We kindly inform you that, as long as the subject affiliation of our 300.000+ articles is in progress, you might get unsufficient or no results on your third level or second level search. In this case, please broaden your search criteria.

Download

The Impact of Entrepreneurship Training Program on Russian Students’ Intention towards Entrepreneurship

Author(s): Abid Abidullah / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to study the change in intention of Russian university students towards alternate career choice, to be an entrepreneur and start a business after attending the entrepreneurial training program. Design/methodology/approach: In methodology non-probability quantitative design convenience sampling were used for the study. The collected data were evaluated through Statistical package for the social sciences by running descriptive statistics and paired t-test to interpret the impact of entrepreneurship training program. Findings: The results show the positive impact of entrepreneurship training programs on university students’ intention towards entrepreneurship. The impact was also detected in the attitude of the students towards entrepreneurship. Practical implications: Providing only business managing skills and producing job seekers may create burden on economy of a country. To be entrepreneur youth may create not only job for themselves but for other as well. The study may bring the attention of educators, policy makers and authorities to give proper space to entrepreneurship concept in the education system. The students who will be entrepreneurs in the future will not only contribute in the development of the economy but will solve society's problems in entrepreneurial and innovative way. Quality/value: A small contribution to the literature of short entrepreneurship training program impact on students’ entrepreneurial intention. Further the study also contributes to present the outcomes of entrepreneurship training program testing Theory of planned behaviour.

More...

Download

E-Learning Support for New Product Development Students Teams

Author(s): Cătălin-George Alexe,Bogdan Țigănoaia,Alexandra Ioanid,Dana Corina Deselnicu,Valentin Mănescu / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to present a case study about the use of E-learning platforms to support entrepreneurship spirit and form initiatives among students for new products development. The secondary objective of this research is to present a comparative analysis based on some common criteria such as given functionalities, technical characteristics, quality of graphical interface, of the main platforms which promote the concept of new product development (NPD) by offering their users access to free information about the steps of the product development process. Design/methodology/approach: The paper used bibliographic research and comparative analysis of the NPD platforms. The methodology also included a quantitative research which examined the ways in which the main entrepreneurial preoccupations of the students at Politehnica University of Bucharest are being directed towards the development of industrial products and services. The target group for this analysis consisted in more than 139 students (the majority having less than 25 years old) from Politehnica University of Bucharest. Findings: This study compares the available chosen NPD platforms based on pre-defined criteria and concludes on their most important and helpful characteristics. Also, the findings of the field research detail the use of E-learning platforms to support the entrepreneurship spirit of the students of Politehnica University of Bucharest. Research/practical implications: This research provides a significant contribution to the future development of a didactic product development platform which will support the teaching/learning process of the students at one of the largest technical university in Romania - Politehnica University of Bucharest. The didactic NPD platform will support the self-learning process of students and will provide its users with access to quality information and advice regarding the product development process, also promoting innovation, research and development-oriented entrepreneurship. Originality/value: The added value of the present research is twofold: it provides an up-to-date comparison and analysis of some of the online platforms dedicated to the new products development and emphasizes the perceptions and challenges of students having entrepreneurial preoccupations regarding the use of online platforms on NPD.

More...

Download

Smartainability and Mobility Strategy: The Case of Belgian Localgovernments

Author(s): Djida Bounazef Vanmarsenille,Nathalie Crutzen / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose:In order to be smarter and more sustainable, local governments have to face urban mobility challenges. Even if they integrate sustainable and smart approaches, local governments meet obstacles to define the adapted combination between smart mobility and sustainable mobility. For this propose, this paper aims at understanding the impact of different combinations on the development of mobility strategies in Belgian local governments. The alternative Venn diagrams of urban mobility developed by Lyons (2016) are used as a theoretical lens to explore the link between smartainability and mobility strategy. Design/methodology/approach:An exploratory case study was used for the propose of this study. The case study utilised semi-structured interviews with mobility managers in ten Belgian local governments. To strengthen the analysis, documentary analysis with a focus on publicly-available reports on sustainability, smart city strategies and urban mobility were collected before and after the interviews. Further, different mobility projects initiated by start-ups and organisations of local governments have been collected during different mobility meetings in Belgium. Findings: Even if there aredifferent combinations between smart and sustainable mobility, the definition of sustainability as a part of smart mobility contributes to develop mobility strategy. This ““smartainable”” alternative encourages transitions to anticipate future challenges. Citizens are initiated to new solutions and are eager to contribute in the development of mobility strategy. All public, private and civil actors collaborate to face sustainability challenges like pollution and CO2 emission. Mobility strategy is then more oriented towards integrated smart mobility platforms. Research/practical implications:The outcomes for practice of this paper is to identify the best combination between smart and sustainable approaches to facilitate the development of strategies in local governments. Moreover, these exploratory case studies offer new insights for future research on the concept of smartainability in strategic axes of smart city such as mobility. Originality/value:Current researches on urban mobility follow either a sustainable paradigm or a smart paradigm. There arefew researches exploring the interdependencies between the two paradigms. In addition, there is no significant researches which explored the link between smartainability and mobility strategy in the context of public sector.

