Search Results (946)

The creation school of opportunity formation is a relatively new partial theory of entrepreneurship built upon a relatively new approach to theorizing. Given their significant respective impacts, we critically evaluate both that school and that approach to better understand their respective values to theorizing. We apply a comprehensive, critical framework to evaluate the creation school. We determine that it is not yet a theory, but that it raises several important theoretical questions, from the origins of valuable heterogeneity to which meta-heuristics should be assumed and to what types of uncertainty are involved in entrepreneurial opportunities. We then describe its comparison-based approach for theorizing, delineating it from similar approaches that also contrast against the given benchmark ideas in a field, to determine its benefits and costs to advancing the modeling of phenomena. We determine that this new approach differs from problematization and constrastivity; instead of developing assumptions from induction, it uses a strawman to simply assert them. We finish by discussing the implications for how we can take more control over what kinds of theories affect the definition, and the legitimacy earned, in important fields of research like entrepreneurship. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic had a disastrous effect on the growth in business tourism, emphasizing the role of information and communication technologies in the implementation of new meeting models. Consequently, new needs and concerns of the business tourist may have arisen, which should lead business tourism organizations to consider new attributes in their value proposition. Thus, this study aims to understand the determinants of business tourism spending and the number of business meetings, in the European Union, to aid the formulation of economic and marketing policies, in the post-pandemic period. For this purpose, a literature review is carried out for the periods before, during, and after the pandemic phase; additionally, a panel data analysis is performed using data from the 28 countries in the European Union. The results identify new typologies of determinants, describing first-order (global-scale) and second-order (European-scale) determinants and identifying important practical implications. Full article

The paper seeks to understand organisational context and culture’s influence on engaging First Nations People in Canada in work. Organisations have many opportunities to attract and engage Indigenous people, who have distinct worldviews and unique cultural customs not necessarily reflected in a North American workplace. Indigenous people also grapple with the historical and ongoing disparate impacts of settler colonialism that intersect colonial systems in most every area of their lives. This study worked within Indigenous research principles to encourage the articulation of deeply felt experiences and points of view of how First Nations people viewed and interacted with their work. The findings reviewed the experiences of twelve First Nations individuals working in non-Indigenous organisations. Through anti-colonial and critical organisational theoretical lenses, the study reveals how the context and culture that defined this sample of First Nations people shaped their views of what is essential to engaging them in the workplace. The findings illustrate what First Nations people would like to see in a workplace culture, what they feel needs to be recognised as part of their unique Indigenous context, and the approaches and practises that are most important for engaging them. Understanding the effect of context and culture on positive work interactions provides new information for organisational leaders, managers, diversity officers, and Human Resource practitioners to better support First Nations engagement in the workplace. It may also offer an approach to better engaging other culturally diverse organisational groups. The results add value to the fields of critical theory, anti-colonial theory, critical management studies, and Indigenous wholistic theory. The results further the discussion on the processes of decolonization and the recognition of Indigenous and minority rights in the workplace. Full article

In recent years, a new type of influencer has emerged in the field of social media marketing: virtual influencers. Though it is spreading fast, the trend is still new and, therefore, limited research has been conducted on the topic. This study aims to investigate the impact of virtual influencers on customers and whether there is a direct impact on human influencers due to the rise of virtual influencers in the industry. The study employed a questionnaire-based survey method to collect and analyse responses from a sample of 357 participants. The questions focus on trust, credibility, expertise, and contribution to purchase intention by the virtual influencers. The results indicate that customers are increasingly attracted to virtual influencers and that virtual influences are perceived as more trustworthy, credible, and relevant to customers’ preferences, leading to an increase in purchase intention. The study also discusses the implications of these findings for managers designing marketing campaigns. Full article

