scholarly journals New evidence on accelerator performance based on funding and location

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia Cánovas-Saiz ◽  
Isidre March-Chordà ◽  
Rosa Maria Yagüe-Perales
Keyword(s):  
Scale Up ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Business Incubators ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time

PurposeSeed accelerators (SAs) appear as a more advanced version of business incubators. These for-profit organizations in exchange of equity, help setting new start-ups by providing mentoring and funding during its first months. Due to their emergent nature, the impact and expectations of SAs remains largely unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to throw new light on this field by empirically assessing for the first time the performance and prospects of these organizations through a survey of 116 SAs.Design/methodology/approachA model based on the Business Incubators literature is built with four categories covering size, location, age and profitability variables, leading to two hypotheses to be tested empirically over a survey of 116 SAs.FindingsSome remarkable findings arise after implementation of both bivariate and multivariate analysis. The results confirm a higher size and performance in the US and in the oldest SAs at statistically significant levels.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is not free from limitations but the findings make a contribution to the still scarce existing literature on SAs, and provide some managerial implications to their stockholders, to investors and to entrepreneurs.Practical implicationsThe findings concerning performance indicators are especially helpful for investors, primarily concerned with the percentage return on investment factor, the period and the investment rounds needed to achieve exit. Another key issue is the SA's role as an employment seedbed. At first glance, the amount of employment, both overall and per company, might seem small given the young age of these firms. The impact of SAs on the generation of new employment is difficult to measure as it usually takes place in further stages of development of the tenant companies, the so-called scale-up process. Nonetheless, at present, the number of new companies being born is remarkable and, in terms of employment, the results are indeed promising. Our findings also offer important implications for entrepreneurs, venture investors and policy-makers. To entrepreneurs, our findings offer insight on the expectations to hold in the accelerator programs.Social implicationsFor policy-makers and would-be accelerator founders, our results support the idea shared in the literature that accelerators can be an effective entrepreneurial intervention, even in small entrepreneurial ecosystems, compared to the strongest entrepreneurial hubs (Hallen et al., 2017).Originality/valueSAs are a very recent phenomenon which is blooming all over the world, especially in developed countries. SAs are therefore considered a key agent in the prospects of any entrepreneurial ecosystem. However, no studies have so far analysed the impact and performance of this emerging instrument. This is precisely the main purpose of this paper, to offer for the first time an approximate and exploratory assessment on the impact and prospects of SAs, based on a database.

Is the choice of less-polluting modes of transport for non-work purposes affected by socio-demographic factors? Evidence from India

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taru Saigal ◽  
Arun Kr. Vaish ◽  
N.V. Muralidhar Rao
Keyword(s):  
Public Transportation ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mode Of Transport ◽  
Socio Demographic Factors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time ◽  
The City

PurposeUsing survey data of a developing country city, this study aims to examine the impact of different socio-demographic factors on the choice of less-polluting modes of transport for purposes other than work.Design/methodology/approachStratified random sampling technique is employed and data on socio-demographic characteristics and mode of transport used is collected. Descriptive statistics complemented with a logit model of choice probabilities is implemented on the data obtained.FindingsMajority of the population in the city uses motorized means of transportation irrespective of the socio-demographic changes existing among them. Women, the individuals belonging to the youngest age group, the least economically well-off group of people, the least educated and the non-working are the individuals more likely to use more of less-polluting modes and less of more-polluting modes for non-work purposes as compared to their counterparts.Research limitations/implicationsThe study also calls for the development of an efficient and secured system of public transportation and non-motorized transportation in the city in such a way so as to neither hamper the goal of sustainability nor the goal of empowerment.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time a comprehensive analysis of the influence of socio-demographic factors on choice of type of mode of transport is carried out in this region of the developing world. This analysis will facilitate the policy makers in catering to the transportation needs of different segments of the society.

