Embeddedness and entrepreneurial traditions

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Elo ◽  
Leo-Paul Dana
Keyword(s):  
Social Ties ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Original Culture ◽  
New Locations ◽  
Business Entities ◽  
Time Changes ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Context Specific

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how entrepreneurship traditions evolve in diaspora. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative multiple case study examining the role of diaspora embeddedness, extended family, ethno-religious-, cultural- and social ties and relevant structures shaping diaspora entrepreneurship. Findings The authors found that social ties and diaspora embeddedness create dynamism fostering entrepreneurial identity as a part of the Bukharian culture, and as a preferred career option in the context of Bukharian Jews in diaspora. Diasporic family businesses are products of culture and tradition that migrate to new locations with families and communities, not as disconnected business entities. Research limitations/implications The ways in which families nurture a highly entrepreneurial culture that transfers across generations and contexts are context-specific and not per se generalizable to other diasporas. Practical implications Diasporans often continue their traditions and become again entrepreneurs after their settlement, or they may generate hybrid, circular solutions that allow them to employ their competences in the new contexts or connecting various contexts. This calls for transnational entrepreneurship-policymaking. Social implications Time changes diasporas. A long-term commitment to the business environment evolves and reduces the mobility of the individual diasporan; typically the children of these migrants become more integrated and develop divergent career paths. Hence, their plans are not necessarily including family entrepreneurship creating a challenge for continuation of the original culture of entrepreneurship. Originality/value Despite a notable tradition in Jewish studies, there is limited research on Jewish entrepreneurial diaspora and its contemporary entrepreneurial identity and tradition. Furthermore, the population of Bukharian Jews is an unknown and under-explored highly entrepreneurial group that may offer instrumental views to larger diasporic audiences being concerned about maintaining notions of ethnic heritage and identity.

Family influence on career decisions: perceptions of Latin American CEOs

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Rita Blanco ◽  
Mariela N. Golik
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Multinational Firms ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
Career Decisions ◽  
Family Factors ◽  
Family Influence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Career Literature

PurposeThe career is a space where family and work lives amalgamate. The role of work for the individual, and the meaning of work within the culture, will determine the relevance of family. This study investigates CEOs' perception about conjugal family influence on career decisions, and it examines family factors.Design/methodology/approachThrough a qualitative study, 22 Latin American CEOs who work for multinational firms were interviewed in a semi-structured way.FindingsNot all career decisions were influenced by conjugal family. CEOs varied in the extent to which they considered their families when reflecting on their career decisions. Expatriation, joining or quitting an organization and change of area of work were found as those decisions perceived to be influenced by conjugal family. Family support, family structure and family demands and responsibilities were identified as the family factors involved. In spite of the role salience, family factors influenced some of CEOs' career decisions, in part, due to the cultural characteristics of the Latin American environment. The instrumental support of the extended family, as part of collectivist societies, was also evidenced.Practical implicationsA better understanding of the family influenced decisions and family factors involved may enhance individual career decision-making as well as organizational career management processes and public initiatives.Originality/valueThis study contributes to family and career literature, being the first one to explore the conjugal family influence upon CEOs' career decisions.

Under-promising and over-delivering: pleasing the customer or strategic blunder?

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 720-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omer Topaloglu ◽  
David E. Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Practical Implication ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Empirical Examination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Expectation Management ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Service Expectation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Promise Keeping

Purpose The paper aims to provide a theoretical and empirical examination of the relationship between service expectation management, expectation inducing agent and customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Based on the disconfirmation paradigm in services and the promise-keeping premise in psychology, the hypotheses are developed and empirically tested using three experiments that manipulated expectations, expectation inducing agent and service outcome. Findings The findings provide reconciliation to the previous studies in services and show that effectiveness of expectation management strategy depends on the individual expectation thresholds and the expectation inducing agent. If customers patronize a firm expecting more, then over-delivering on the service promise results in a significant benefit. However, for those customers whose mental expectation threshold is exceeded, keeping promises is as effective as exceeding promises. Practical implications The practical implication of this paper is that services managers should be cognizant of the mental expectation threshold of customers and be wise in utilizing the under-promise, over-deliver strategy. Originality/value Using a threshold approach, this paper introduces a new perspective to service practitioners who are trying to manage expectations in a highly variable business environment. It also benefits service researchers who are trying to enhance the understanding of service expectation management.