Innovative digital technologies, together with new sustainable practices, push for new business models and skillsets, pressuring companies to adapt to external change in order to gain competitive advantage. Higher education institutions could offer support. More than 20% of university graduates in the European Union study “business, administration or law”, with some of them being future top-level managers and entrepreneurs. This paper aims to provide an understanding of the factors shaping business students’ perspectives and decisions in the modern business landscape. It reunites their career preferences, personality characteristics and knowledge regarding technology’s utility for business and compares them between two cohorts (i.e., first year bachelor students and second year master students). The results of an online survey with a sample of 154 respondents show that business students’ entrepreneurial intention is influenced by their entrepreneurial confidence, their boldness when considering risks, as well as by being further along their educational journey. While almost 80% of business students are daring, oriented toward results and confident in their entrepreneurial abilities, and around 50% would feel most comfortable having their own business, approximately half of first year bachelor students and 14% of second year master students tend to be “not sure” regarding how eight out of ten modern technologies mentioned in this paper (i.e., robotic process automation, big data, artificial intelligence, computer vision, industrial robots, internet of things, virtual reality, enterprise resource planning) could improve a company’s innovation and performance. Full article

This study examined the effect of entrepreneurial attributes on venture creation among undergraduate students of selected universities in Southwest, Nigeria. The study measures the presence of entrepreneurial attributes (creativity, critical thinking, risk taking, leadership skills and resilience) among undergraduate students of selected public and private universities in Southwest, Nigeria. A total of 751 copies of questionnaires were distributed and 616 copies were returned and deemed suitable for analysis. A structural equation model (PLS 3.0) was used for the analysis. The result showed that entrepreneurial attributes contribute more to business opportunity identification, business planning and business startups. This implies that universities in Nigeria should develop these attributes (creativity, critical thinking, risk taking, leadership skills and resilience) through entrepreneurship education to reduce the rate of graduate unemployment in Nigeria. Full article

Background: Studies have highlighted how public–private partnerships are characterized by a lack of transparency, low availability of data, low accountability, and, often, strong opportunism. All these factors do not allow potential interested parties to trust it. This undermines the possibility of good cooperation between the public and private sectors and has presented a great limit for the Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) diffusion. Several articles in the literature highlight, in general, the numerous advantages generated using the blockchain in different organizations. The adoption of blockchain in the operation of PPPs could be a solution to overcome the limitations encountered in public–private partnerships. The aim of this study is to propose a theoretical framework aimed at connecting two topics (PPPs and Blockchain)—analyzed separately by literature—to highlight how blockchain can correct the limitations inherent to the functioning of traditional PPPs. Methods: The authors applied a qualitative research method to examine the role of blockchain from a PPP perspective. The authors present a conceptual work in which they advance a theoretical framework by integrating and proposing new relationships between constructs and developing logical arguments for these associations. Through a problem-focused approach, besides presenting a solution to overcome the critical issues, the authors also put forward ideas to help fill a gap in the literature to date. Results: The study showed that blockchain can generate a major shift in the function of PPPs. On the one hand, it makes it possible to overcome many limitations that have hindered the development of partnerships, thus making it possible to spread them further, while on the other hand, it has a positive impact on the strategic role of PPPs in achieving sustainable development goals. Conclusions: Blockchain technology is considered very immature, probably because a single underlying standard does not exist and concepts are difficult to master. Based on state-of-the-art standards, blockchain has the potential to be considered a transformative or even disruptive innovation for PPPs. Full article

The research aims to identify individual value-creation indicators, which are provided to suppliers, and their significance in building and maintaining sustainable, long-lasting mutual relationships between enterprises and their suppliers. The enterprises (in the position of suppliers) assigned the importance of the individual value-creation indicators which are provided to them and expressed the level of satisfaction with the relationships with their buyers. The research was carried out through structured questionnaires and collected answers from 112 managers of enterprises from Slovakia. Research results include the list of 21 individual value-creation indicators (defined in the questionnaire) and show which value-creation indicators are provided to the enterprises (suppliers) the most, which of these indicators are essential for the suppliers, and if the suppliers are provided with the values, they consider significant. The analysis of individual value creation indicators was done separately using Chi-squared and Cramer’s V tests and Rank–Biserial Correlation. The logistic regression was used to analyze all factors and their influence on the relationship between suppliers and the enterprise. Enterprises (suppliers) are generally satisfied with their relationship with buyers. However, almost 19% of suppliers consider their relationship neutral or unsatisfying. This result points out that there is room for improvement, which can be done by providing significant value-creation indicators to suppliers. Full article