Public policy makers

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria Sraha
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Export Performance ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Foreign Markets ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entrepreneurial Development ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Export Assistance

Purpose – Although there is great deal of research on export assistance programmes in developed countries, studies on developing countries in Africa has received scant attention in the literature. Lack of detailed information in many developing African countries makes it difficult to assess the effect of export promotion programmes (EPPs) on the firm’s export performance in foreign markets. The purpose of this paper is to explore entrepreneurial development in the value-added export sector of Ghana and screen EPPs provided by public policy makers to examine the impact of these programmes on export performance of Ghanaian firms in foreign markets. Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual/exploratory paper is developed with discussion. Findings – The paper suggests that the ability of exporters to enhance their performance is driven by the usage of outside market access, export development/training and information related export assistance programmes offered by public policy makers. Utilisation of EPPs builds experiential knowledge which serves as a source of competitive advantage for exporters to implement effective marketing mix strategies to enhance performance. Practical implications – The study underscores the specific EPPs export managers can utilise to enhance performance and improve their international marketing strategy in foreign markets. Public policy makers need to work together with exporters to incorporate and develop programmes to suit the idiosyncrasies of foreign markets and boost the growth of value-added exports. Originality/value – The study explores past literature to screen and evaluate the effect of EPPs and entrepreneurial development to boost export growth in Ghana – Sub-Sahara Africa.

Effect of country image and materialism on the quality evaluation of Korean products

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 386-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byoungho Ellie Jin ◽  
Naeun Lauren Kim ◽  
Heesoon Yang ◽  
Minji Jung
Keyword(s):  
Product Quality ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Quality Evaluation ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Country Image ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
The Impact

Purpose It is critical to understand how global consumers evaluate the quality of Asian products while marketing Asian products in the global marketplaces. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of Korea’s macro and micro country image and global consumers’ materialism level on the quality evaluation of Korean cosmetics among consumers in four countries. Design/methodology/approach Data from 900 participants were collected from consumers aged 20 or older living in economically developed countries (the USA and France) and economically developing countries (China and Vietnam) via professional online survey firms. Multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the data. Findings Along with the direct effect of macro and micro country image and materialism on product quality evaluation, a moderating effect of materialism and the respective country was discovered. Subsequently, the effect of macro country image on quality evaluation was found to be only significant in the USA and France and not in China and Vietnam. In contrast, the impact of micro country image was robust across all four countries. Furthermore, the effect of materialism on product quality was significant only in Vietnam. This implies that materialistic consumers in emerging markets might have favorable perceptions regarding the quality of Korean cosmetics. Originality/value This study advances country image research by providing new theoretical and managerial implications for countries whose image is less distinctive with respect to the effective marketing of products by the destination countries’ development status and consumers’ familiarity.

Servitization impact on performance moderated by country development

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 302-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Moreno ◽  
Leonardo Marques ◽  
Rebecca Arkader
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Advanced Economies ◽  
Medium Level ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose In recent years, “servitization” has been studied extensively; however, as studies of the impact of servitization on firm performance offer mixed results, the conditions under which the relationship between servitization and performance becomes more significant are contested in the literature. These mixed results have led to the term “service paradox.” The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This study investigates servitization in the assembly industry based on a multi-country survey covering 539 industry plants in 22 countries. Findings The study contributes to the research on servitization by adding a contextual perspective to this relationship, taking into account level of development of the country in which a firm is located. Besides confirming the correlation between the servitization and performance, our study unveils a counter-intuitive result: a medium level of development of the country in which a firm is based corresponds to a stronger relationship between servitization and firm performance, whereas higher levels of development seem to diminish the increase in performance. Social implications This study balances out the focus in servitization on advanced economies and help to unveil its benefits in developing countries. Fostering servitization in developing economies can lead to social impact resulting from job shifts from manufacturing to service and the correlated implications for workers’ training and higher motivation experienced in service-based jobs. Originality/value Our study unpacks the “service paradox” and indicates that industry plants in developing countries can still harness the benefits of being first-movers, whereas, in developed countries, servitization may have become an order qualifier rather than a factor of differentiation.

scholarly journals An examination of drivers and barriers to reducing carbon emissions in China’s manufacturing sector

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 1168-1195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nachiappan Subramanian ◽  
Muhammad Abdulrahman
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Sem Analysis ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Second Law ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Newton's Second Law ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Carbon Efficient Practices (CEPs) are gaining momentum due to the serious consequences of climate change. While past studies have focused on the effects of either drivers or barriers to green practices especially in the context of developed countries, relatively little attention has been devoted to the simultaneous effects of drivers and barriers on product redesign, particularly in the context of China. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Using a blend of the Contextual Interaction Theory and Newton’s second law of motion, this paper proposes a conceptual model that simultaneously examines the impact of CEP drivers and barriers on product redesign and performance. Findings Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis on a sample of 239 Chinese manufacturing firms indicated that drivers had substantially higher effects on product redesign and performance compared to the influence of other barriers. Originality/value Use of Newton’s second law of motion as a theoretical framework for understanding the adoption of CEPs in the context of China is novel. Implications of this pattern of results on academic theory building and practice are offered.

