluster during the twentieth century and the dawn of the twenty-first century, around the actions of the manufacturers installed in the city of León, Guanajuato, Mexico. The methodological process was triangulated by three forms of approach to the object of study: the first consisted on the literature review; the second was a longitudinal analysis of socioeconomic and technological indicators; the third was the application of in-depth interviews to five footwear manufacturing entrepreneurs. The main finding was the collaborative model of the footwear cluster in the face of crisis cycles that has historically been facing; this allows to understand the historical challenges of entrepreneurship in the cluster, as well as public policies that have influenced its behavior pattern and the strategies that have outlined its entrepreneurship model.

This paper presents an empirical contribution to the literature on cluster evolution, highlighting the decline phase. The analysis focuses on the footwear sector in Rio Grande do Sul (RS) state, in southern Brazil, where an important footwear cluster is located, which was once considered one of the world's largest footwear clusters. The purpose of this study is to analyse the transformation of this footwear industrial sector since the beginning of the 2000s using several sectoral statistics.

This paper presents an empirical and longitudinal study that comprises the sourcing of 20 years of secondary data, based on official sources. The main data analysed were production, price, industrial structure, labour market and foreign market.

The main results indicated a significant reduction in production, export and employment. In addition, a precarization of the labour market was observed, with lower wage levels, even with an increase in the formal qualification of labour over time. The finding is that the RS footwear sector underwent a huge structural change and lost the status of a worldwide supercluster. This decline occurred due to two central factors: an external shock related to China's entry into the international and Brazilian domestic markets, accompanied by a slowdown in the Brazilian economy since 2015; and the difficulty of local firms responding to the new challenges.

Synthesizing the findings, it is understood that this paper contributes to registering the trajectory of decline over time of the footwear sector in RS. In this sector, the Sinos Valley cluster is located, historically known as a footwear producing and exporting supercluster. This cluster loses the characteristic of a “supercluster”, but it still remains an important footwear cluster in Brazil. Therefore, this study reinforces the existence of fragilities already pointed out by the literature in Schimtz (1999) and, more recently, in Schmidt (2020). The need to address a set of fragilities remains current, both at the micro- and meso-levels. This is key to reversing the decline trajectory of the cluster and the sector. Moreover, as recent studies on clusters point out, one still must think about the impact of another ongoing paradigmatic transformation concerning the use and development of Industry 4.0 technologies. Thus, the central challenge is to think about and implement new public and private policies. The historical, economic and social relevance of the sector and the cluster demand efforts to reverse the decline.

This study focuses to contribute to the discussion about the decline of the footwear production in the region by analysing secondary data regarding the industrial sector. This is an analysis at the meso-level (industry). The authors understand that the originality of the research lies in the longitudinal analysis for a recent period (past 20 years) that captures the greatest current crisis experienced by the region.

Local networks of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are founded both on collaborative and competitive inter-organizational relationships within the same network characterised by spatial proximity between firms. This paper aims to propose an original analytical framework to understand how spatial proximity between firms within local networks influences strategy of SMEs.

Theories and the existing knowledge were used to develop a preliminary conceptual framework. This preliminary framework was then developed as data collection and analysis were carried out. That is, in the more advanced stages of the research, both the literature and data allowed the design of a more specific analytical framework with the development of theoretical propositions. The data supporting the findings was derived from extensive content analysis of secondary documents from manufacturers, channel agents, industry organisations, public agencies and statistical sources. These data were also used as background briefing for 52 in-depth interviews with 36 senior managers within the sector.

An extensive qualitative research carried out in two major local networks of footwear production in Portugal shows that spatial proximity influences the following major variables of SME strategy: offer specialization, market specialization, competitive behaviour and collaborative behaviour. This paper examines the strong subcontracting relationships among manufacturers within each local network, discusses the competitive and collaborative behaviour of firms within their local networks of subcontracting and explains the nature of interaction between them contributing for a better understanding on the impact of spatial proximity on strategy.

Some management implications can be drawn from this research at the level of the network and of the firm, although both levels are profoundly intertwined. The paper discusses both these implications.

This research clarifies the relationship between spatial proximity and strategy of SMEs immersed in local networks. In particular, the findings show that, in the context of local networks of footwear production, SME strategy is influenced by spatial proximity between firms in the following characteristics of strategy: offer specialization, market specialization, competitive behaviour and collaborative behaviour. As it was discussed and empirically supported, spatial proximity between firms favour resource mobility, firms' interaction and reduction of transaction costs, which, in turn, impact strategy.

