Disseminating scientific research: a double-edged sword?

Practitioners rarely have the time or propensity to read scientific research, and scholarly researchers seldom write for non-academic audiences. Nevertheless, both groups would probably agree that researchers could solve many problems faced by practitioners and that research is important to guide practice. This article acknowledges scientists’ failure to communicate successfully with practitioners, and discusses the main differences between academic and practitioner-oriented journals in management and business related disciplines. Author guidelines of the most prominent journals that appeal to both academics and practitioners are reviewed and discussed. A thorough literature review is also …

When intentions turn into action: pathways to successful firm performance

Entrepreneurship brings wealth to nations and contributes to their economic growth. People can take many paths to become entrepreneurs. Some join the family business, whilst others are born entrepreneurs, letting their innate intuition lead them into firm creation. For many, though, being able to learn and acquire the right skills is critical for a successful career as an entrepreneur. Like other human capital factors, entrepreneurial skills can be acquired. In today’s fast-changing society, it is of utmost importance for entrepreneurs not only to gain these skills but also to be surrounded by a supportive environment that will (1) guide them in the creation of their business idea and (2) h…

The heterogeneity of services and the differential effects on business and territorial innovation

The innovative results of firms depend upon their specific characteristics and their ability to weave together their competences with the innovative resources in their environment. Different approaches have underlined the importance of location and the context of business innovation. In particular, the existence of knowledge intensive services (KIS) enables firms to create and commercialise new processes, products and services. However, KIS can present substantial differences in their capacity to contribute to innovation. This article examines the relationship between KIS and business innovation and establishes a KIS typology in order to pinpoint its effects on business innovation. The resu…

Innovativeness as a determinant of entrepreneurial orientation: analysis of the hotel sector

This paper analyses entrepreneurial orientation as a composite formed of innovation, proactiveness and risk-taking. The empirical data for this study were gathered from a survey sent to hotel managers. The fieldwork was carried out between January and June 2018. The process provided 102 valid questionnaires. Two methods were used: structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). This study makes six key contributions and findings. First, the use of these two methods provides robust and reliable results. Second, reliability and validity values for innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking are satisfactory. Third, the operationalisation of en…

Franchising in Europe: Exploring the Case of Spain with Self-organizing Time Maps

Economic crises affect both the organizational side and the brand side of the franchise. Using self-organizing time maps, this study examines how franchise brand behavior influences decisions by potential franchisees in Spain. The findings confirm that franchising offers an alternative to the business turnaround strategy, which firms apply when faced with adverse changes in the environment such as those caused by the economic crisis in Spain. Results show that all franchise brands within the same sector behaved similarly, except for brands in the catering sector, which displayed varying responses to the economic changes. The authors discuss the implications of these results for future franc…

The knowledge spillover effect of crowdfunding

Knowledge exerts a positive indirect effect on the external environment. However, not all innovations are transferred to companies and society to allow such an effect to occur. Given the existence ...

Evaluating security and privacy issues of social networks based information systems in Industry 4.0

[EN] The present study aimed to analyse the main risks related to security and privacy of social networks based information systems in Industry 4.0. The methodology we used is an innovative exploratory data-driven process divided into three steps. First, we performed sentiment analysis to divide the database composed of 67, 206 tweets into feelings. Second, we applied a topic-modelling algorithm to extract topics. Third, we applied textual analysis to collect insights. A total of 10 topics related to security and privacy issues were identified as results. The paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges and main concerns related to the identified topics.

Exploring alternative approaches in service industries: the role of entrepreneurship

Today, it is widely recognised that the success and vitality of the service sector are essential factors in measuring an economy’s progress, its quality, and its future expectations. It not only im...

Political support for women entrepreneurs

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the application of EU programmes that seek to help women to set up their own businesses and discuss how public measures can help full integration of women into all walks of society, especially within jobs that correspond to their skills and capabilities.Design/methodology/approachAfter a literature review on the difficulties women face to find a suitable job, according to their preparation, their needs and their expectations, and the political considerations to act towards equality, this study is aimed at analyzing a European initiative designed to avoid gendered impacts on the present labour market. Through in‐depth interviews of project leade…

Management factors affecting the performance of technology firms

Abstract This paper analyzes high-technology firms within the European Union to determine the factors that influence performance through business productivity. The study examines six different factors that are representative of entrepreneurial activity, firstly from a purely business standpoint, and subsequently from the areas of production and technology, human resources, strategy and marketing and, lastly, the economic-financial area. Results indicate a direct relation between productivity and factors such as private borrowing, dynamism or using price as a strategic factor, while the reverse is true for concepts such as family resources, level of investment in R&D or training programs.