Societal institutions and control system characteristics: empirical evidence from the UAE

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 268-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayada Abd El-Aziz Youssef ◽  
Essam Moustafa
Keyword(s):  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Management Control ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government ◽  
Business Entities ◽  
And Performance ◽  
And Control

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the existence of two sets of factors societal institutions and management control systems’ (MCS) characteristics in the UAE business entities. Subsequently, this paper empirically examines the bilateral and the multivariate associations between the two sets. The societal institutions include six factors categorised in three main groups: cultural conventions, state structures and policies and skill development and control. The MCS characteristics consist of four factors which are: reliance on formal rules, control over the behaviour of employees, involvement of subordinates in target setting and performance evaluation and scope of information used in performance evaluation. Design/methodology/approach – Whitley’s model (1999) is adopted in the UAE business environment and the analyses are performed at the organisational level. Qualified accounting officials and managers are surveyed. The Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman’s partial correlation and multiple regression are used for data analyses. Findings – Findings reveal the characteristics of the UAE societal institutions and the MCS in UAE organisations. They also reveal significant associations among four of the societal institution factors and most of the MCS characteristics. The results highlight the role played by the government structures and policies group in influencing the MCS characteristics in the UAE organisations. However, these results do not entirely agree with Whitley’s model. Research limitations/implications – The results of this study are restricted by the typical constraints associated with the survey method. The obtained results have implications for researchers and managers in facilitating the understanding of the relations among the various societal institutions and the MCS characteristics. Originality/value – This research, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, provides significant new empirical evidence into the relation between societal institutions and MCS characteristics in a non-Western economy.

scholarly journals Knowledge sharing, knowledge transfer and SMEs: evolution, antecedents, outcomes and directions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amitabh Anand ◽  
Birgit Muskat ◽  
Andrew Creed ◽  
Ambika Zutshi ◽  
Anikó Csepregi
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Explicit Knowledge ◽  
Organizational Memory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Hr Managers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to systematically synthesize the extant literature of knowledge sharing (KS) and knowledge transfer (KT) in the small and medium enterprise (SME) context and to contribute with predictions of emerging themes.Design/methodology/approachApplied is a systematic literature review using three bibliometric techniques: (1) textual analysis for keywords and abstracts to identify the research hotspots, (2) co-citation analysis of references to identify the evolution of KS and KT in SME and (3) bibliographic coupling analysis of documents to synthesize antecedents and outcomes.FindingsA conceptual map emerges from the review to reveal the antecedents of KS and KT at the individual, group and organizational levels. The analysis shows the strategic importance of KS and KT for the SME context. Specific findings include: (1) KS and KT are involved in enhancing SMEs strategic focus for human resources, including organizational learning, customer relations, creativity, higher profit and positive effects on operational processes and decision-making. (2) Innovation, trust and performance are identified as central human factors linked to KS and KT in SMEs. (3) Human resource (HR) management research could contribute to KS and KT in the SME domain by exploring KS- and KT-based practices, linking the emergence of innovation and innovative behaviors to these practices, leading to a better understanding of strategies that enable the long-term storage and retrieval of tacit and explicit knowledge as organizational memory in the SME context.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the first to systematically review KS and KT in SMEs and propose a concept map. The research adds value to the growing literature of KS and KT and exposes the need for more specific activities to support SME managers, as well as HR managers, who need to facilitate KS and KT in SMEs.