More...

Download

Coevolution of Market De-Globalization and Political Paradigm Shift

Author(s): Hong-Jen C. Chiu / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: Co-evolving market de-globalization and political paradigm shift affect strategic risks. How could wecharacterize the strategic risks faced by MNEs? To address these research issues motivates this paper. We aim atdeveloping a process model of managing strategic risks through the lens of social ties, organizational resilience,and institutional voids. Methodology: This paper employs a conceptual framework development approach for analyzing strategic risksfaced by commodity-based MNEs. The development of this model is line with the internal and externalperspectives of the crisis process (Bundy et al., 2017). Findings: First, there are threshold conditions for the diverse existing political ties, which could open newopportunities for new ties. Second, a firm’s capability for ambidextrous learning contributes to organizationalresilience as a whole. Third, there is an invert U-shape relationship between ambidexterity and cognitivelegitimacyperformance. Finally, we suggest a refinement of “transnational solutions” for MNEs. Research/practical implications: We extend the literature on risk management to take a resilience approach thatemphasizes the great likelihood of joint adverse events in the cyclical commodity economies. Then, our focus onambidexterity in managing strategic ties has implications for enhancing an MNE’s social legitimacy abroad.Finally, our work sheds light on comparable constructs and propositions – i.e., ambidexterity versus “transactionalconfidence-enhancing” mechanisms (Gao et al., 2017). Originality/value: This paper ought to be the first to advance van der Vegt et al.’s (2015) inquiry on howorganizational resilience helps mitigate political risks. Our findings should also add new value to our understandingof the new mission for MNEs – i.e., integrate locally and adapt globally (Santos & Williamson, 2015).

More...

Download

Multimodal Transport as a Sustainable Transport for the Chemical Industry: Primary Qualitative Research

Author(s): Jan Chocholáč,Jaroslava Hyršlová / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: Increasing transport performance, more traffic accidents and efforts to respect sustainable developmentmake companies look for optimal transport solutions. The paper deals with the utilization of multimodal transportin the framework of transport of chemical goods in selected Czech Republic chemical industry companies. Theprimary objective of the paper is to map the motivation of the selected chemical industry companies for shiftingthe transport to multimodal transport. Design/methodology/approach: The research was executed in the format of double round primary qualitativeresearch. The sample consisted of chemical industry companies from the Czech Republic that met the followingconditions as of the date of the start of this research: they were members of the Association of Chemical Industryof the Czech Republic, they were production companies that distributed large and significant portions of theirproduction abroad. In the case of the logistic services providers (LSPs) we addressed companies that providedlogistic services to chemical industry companies and had already cooperated with the Association of ChemicalIndustry of the Czech Republic. Findings: Companies participating in this research have significant motivation for higher utilization of multimodaltransport. The main reasons for this are increased volumes of sales and expansion to new markets. Customers‘demands on products transport also gradually change. Reasons for utilization of other transport modes arecontinuing problems in road transport. Participating companies see significant potential in increased utilizationof multimodal transport in the area of continental transports. Such increased utilization would contribute tosignificant improvement of transport situation in Europe and to mitigation of negative impacts of transport on theenvironment and on public health. Research/practical implications: In the framework of this research there have been identified criterions that aredecisive for implementation of chemical goods transportations. For further development of multimodal transport,it is essential to focus on reducing transport costs and transit times and on improving the availability of transportmeans. Originality/value: This paper illustrates, on the example of selected chemical industry companies, the existingstate of affairs in the area of utilization of multimodal transport and it maps the motivation of companies forshifting transport to multimodal transport.

More...