The influence of financial features and country characteristics on B2B ICOs’ website traffic

Abstract Technology, blockchain, and initial coin offerings (ICOs) have changed the established ways of financing companies and doing business. The changes that affect organizational communications, specifically marketing communications, remain unclear, especially in the context of business-to-business (B2B) organizations. The current trend is for B2B companies to view social media as an optimal way to enhance lasting and valuable relationships with other companies. There is little research on social media marketing strategies by B2B organizations. To fill this gap, this study uses a sample of 57 B2B ICOs completed by December 2019 and qualitative comparative analysis to examine how the com…

A bibliometric overview of the Journal of Business Research between 1973 and 2014

Abstract The Journal of Business Research is a leading international journal in business research dating back to 1973. This study analyzes all the publications in the journal since its creation by using a bibliometric approach. The objective is to provide a complete overview of the main factors that affect the journal. This analysis includes key issues such as the publication and citation structure of the journal, the most cited articles, and the leading authors, institutions, and countries in the journal. Unsurprisingly, the USA is the leading region in the journal although a considerable dispersion exists, especially during the last years when European and Asian universities are taking a …

Influence of economic crisis on new SME survival: reality or fiction?

AbstractThe aim of this research was to analyse the survival of new ventures during periods of economic crisis. The article compares survival probability during growth and crisis periods. An empirical study was used to analyse new venture survival probability. Results show that new firms have a greater likelihood of surviving during crisis periods than they do during growth periods. An additional aim of the study was to analyse the survival probability of opportunity and necessity entrepreneurs during crisis periods. Results show that gaps in survival likelihood between opportunity and necessity entrepreneurship are bigger during times of crisis than they are during growth periods.

Cooperative learning in creating and managing joint ventures

Abstract This study examines how and under what conditions joint ventures facilitate cooperative learning. The study analyzes how a joint-venture approach facilitates initial learning in the cooperative process and considers to what extent inter-organizational factors such as commitment, trust, control and conflict resolution affect the partners involved. The study then compares these hypotheses based on a sample of 74 international joint ventures (IJVs). The results provide empirical evidence to show that commitment is both a significant and essential variable, yet they also illustrate that this type of cooperation is not enough on its own for partners to learn how to cooperate effectively.

Clustering and innovation: firm-level strategising and policy

Government policies to support entrepreneurship

This paper summarizes the articles of the Special Issue on Government Policies to Support Entrepreneurship. All of them went through double-blind reviews and revisions. These articles contribute to various perspectives of government policies and entrepreneurship in different countries. The papers in this Special Issue cover a variety of topics encompassed within the area of government policies and entrepreneurship.

Towards a network-based view of effective entrepreneurial ecosystems

AbstractWe conceptualize entrepreneurial ecosystems as fundamentally reliant on networks and explore how and under what conditions inter-organizational networks lead an entrepreneurial ecosystem to form and evolve. It is widely accepted that entrepreneurial ecosystems possess a variety of symbiotic relationships. Research has focused considerable efforts in refining the structure and content of resources found within these networked relationships. However, merely focusing on actor-level characterizations dilutes the notion that social relationships change and are complex. There has been little conceptual treatment of the behavioral and governance factors that underpin how quality interactio…

Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa: A Bibliometric Analysis

Bibliometrics is an important field of information science that enables bibliographic material to be studied quantitatively. Using bibliometric techniques, this chapter offers an overview of entrepreneurship research in the Middle East and North Africa. Using the Web of Science and Scopus databases, we identify the most relevant research in this field, classified by the most influential authors and the top papers, journals and countries. The sample includes 657 articles published from 1963 to 2016, from 387 different sources. The findings show that studies addressing this topic have been published mainly in non-JCR-indexed journals. In contrast, it is important to note that the top papers (…

Exploring dark creativity: the role of power in an unethical marketing task

Creativity is seen as a significant driver for successful marketing activities. However, little attention is paid to its shady side and little research on the prerequisites for unethical behaviour of marketing experts and executives is on hand. In our experimental study, we examine the mutual influence of power, honesty-humility, and benevolent creativity as predictors for ‘dark creativity’ (the use of creative ideas for malevolent actions). Participants (N = 387) were randomly assigned to a high vs. low power condition (role of marketing director vs. marketing intern). Dark creativity was correlated to benevolent creativity, power motive, and honesty-humility, but did not depend on the pow…

