Search results for "INNOVATION"
showing 10 items of 1927 documents
Services supporting female entrepreneurs
2010
There are many public initiatives that fund services which support women entrepreneurship. In order to help them improve, this paper takes a closer look at the characteristics of female entrepreneurs, their motivations, and the difficulties they face in their ventures. Through a literature review and the results of a Delphi study with 25 technicians from an EU-funded support programme, this research concludes that policies for the support of women entrepreneurs should aim at strengthening pull motivators and concentrate in designing programmes specifically tailored to the type of business, focusing on long-term policies rather than short-term initiatives.
Some Insights on the World’s Most Innovative Companies and their Defining Characteristics
2019
Abstract As time went by, innovations have not only accompanied, but also shaped the evolution of humankind, while being its loyal source of progress; and they have played the same leading role at organizational (firm/company) level – although, if moving beyond the cumulative (global) outputs, a thorough (unit based) analysis would reveal that (the same) innovations have always distinguished between first movers and followers, innovators and imitators, winners and losers. Thus, the most innovative companies have had the opportunity of capitalizing on their realized innovation potential as industry innovation leaders, while the other companies have had to search for other types of strategic …
The influence of innovation orientation on the internationalisation of SMEs in the service sector
2009
This article examines the internationalisation of small- and medium-sized service firms from an international entrepreneurship perspective. The results of the empirical research developed in Spain have shown that innovation orientation accelerates the time these companies take to internationalise and allows them to implement more activities and opt for high-control entry modes in foreign markets. The results suggest that two different models of internationalisation can be found within the services sector: firms either adopt a gradual process or attempt to benefit from a rapid transition period of internationalisation.
When intentions turn into action: pathways to successful firm performance
2021
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…
Small family business performance: comparison between family and non-family enterprises
2010
This study compares small family business performance between the Finnish family and non-family enterprises. The sample (2,004 firms) was derived to represent nationally small businesses, in collaboration with the Statistics Finland (Centre) in Helsinki. The answer rate of the study was 90% (data collected by mail questionnaires and telephone interviews). The method of the study was to compare family and non-family enterprises with ROA (return on assets) on an enterprise population level (Finland). The results of the study show that most of the small family businesses are controlled by the founder generation. Founder generation performance was slightly higher than among descendant generatio…
Innovativeness and Family-Firm Performance: The Moderating Effect of Family Commitment
2016
The positive relationship between innovativeness and firm performance is well established and applies equally to all businesses, including family firms. However, little is yet known about how the unique characteristics of family firms influence this relationship. Drawing upon the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm, this study explains how the interplay between innovativeness as a firm-specific resource and family commitment as a family-specific resource affects performance. The analysis of longitudinal survey data collected from Finnish family firms demonstrates a curvilinear (U-shaped) moderating effect of the owner family’s commitment to the firm, in that the impact of innovativeness o…
The Relationship Between Entrepreneurship and Digitalization - Spotlight on the EU Countries
2020
Abstract In the current context of the modern world, economies depend on a dynamic innovative environment, the innovation actually representing one of the main facilitators of change. The economic growth has certainly led to an exponential increase with respect to the interaction between innovation and entrepreneurship. Undoubtedly, innovation depends on the entrepreneurial context and mostly on the cooperation between the market process’ level actors. In order to implement the innovation in the entrepreneurial activities, there is a sine qua non condition of having the abilities to contribute as a promoter on spreading and adoption of innovation. The current innovations are, in certain sit…
Entrepreneurship and SMEs Innovation in Romania
2014
Abstract The aim of this article is to present some theoretical connections between entrepreneurship, innovation and small and medium medium-sized enterprises highlighting the role of these business for the economic recovery. It will provide a brief overview of the CNIPMMR study pointing out data about Romanian SMEs innovation activities and use of information technology in such enterprises. Some recommendations for public policies are presented at the end of the paper.
Women entrepreneurship in small service firms: motivations, barriers and performance
2012
This article presents an exploratory study on the characteristics of women entrepreneurs and the businesses they run in the Valencia region. Following a close look at the evolution of literature on women entrepreneurs, the study shows how different internal and external factors affect the motivation, obstacles and performance of firms created by women. These results contribute towards a better understanding of business creation by women as they provide an empirical contrast of these variables (motivation, barriers and performance). Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the characteristics of women entrepreneurs and the businesses they run in the Valencia Region of Spain, in order…
Factors affecting the performance of entrepreneurial service firms
2008
In the current climate, the importance of the role played by entrepreneurship as a palpable reality that enables economic growth at a macroeconomic level, and as a factor that favours the progress of companies at a microeconomic level, has made it the subject of continual analyses from many different perspectives and in a variety of contexts by researchers from around the world. In this study, Spanish entrepreneurial firms in the service sector are analysed in order to determine the factors that influence their performance.