Download

Evaluation of the Current Position of CSR in the Logistics Sector

Author(s): Simona Činčalová / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose:The paper focuses on the evaluation of the current position of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the logistics sector. Logistics plays a huge role within today ́s economy (an important part of GDP). It reports author ́s findings from a questionnaire survey. The aim of the research is to evaluate the use and scope of CSR implementation in medium and large enterprises operating in the NUTS 2 region, to identify the reasons for non-using of CSR policy in enterprises. Design/methodology/approach:In order to gain the knowledge about using of the CSR concept in business practice, the primary quantitative research was chosen, in which a questionnaire survey was conducted and sent to 70 businesses in September and October 2017. There wasa total of 11questions, both closed, open and semi-open. The data of 29 respondents were supplemented by the theory in this field and documentary analysis, including internal documents, descriptions of internal processes, employee magazine articles. Based on the evaluation of the questionnaire, research questions were answered. Findings: It was found that the most important motive for implementation CSR in a company is according to the surveyed companies “improving the reputation and image”. On the other hand, the biggest obstacle to the introduction of CSR is “lack of time”. This may be related to the lack of qualified staff. The most enterprises ensure the coherence of the CSR concept and the corporate strategy, but do not certificate CSR and are not going to do it. There were also described some CSR activities in three-bottom-line and its measurement. Research/practical implications:Results are relevant for medium and big enterprises in the sector Transport, exactly for top management (as CSR makers). It suggests that concept CSR is one of the ways how to for example improve the reputation of the company. It is needed to link this concept to the business strategy. This topic deserves a future research and there is a great field for potential researchers. Originality/value:The paper complements and extends findings of Czech and foreign studies in this field. There are lots of studies about corporate social responsibility, but this empirical analysis was conducted based on the research gap in the studies related to theCzech Republics ́ enterprises in the logistics sector. This study has an originality value of using primary data collected by the author.

More...

Download

Valuation of a Saas Company: A Case Study of Salesforce.Com

Author(s): Benjamin Cohen,Michael Neubert / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose:This paper seeks to identify the critical factors determining the valuation of software as a service (SaaS)companies. This newly created business model, namely software access and licenses as opposed to complete products, renders many evaluation metrics inapplicable. This creates a unique sub-industry of such companies for corporate valuation purposes. Salesforce.com is used as the focal company of evaluation, allowing use of and reference to actual data and prices. This paper aims to evaluate the accuracy and relevancy of specific valuation techniques and identify those best suited for a SaaS company. Design methodology: Individual stock and market index data were collected from publicly available sources. The main stock in focus (CRM = Salesforce.com) was then analyzed using widely accepted evaluation equations, followed by advanced analysis techniques gathered from more recent academic literature and reputable online sources. The findings from these techniques are then discussed to compare valuation estimates as well as applicability towards the SaaS profit model. Findings: This paper provides empirical insights on the impact of SaaS price-setting models on the valuation of firms using a SaaS business model. In contrast to relative valuation methods, cash flow-basedvaluation methods better reflect the impact of pay-per-use price-setting models and growth strategies on corporate valuation. The cash flow being generated by the SaaS firm creates value. The bulk of the valuation comes from the free cash flow growth rate being experienced and the expectation for continued growth in future quarters. These findings confirm our proposed theoretical model describing the strong mutual interdependence of business model, price-setting model, and corporate valuation method of SaaS firms. Research/practical implications:The study results are relevant for researchers, investors, and financial managers of SaaS firms, who need to understand the impact of SaaS price-setting models on the valuation of firms using a SaaS business model and who need to choose the appropriate valuation method. Future scholarly work should include quantitative assessments of additional financial data of salesforce.com and other SaaS firms to provide greater clarification of the statistical significance of the variables of this study or to replicate it with other SaaS firms from different industries and countries. Originality/value:The paper fulfills an identified need and a call for research to study the impact of SaaS price-setting models on corporate valuation using a single case study firm with a SaaS business model and contributes to the research about the influence of SaaS price-setting models on corporate valuation.

More...