The effect of learning-based distinctive competencies on firm performance: a study of spanish hospitality firms

In spite of the importance of knowledge assets, few empirical studies have examined how knowledge is generated in organizations and the effect of knowledge management on learning-based competencies. This research studies the effect of introducing knowledge management programs in the development of learning-based distinctive competencies as these factors relate to a firm¿s performance. Based on responses from managers at 193 Spanish hospitality firms, the study concludes that the introduction of knowledge management principles and practices promotes creation of learning-based distinctive competencies, which, in conjunction with a knowledge management approach, has a positive causal relations…

The Impact of Consulting Service on Spanish Firms

Introduction Specialized services that help in efficient decision-making in company management--that is consulting service--undoubtedly make up one of the most dynamic sectors of the economy in most European countries and in Spain (Rubalcaba 1997; Camacho 1998; Gonzalez 1999). There is a huge amount of literature available on the subject of consulting, and it often is stated that the consultant contributes a large dose of common sense to a management situation that is not always rational. (1) However, the consultant is not a magician who discovers what the client did not know, although the consultant is able to look at the problem from a more appropriate angle and his or her services should…

How to create international business competences and their impact on firm performance

[EN] This work aims to analyse the effect of the holistic view, continuous learning and information technology infrastructure on the creation of international business competences. The study also investigates whether the creation of this type of competence significantly affects firm performance using the structural equation modelling method of hypothesis testing. A survey of 257 companies from the biotechnology and telecommunications industries verifies the mediating role of international business competences. These findings suggest that managers should emphasise the creation of a holistic view, promote continuous learning and improve the information technology infrastructure in order to de…

All that glitters is not gold. The rise of gaming in the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented situation, with incalculable health, social, and economic consequences. At the start of the outbreak, the financial markets collapsed, although not all sectors suffered equally. The gaming and eSports industry is one of those that has suffered the least from the fall in the markets. Millions of people locked up at home, bored, stressed, and anguished, gave gaming and eSports companies growing prominence throughout the first half of 2020. This prominence has elicited interest in analyzing which variables can influence the returns in an industry in better financial health than many others. Using a logit–probit model, this research aim…

Socio-cultural factors and entrepreneurial activity

Scholars who study entrepreneurship have lent great value by exploring the factors that explain how entrepreneurs create new businesses and thus, how societies and economies grow and prosper. Although there has considerable research based on psychological and economic approaches to entrepreneurship, the influence of socio-cultural factors on enterprise development remains under studied. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to integrate, from a theoretical perspective, the socio-cultural factors and entrepreneurial activity. In this sense, the article points out that the institutional approach could be an apt framework to develop future research analyzing the socio-cultural factors that influ…

Firm survival: The role of incubators and business characteristics

This paper analyzes the impact of business incubators on firm survival. Using a configurational comparative method, namely fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), the article also examines whether degree of business innovation, size, sector, and export activity affects firm survival. Results show that, when combined with other variables (i.e. sector, technology), business size is a sufficient condition for firm survival. Likewise, incubators alone cannot affect survival. A combination between incubators and other factors is necessary to ensure firm survival. Sin financiación 2.129 JCR (2015) Q2, 40/120 Business UEV

Employee‐organization relationship in collective entrepreneurship: an overview

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to add new theoretical insights on the employee‐organization relationship (EOR) in the context of corporate entrepreneurship (CE), specifically in collective entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents a brief overview of the content of each of the articles included in this special issue.FindingsIn the last decades, the study of the EOR has become an integral part of the literature as an approach aimed to provide the theoretical foundations to understanding the employee and employer perspectives to the exchange. Also, the greater complex environment and the higher level of innovativeness have pushed firms to become more entrepreneurial …

Entrepreneurial orientation, concern for socioemotional wealth preservation, and family firm performance

Abstract This paper explores whether concern for socioemotional wealth enhances or undermines the positive effect of entrepreneurial orientation on family firm performance. Two analysis techniques were used: second-generation structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). These techniques were applied to data on 106 Spanish family firms. Results of both analyses are similar, lending validity and robustness to the proposed research model. Specifically, the results indicate that 1) entrepreneurial orientation positively influences family firm performance, 2) concern for socioemotional wealth preservation positively influences both entrepreneuria…

The role of sense of community in harnessing the wisdom of crowds and creating collaborative knowledge during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract This study investigates the role of sense of community in harnessing the wisdom of the crowd and creating collaborative knowledge during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also explores the impact of collaborative knowledge creation on the perceived value of social media crowdsourcing in such crises. PLS-SEM was used to analyze the data and test the research model. The results show that sense of community has a significant role in harnessing the wisdom of the crowd and creating collaborative knowledge. The results confirm a significant impact of sense of community, the wisdom of the crowd, and collaborative knowledge creation on the perceived value of social media crowdsourcing in respondin…