Explaining international footballer selection through Poisson modelling

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 296-306
Author(s):  
David Butler ◽  
Robert Butler ◽  
Justin Doran ◽  
Sean O’Connor
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Outcomes ◽  
Career Length ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Poisson Modelling

Purpose Growing evidence suggests regional economic factors impact on individual outcomes, such as life expectancy and well-being. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact that player-specific and regional differences have on the number of senior international appearances football players accumulate over the course of their careers, for six UEFA member countries, from 1993 to 2014. Design/methodology/approach The research employs a Poisson regression model to analyse the impact of individual and regional factors on the number of senior international caps a footballer receives over the course of their career. Findings The results indicate that both individual and regional variables can explain the number of caps a player receives over the course of their career. The authors find that an individual’s career length positively influences the number of international caps accrued. Players born in wealthier and more populous regions accumulate a greater number of international appearances. Distance from the capital has no effect, however, the number of youth academies in the player’s region of birth has a significant positive effect. Research limitations/implications The analysis is limited to regional variations within economically developed states. It would be interesting to test whether the correlation between relative regional development and international success exists in less developed countries. The authors only address mens international football in this study and cannot comment on the generality of the findings across genders or sports. Practical implications The results can provide insights for local football authorities and policy makers concerned with regional characteristics and those interested in the development of elite talent. Originality/value This is the first study to analyse a pan-European data set, using an increasingly adopted econometric method to understanding regional economic development – Poisson modelling.

What determines firms’ zero-leverage policy in India?

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (12) ◽  
pp. 1138-1158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Biswajit Ghose ◽  
Kailash Chandra Kabra
Keyword(s):  
Capital Structure ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Dividend Payment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Macroeconomic Conditions ◽  
Governance Practices ◽  
Database Size ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper studies the relationship between characteristics of firms’ and their propensity to maintain zero-leverage (ZL). Its second objective is to examine the impact of macroeconomic conditions on firms’ ZL policy. Finally, the purpose of this paper is to explore the underlying motives behind eschewing debt for constrained and unconstrained firms. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses data of 2001 non-financial and non-utility listed Indian firms over a period of 2005-2013 from Capitaline database. Size quintiles and dividend payment status have been used to differentiate between constrained and unconstrained firms. It uses t-test and logistic regression to draw inferences. Findings In general, firms pursuing ZL policy are financially constrained. However, there is a sub-section of ZL firms found unconstrained with high profitability. They appear to be “self-sufficient” to meet their financing requirements. Finally, macroeconomic conditions are counter cyclically related to firms’ ZL policy. Research limitations/implications The impact of corporate governance practices on firms’ ZL policy could not be examined due to data inadequacy. However, financial constraints and the presence of ZL firms come out as important factors to be paid special attention for future empirical works on capital structure. Practical implications The findings can be useful for financial managers in designing capital structure on the basis of their financial position. Originality/value Previous studies on ZL phenomenon are based on developed countries. The findings of previous studies conducted for developed countries get revalidated for the first time in the context of an emerging economy like India.

