Influential Relationship between Innovation Competence and Performance for Sustainability of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises by Industrial Category

This study's objectives are as follows: First, the causal relationship between SMEs' success variables on competence and performance. Second, the effect of success variables on performance through the mediating effect of competency of SMEs. Third, the effect of SMEs' competency on performance. Fourth, the effect on six industries' performance, including electrics/electronics, machinery/parts, IT/SW, chemicals/textiles/materials, life/food, crafts/others. The reason for selecting six industrial classifications is that, since 2001, the Korea Startup Promotion Agency has been operating a business support policy by designating six industrial classifications of small and medium-sized startups. The survey covered 330 CEOs of SMEs in six industries. The basic statistics were analyzed with SPSS 22; the measurement and structural models were evaluated using Smart Partial Least Square (PLS)3.2.9. Increasing the performance of SMEs worldwide is an important issue. With the development, popularization, and crowdfunding of ICT, the barrier to entry has been lowered, making it the foundation for SMEs worldwide. This study's differences are summarized as follows: 1) The independent variable was selected as four sub-factors. Management performance, a dependent variable, was selected as three sub-factors: technical performance, financial performance, and non-financial performance. 2) A sub-factor of competency was studied by selecting technology innovation competency and technology marketing competency. 3) The causal relations impact on performance according to the industry was compared and verified. Keywords: SME, competency, performance, sustainability, technology innovation.

Validating an individual innovation competence assessment tool for university–industry collaboration

University–industry collaboration produces networks that may be capable of innovations, such as novel products and services. The collaboration projects also need to benefit student learning, yet teachers have little clarity with regard to innovation competence development. Individual innovation competence is a set of personal characteristics, knowledge, skills and attitudes that are connected to create concretised and implemented novelties via collaboration in complex innovation processes. The paper reports on the findings from the development and validation of an individual innovation competence assessment tool. The aim is to determine which individual innovation competences are significant in university–industry collaboration and which of these competences are sensitive to educational interventions. The study used a three-phase method involving development of the questionnaire items, validation in teacher and student panels, and a pilot pre- and post-survey study. All seven domains of individual innovation competences were significant and sensitive to educational intervention (a multidisciplinary innovation project conducted with industry). The most responsive competence domains regarding change were concretisation and implementation planning skills, and project management skills. The paper concludes with application opportunities for the tool and recommendations for further research.

Opportunities for Adaptive Learning Environments to Promote Sustainability-Oriented Innovation Competence in Vocational Education and Training

Achieving a sustainable economic system is a key challenge facing society. However, sustainable business to date has been only minimally considered when it comes to the requisites and curricula of business trainees. It generally has been left up to schools and teachers to provide their students with sustainable business skills. This involves creating teaching and training that effectively harmonize with learner requirements. To support teachers in this process, the following develops a sustainability-oriented innovation competence typology using a latent profile analysis based on data gathered from 1,149 business trainees who were in the first, second, or third year of their apprenticeship. This typology can be used to plan and develop classroom teaching. Competency assessment was done using a multiple-choice test along with a questionnaire to determine students’ beliefs about sustainable development. The latent profile analysis revealed six groups of learner competence profiles, each of which require specific teaching when it comes to achieving sustainable innovation skills. Based on these, the following paper develops recommendations for specific teaching methods and lessons that effectively promote business trainee sustainability-oriented innovation competence, while at the same time including their specific requirements into teaching.

EFFECT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET AND ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCE ON PERFORMANCE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISE, EVIDENCE FROM LITRATURE REVIEW

This study was undertaken to review the literature of the impact of entrepreneurial mindset and entrepreneurial competence on performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The review employed systematic review and was able to identify several components that contribute for enhancing the firms’ performance. Most significant entrepreneurial competence components positively and significantly affecting the performance include: opportunity and innovation competence, relational, conceptual, commitment, strategic, organizing, capability of managing resources. Entrepreneurial mindset affects positively and significantly the performance of SMEs and parameters includes: seeking opportunity, creativity, innovation, risk taking, pro-activeness, and alertness to take action. The new development is the established relationship between entrepreneurial mindset and entrepreneurial competence that contribute to business success based on this the review developed conceptual modelThe implication includes in order enhancing the performance, entrepreneurs’ in SMEs with entrepreneurial mindset, they should acquire knowledge and skill through education and participating in entrepreneurship program offered by government and non-government organization. The government should give priority for people engaged in running the entrepreneurial venture and should strive to offer the entrepreneurial essential skills that enable the individual/people to become an entrepreneur/s as a result helps to enhance their performance of firms.Keywords: Small and Medium Enterprises; Entrepreneurial Competence; Entrepreneurial Mindset, SMEs Performance, Impact

Engineering Students’ Innovation Competence: A Comparative Analysis of Nigeria and South Africa

The main purpose of this study is to assess the role of tertiary institutions in impacting innovation competence among graduating students in the engineering discipline. To achieve this aim, two research questions were investigated: First, we examine if the graduating students possess some key innovative competence qualities innovative competence which include qualities such as creativity, leadership, self-efficacy, energy and risk propensity. Secondly, we investigate the key elements of tertiary institutions that impact innovative competence among the graduating students. A structured questionnaire was administered to graduating engineering students at the Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria and University of Johannesburg, South Africa during the 2019/2020 academic session and their responses were compared. Results indicate that students generally had a high assessment of their innovation competence and attributed some of this competence to their institutions learning environment.