Technological innovation among internationality active SMEs in the Czech economy

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 164-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Preeti Wadhwa ◽  
Marleen McCormick ◽  
Martina Musteen
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Robust Regression ◽  
International Markets ◽  
Professional Background ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human And Social Capital ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of human and social capital of CEOs of internationally active small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Czech Republic on their firms’ approach to technological innovation. Design/methodology/approach The study sample was drawn from data collected from the population of Czech manufacturing firms. The final sample included 153 SMEs that met the criteria for inclusion in the study. The authors employed robust regression analysis to test their specific hypotheses. Findings This study found that human capital (in the form of CEOs’ professional background and foreign customer knowledge) and social capital (conceptualized as embeddedness in the international markets) of CEOs in the Czech Republic impacted their firms’ approach to technological innovation. Specifically, firms headed by CEOs with professional background in output functions (R&D and marketing) are more likely to invest in technological innovation. The same was found true for firms led by CEOs who possessed a strong knowledge of international customers and were socially embedded in international markets. Originality/value This study makes a twofold contribution to the extant literature. First, it develops and tests the theoretical link between human and social capital and technological innovation among internationally active firms. Second, it highlights factors that positively influence technological innovation in the context of a small Central European economy, a setting that has been generally viewed as unfavorable to such innovation.

scholarly journals The impact of structural social capital on farm income in the Czech Republic 

2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (No. 6) ◽  
pp. 281-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Wolz ◽  
J. Fritzsch ◽  
J. Pencáková
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Planning System ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Production Factors ◽  
Corporate Farms ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact

The change of the economic system from the socialist central planning system to the market economy required the reorganisation not only of agricultural production, but also of the organisations supporting it. In the Czech Republic, agricultural production is characterised by a dualistic structure, i.e. private farmers on the one side and corporate farms on the other. However, among both groups some had been economically more successful than others. In general, a varying adoption of production factors, i.e. land, labour and capital is identified as being of influence. Namely, their ability to collaborate with other farms which is discussed under the concept of social capital, will be analysed in this paper. Based on the findings of a survey among a sample of 62 farms by adopting factor and multiple regression analysis, it can be deduced that social capital is indeed a significant factor determining farm income. 

Gender gaps in opportunity-driven entrepreneurship: the impact of human and social capital

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Chen ◽  
Byung Hee Lee ◽  
Asylgul Alymkulova
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Social Capital Theory ◽  
Gender Gaps ◽  
Capital Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Human And Social Capital ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate gender gaps in opportunity-driven entrepreneurship and illuminate the underlying mechanism of why women are less likely to create ventures in order to take advantage of the opportunity than men.Design/methodology/approachBy drawing on human/social capital theory and expanding extant gender-related entrepreneurship literature, this study addresses how human and social capital mediates the relationship between gender and opportunity-driven entrepreneurship. A sample of 115,367 individuals across 62 countries drawn from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor of 2016 was examined using multilevel logistic regression and Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) mediation analysis.FindingsFindings of this study demonstrate that women’s lack of entrepreneurial relevant knowledge and skills, intrapreneurship experience as well as social networks with other entrepreneurs contribute to women’s less likelihood of engaging in opportunity-driven entrepreneurship than their male counterparts.Originality/valueCompared to previous research mainly investigating macro-level determinants, this study further explores the explanatory factors affecting gender gaps in opportunity-driven entrepreneurship from the individual level. The findings provide an implication for public policy and give a direction to rethinking how to promote opportunity-driven entrepreneurship, especially for that led by women.

scholarly journals Examining the impact of microfinance on microenterprise performance (implications for women-owned microenterprises in Indonesia)

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (10) ◽  
pp. 962-981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adwin Surja Atmadja ◽  
Jen-Je Su ◽  
Parmendra Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Group Leaders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Loan Officers ◽  
Human And Social Capital ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of microfinance on women-owned microenterprises’ (WMEs) performance in Indonesia. It especially observes how financial, human and social capital influences performance of enterprises. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from a survey conducted in Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city, covering more than 100 WMEs. The ordered probit technique is applied to estimate the performance vis-à-vis financial, social and human capital relationships. Findings This study finds a negative relationship between performance and financial capital, and positive relationships between performance-human capital and performance-social capital. However, with respect to human capital, the level of education has a marginally significant relationship with performance. Practical implications Microcredit for the purposes of enhancing business performance might not necessarily be a good idea, if it is unable to generate higher returns. As a business develops, the volume of microcredit should be reduced, and replaced by owners’ own savings and retained profits. Regarding the non-financial factors, it might be useful for policy makers to contemplate providing incentives for spouse involvement in microenterprises run by women, and to consider them in designing credit policies. Group meetings activities should be extended to facilitate members to engage in business-related conversations and to develop social relationships. The ability of loan officers and group leaders to facilitate such conversations appears important. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study provides the first in-depth understanding of the role of microfinance programmes in the case of performance of WMEs in Indonesia, one of the world’s most populous economies.