Download

Public E-Procurement System for the Small Business Development in Russian Regions

Author(s): Olga Demushina / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose:To investigate factors affecting development of public procurement practices with the participation of small businesses, and to analyse characteristics and accessibility of public e-procurement system in Russia for small business development. Design/methodology/approach:To identify main areas for improvement in public procurement our research employed the following methods: factor analysis, multiply regression modelling, expert judgement method. Findings: The most important factors affecting development of public e-procurement practices inregions of Russia: the total public procurement contract value, percentage of firms using the Internet, transparency of public purchases,and number of recorded economic crimes. The analysis of the e-procurement platforms allows to find out the following problems: lack of collaborative tools; mostof the e-platforms are not involved in public procurement; the language and services can be complicated for some participants. Research/practical implications:We can propose some areas of improvement in this field: adoption of measures helping to involve small businesses into public procurement process, creation of new tools for interaction between government agencies providing support to small businesses; enhancement of e-procurement platforms, namely reduction of their number, creation an aggregator Website, development of collaborative tools on the platforms, and simplification of services and tools providing by platforms. Originality/value:The use of a combination of the research tools including economicalstatistical methods and analysis of procurement Web sites allowed to estimate public e-procurement system for small business development in Russia.

More...

Download

Educational Institutions Development: Two Basic Types of Organizational Structure

Author(s): Igor V. Denisov,Alexander L. Bobkov,Oksana V. Kuchmaeva,Oksana V. Savchina / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose:The objective of this study is to prove the hypothesis implies that two types of organizational structures (sequential and parallel) dialectically replace each other, qualitatively changing in the process of organizations’ growth, but at the same time at each new level of development organizations retain their defining properties. Design/methodology/approach: In this context, educational organizations of similar size, as well as having similar (sequential or parallel) organizational structures form homogeneous groups. A common method for determining such groups is cluster analysis for identifying clusters. The secondary data about Czech private educational organizations for the study has beenalsoused. Findings:Cluster analysis revealed 7 clusters and after analyzing the average values of the variables in these clusters weallocatedfive groups. The first group includes75 small private educational organizations with educational services being provided mostly in one place. The second group (37 organizations) consists ofsmall networked educational organizations. The third group (259 organizations)-various educational organizations, usually providing educational services again in one place. The fourth group (3 organizations) includeslarge networked educational organizations. And, finally, the fifth group (3 organizations) -the largest educational organizations, providing educational services in one place. Research/practical implications:The obtained results suggest that the general scheme of the evolution of private educational organizations can be presented as universal. Originality/value:The research results generally confirm the hypothesis. In particular, in the process of conducting the study, significant differences in the effectiveness of the activities of educational organizations of comparable sizes are revealed. This may be due to both the specifics of data records in organizations and the type of educational services provided. The latter hypothesis is confirmed by an additional two-stage cluster analysis for quantitative and qualitative indicators.

More...

Download

Cluster Analysis of PE/VC Market in Central and Eastern European Countries

Author(s): Zbigniew Drewniak / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose:The aim of the article is to present the PE/VC market in Central and Eastern Europe by country groups, which allows a more comprehensive analysis of it, the perception of investment potential and can help PE/VC funds to understand this diverse area. Design/methodology/approach:The article uses cluster analysis and the k-means method to specify group of countries within CEE region. A similar analysis based on the entire PE/VC market in Europe was presented in research of Grzegorczyk (2015) and Drewniak (2014). Findings:Grouping by the k-means method allowed to distinguish three groups of countries in CEE region characterized by different degree of development of the PE/VC market. The first cluster consists of one country -Poland, which can be considered a leader in terms of PE/VC investment in CEE region. Research/practical implications:Conclusion section presents recommendations for PE/VC funds operating in Europe and interested in investments also in the CEE region. Grouping of numerous countries in this region may create new opportunities for perceiving this market. Originality/value:The added value is the implication of the method that allows to analyse the PE/VC market from the point of view of groups of countries. Thus, it can contribute to increasing interest in investments in the Central Eastern Europe region and increasing its importance in investments compared to the entire European PE/VC market.

More...