The Role of Emotions and Motivations in Sport Organizations

In sport organizations, a stance aimed at creating a positive emotional and social climate may be necessary. This study examines athletes' individual psychosocial factors that are linked to sports practice and sports performance. These factors include individual motivation, emotions, and beliefs. The main objective is to create a hierarchy of emotional and motivational factors that sport organizations can use to increase athletes' commitment. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to do so. This method enables analysis of priorities and criteria to support decision-making. The results show that motivation, defined here as the drive that leads individuals to develop plans to achieve th…

Transgenerational innovation capability in family firms

PurposeBased on the theory of dynamic capabilities, the purpose of this study is to examine how generation influences the effect of innovation capability on family business performance. To achieve this purpose, a moderation model is tested using the generational level as the moderating variable.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a sample of 106 family businesses CEOs who were surveyed by mail using the Limesurvey 2.5 platform. The results obtained were analyzed using the second-generation partial least squares (PLS) structural equation model. The MICOM (Measurement Invariance of Composite Models) approach was used to analyze the moderating effect.FindingsThis research sheds lights o…

Governance models of coopetition and innovation: the case of Spanish firms

Although numerous studies show that cooperation relates strongly to obtaining benefits in business innovation, few researchers have considered the role of competition in this relationship. Nevertheless, it is expected that firms can boost their innovation if they cooperate with competitors and with intermediaries. The aim of this study was to observe whether coopeting firms achieve high degrees of innovation. To accomplish this aim, we used a sample of innovative firms from the region of Valencia (Spain). The chosen region has specific structural characteristics, which are discussed later. Although the sampled firms compete with one another, they also collaborate with each other and with in…

A bibliometric analysis of international impact of business incubators

This study seeks to observe trends in literature on business incubators. The article presents a bibliometric analysis of 445 studies on business incubators. These works come from the Web of Science database for the period 1985–2015. The study sorts these articles according to the following bibliographic indicators: eminent authors, year of publication, countries with the highest rate of productivity, journal with most published research, language, type of research, and research area. This analysis provides insight into the nature and trends of research on business incubators. The results of the analysis reveal the lack of articles on business incubators and highlight the fragmented nature o…

Small business and entrepreneurship: their role in economic and social development

Since the 1980s, small business owners and entrepreneurs have been receiving greater recognition as drivers of economic growth. Recently, several studies (Forsman 2011; McKeever, Anderson, and Jack...

The role of Spanish local development and employment officers in human resource management

The aim of this study is to contrast the existence of a significant relation between good human resource practices and business results. The empirical analysis is applied to strategies implemented by Local Development and Employment Officers (LDEOs) with regard to the management of social integration and job placement programs within the context of Local Development in Spain for both the universalist and contingent perspectives of Human Resource Management. The novelty of this study lies in the impact local development programs are having on social integration and job placement, and, in particular, the effects of project management.

Can a magic recipe foster university spin-off creation?

This study examines factors that explain the creation of university spin-offs. The study focuses on mechanisms that technology transfer offices (TTOs) and universities employ to foster spin-offs. These mechanisms include technology transfer activities that support spin-offs, normative frameworks, support infrastructures (i.e., business incubators and science parks), and TTO staff's specialist technical skills. The analysis also differentiates between public and private universities. Spin-offs belong to one or more of the following groups: spin-offs with support from the university's TTO, spin-offs operating under a license agreement, and spin-offs in which the TTO or university holds equity…

Innovation efficiency: a bibliometric review and future research agenda

Innovation efficiency has become a phenomenon of global interest. This paper reviews 165 articles from academic journals of innovation efficiency, applies the data-driven text mining approach to ma...