Funding structure and technical efficiency

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Ofori-Sasu ◽  
Joshua Yindenaba Abor ◽  
Lord Mensah
Keyword(s):  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Financial Stability ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Emerging Economy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Macroeconomic Factors ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of funding structure on technical efficiency of banks in Ghana, between 2011 and 2016. Design/methodology/approach Employing the random-effect and the truncated panel data of 25 banks, the results present new evidence. Findings The findings reveal that Ghanaian banks are less technically efficient, as the average efficiency scores generated is below the threshold of 1. Furthermore, the results show that banks in Ghana finance their operations mainly with deposit source of funding. The results reveal a significantly positive relationship between funding structure and technical efficiency. However, internally generated source of funds was negatively linked with technical efficiency. This is not surprising because banks that rely on external funds attract higher costs than internally generated funds, and this puts pressure on managers to perform. The results are relevant to emerging economies when the authors use additional macroeconomic factors. Research limitations/implications Thus, a proportionally larger deposit base funding would typically lead to an overall increase in technical efficiency of banks in Ghana. Shareholders should put pressure on managers to plough back earnings in order to increase the use of internally generated funds, thus, increasing technical efficiency. Banks that are inefficient should make some adjustments to their weights of inputs and/or outputs combinations by following their benchmark banks (efficient banks) to improve their efficiency. Practical implications The results of this study have important implications for regulators, investors and policy makers, particularly an emerging economy. The implication of the study to investors is that investors should be able to identify an appropriate source of funds that can be used efficiently to maximize their wealth in emerging markets. It is important for regulators and managers of banks to improve technical efficiency by considering the role that macroeconomic and monetary environment play when identifying and using various sources of funds as a strategy to improve bank efficiency. Social implications Consequently, future research should investigate the impact of funding structure on technical efficiency for other regions and considering their interactions with institutional quality, macroeconomic factors and financial stability. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study is the first to fulfill an urgent need to explore a robust approach of measuring technical efficiency and funding structure within the context of banks over six-year period, prompting insightful avenues to the survival, growth and performance of financiers in emerging economy.

A comparative analysis of the practice and performance of microfinance institutions in Nigeria

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (11) ◽  
pp. 1522-1538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abiola Ayopo Babajide ◽  
Joseph Niyan Taiwo ◽  
Kehinde Adekunle Adetiloye
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Sampling Procedure ◽  
Financial Sustainability ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The successful story of microfinance institutions is often tied to the practice and methods of credit delivery as evidence among international world class microfinance institutions across the globe. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of practice and methods of credit delivery employed by “non- profit” and “for-profit” microfinance institutions on financial sustainability and outreach programmes of the microfinance institutions in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts the survey research design and multi-stage stratified random sampling procedure to collect data from 372 senior management staff, managing directors and board members of microfinance institutions of both groups in Nigeria. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regressions analysis. Findings The findings suggest that the current practice and methods of credit delivery of microfinance in both “non-profit” and “for-profit” microfinance institutions have an inverse relationship with the financial sustainability and outreach programmes of the institutions. This study provides empirical evidence for the incessant failure of microfinance institutions in Nigeria. Research limitations/implications The study therefore recommends an immediate overhaul of the methodology and practice of microfinance institutions in the country to align with international best practice. Originality/value In spite of the huge literature on microfinance in Nigeria, there is not enough evidence to empirically prove that the practice of microfinance has affected the performance of the industry in Nigeria. This study sets out to fill that gap in the literature. The paper examines the practice of microfinancing in Nigeria vis-à-vis the performance of the microfinance institutions, categorized into NGO and microfinance bank “for-profit” institutions using international best practices from countries where microfinance is highly successful as a benchmark for deployment of microfinance in Nigeria, in order to proffer policy direction to stakeholders on steps to take to ensure viability in the microfinance subsector in Nigeria.

scholarly journals Mental Wellbeing Impact Assessment (MWIA) in the workplace

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 104-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Burford ◽  
Silvia Davey ◽  
Alec Knight ◽  
Sadie King ◽  
Anthea Cooke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stakeholder Workshop ◽  
Or Team ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time

Purpose The Mental Wellbeing Impact Assessment (MWIA) is an evidence-based tool that guides decision makers, such as policy makers and service managers, about the potential impacts of a new programme or policy change. It was initially used in urban regeneration but has subsequently been used in housing, children’s centres and education. The purpose of this paper is to report, for the first time, on the strengths and weaknesses of using the MWIA in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach Feedback was collected from staff who participated in stakeholder workshops as part of the MWIA process at two different public sector organisations. Findings The MWIA can be used as an effective workplace assessment tool and is valuable as both a diagnostic tool and as an intervention in its own right. The MWIA generates tailored action plans focussed on addressing the organisation or team-specific issues. The weaknesses of the MWIA in the workplace are mainly focussed around management cooperation and commitment to the process which should be screened for prior to engaging in the full stakeholder workshop. Originality/value This is the first report of MWIA’s use in the workplace but suggests that it is a useful tool which can be used to support workplace wellbeing, especially in relation to a policy or organisational change. Further studies should be carried out to fully understand the impact of the MWIA in the workplace.

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