Download

Internationalization of Companies Through Strategic Alliance: A Study of Polish Companies

Author(s): Rafał Drewniak / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose:The purpose of this article is to present the scope and the essence of internationalization of companies through cooperation within the frame of strategic agreements. The presented paper studies the role and the notion of strategic cooperation forinternationalization of companies. The main aim of empirical research was to determine those resources and characteristics of potential partner company which are important from the perspective of internationalisation of companies declaring to cooperate.The discussion is based on an analysis of domestic and international literature references as well as own research. Design/methodology/approach:The study involved 89 companies, belonging to one of the industrial clusters in Poland. The selection of companies for research was deliberate. 70 complete questionnaires were obtained, on the basis of which the conclusions were made with reference to the studied group. The research method was survey with electronic questionnaire as a research tool. It included questions concerning the characteristics of companies and the alliance, as well as an assessment of selected aspects of the agreement. Reliability analysis was done by estimating internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient.The scale used in the questionnaire is described in the methodology chapter. Findings: What the researched companies expected the most from the partner companies was to enrich the alliance with experience in operations on foreign markets, knowledge and know-how, especially in the scope of technological resources, as well as to utilise the competitive position of a partner and their well-known brand. The researched companies most frequently selected the following benefits as the ones they gained from entering a foreign market through a strategic alliance: improvement in their competitive position, improvement in their management processes, achieving the effect of the economics of operation, implementation of innovation. Research/practical implications:The existing papers study thetheories and the practical aspects of companies’ internationalization through strategic alliances. It allowed to get closer to the problems of building innovative and competitive potential of a company in the practical sense through the utilisation of resources of other entities within the scope of a strategic alliance. In particular, it includes the following: obtaining crucial resources (especially technological), distribution of operation costs among a larger number of partners and more elastic (faster)adaptation to the changing circumstances of international environment due to attributes, which are desired from potential allies in the context of entering foreign markets. Originality/value:The undertaken issues concern the analysis of the factors determining internationalization of companies through a strategic alliance in the context of attributes of cooperating companies. Other research tends to concentrate on factors, which support or hinder foreign expansion or characterise its effects. Therefore, it is possible to gain advantage on the domestic market, which in turn creates better conditions for improving effectiveness and implementation of innovations.

More...

Download

Evaluation of Modern Technologies so-Called Key Enabling Technologies in Relation to Corporate Sustainability

Author(s): Monika Dušková,Alena Kocmanová / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to present concept of Key Enabling Technologies(KETs), as the modern approach for solving environmental and societal challenges of current society, and to design the evaluation model with indicator structure for complex assessing the contribution of KETsimplementation to company performance. Design/methodology/approach: The objectives are achieved thanks to the concise literature review related to KETsand the current systems of assessment innovations, corporate sustainability and KETs. The descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis is applied on the results of preliminary survey within Czech companies dealing with KETs. Then the evaluation model including aspects of corporate sustainability is presented. Findings:The standard model of sustainable development for companies (environmental, social and economic aspects) is completed with technological aspects, crucial for KETs-performing companies. The factors are identified and confirmed by the exploratory factor analysis and the indicators structure is eliminated into the most important variables. Research/practical implications:The practical application of the presented study lies in the design of the evaluation model for companies –practical tool, which can enable the monitoring of their performance in different aspects (not only financial, but also environmental, social and technological) thanks to implementing of KETsinto their production processes. Originality/value:The practical implication of the presented study is to evaluate the benefit of deployment of KETsinto specific companies or industrial sectors, while up to now this evaluation has been regularly monitored only at level of countries (especially Member States of the European Union). The huge importance and related support are dedicated to these technologies, nevertheless their benefitto company performance, competitiveness respectively, has not been studied yet.

More...

Download

An Essay on the Entrepreneurial War Machine

Author(s): Daniel Ericsson / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose:The purpose is to present and explore Deleuze and Guattari’s (1988) concept of the “war machine” in relation to the academic discourse on entrepreneurship in order to contribute with a nuanced understanding of the discourse’s centrality in contemporary societies as well as its consequences. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is conceptual in character and written in the form of an essay in order to capitalize upon the essay’s tentative and reflective epistemology. Findings: The academic discourse on entrepreneurship conceptualized as a war machine is found to be set up against the State apparatus and resisting State appropriation by 1) deprecating bureaucracy, 2) criticizing normative societal institutions, and 3) self-consciously mobilizing actors into a scholarly movement. The consequences of these forms of resistance are on one hand a discursive colonialization of the natural, and on the other hand the formation of a seemingly strong alloy between the academic discourse on entrepreneurship and neoliberal ideology/political agendas. Research/practical implications:The academic discourse on entrepreneurship conceptualized as a war machine draws attention to the discourse’s taken-for-granted notions about entrepreneurship as well as their consequences. As such the conceptualisation opens up for critical research on otherwise neglected or silenced empirical topics within research on entrepreneurship such as the formation of the academic discourse on entrepreneurship, the enrolment, socialisation, subjection and subjectification of researchers on entrepreneurship, and the discursive tactics of entrepreneurship researchers’ visavi the State apparatus. Originality/value:In line with the essayistic epistemology, the essay hopefully gives the reader the opportunity to reflect upon on neglected or silenced issues within the academic discourse on entrepreneurship.

