Financial inclusion and small enterprise growth in Africa: emerging perspectives and research agenda

PurposeThe purposes of the paper are to review the stream of studies that link financial inclusion to small enterprise growth in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) to identify the research gaps they provide and to prepare an agenda for future research in the field.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs systematic literature search method to identify relevant literature from journals. The study then adopts a narrative approach for the review, highlighting the findings from the prior studies and gaps requiring research attention.FindingsThe discussions reveal that there is a need for future studies that can unpack small enterprise growth determinants, identify growth-enabling entrepreneurial characteristics and examine the contextual variabilities that shape their effectiveness.Originality/valueThere is currently no comprehensive/integrated review exploring the link between financial inclusion and small enterprise growth in SSA. The review, therefore, provides insights that contribute to the development of this stream of research.

How to develop ASOs of China? Answers from the academic entrepreneurs

PurposeWhy do academic spin-offs (ASOs) have different growth performance? What makes ASOs grow better? Based on the perspective of academic entrepreneurs, this study systematically studies the influence mechanism of the growth of Chinese ASOs and establishes an analytical framework for the influence of academic entrepreneurs on the growth of ASOs.Design/methodology/approachThis study takes ASOs of Chinese Academy of Sciences as a sample. On the basis of literature analysis, the questionnaire is designed to collect the measurement items of variables and amended after interviewing the well-known scholars and experienced enterprise managers. The entrepreneur capital theory and the triple helix (TH) model are used to formulate the research model. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between academic entrepreneurs' social capital, human capital and enterprise growth. Data processing, reliability and validity analysis, hypothesis testing and so on are all carried out by Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS), which is a common method of first-hand data processing.FindingsAccording to findings, capital of academic entrepreneurs exerted a positive impact on ASOs growth. First of all, ASOs growth is positively affected by external connections and human capital of academic entrepreneurs. Second, the institutional environment and location environment play a regulation role. However, regulation role of the industrial environment is not proved. Third, the research has shown academic entrepreneurs' capital and ASOs growth is regulated by both path guidance and resources support ways. Finally, according to further test, ASOs growth is positively affected by both business contacts and political contacts of academic entrepreneurs, and the role of political contacts is greater.Research limitations/implicationsInevitably, this research has limitations, to some extent, which need to be further improved and supplemented in future studies. First, samples are special. Due to the difficulty of data acquisition, this research only obtains data from ASOs of the Chinese Academy of Sciences system. Second, there should be diverse methods to measure the growth of ASOs.Originality/valueBased on composition-based view and triple helix model, this study constructs an analytical framework of the influence of academic entrepreneur capital on ASOs growth and verifies the influence and mechanism of academic entrepreneur social capital and human capital on enterprise growth. The conclusion of this study provides empirical support for the development of composition-based view and also proves the effectiveness of this theory in studying ASOs related issues in China. In addition, the research conclusion is also the practical application of triple helix model, which proves the effectiveness of triple helix model in analyzing the growth mechanism of ASOs.

Venture capital, control rights, and family enterprise growth

This research explores and explains the path of family enterprise venture capital equity financing from the perspective of endogenous family control rights. We adopted unbalanced panel data on Chinese listed companies from 2007 to 2018. Empirical research shows that there are significant differences in the impact of venture capital on the growth performance of family enterprises and non-family enterprises. Venture capital negatively affects the growth performance of family enterprises, while the negative impact of venture capital on family enterprises is not significant. In addition, family control positively moderates the negative impact of venture capital on family enterprise growth performance.

Dynamic capabilities and enterprise growth: the mediating effect of networking

PurposeEnterprise growth drives competitiveness, innovations, employment creation, income generation and social inclusion in societies. The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effect of networking on the relationship between dynamic capabilities and enterprise growth of financial cooperatives.Design/methodology/approachThis is a cross-sectional survey and quantitative study of 269 financial cooperatives based on structural equation modelling and bootstrapping techniques analysis.FindingsThe results reveal that dynamic capabilities are vital in promoting the growth of financial cooperatives. In addition, networking partially enhances the contribution of dynamic capabilities to the growth of financial cooperatives. Therefore, dynamic capabilities and networking play a key role in promoting the growth of financial cooperative enterprises.Research limitations/implicationsThis was a cross-sectional survey. It did not trace the changes in behavioural and attitudinal aspects of enterprise growth over time. A longitudinal approach is recommended.Practical implicationsIt is imperative that managers of financial cooperatives enhance their coordination, learning and competitive response capabilities through consultation, exchange and sharing of information among staff and other stakeholders, to increase the membership, capital and income volumes, depicting growth of financial cooperatives.Originality/valueThis study provides an insight on the mediating effect of networking on the enterprise growth of financial cooperatives in developing countries founded on networks theoretical framework. Unlike previous studies that modelled direct relationship of enterprise growth.