scholarly journals Firm Growth: A review of the empirical literature

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Rolando Vaz

The objective of this research is to review and unify the empirical literature that identifies the determining factors for firm growth. A list of 165 articles forms the backbone of the present review of the empirical literature on firm growth. Based on this review, we provide a synthesis of numerous determinant factors associated with firm growth. Specifically, we enumerate and detail the determining factors in three blocks: entrepreneur’s idiosyncratic features, firm’s internal factors, and factors external to the firm. The work provides a better understanding of the complex process of growth, shows the shortcomings in empirical research on the growth of the firm and presents directions for future research. 

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua B. Grubbs ◽  
Camille Hoagland ◽  
Brinna N. Lee ◽  
Jennifer T. Grant ◽  
Paul Michael Davison ◽  
...  

In 1998, Gold and Heffner authored a landmark review in Clinical Psychology Review on the topic of sexual addiction that concluded that sexual addiction, though increasingly popular in mental health settings, was largely based on speculation, with virtually no empirical basis. In the more than two decades since that review, empirical research around compulsive sexual behaviors (which subsumes prior research about sexual addiction) has flourished, ultimately culminating in the inclusion of a novel diagnosis of Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder in the eleventh edition of the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases. The present work details a systematic review of empirical research published between January 1st, 1995 and August 1st, 2020 related to compulsive sexual behaviors, with a specific focus on evaluating the methodologies of that literature. This review yielded 371 papers detailing 415 individual studies. In general, the present review finds that, although research related to compulsive sexual behaviors has proliferated, much of this work is characterized by simplistic methodological designs, a lack of theoretical integration, and an absence of quality measurement. Moreover, the present review finds a virtual absence of high-quality treatment-related research published within this time frame. Implications of these findings for both clinical practice and future research are discussed.


Author(s):  
Thomas O’Neill ◽  
Nathan McNeese ◽  
Amy Barron ◽  
Beau Schelble

Objective We define human–autonomy teaming and offer a synthesis of the existing empirical research on the topic. Specifically, we identify the research environments, dependent variables, themes representing the key findings, and critical future research directions. Background Whereas a burgeoning literature on high-performance teamwork identifies the factors critical to success, much less is known about how human–autonomy teams (HATs) achieve success. Human–autonomy teamwork involves humans working interdependently toward a common goal along with autonomous agents. Autonomous agents involve a degree of self-government and self-directed behavior (agency), and autonomous agents take on a unique role or set of tasks and work interdependently with human team members to achieve a shared objective. Method We searched the literature on human–autonomy teaming. To meet our criteria for inclusion, the paper needed to involve empirical research and meet our definition of human–autonomy teaming. We found 76 articles that met our criteria for inclusion. Results We report on research environments and we find that the key independent variables involve autonomous agent characteristics, team composition, task characteristics, human individual differences, training, and communication. We identify themes for each of these and discuss the future research needs. Conclusion There are areas where research findings are clear and consistent, but there are many opportunities for future research. Particularly important will be research that identifies mechanisms linking team input to team output variables.


2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Luburic ◽  
Jennifer L. Jolly

Gifted education as a field of research in Australia is relatively young when compared with its North American counterparts. A reflection of how the field of gifted education has developed from 1983 to 2017 in this context allows for observations of previous research and current trends, and how these may influence future directions for the field. Empirical research published in peer-reviewed journals is one metric that can be used to undertake this reflection, including the individuals responsible for the research, the setting where the research is undertaken, and outlets where resulting findings are published, as well as the research themes that dominate research agendas. Longitudinally, these metrics are part of the narrative that construct Australian gifted education. Reflecting on how the field developed provides an understanding of how research and practice have evolved and what future research and innovations are possible.


2009 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
François P. Mathijsen

A brief look at the empirical literature of the past ten years reveals the clear debate raging over the pertinence of paranormal study to the field of psychology. Each of the arguments put forward by sceptics and believers is the product of the epistemological context in which they find themselves. Each addresses a different issue, using different terminology and different scientific approaches. However, these studies do reveal certain personality traits among paranormal believers who use their paranormal beliefs to exercise mental control and organisation, to cope with and manage anxiety, while moderating this with a certain emotional intelligence. Anxiety could well be a common factor underlying all aspects of the personalities of paranormal believers. It seems necessary therefore to leave psychology out of any epistemological debate, in order to enable the study of how being a paranormal believer helps or hinders the individual and their relationships. Refocusing on the experiences of the individual may provide a consensus for future research in this field.


Author(s):  
Winfred Arthur ◽  
Eric Anthony Day

With a focus on its intersection with the expertise literature, a number of conclusions arise from the present review of the skill/knowledge decay and retention literature. First, decay is more a matter of interference rather than simply the forgetting of information and processes through the passage of time. Second, decay is highly dependent on task and situational factors. Third, decay on complex tasks appears to be smaller than that observed for simple tasks. Fourth, retention is generally stronger with more practice, elaborative rehearsal, and greater mastery—expertise—of the task. Fifth, although related, retention, reacquisition, and transfer are meaningfully distinct. Sixth, there is very limited empirical research that integrates the study of expertise in the context of skill acquisition with the study of decay, adaptable performance, and enhancing retention (or mitigating loss) in complex real-world performance domains. Intersecting these rich yet separate literatures would be of great theoretical and practical value and warrants future research attention.