More...

Download

Entrepreneurial Parents and Networks: Perfect Substitutes or Fickle Friends?

Author(s): Manuel Feldmann / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose:Parental influence on self-employment rates among their offspring has been the subject of a multitude of studies. Despite many theories on how parental self-employment translates into youth self-employment, researchers rarely tested its interaction with other drivers of self-employment such as networks. The following study investigates these effects, suggests an interpretation of the interaction and tests how robust both are against macro influences. Approach:This study analyzes parental and network influences on self-employment with an original dataset for 11 European countries gathered in 2016 by the collaborative research project CUPESSE. In order to avoid confounding effects, this study builds on theory of planned behavior and supports the notion of entrepreneurial intention as the best proxy for future entrepreneurial engagement. Because of its cross-country structure, macro effects can be tested. According to the structure of the dependent variable, the study applies logistic regression techniques with Stata to identify relevant effects. In order to test cross-level interactions in a non-linear analysis, the model relies on multiplicative effects and country dummies accounting for all level-2 variance. Moreover, Eurostat macro figures were included. Findings:This study finds that (1), having access to entrepreneurial networks can boost entrepreneurial intention even more than parental self-employment (2) having access to entrepreneurial networks and peer groups can substitute the parental effects in equivalent direction and size, and (3) the impact of the national rate of youth unemployment decreases network effects while parent effects are more robust. Research/practical implications:The results suggest that entrepreneurial peer groups are an equivalent substitute for parental self-employment that policy makers could rely on when they want to foster entrepreneurship. However, current entrepreneurial networks are less stable and robust than family effects in countries with higher youth unemployment. Here, policy interventions might be a promising path to generate such stable networks with entrepreneurial role models also during economic crises. Originality/value:This study contributes to the theoretical analysis of entrepreneurship in two ways: It compares parental effects with network effects along an existing framework and adds for the first time an interaction of intergenerational transmission with youth unemployment.

More...

Download

Open Innovation and Internationalization: Case of Brazilian Companies

Author(s): Paulo Feldmann / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose:The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that evenin countries with little innovation generation such as Brazil, there are still a few highly innovative companies. Due to the concept of open innovation and their internationalization level, these companies find good partners abroad with which they developinnovation projects. We selected five cases of Brazilian companies that have been successful in terms of innovation because they have used Open Innovation and they are international companies Design/methodology/approach:This is a multiple case study. Inorder to identify the Brazilian companies which we investigated we used international organs or specialized media and considered the companies that had received recognition/prizes for being innovative. We carried out interviews with these companies in order to see how their innovations had been developed and we found that all of them used Open Innovation Concept. Findings: It is possible to find highly innovative companies even in countries having hostile business environments as Brazil. Being strong internationally and favorable to open innovation are key factors for companies to achieve success. Research/practical implications:This paper studies five Brazilian Companies and found that open innovation brings benefits to the companies operating internationally, and that emerging countries such as Brazil should increasingly stimulate those companies to have a wider global presence. Originality/value:This article shows that there is a practical way to increase the production of innovation even in emerging countries where that production is often low, as in Brazil. This procedure is more appropriate to companies already operating abroad and that adopt the concept of open innovation. This concept makes it easier for those companies to find partners and to provide the expertise they lack.

More...