An application of input-output analysis to social enterprises: a case of the Czech Republic

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Tausl Prochazkova ◽  
Marta Noskova
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Economic Performance ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Input Output ◽  
Output Analysis ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Input Output Analysis ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the issue of performance measurement of social enterprises with main particular focus on economic performance approach reflecting local aspect, since the local aspect plays a significant role in social entrepreneurship concept. Thus, comparison of two instruments that consider local aspects: local multiplier 3 (LM3) and Input-Output analysis is examined. Input-Output analysis is empirically used to calculate social enterprises’ impact on the Czech economy and to confirm the assumption to be more suitable instrument for economic performance measurement of social enterprises in comparison to local multiplier 3 method. Design/methodology/approach The research adopted two-phase approach. At first a qualitative approach was used to compare the two selected instruments (LM3 and Input-Output analysis). Consequently, a quantitative research was applied to determine the impact of social enterprises’ activities on the economies of individual regions. The research was carried out on a sample of social enterprises (143 subjects) in the Czech Republic covering the year 2015. For this approach, Symmetric Input-Output tables and multipliers were calculated and revenue data from each observed social enterprise were used. Findings The findings of the research indicate effects of social enterprises’ activities on the economy in individual regions of the Czech Republic. The results clearly show that the impact of social enterprises on the Czech economy is not negligible. Calculated impacts differ in sectors as well as in regions. Besides, of these findings, the assumption that the Input-Output analysis is more appropriate instrument for economic performance measurement of social enterprises, especially in situation of a larger sample of social enterprises in different regions, in comparison to LM3 method, was confirmed. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this study is the dependence on the Symmetric Input-Output tables, which are usually published by local statistical offices and it takes some time to construct them. A more significant limitation and future research direction relates to the lack of generally accepted measurement framework in the sector of social enterprises and lack of the data, especially quantitative, in the Czech Republic. Practical implications The findings of the research represent a significant contribution to the process chain of understanding the role of social enterprises in (local) economy. The lack of proven impact of social enterprises to economy is considered as important limit of this sector development, not only from the perspective of investors and donors but also from the perspective of policymakers and even social enterprises themselves. The Input-Output analysis can be applied for any region of any country and can contribute to reduce scepticism about economic performance of social enterprises, thus to support putting social and environmental goals of social enterprises into practice. Social implications This research has been carried out on the so far largest identified sample of social enterprises in the Czech Republic and provides data for discourse among stakeholders about social enterprises’ impact; thus, it enables to understand their impact and make capable to enlarge their support network and development. Originality/value This research is a pioneering attempt to provide data about economic impact of social enterprises using Input-Output analysis in the Czech Republic. No previous research identifies such a large sample of Czech social enterprises and collects quantitative data about them, as well as considers Input-Output analysis as an option instead of LM3 method. The effort of this research has been to react on a research gap in studies related to the impact of social enterprises (reflecting local aspect). This paper could be understood as beneficial not only from the perspective of the Czech Republic but also worldwide.

Tokenism or realism? Gender inclusion in corporate boards

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 707-725
Author(s):  
Arunima Haldar ◽  
Sumita Datta ◽  
Snehal Shah
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Ownership Structure ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Endogenous Factors ◽  
Gender Biases ◽  
Human And Social Capital ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe paper investigates how the interplay of women-specific human and social capital factors with ownership structure impacts her chances to get director level appointment in the light of recent amendments to the Indian statute.Design/methodology/approachThe strength of the study lies in fitting a logistic regression model to the unique hand collected data on women director characteristics from 100 large listed Indian firms.FindingsCounter intuitive findings reveal negative effects of social capital on appointment of independent women directors. This relationship gets reversed when social capital is moderated by ownership structure.Social implicationsCompanies may be influenced to take into cognizance the underlying gender biases prevailing in the highest echelons of management and employ un-gendered fair selection practices for board level appointments in order to progress towards gender balanced corporate boards.Originality/valueThe paper is a first of its kind that combines aspects of human capital and ownership structure using Indian data. By developing several new proxy variables to enrich the construct of social capital it contributes to the corporate governance literature and lastly, through main and interaction effects, the paper offers a deeper understanding about the impact of endogenous factors of corporate boards on women's representation at leadership levels in India.