Significant causes of claims and disputes in construction projects in Saudi Arabia

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 597-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sadi Assaf ◽  
Mohammad A. Hassanain ◽  
Abdullatif Abdallah ◽  
Ahmed M.Z. Sayed ◽  
Abdulrahman Alshahrani
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Relative Significance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
Strong Performance ◽  
The Individual

Purpose Projects in the construction industry have been confronted with an unprecedented volume of claims, which negatively impact the construction business environment. The purpose of this paper is to identify and assess the major causes of claims and disputes, from the perspectives of three key stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach An online and paper-based questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 250 professionals. Responses from 86 construction professionals were obtained. The significance index was employed to rank the factors and hence assess their relative significance. Results were analyzed from both the individual stakeholder, and collective perspectives. Test of agreement was also conducted. Findings The research found the following causes to be the most significant contributors to claims and disputes in Saudi Arabia: “change or variation orders due to new requirements from client” (78 percent), “variations in quantities due to new requirements from client” (74 percent), “delay caused by contractor” (74 percent), “design errors or omissions” (72 percent) and “inconsistencies in the drawings and specifications” (70 percent). Originality/value The research provides an in-depth assessment of the causes of claims and disputes, in the setting of a fast growing industry, in which strong performance is essential to continued success. Unlike several of the reviewed studies which reported “delay caused by the owner” or “delayed in payment” as a major cause of claims and/or disputes, the findings of the current study indicated that this cause was not the most significant. Instead, it was determined that the top causes of claims and disputes were attributed to all parties, including consultants, contractors and clients.

Do corporate volunteering programs and perceptions of corporate morality impact perceived employer attractiveness?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Oliveira ◽  
Teresa Proença ◽  
Marisa R. Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Business Environment ◽  
Job Market ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Volunteering ◽  
The Social ◽  
Individual Cognition ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Positive Direct ◽  
Employer Attractiveness ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Rather recently, corporate volunteering (CV) has become a relevant topic of academic research. Nonetheless, there is still uncertainty about several aspects of the relationship between volunteerism and the corporate realm and research on the relationship between CV and employer attractiveness is scarce. This study aims to attempt to fill this gap by studying the influence that the perceived importance attributed by prospective applicants to the opportunity of engaging in CV programs may have on employer attractiveness while also pondering the existence of an indirect relationship between CV and employer attractiveness mediated by the individual cognition of corporate morality (CM). Design/methodology/approach To fulfill the objectives of this research, and test its hypothesized model, the authors opted to use a quantitative methodology via survey by questionnaire of Portuguese students who are close to entering the job-seeking process or are currently involved in it, either passively and actively. Data on 238 Portuguese students was collected mainly through social media channels such as LinkedIn and Facebook and was analyzed with the IBM SPSS Statistics 25 software and the IBM SPSS AMOS extension, using a structural equation model to test the hypotheses and obtain insight into the relationships between the variables. Findings A theoretical model was elaborated based on the literature reviewed and was used to validate the existence of a positive direct relationship between CV and employer attractiveness, CV and CM and between CM and employer attractiveness. Finally, it was observed that CV could prompt an indirect effect on the socioethical perception of employer attractiveness, mainly due to the mediating mechanism of the individual cognition of CM. Research limitations/implications This study has some limitations that should be acknowledged and considered in future studies, namely, the diversity of the sample, as it was essentially formed by students enrolled in the University of Porto and studying mainly in the areas of social sciences, trade and law. It is also worth noting that a global analysis of the employer attractiveness attributes was not considered, focusing instead on the social and ethical spectrum of employer attractiveness. Nonetheless, it is important to keep in mind that different individuals prioritize distinct attractiveness attributes. Practical implications Through the present study, it was understood that CV programs constitute a desired and pertinent tool that should be adopted by firms (employers) to establish a strong position in the job market. These findings are particularly useful for the area of human resources management, which is in charge of finding the most adequate applicants in the job market. Furthermore, for the variable of CM, the authors noticed that there is a theoretical lack of measurement instruments. Consequently, the measure advanced in this study represents an important theoretical and methodologic contribution to the literature. Social implications CV is a concept that is yet maturing within the Portuguese business environment. As such, this study delivers useful insights regarding Portuguese applicants’ growing interest around CV, their concerns about the social, ethical and humanitarian attributes of firms and their beliefs regarding the morality of firms’ social policies and actions. Hence, it allowed us to comprehend that by developing a structured CV program, an employer may be able to enhance other essential concepts for Portuguese prospective applicants, respectively, employer attractiveness and CM. Originality/value This study corroborates the premise that corporate community involvement activities, namely, CV, hold a positive effect in terms of perceived employer attractiveness. Moreover, it is consistent with the idea that CV programs foment a feeling of intimacy between individuals and firms, consequently creating a perception of morality as part of the firms’ intrinsic traits. Finally, it corroborates and extends for the case of prospective applicants the conclusion that individuals may be relatively more concerned with the motives behind firms’ corporate social responsibility practices than with the content of such practices.