Exploring the viability of equity crowdfunding as a fundraising instrument: A configurational analysis of contingency factors that lead to crowdfunding success and failure

Abstract With the growth in the use of crowdfunding platforms for fundraising, analysis of the key factors associated with successful crowdfunding has emerged as an interesting and oft-researched topic. Nonetheless, the equity crowdfunding market is still relatively under researched. The purpose of this paper is to explore how contingency factors combine and causally connect in leading to possible success or failure in equity crowdfunding rounds. To reach this goal, a configurational approach was chosen. Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is a suitable method for this topic because of its ability to identify and assess different combinations of conditions that explain certain outcomes. …

Innovation and entrepreneurship in knowledge industries

Abstract This paper summarizes the best papers of the Global Innovation and Knowledge Academy (GIKA) conference, which took place in July 2012 in Valencia, Spain. The Journal of Business Research hereby publishes a special issue entitled Innovation and entrepreneurship in knowledge industries. This special issue includes 22 papers and the editorial. All of them went through double-blind reviews and revisions. These papers contribute to various perspectives of innovation and entrepreneurship in different countries. Innovation is considered a specific instrument of entrepreneurship. The papers in this special issue cover a variety of topics in the area of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Women as Key Agents in Sustainable Entrepreneurship: A Gender Multigroup Analysis of the SEO-Performance Relationship

Literature points out that the effect of sustainable entrepreneurship on firm performance may be contingent on internal factors, such as top manager characteristics. This paper proposes that the gender of a firm&rsquo

Does investor attention influence water companies’ stock returns?

Abstract The potential impacts of climate change and population growth are having serious effects on the energy and agricultural industries, which might compromise water availability. Water scarcity requires the global water industry to examine the rapidly changing market and, together with public initiatives, make innovative investments to guarantee better water management models. Therefore, from an investor's perspective, it is important to understand what might influence water companies’ stock returns. This paper analyzes how the energy and agriculture industries and the growing environmental awareness of investors influence water companies’ stock returns. Panel data on the monthly stock…

Exploring the challenges of remote work on Twitter users’ sentiments: From digital technology development to a post-pandemic era

The boost in the use and development of technology, spurred by COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, has sped up the adoption of new technologies and digital platforms in companies. Specifically, companies have been forced to change their organizational and work structures. In this context, the present study aims to identify the main opportunities and challenges for remote work through the use of digital technologies and platforms based on the analysis of user-generated content (UGC) in Twitter. Using computer-aided text analysis (CATA) and natural language processing (NLP), in this study, we conduct a sentiment analysis developed with Textblob, which works with machine learning. We then …

From user-generated data to data-driven innovation: A research agenda to understand user privacy in digital markets

Abstract In recent years, strategies focused on data-driven innovation (DDI) have led to the emergence and development of new products and business models in the digital market. However, these advances have given rise to the development of sophisticated strategies for data management, predicting user behavior, or analyzing their actions. Accordingly, the large-scale analysis of user-generated data (UGD) has led to the emergence of user privacy concerns about how companies manage user data. Although there are some studies on data security, privacy protection, and data-driven strategies, a systematic review on the subject that would focus on both UGD and DDI as main concepts is lacking. There…

A bibliometric analysis of social entrepreneurship

Social entrepreneurship is a relatively new topic which is gathering researchers' attention because of the social input and the boom of this kind of business. The main aim of this article is to orient researchers in creating a theoretical framework and to guide researchers who are new in social entrepreneurship research so that they know which journals and authors to consult when studying this phenomenon. To do so, this study uses the Web of Science database to determine the research areas with the greatest research output, the countries and languages responsible for most social entrepreneurship research, the year in which research on social entrepreneurship began, the journals that publish…

Franchising in Spain: Agency and capital scarcity perspectives

Franchising is currently perhaps the most interesting formula, financially speaking, for generating self-employment, as the capital risk on the investment needed to set up a business is kept to a minimum. Since the aim of this research is to combine the agency and scarcity theories, we conducted a study throughout the total number of observations existing in Spain to determine the importance of the sector. Factors under examination included the number of distribution units that are franchised units as a proportion of the total number of units, the number of years since the firm was set up, yearly growth rate, geographical scope of operation, average start-up costs and average royalty rates.

Customer functional value creation through a sustainable entrepreneurial orientation approach

This paper advances a theoretical model to empirically test firms’ behaviour regarding sustainable entrepreneurship, enhancing what researchers have recently proposed at a solely conceptual level; this entails sustainable entrepreneurship being understood as a discipline that reliably allows organizations to successfully respond to sustainable development and market requirements. The authors suggest an integrated approach of dynamic-capabilities, S-D logic and product-service system views, which highlights the managerial predisposition to adopt a strategic position that fosters value in use (instead of regular property value), according to the current school of thoughts engaged with innovat…

Socio-cultural factors and transnational entrepreneurship

This article addresses theoretical and empirical issues concerning the emergent field of transnational entrepreneurship. We discuss issues regarding the antecedents of transnational entrepreneurship focusing specifically on the socio-cultural factors affecting this phenomenon in the Spanish context. Entrepreneurship, ethnic and transnational entrepreneurship literature is combined with institutional approach to explain what and how different socio-cultural factors influence the emergence and development of transnational entrepreneurship in Catalonia (in the north-east of Spain). We do this by looking at four case studies of transnational entrepreneurs with different ethnicity (Ecuadorian, …

What's next? Linking entrepreneurship and human resource management in globalization

Universidad Social Capital and the Competitiveness of Entrepreneurs: A Review of the Literature and Proposals

The essential question asked in this study is "How can social capital become a competitive tool for entrepreneurs". The answer lies in showing how their own networks can provide the value and competitiveness that entrepreneurs need for their business projects.