2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 679-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen M. O'Brien ◽  
Kathy P. Zamostny

Contrary to societal stereotypes about adoption, this integrative review of published empirical research on adoptive families noted several positive and few negative out-comes with regard to satisfaction with the adoption, familial functioning, and parent-child communication. The critical analysis of 38 studies on adoptive families revealed a prevalence of descriptive passive research designs with concomitant concerns regarding sampling and generalizability. However, despite their limitations, the studies form the foundation for future research that, if replicated, provide support for viewing most adoptive families as resilient. To contribute to the empirical literature on adoption, counseling psychologists should base research in theory, study societal and cultural factors affecting adoptive families, improve methodology, and focus on resiliency and successful out-comes for adoptive families.


Author(s):  
Vanessa A.S. Laureys ◽  
Marleen Easton

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the empirical literature on the resilience of public police officers and private security guards in stressful situations involving threats, violence, accidents or death. This paper studies the definitions of resilience used in these professions, identifies trends in applied research methods and examines the main topics addressed in previous research. Design/methodology/approach A scoping review was carried out, with searches in Web of Science and Google Scholar, as well as a secondary manual screening in Dutch academic journals. Based on this review, 33 empirical studies were included in the current paper. Findings First, it was revealed that a clear-cut definition of resilience applied to public police and private security guards is currently lacking. Second, predominantly quantitative designs were found to be used in the selected studies. Third, the 33 empirical studies provided insights on four main topics: demographic factors, personal characteristics, interpersonal aspects and resilience training programs. Remarkably, this scoping review did not find any empirical research on the resilience of private security guards. Originality/value This study systematically integrates the findings of empirical research on the resilience of security providers to stressful situations. The documentation of research activity, gaps and inconsistencies in the literature offer direction for future research in this relatively new field of study.


Author(s):  
Rakshith K. R. ◽  
Shivakumar . ◽  
Kaushal Sinha ◽  
Vijeth Kumar L. A.

Yoga is an ancient practice with Eastern roots that involves both physical postures (Asanas) and breathing techniques (Pranayamas). Yoga therapy for male sexual problems can effectively be treated through Yoga therapy, particularly with the help of Yoga poses and breathing exercises, Yoga has proven itself highly very effective in the treatment of a number of incurable and sometimes terminable diseases. Then again, Yoga's therapeutic effects are just a spin-off and supplementary. Yoga which has proved to be very effective in the treatment of many impossible and incurable diseases, the therapeutic effect of Yoga is only a by product and incidental. Problems related to sex can very well be handled with Yoga as most often these problems are more related to the mind than body. Either they are caused by lack of confidence or stress or fatigue or fear and very few times some physical cause is there. There is also a cognitive component focusing on meditation and concentration, which aids in achieving the goal of union between the self and the spiritual. Although numerous empirical studies have found a beneficial effect of Yoga on different aspects of physical and psychological functioning, claims of Yoga's beneficial effects on sexuality derive from a rich but no empirical literature. The goal of this article is to review the philosophy and forms of Yoga, to review the no empirical and (limited) empirical literatures linking Yoga with enhanced sexuality, and to propose some future research avenues focusing on Yoga as a treatment for sexual disorder.


2021 ◽  
pp. 152483802098556
Author(s):  
Logan Knight ◽  
Yitong Xin ◽  
Cecilia Mengo

Resilience is critical among survivors of trafficking as they are mostly vulnerable populations who face multiple adversities before, during, and after trafficking. However, resilience in survivors of trafficking is understudied. This scoping review aims to clarify the current state of knowledge, focusing on definitions of resilience, how resilience has been studied, and factors associated with resilience among survivors. Five databases were searched using key words related to trafficking and resilience. Studies were included if they were published in English between 2000 and 2019 and focused on resilience with the study design including at least one of these four features: (a) use of standardized measures of resilience, (b) qualitative descriptions of resilience, (c) participants were survivors or professionals serving survivors, and (d) data sources such as case files or program manuals directly pertained to survivors. Eighteen studies were identified. Findings indicated that resilience was primarily described as emergent from interactions between the survivor and the environment. Resilience in trafficking appeared largely similar to resilience in other kinds of victimization. Nonetheless, trafficking survivors also may display resilience in alternative ways such as refusing treatment. Positive interpersonal relationships were the most commonly mentioned resilience factor. In addition, current research lacks studies featuring longitudinal designs, interventions, participatory methods, types of trafficking other than sexual trafficking, and demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and national origin. Future research needs to establish definitions and measures of resilience that are culturally and contextually relevant to survivors and build knowledge necessary for designing and evaluating resilience-enhancing interventions.


2021 ◽  
pp. 003232172110072
Author(s):  
Ramon van der Does ◽  
Vincent Jacquet

Deliberative minipublics are popular tools to address the current crisis in democracy. However, it remains ambiguous to what degree these small-scale forums matter for mass democracy. In this study, we ask the question to what extent minipublics have “spillover effects” on lay citizens—that is, long-term effects on participating citizens and effects on non-participating citizens. We answer this question by means of a systematic review of the empirical research on minipublics’ spillover effects published before 2019. We identify 60 eligible studies published between 1999 and 2018 and provide a synthesis of the empirical results. We show that the evidence for most spillover effects remains tentative because the relevant body of empirical evidence is still small. Based on the review, we discuss the implications for democratic theory and outline several trajectories for future research.


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