Download

Innovation Clustering and Firms’ Productivity in Italy

Author(s): Anna Maria Ferragina,Giulia Nunziante,Erol Taymaz / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose:In this paper we explore how firms’ productivity is affected by agglomeration of firms, clustering of innovation and localisation of FDI in Italy. The analysis aims to provide a measure of spillovers on productivity from geographical and sectorial clustering of firms and from their innovation. Firm’s absorptive capacity is also taken into account by interacting the variables of agglomeration and innovation at region-sector level with size and technology. Design/methodology/approach:Spatial unit of analysis are provinces. Our sample is stratified by size, sectors and region and representative of the Italian firm population. Panel estimates for output by GMM system methodology are used to address simultaneity and endogeneity on inputs and reverse causality between agglomeration and productivity. We build specific indexes of agglomeration and innovation activity at territorial level. Wealso use indicators of innovation performed by domestic and by foreign multinationals at the spatial level of analysis adopted. Findings: The estimation results support significant productivity enhancing agglomeration effects stemming from firms operating in the same sector and region, from innovation clustering at local level, and from higher output of foreign firms located in the same region. However, spatial spillovers are specific to technologically more sophisticated firms. Research/practical implications:In policy terms there is evidence on the outcome that firms in the same industry benefit more from each other as they are more technologically similar,and the sector closeness matters as this may facilitate the flow and absorption of knowledge among firms. However, technology play a critical role and policies should pay specific effort to enhance the absorptive capacity of less technology sophisticated firms. Originality/value: The specific additional insights are given by the adoption of a multidimensional approach, both at spatial and firm level, in the effort to catch at the same time regional characteristics of the economic systems and firm heterogeneity.

More...

Download

Predictive Factors in Student Evasion Control: An Analysis with Structural Equation

Author(s): Douglas Filenga,Fábio Machado-da-Silva,Bruno Luz / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose:The aim of this study is to improve the performance of small schools through the strategic use of information. The proposal consists of a new management model that is innovative and makes it possible to properly manage the resources to diminish students' intention to evade. Design/methodology/approach:The data (N=214) were obtained through the application of a questionnaire sent electronically for 60 days in the second half of 2016. The instrument had four scales of five levelsof agreement concerning their respective latent variables: Difficulty of Disciplines, Preference for Institution, Financial Situation and Intention to Evade. The test of the model was by Structural Equation with Partial Least Square (PLS) and analyzed Reliability, Convergent Validity and Discriminant with bootstrapping of 500 replacements. Findings:The results indicate that the assumptions tested were supported. The Intention to Evade can be explained by the analyzed variables, and Difficulty of Disciplines is the variable that has the greatest predictive power. However, the variable Preference for the Institution presented Negative Correlation. Research/practical implications: The study indicates that the students who participated in the research are unsafe in facing the Difficulties of the Discipline. There are also indications that such students consider work to be more important if they have to choose between working or studying, but when they study at an institution of their own choice, this helps to diminish their intention to evade. These findings suggest that actions related to psychological support should be associated with academic actions, including developing partnerships with companies to help their employees to study. Future investigations could investigate which actions and partnerships are most appropriate. Originality/value:The value of this study is to provide a methodology to managers interested in using Structural Equation statistical models to generate information on how material, financial and symbolic resources should be used to reduce students' intention to evade and help the company achieve its goal.

More...

Download

Digital Tourism Promotion and E-Mail Marketing

Author(s): Tamara Floričić / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose:The paper represents the importance of the Internet market with a focus on email marketing promotional tools by means of which, through using databases, business entities, hotel companies and tour operators, with direct or indirect promotion, reach existing and new consumers. The determination of positions and trends, as well as the efficiency of the email promotion, so-called newsletter, is reflected as a goal of the research which explores the attitudes of the youth consumer segment as propulsive future consumers. Design/methodology/approach:The research includes a theoretical review combined with presentation of chosen international practices that support the theory of an innovative marketing approach. The research also includes quantitative as well as qualitative methods which explore the attitudes of tourist demand through 153 questionnaires conducted in December 2017 processed by statistical methodology including chi-squared test, average values, ranking technique combined with creative thinking techniques and other scientific methods (January 2018). The total number of questionnaires was 175, 22 forms were invalid which presents response rate of 87,4%. Youth consumers were randomly chosen,and the location of the research was the town of Pula, Croatia. Findings:Development of information technology and innovations has initiated new business processes in the tourism and hospitality business, as well as radical changes in business and communication with consumers, but also with other business entities. Special offers and promotions communicated through e-mail marketing boost demand and interest and result in customer purchases. The consumer group had to be analysed in respect of gender differences in order to conduct a successful e-mail promotion. Research/practical implications:E-Mail marketing gives hotels the opportunity to reach many potential customers and it is based on data collected from website viewers which is translated into personalised emails about information they were just viewing on the website. The paper provides a deeper insight and enables companies to improve the results of e-mail marketing campaigns. Further research in the field of gender focus areas should be conducted together with an analysis of sending frequency combined with efficiency, as this has been recognised as a challenging issue. Originality/value:This paper is a valuable contribution to existing research on how companies could reach new competitiveness by implementation of innovative E-marketing tools and strategies. The research also points to the importance of creative thinking focused on design of services in order to attract new demand and to communicate with different segments of potential consumers.