Special issue on: innovation and knowledge-based economy for entrepreneurship and regional development

Entrepreneurial activity requires innovation when entrepreneurs move from initial disequilibrium towards equilibrium (Kirzner 1973; Schumpeter 1954). Public administration and government policies s...

Guest Editors' Note: Linking entrepreneurship and human resources in globalization

Change management in the entrepreneurial Latin‐American organizations: an overview

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to the papers presented in the special issue.Design/methodology/approach – Six papers are included in the special issue and an overview of their content is given.Findings – Alteration in markets that is brought about by economic, political and cultural changes often makes it difficult for business organizations to adapt to new circumstances. The papers focus, in a Latin American context, on how technological networks are changing the business world, the role of entrepreneurialism, and the positive effects of change management.Originality/value – The article introduces the six original and well‐presented papers.

The new role of the corporate and functional strategies in the tourism sector: Spanish small and medium-sized hotels

This article aims at establishing the presence or lack of possible relationships between the existence of a logical global strategy definition in Spanish small and medium-sized hotels and its links with functional or department strategies involving four areas – marketing, technology, human resources and finance. Results show that there is a relationship between enterprise size – using business turnover as a yardstick – and the proper definition of technology, human resources and finance functions. There is also a relationship between enterprise size, determined by the number of employees, and an adequate definition of corporate strategy and technology and human resources department function…

Regional development and innovation: the role of services

This special issue examines the role of services within the relationship between regional development and innovation. The analysis described here clearly shows the importance of the institutional elements that go to make up each regional environment. These institutional elements are not only formal and informal but also include intermediary organisations and services, in particular, knowledge-intensive ones. Fostering services based on connection and transfer (technological centres etc.), constitutes a strategic line of action in regional innovation policy. These services have a dual purpose. They both enable interaction between agents located in the same area and promote connections betwee…

Technological and knowledge diffusion link: An international perspective 1870–2019

Abstract Technology diffusion is a necessary but not sufficient condition for knowledge diffusion. Technological waves' impact on education differs across educational levels. We use data for 104 countries on technology diffusion and education from 1870 to 2019. We find six technology waves from 1870 to 2019 had a substantial and statistically significant educational attainment impact using fixed panel data modeling. The impact differs across time and regions, with the most noticeable impact in Advanced economies and Eastern Europe. Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East, and North Africa are catching up with lagging Sub-Saharan Africa. The transportation revoluti…

An overview of the service industries' future (priorities: linking past and future)

The innovative future of service industries in detail from any viewpoint or theoretical perspective forms the central subject matter for this special issue. One of the sectors considered to be relevant for favouring the growth of the international economy is the services sector. The relative ease with which services can be implanted in certain activities with notably less capital than that required for most industries, as well as the direct and indirect effects it generates on the job market, are factors that have brought about belief and reliance on this sector to provide a means of growth and a way of recovering from any international economic crisis, and in the future may prove to play a…

Qualitative comparative analysis: Crisp and fuzzy sets in business and management

Abstract This special issue discusses qualitative comparative analysis (crisp and fuzzy set) in business and management blending contextual information and cognitive knowledge from the contributions of Global Innovation and Knowledge Academy (GIKA). The GIKA Annual Conference provides a platform for discussing challenges pertaining to contemporary issues in Innovation and Knowledge. The 5th GIKA Annual Conference, held in July 2015 at the University of Valencia, received submissions from more than 62 countries. Journal of Business Research (JBR) is the sponsor journal of the Academy. One of the aims of the GIKA Conference is to select high-quality conference papers for publication in a spec…

The role of innovation and knowledge for entrepreneurship and regional development

The impact of entrepreneurial activity on regional economic growth continues to be a focus of research and policy-makers throughout our global environment (Carree and Thurik 2000; Agarwal, Audretsc...