Information systems project team members: factors for high performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Moura ◽  
Caroline Dominguez ◽  
João Varajão
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Design Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
The Individual

PurposeThe main aim of this study is to contribute to the discussion on the factors that can influence the high performance of information systems (IS) project team members, from the individual perspective. This study also allows both IS project team members and their managers to have a thorough picture of high-performing project teams, helping them improve team design, management and performance in today's demanding business environment.Design/methodology/approachTo address the research questions, the authors carried out an exploratory case study of a small-sized holding company and a qualitative analysis of the data.FindingsResults show a set of perceived factors that can influence (facilitate/hinder) the high performance of IS project team members. “Proper reward systems” was the most mentioned facilitating factor. “Negative affectivity” and “Lack of competence” were the two most referred as hindering factors. Most of the perceived factors are classified in the literature as non-technical.Originality/valueBesides being among the very few empirical studies consolidating knowledge on the high performance of IS project team members, this paper extends the authors' previous research (done at the team level) to the individual team member level (as opposed to the team or organizational levels). In spite of IS being a highly technical industry, this study came across mostly human-centered factors transversal to different professionals (IS and non-IS) involved in project teams.

The evolution of the bitcoin economy

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Tasca ◽  
Adam Hayes ◽  
Shaowen Liu
Keyword(s):  
Growth Stage ◽  
Black Market ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Black Markets ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Holding Period ◽  
Second Growth ◽  
Third Stage ◽  
Business Entities ◽  
The Individual

Purpose This paper aims to gather together the minimum units of users’ identity in the Bitcoin network (i.e. the individual Bitcoin addresses) and group them into representations of business entities, what we call “super clusters”. While these clusters can remain largely anonymous, the authors are able to ascribe many of them to particular business categories by analyzing some of their specific transaction patterns (TPs), as observed during the period from 2009 to 2015. The authors are then able to extract and create a map of the network of payment relationships among them, and analyze transaction behavior found in each business category. They conclude by identifying three marked regimes that have evolved as the Bitcoin economy has grown and matured: from an early prototype stage; to a second growth stage populated in large part with “sin” enterprise (i.e. gambling, black markets); to a third stage marked by a sharp progression away from “sin” and toward legitimate enterprises. Design/methodology/approach Data mining. Findings Four primary business categories are identified in the Bitcoin economy: miners, gambling services, black markets and exchanges. Common patterns of transaction behavior between the business categories and their users are a “one-day” holding period for bitcoin transactions is somewhat typical. That is, a one-day effect where traders, gamblers, black market participants and miners tend to cash out on a daily basis. There seems to be a strong preference to do business within the bitcoin economy in round lot amounts, whether it is more typical of traders exchanging for fiat money, gamblers placing bets or black market goods being bought and sold. Distinct patterns of transaction behavior among the business categories and their users are flows between traders and exchanges average just around 20 BTC, and traders buy or sell on average every 11 days. Meanwhile, gamblers wager just 0.5 BTC on average, but re-bet often within the same day. Three marked regimes have evolved, as the Bitcoin economy has grown and matured: from an early prototype stage, to a second growth stage populated in large part with “sin” enterprises (i.e. gambling, black markets), to a third stage marked by a sharp progression away from “sin” and toward legitimate enterprises. This evolution of the Bitcoin economy suggests a trend toward legitimate commerce. Originality/value The authors propose a new theoretical framework that allows investigating and exploring the network of payment relationships in the Bitcoin economy. This study starts by gathering together the minimum units of Bitcoin identities (the individual addresses), and it goes forward in grouping them into approximations of business entities, what is called “super clusters”, by using tested techniques from the literature. A super cluster can be thought of as an approximation of a business entity in that it describes a number of individual addresses that are owned or controlled collectively by the same beneficial owner for some special economic purposes. The majority of these important clusters are initially unknown and uncategorized. The novelty of this study is given by the pure user group and the TP analyses, by means of which the authors are able to ascribe the super clusters into specific business categories and outline a map of the network of payment relationships among them.