More...

Download

Social Innovation in Small Catholic Liberal Arts Institutions: Fostering Social Innovation at Saint Anselm College

Author(s): Dina Frutos-Bencze / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose:The purpose of the paper is to provide and describe programming trends regarding social entrepreneurship and social innovation in small Catholic liberal arts higher education institutions in the United States (US). These institutions are considered peer institutions for Saint Anselm College. In addition, the findings are contrasted with previously reported national trends. The Saint Anselm College case illustrates the process, advantages and challenges smaller institutions, that primarily serve undergraduate students, currently face. Design/methodology/approach:National trends regarding social innovation and social entrepreneurship programming are contrasted with observed trends in a sample of 76 peer institutions (4-year, private not-for-profit, Roman Catholic institutions as classified in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System or IPEDS) for the 2015-16 academic year. Furthermore, only institutions with an undergraduate student enrollment between 1,500 and 3,000 were considered. Information from IPEDS , and web-based search of the selected institutions provided the basis of the analysis to ascertain the extent to which these institutions have developed social entrepreneurship and social innovation academic programs and centers (IPEDS, 2018). Findings:Small Catholic liberal arts institutions in the US are more vulnerable to changing demographics and tend to have more financial concerns than larger public and private institutions. However, gradually they are embracing entrepreneurship related programming. Nevertheless, social entrepreneurship and social innovation programming has not increased significantly. In addition, we find that there is no streamlined approach for creating and/or developing such programming at these institutions. In the case of Saint Anselm College, the institutional context, administrative leadership and faculty have played a crucial role in establishing social innovation programming. The alignment of the institutions’ mission can play a significant role in developing social innovation programming and initiatives. Research/practical implications:This study raises a series of questions, insights, and possiblehelpful directions for the creation and implementation of social innovation programming initiatives in other peer institutions or similar size institutions. In addition, the paper provides a lens and context for existing work. Originality/value:This study attempts to capture the emerging shift in embracing the concept of social innovation and social entrepreneurship primarily at small Catholic liberal arts institutions in the US. There is evidence that the slight shift is happening beyond these types of higher education institutions as it is increasingly becoming popular at larger research-orienteduniversities. The field of social innovation is still vulnerable and despite the proliferation of social innovation programming, it is difficult to discern whether this is a trend that will stay or whether it is a fad

More...

Download

Innovation and Optimization of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System in a Selected Industrial Enterprise –A Case Study

Author(s): Anna Gembalska-Kwiecień,Bożena Skotnicka-Zasadzień / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Purpose:The presented article attempts to optimize and innovate the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management system in the industrial enterprise in order to reduce the number of potentially accidental events, occupational diseases, accidents at work, and thus to improve work safety at each position. It also presents the developed activities, procedures and instructions thanks to which the OHS management system in the enterprise was introduced. Design/methodology/approach:The implementation process according to the standard consisted of several stages: beginning with the preparation and publication of Health and Safety Policy to the enterprise's employees by the enterprise's Management Board. Health and Safety Policy included the main objectives set by the highest management. The next step was to order the enterprise's Management to perform a preliminary review to assess and analyze the current status of health and safety at work. As a result of the analysis of the studied processes in the enterprise's occupational safety and health management system, those fragments of processes that could and should be improved have been identified. Findings:Documents of the internal OHS management system were created, professional risk management procedures were defined and methods for preventing and reacting to accidents and failures were developed. The enterprise developed methods formonitoring the occupational health and safety at work, investigating accidents at work and the method of conducting internal audits. The preventive correction procedures in the occupational health and safety management system were established. Research/practical implications:The development of specific procedures has made it possible to systematize the occupational health and safety system in force at the enterprise, which will consequently optimize the improvement of safety, and introduce a continuous monitoring and improvement process that should further improve the work safety of the enterprise. The most important elements of the implemented occupational health and safety system in industrial enterprise were the development and publication of a security policy by the enterprise's Management Board, in which the care for employees and their safety was clearly and unambiguously declared. Originality/value:The article uses an approach that focuses on innovation and optimization of OHS management in the industrial enterprise. Specific actions, procedures and instructions have been developed to allow a more creative and innovative approach to the difficult subject of occupational safety

More...