Political Skills in Organizations: Do Personality and Reputation Play a Role?

between altruistic behavior (goodwill toward co workers) and compliance behavior (attitude to ward the firm and its regulations, mission, etc.). It turned out that job satisfaction was related to formal performance and compliance behavior, but not to altruistic behavior. Job commitment was also related to formal performance. Finally, goal setting was related to formal performance and altruistic behavior but was not connected to com pliance behavior. In the second stage of the study, supervisors who had participated in earlier evaluations reas sessed employees' performance and feedback. The feedback included information about formal goal attainment as well as informal behaviors such as suppo…

Governance, entrepreneurship and economic growth

In general terms, governance simply means how an organization is governed. It is the science of government performance and behaviour and it refers to several processes that must include historical, cultural, social and political determinants. For this reason, it is possible to establish a relationship between governance and institutions. Communities of persons, firms and institutions are essential ingredients of good governance and its analysis could be developed considering two possibilities. The first is considering the factors, such as entrepreneurship, by which government would more efficiently increase economic growth. Second is taking into account the economic results obtained by gove…

Circular economy business models: The state of research and avenues ahead

This study investigates how the circular economy and business models are related in the current business and management literature. Based on bibliometric analytical procedures, 253 articles were retrieved from the Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect scientific databases. The articles were analyzed according to network analysis principles, and key terms were mapped into a network. We used VOSviewer to build the network, explore the most‐researched terms and their relationships, and identify less‐explored terms and research gaps. We furthermore conducted a qualitative review of selected publications to provide an illustration of quantitative results and delve deeper into the research to…

Analyzing Social Entrepreneurship from an Institutional Perspective: Evidence from Spain

In recent years, social entrepreneurship (SE) has been regarded as an important source of social, economic and environmental wealth, and many scholars are focusing their inquiries on this emerging area. Little is known, however, concerning the environmental factors that affect this entrepreneurial phenomenon. In this research, we analyze how these factors affect both the emergence and implementation of SE in the highly entrepreneurial Spanish region of Catalonia, using institutional economics as the main conceptual framework. We also apply an inductive theory, building an empirical approach to conducting a multiple-case study in order to develop theoretical propositions that enhance our und…

Innovative strategic relationships among sustainable start-ups

Abstract This short note introduces the Industrial Marketing Management special issue entitled “Innovative strategic relationships among sustainable start-ups”. After reviewing the key concepts and recent studies on the interrelationships between sustainability, innovation, and entrepreneurship, the seven papers that make up the special issue are placed within a macro-meso-micro framework to analyze how innovation can contribute to the transition toward sustainability. The methodological approaches and results of these seven studies are briefly summarized and their main implications highlighted. To conclude, paths for future research are suggested. These paths provide opportunities to advan…

Contingency factors on the success of services for social integration and job placement schemes

The success of a strategy depends, to a large extent, on the contingency factors that condition the functioning of an organisation. This study presents empirical research to contrast the existence of a significant relationship between the implementation of a particular strategy (in this case, related to the management of job placement and social insertion schemes) and a set of given structural parameters or contingency factors, in particular, the organisational structure of the firm such as time with the firm, firm size, technology used and organisational culture. The empirical analysis is applied to the strategies used by local development and employment officers with regard to the managem…

Where to acquire knowledge: Adapting knowledge management to financial institutions

Abstract This research seeks to determine which sources of knowledge have the greatest effect on financial entities' knowledge acquisition and management. A review of the literature on knowledge management examines four key knowledge sources: Human resources, organizational management, technology adoption, and the business environment. The study performs pairwise comparisons of variables through the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), using a scale that captures the importance of each criterion, thereby simplifying the decision process. Results show that human resources and new technology adoption are the most effective sources of knowledge acquisition and management. Specifically, one of the…

Analysis of industry 4.0 implementation in mobility sector: An integrated approach based on QFD, BWM, and stratified combined compromise solution under fuzzy environment

Journal of industrial integration 30, 100406 (2022). doi:10.1016/j.jii.2022.100406 special issue: "Data/Information Integration Techniques in Industry 4.0/5.0 / Edited by Shahid Mumtaz, Syed Hassan, Mohsen Guizani, Muhammad Ikram"

Introduction: The Challenges of Defining and Studying Contemporary Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is a broad and complex concept, and is an important contributor to the economic prospects of companies, sectors, and entire nations. To a casual observer, entrepreneurship is most closely associated with smalland medium-sized enterprises, yet it plays a vital role, either directly or indirectly, in the sustainability of organizations of all sizes and types, private or public, national or multinational. The entrepreneur and the entrepreneurial process are critical to creating new economic activity—boosting innovation, wealth, growth, and employment. It strengthens competition between developed economies and supports social welfare within developing countries. There has been …

Special Issue on: Small business and entrepreneurship: their role in economic and social development

Since the 1980s, small business owners and entrepreneurs have been receiving greater recognition as drivers of economic growth. Recently, several studies (Forsman 2011; McKeever, Anderson, and Jack...