scholarly journals Inclusive growth through creation of human and social capital

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (10) ◽  
pp. 878-895 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soumyananda Dinda
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
School Enrollment ◽  
Inclusive Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Government ◽  
Human And Social Capital ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse inclusive growth that focuses on the creation of opportunities for all. Inclusive growth allows people to contribute to and benefit from economic growth, while pro-poor growth approaches focusing on welfare of the poor only to reduce inequality. Design/methodology/approach – Social capital forms with the development of human capital through schooling. Educated individuals are interested in dialogue and conversation. Interaction enables people to build trust, confidence and cooperation, to commit themselves to each other (i.e. reciprocity), and thereby to knit the social fabric. This study deals with the formation of social capital through development of human capital that is created through improvement of schooling and/or social inclusion. Creation of human and social capital is the basis for inclusive growth. Findings – Recently, economics literature incorporates social capital for explaining regional disparities. Economic development of country depends on the impact of social capital which includes social culture, norms and regulations that promote economic reforms and development activities. Social capital forms with the development of human capital through schooling. Research limitations/implications – More detail regional levels data are required for empirical findings. Practical implications – This paper definitely suggests a clear policy for inclusive growth model in less developed regions/countries. Briefly and specific few policies are suggested as: first, improve productive consumption providing nutritional intake to all the excluded people of the society; second, dismal the social blocking and create the base for bridging social capital formation; third, improve school enrollment and strengthen the feeling of togetherness; fourth, design school curriculum as per need base; and fifth, develop institutions and improve capacity building. Social implications – The Government expenditure policy should be focused more on productive consumption rather than unproductive consumption. The government should concentrate on the development of education and health sectors. Originality/value – The inclusive economic growth process overcomes low-level equilibrium trap. The predictions of the model are examined empirically for a cross-section of countries and have substantial support in the chosen sample data.

The impact of overseas human capital and social ties on Chinese returnee entrepreneurs’ venture performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenzhong Ma ◽  
Jinwei Zhu ◽  
Yong Meng ◽  
Ying Teng
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Entrepreneurial Opportunity ◽  
International Context ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Venture Performance ◽  
Domestic Capital ◽  
Entrepreneurship Theory ◽  
Human And Social Capital ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Entrepreneurship research clearly documents the importance of human and social capital and stresses the way in which entrepreneurs take advantage of their own social affiliations and network strategies in pursuit of their entrepreneurial goals, yet the research on returnee entrepreneurs’ human and social capital is not sufficiently studied in the international context, in particular when returnees’ overseas human capital and social capital may be a misfit with local business environment. Using the data from Chinese returnee entrepreneurs’ venture activities in China, the purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of returnee entrepreneurs’ overseas capital (human and social) and domestic capital (human and social) on their venture performance in China, and further explore the interaction effect of different social and human capital with China’s entrepreneurial environment. Design/methodology/approach This study surveyed 500 start-up businesses created by returnee entrepreneurs in China to collect data. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data on their demographic information, the information about the human and social capital of these returnee entrepreneurs, including domestic and overseas capital, various performance measures, and other control variables ending up with 226 usable questionnaires. Findings The results show that Chinese returnee entrepreneurs’ overseas human capital and social capital, as well as their domestic social capital, but not domestic human capital, have a significant impact on their venture performance. In addition, while domestic entrepreneurial environment does not affect the impact of overseas human and social capital on venture performance, it does provide an important contextual setting for domestic capital to improve returnee entrepreneurs’ venture performance. Originality/value The findings help enrich the understanding of the dynamic interplays among Chinese returnee entrepreneurs’ domestic human capital and social capital, overseas human capital, and social capital, as well as the entrepreneurial environment for returnee entrepreneurs’ success, which makes an important contribution to the international entrepreneurship theory by showing that overseas human capital and social capital are not a misfit with local markets. It also provides empirical support for the mediating effect of entrepreneurial opportunity identification. The important role of entrepreneurial opportunity is empirically supported in an international context: entrepreneurship is all about the discovery of entrepreneurial opportunities and exploitation of this opportunity to create viable business entities for new products and services, even in the Chinese context, a culture which is very different from the ones where the entrepreneurship theory was developed.

scholarly journals Assessing Habitat Vulnerability and Loss of Naturalness: Applying the GLOBIO3 Model in the Czech Republic

