Search results for " entrepreneur"
showing 10 items of 239 documents
Analyzing Social Entrepreneurship from an Institutional Perspective: Evidence from Spain
2010
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…
The determinants of social sustainability in work integration social enterprises: the effect of entrepreneurship
2021
Work integration social enterprises (WISEs) exist to fight poverty and social exclusion. They offer support and guidance to those at risk of exclusion to help these individuals join the labour market. This study examines the relationship between social enterprises (specifically, work integration social enterprises) and their social impact, considered here in the form of social sustainability. This article presents the results of empirical analysis of 62 Spanish work integration social enterprises using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. The article focuses on the entrepreneurial characteristics of the companies’ founders and managers as drivers of social value creation. Specificall…
Measuring readiness for entrepreneurship: An information tool proposal
2016
Abstract A profound review of the literature on entrepreneurship reveals that it does not exist a specific information tool to measure the individuals’ readiness for entrepreneurship. The purpose of this research has been building such kind of instrument to estimate the individuals’ readiness for entrepreneurship. Its design takes in consideration the inclusion of the main variables identified by the literature as those most associated with entrepreneurial profiles. These variables have been grouped into three categories: sociological, psychological and managerial-entrepreneurial. Each group provides batteries of items which are evaluated thanks to a specific scoring system. The final objec…
Opportunity Recognition in Social Entrepreneurship
2012
Opportunity recognition (OR) is at the very heart of entrepreneurship. However, research on OR in the context of social entrepreneurship is still in its early stages. First, this article identifies, codifies and analyses OR-relevant articles on social entrepreneurship (SE) through the lens of Sarasvathy’s three views of entrepreneurial opportunity recognition. In the second step, statistical methods are applied on the results to indicate possible correlations among different schools of thought in SE and views on OR. OR in social ventures is found to be a prevalent topic in SE literature and differences in OR between social and commercial ventures are found.
The Impact of Entrepreneur-CEOs in Microfinance Institutions: A Global Survey
2013
- Peer reviewed Microfinance is a global high-growth industry, in which entrepreneurship is prevalent and substantial. Based on the theoretical argument that microfinance entrepreneur-CEOs are “motivated agents” with a unique ability to hire and socialize mission-oriented staff, we hypothesize that these CEOs produce more sustainable microfinance institutions with better social performance and lower costs. This study utilizes data from 295 microfinance institutions in 73 developing countries, assessed between 1998 and 2010. Our empirical evidence suggests that entrepreneur-managed microfinance institutions feature higher social performance, greater financial sustainability, and lower costs.
Financial literacy, value creation and firm performance. An investigation of Italian small and medium enterprises
2023
This article aims to determine the influence of entrepreneurs’ financial literacy for the growth of SMEs’ value. The paper verifies the hypothesis that there is a significant relationship between financial literacy and value creation, as indicated by economic value added (EVA®). The study analyses 162 Italian SMEs operating in the textile and clothing sector. The analysis period is between 2011 and 2013. Regression analysis and correlation analysis have been applied to test the hypotheses. The results suggest a positive and significant relationship between financial literacy and the variables that drive the value creation. Greater financial literacy allows SMEs to optimise their capital str…
Local development through social and territorial innovation: an exploratory case study
2017
This investigation aims to examine innovation in a selected successful Portuguese social venture (The Cooperative Terra Chã) and to analyse the extent to which innovative social ventures are able to contributeto local development. Specifically, the paper highlights the activities developed by the social organization in response to the needs of particular (micro) segments of society and illustrates which key factors triggered thesuccess of the examined social initiative. A case study methodology is used to describe the distinctive characteristics and strategies pursued by the managers of the social venture and to establish the links between the opportunities for social innovation and the ter…
Customer functional value creation through a sustainable entrepreneurial orientation approach
2019
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…
The process of female borrower discouragement
2022
Recent entrepreneurial finance literature identifies ‘borrower discouragement’ as an important phenomenon explaining why female entrepreneurs hold less capital to grow their venture. But how do you become a discouraged borrower? We apply grounded theory to interviews with Tanzanian female entrepreneurs and model the process via which these entrepreneurs become discouraged. Our model suggests that entrepreneurs hold negative perceptions regarding loan application, allocation and payback procedures shaped by both internal and external information sources. We demonstrate that negative perceptions cause an unfavorable attitude towards formal loans which together with entrepreneurs' perceptions …
La economía social y solidaria en Grecia
2017
El 31 de octubre de 2016 el Parlamento griego aprobó la Ley 4430/2016 de Economía Social y Solidaria (ESS) con el propósito de difundir esta forma alternativa de organización de la actividad económica; apoyar y fortalecer proyectos productivos autogestionarios y de emprendimiento social colectivo, y regular las Empresas Sociales Cooperativas y las Cooperativas de Trabajadores. En este trabajo hemos analizado las principales características de la ESS griega, principalmente en relación con otros modelos europeos; y los distintos tipos de empresas que integra, subrayando las diferencias entre ellas y sus principales características frente a otras instituciones próximas como las cooperativas so…