scholarly journals The view from the front line: shifting beneficiary accountability and interrelatedness in the time of a global pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Yates ◽  
Rita Maria Difrancesco
Keyword(s):  
Primary Data ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Emotional Aspects ◽  
Ethnographic Data ◽  
Personal Accountability ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Context Specific

PurposeWe discuss the beneficiary accountability implications that arose due to the COVID-19 pandemic (and resultant social distancing restrictions) for a branch of a religious non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in mainland Spain, whose main beneficiaries are homeless individuals.Design/methodology/approachWe utilise a singular case method to observe accountability implications in the case organisation. We also utilise two sources of primary data: eight semi-structured interviews with volunteers of the NGO branch, supported by auto-ethnographic data recorded in forty-six diary entries throughout the period of research.FindingsAs the main mechanism for the discharge of beneficiary accountability for the case organisation is through action, this was affected greatly by the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures. Beneficiary accountability (discharged through action) changed rapidly, resulting in neglect of previous beneficiaries, carrying profound implications for charitable actors, beneficiaries and the organisation.Research limitations/implicationsOur case focuses on that of a small organisation, and therefore the generalisability of findings will be somewhat limited and context specific. The number of interviews (eight) is also relatively small.Practical implicationsInsights can be drawn for the management of volunteers, alignment of personally held accountabilities of internal actors with those of organisations and emotional aspects of accountability for NGO managers and organisers.Originality/valueNGO accountability theorisation is enhanced via the use of Levinas' Judaic writings concerning the importance of the ritual practice of ethics for the individual involved in charitable action. The intertwined nature of personal accountability of volunteers and beneficiary accountability for the organisation is emphasised.

scholarly journals Code of ethics for SMEs: substantiating the necessity and willingness to implement in Ukraine

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 150-162
Author(s):  
Larysa Antoniuk ◽  
Igor Britchenko ◽  
Yevheniia Polishchuk ◽  
Nataliia Rudyk ◽  
Yuliia Sybirianska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Code Of Ethics ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Level Structure ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Business Climate ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Business Entities ◽  
The Individual

The article substantiates the necessity of development and implementation of ethical rules of doing business into the business practices of small and medium enterprises. Particular attention is paid to business entities in Ukraine as a country with one of the highest levels of shadow economy. The two-level structure of SMEs’ Code of Ethics designed by the author is being presented, which is based on the following key concepts: transparency of business entities activity, partnership integrity, environmental and social responsibility, which are interrelated and reflected in the individual modules of the Code.The article presents the results of approbation of the author’s Code of Ethics for SMEs. The approbation is based on a personal and interactive questionnaire about the readiness of Ukrainian SMEs representatives to introduce ethical norms into their activities. The authors determined that Ukrainian SMEs are not well-informed about possible positive effects from following norms and rules in business, in particular, in terms of improving the business climate in the country, increasing the investment attractiveness of the economy as a whole and economic entities in particular, simplifying the access to financial and credit instruments.The survey and questionnaire of Ukrainian SMEs confirmed the need for the development and implementation of the business Code of Ethics norms, as well as potential demand for it. The respondents recognize the importance of certain international ethical rules in conducting business, which may contribute to attracting investment in Ukraine; however, this is not the only factor affecting the investment attractiveness of domestic business. It is substantiated that the business climate improvement is a complex issue, and the Code of Ethics, in this context, creates the opportunities of guiding and encouraging participants to the active influence on the business environment: to declare zero tolerance to corruption and to form and to maintain clear position in interactions with the public authorities.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document