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5355
Author(s):  
Vilém Pechanec ◽  
Ondřej Cudlín ◽  
Miloš Zapletal ◽  
Jan Purkyt ◽  
Lenka Štěrbová ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Habitat Quality ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
New Equation ◽  
The Impact

Global and regional biodiversity loss is caused by several drivers including urban development, land use intensification, overexploitation of natural resources, environmental pollution, and climate change. The main aim of our study was to adapt the GLOBIO3 model to the conditions of the Czech Republic (CR) to assess loss of naturalness and biodiversity vulnerability at the habitat level on a detailed scale across the entire CR. An additional aim was to assess the main drivers affecting the biodiversity of habitat types. The GLOBIO3 model was adapted to CZ-GLOBIO by adapting global to local scales and using habitat quality and naturalness data instead of species occurrence data. The total mean species abundance (MSA) index of habitat quality, calculated from the spatial overlay of the four MSA indicators by our new equation, reached the value 0.62. The total value of MSA for natural and near-natural habitats was found to be affected mainly by infrastructure development and fragmentation. Simultaneously, intensity of land use change and atmospheric nitrogen deposition contributed primarily to the low total value of MSA for distant natural habitats. The CZ-GLOBIO model can be an important tool in political decision making to reduce the impact of the main drivers on habitat biodiversity in the CR.

scholarly journals The Impact of Climate Change on the Sugar Content of Grapes and the Sustainability of their Production in the Czech Republic

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 222
Author(s):  
Miroslava Navrátilová ◽  
Markéta Beranová ◽  
Lucie Severová ◽  
Karel Šrédl ◽  
Roman Svoboda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Sugar Content ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Vegetation Period ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Impact Of Climate Change ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Growing Region

The aim of the presented article is to evaluate the impact of climate change on the sugar content of grapes in the Czech Republic during the period 2000–2019 through selected indicators on the basis of available secondary sources. Attention is focused on the developments in both the main wine-growing regions of Moravia and Bohemia. In the field of viticulture and wine-growing, the sugar content of grapes, as a basic parameter for the classification of wines, plays an important role. In the Czech Republic, the average sugar content of grapes has had a constantly growing trend. This trend is evident both in the wine-growing region of Bohemia and in the wine-growing region of Moravia. The impact of climate change, especially the gradual increase of average temperatures in the growing season, cannot be overlooked. It greatly affects, among other things, the sugar content of grapes. Calculations according to the Huglin Index and the Winkler Index were used to determine the relationship between climate and sugar content. These indexes summarize the course of temperatures during the entire vegetation period into a single numerical value. The results show that both indexes describe the effect of air temperature on sugar content in both wine regions of the Czech Republic in a statistically significant way. The Huglin Index shows a higher correlation rate. The Winkler Index proved to be less suitable for both areas. Alternatively, the Winkler Index calculated for a shorter growing season was tested, which showed a higher degree of correlation with sugar content, approaching the significance of the Huglin Index.

Business strategy, performance appraisal and organizational results

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Bayo-Moriones ◽  
Jose Enrique Galdon-Sanchez ◽  
Sara Martinez-de-Morentin
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Competitive Strategy ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Robust Regression ◽  
Innovation Strategy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Developmental Performance

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyze how the design of performance appraisal is influenced by the competitive strategy of the firm. Then, this paper examines if the alignment between appraisal and strategy impacts firm performance.Design/methodology/approachThe study sample includes 258 Spanish firms in the manufacturing and services sectors. This information was gathered through questionnaires addressed to the CEO and the senior human resources manager. Several econometric models are estimated, using robust regression analysis and including a set of relevant control variables.FindingsA positive relationship is found between an innovation strategy and developmental performance appraisal. A cost strategy has a negative impact on the adoption of developmental performance appraisal. The findings also confirm that firms with a quality strategy and developmental appraisal have higher performance. In addition, firms adopting an innovation strategy and administrative appraisal enjoy higher return of equity.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should analyze the dynamics of the relationships between appraisal, strategy and performance to rule out the flaws of cross-sectional data. Another potential extension is the analysis of the interactions of the design of other human resources management practices with both competitive strategy and firm performance.Practical implicationsFirms can improve performance by aligning performance appraisal design with strategy. Those with an innovation strategy should choose administrative appraisal, and those competing on quality should focus on developmental appraisal.Originality/valueThis paper compares the theoretical recommendations on performance appraisal for different competitive strategies, what firms actually do, and the impact that the alignment between appraisal and strategy has on firm performance.

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