This study seeks to examine mature consumers' motives in the selection of apparel and footwear brands and reasons for patronizing department stores. Differences in brand‐choice motives are assessed among age cohort groups within the mature consumers segment as well as mature consumer segments defined by various socio‐demographic and lifestyle factors (i.e. gerontographic segmentation).

A USA nation‐wide random sample of 10,400 head of households was surveyed in regards to reasons for choosing apparel and footwear brands and department stores.

The results show that older consumers not only differ from their younger counterparts but are also heterogeneous when it comes to reasons for choosing specific brands and department stores. Specifically, price reductions and special sales drive the majority of mature consumers' brand selection, while advice or requests of spouse or other relatives and recommendations of salespeople are important factors in brand selection. Ease of returning products or getting refunds and frequency of items on sale are the main drivers of department store patronization.

Marketing managers should consider preference differences in age and gerontographic segments when creating marketing strategies to serve mature consumers.

Typically, mature consumers are aggregated into a single age segment (e.g. over 55). This study examines mature consumer reasons for selecting apparel and footwear brands and department stores based not just on age, but also on individual characteristics, specifically, gerontographic characteristics. Suggestions for marketing strategies designed to appeal to gerontographic segments are provided.

Examines the tenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the theoretical development of the theme by the proposition of an industrial cluster typology method considering that the set of local variables related to the firms characteristics are essential for the strengthening of the interfirms’ relationship and consequently their performance.

The theoretical basis of this study are the types of clusters found in literature and the research. A survey with several types of actors were performed with companies from footwear production chain in the region of Franca, Brazil. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics techniques as well as multivariate exploratory methods.

This study highlight multiple characteristics derived from different cluster typologies within the same productive chain.

From a theoretical standpoint, the research results extended the perspective about the strategic role played by the local cooperation and also offer to managers and representative institutions a possibility to reflect on different types of governance principles adopted in collective actions.

Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.

Purpose: Preserving a country’s culture is crucial for its sustainability. Handicraft is a key draw for tourism destinations; it protects any civilisation’s indigenous knowledge and culture by managing the historical, economic, and ecological ecosystems and perfectly aligns with sustainable development. It has a significant role in creating employment, especially in rural regions and is an essential contributor to the export economy, mainly in developing nations. The study focuses on the skills required and existing gaps in the handicraft industry, its development and prospects by considering women and their role in preserving and embodying the traditional art of making handicrafts.

Approach: A framework has been developed for mapping and analysing the skills required in the handicraft sector using econometric modelling; an enormous number of skills have been crowdsourced from the respondents, and machine learning techniques have been used.

Findings: The findings of the study revealed that employment in this area is dependent not only on general or specialised skills but also on complex matrix skills ranging from punctuality to working in unclean and unsafe environments, along with a set of personal qualities, such as taking initiatives and specific skills, for example polishing and colour coding.

Implications: The skills mapping technique utilised in this study is applicable globally, particularly for women indulged in casual work in developing nations’ handicrafts industry. The sustainable development goals, tourism, and handicrafts are all interconnected. The research includes understanding skills mapping, which provides insights into efficient job matching by incorporating preferences and studying the demand side of casual working by women in the handicraft sector from a skills perspective.

In the last four years, since Volume I of this Bibliography first appeared, there has been an explosion of literature in all the main functional areas of business. This wealth of material poses problems for the researcher in management studies — and, of course, for the librarian: uncovering what has been written in any one area is not an easy task. This volume aims to help the librarian and the researcher overcome some of the immediate problems of identification of material. It is an annotated bibliography of management, drawing on the wide variety of literature produced by MCB University Press. Over the last four years, MCB University Press has produced an extensive range of books and serial publications covering most of the established and many of the developing areas of management. This volume, in conjunction with Volume I, provides a guide to all the material published so far.

The relevance of entrepreneurship in the economic systems of the regions is well documented. Recently, a new concept has emerged in the entrepreneurship literature, entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE), to analyze the dynamics of a given territory and its outputs and impact upon entrepreneurship. Moreover, it is also well documented the close relationship between entrepreneurship and family business (FB). Keeping in mind the multidimensionality of the latter, its scholars are beginning to look into the entrepreneurial elements embedded in the family processes and the influence of context.

After an extensive literature review made, a significant gap was found, given the historical relevance that FB (SMEs the vast majority) have in the global economic systems. A FB entrepreneurial ecosystem (FBEE) model is proposed based on the data collected from two case studies, on Portugal's wine industry, and Mexico's shoe industry, both artisan industries confronted with the urge to reinvent and adapt to face deep market and industry changes.

The results should indicate the feasibility of proposing a second level on the theory of EE, the FBEE, where both the family and business itself ultimately play a vital role in its success and impact the whole system.