Dystopia deconstructed: Applying the triple helix model to a failed utopia

This study analyzes the failure of a literary utopian system—Veronica Roth's Divergent—drawing from difference, which the divergent and the factionless represent. The analysis of the causes and consequences of difference from a socioeconomic perspective reveals a system that the triple helix model can improve. The adapted model based on cooperation and knowledge transfer adds two connections to the three main axes: Universities (Erudite), Government (Abnegation), and Industry (Amity), and gives the divergent a key role: inter-faction coordinators. Following a review of European migration policies, the study explores the creation of a new faction for the factionless. Regarding innovation, th…

Subsidizing technology: how to succeed

Examining the database of applications to the Regional Government of Valencia's Institute for Small and Medium-sized Industries (Spain) for subsidies to aid technological development in small and medium-sized enterprises, this study seeks to explain the approval or rejection and the success or failure of projects that look to receive state funding. The independent variables in the database are particularly concerned with reliance on path dependence. The variable length of membership of the Institute, the number of previous applications, technology level, or belonging to a particular geographical area relate to the accumulation of experience and correspond to the study hypotheses. The study …

Developmental management: Theories, methods, and applications in entrepreneurship, innovation, and sensemaking

Abstract This paper summarizes the best papers of the Global Innovation and Knowledge Academy (GIKA) conference, which took place in July 2013 in Valencia, Spain. The Journal of Business Research has published a special issue entitled “Developmental management: Theories, methods, and applications in entrepreneurship, innovation, and sensemaking”. All of them went through many rounds of double-blind reviews and revisions. Theories, methods, and applications are the three pillars to solve the issues in entrepreneurship, innovation, and sensemaking. Entrepreneurship contributes to the quality and future hopes of a sector, economy or even a country. The role of the entrepreneurs is crucial in c…

Giving back to society: Job creation through social entrepreneurship

Abstract Social entrepreneurship is a relatively young topic. Nevertheless, social entrepreneurship is becoming increasingly popular among researchers because of its contribution and prominence in society. Many entrepreneurs seek to create ventures that not only yield a profit but also add value to society. This research investigates how contingent factors of social enterprises affect job creation. The study examines the following contingent factors: Training, educational attainment, experience, family history, and financial support. This study explores the influence of these factors on business size (i.e., the outcome in the research model). The study employs fuzzy-set qualitative comparat…

Does doing good do well? An investigation into the relationship between consumer buying behavior and CSR

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has emerged globally as an important field of study as corporations increasingly recognize the positive consequences of ethical behavior in their business operations. However, despite a growing body of literature, results and definitions remain somewhat contradictory and fractured. Taking a marketing business ethics perspective, this article examines the influence of CSR in firms and its impact on consumer buying behavior through a systematic examination of state of the art literature over the past two decades (2000–2020). Our review identifies a theoretical connection between CSR initiatives and positive consumer reaction yet a lack of material relevan…

Qualitative analysis on the driving force behind upcycling practices associated with mobile applications: Circular economy perspective

Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada/CBUA

Challenges in measuring readiness for entrepreneurship

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to establish a readiness for entrepreneurship theoretical framework. The paper marks the first of three stages to build a scale to measure readiness for entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approach– The current paper is conceptual. The research approach consists of formulating proposals and definitions based on an extensive literature review.Findings– The literature review reveals that no such readiness for entrepreneurship measurement tool exists. The literature review also yields definitions and components of key concepts for the theoretical framework.Research limitations/implications– The paper offers a new, holistic perspective of readiness for entr…

Can goal setting and performance feedback enhance organizational citizenship behavior?

Engagement in entrepreneurship after business failure. Do formal institutions and culture matter?

AbstractDespite the extensive literature on the relationship between entrepreneurship and institutions, there is limited knowledge of the relationship between institutions and engagement after failure. This study compares the entrepreneurial engagement of entrepreneurs who have recently experienced failure and individuals without entrepreneurial experience, emphasizing the interaction of government policies and programmes (formal institutions) and individualistic/collectivist cultures (informal institutions) with business failure and its impact on entrepreneurial engagement. We test our hypotheses using multilevel analysis on a large cross-sectional sample that combines individual-level dat…