The tourism industry has been distinguishing itself by promoting economic benefits and contributing to the creation of employment and opportunities in the country. This paper aims to investigate and analyze the impact of symmetric internal communication on individual performance and organizational identification, as well as to evaluate the mediating role of organizational identification in this relationship. Through the cooperation of several institutions in the tourism business sector, online surveys were applied resulting in a convenience sample of a total of 237 hotel employees in Portugal. The results of this study demonstrate that symmetrical internal communication has a positive impact on organizational identification and individual performance, and that organizational identification exerts a partial mediating effect on the relationship between symmetrical internal communication and individual performance. This study therefore extends the knowledge of the effects of important variables usually treated separately by the literature, and thus we build bridges between the communication literature and human resource management, providing information to support the structuring of new strategies. Full article

This study aims to comprehensively synthesize existing literature on AI in tourism, highlighting key themes, strengths, and limitations, and illuminating pathways for future research, including the identification of emerging areas within this context. AI technology is rapidly transforming various sectors, including tourism, by augmenting customer service, improving operational efficiency, personalizing travel experiences, and supporting sustainability initiatives. Despite the growing body of research on this topic, there is a need for a comprehensive and systematic summary of the existing literature to illuminate the most effective uses of AI in this context and to identify gaps for future research. We employed the ‘overview of reviews’ methodology, which involved systematically locating, appraising, and synthesizing the results of previous review articles. Using Web of Science, we identified and analyzed 31 previous review articles on the application of AI in tourism. Their synthesis presents a comprehensive perspective on the present status of AI technology in the tourism sector. It provides valuable insights, not only for practitioners contemplating the implementation of AI solutions but also for academics aspiring to advance this study area. Moreover, the academic implications of this study reaffirm its objective to shape future inquiries into AI applications within tourism, advocate for the efficacious and sustainable employment of AI, and provoke scholarly exploration at the nexus of technology and sustainability in this sector. Full article

The purpose—The aim of this paper is to explain the relationship between working capital and profitability in the context of the wine industry. Design/methodology/approach—Artificial neural networks were used to analyze the relationship between working capital management and the profitability of Old World firms, based on a sample of 324 firms. Findings—The results suggest a positive relationship between the cash conversion cycle and the profitability of winery firms. Thus, an increase in the cash conversion cycle seems to increase wine companies’ profitability. Thus, managers can generate shareholder value by increasing the cash conversion cycle to a reasonable level. Regarding days of payable outstanding, there is a negative influence of the average payment term on the profitability of wine companies. This leads to the fact that the longer a company takes to pay its creditors, the less profitable it appears to be. In terms of days sales outstanding, the results suggest the existence of a negative impact of the average collection period on the profitability of winery firms. In other words, a reduction in the number of days a firm receives payment for sales positively affects the firm’s profitability. Finally, the results of the study show a positive relationship between days of outstanding inventory and the profitability of wineries, suggesting that wineries that maintain sufficiently high inventory levels have higher profitability. These results indicate that managers could create value for their shareholders if they managed their working capital more efficiently. Practical limitations/implications—The neural network can predict profits based on working capital management. However, the applied research methodology should be extended to other business typologies and wine firms of other countries to allow the generalization of results. Originality/value—This paper is the first study on the impact of working capital management on the financial performance of companies in the wine sector, particularly in the Old World. The results are an input to the wine business sector literature, one of the most representative of regional economies in the countries focused. The applied methodology can be adopted more broadly and underlies managerial implications. For future research, a similar analysis can be envisaged for the New World, and a comparison between the two blocks of countries, given the difference in characteristics and techniques of wine production, could be made. Full article

This study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the trends and theoretical development of advertising research. By using appropriate keywords, this research selected 210 articles from the Web of Science database. We applied bibliometric analysis techniques and employed the VOS viewer to present visualizations. Our findings provide valuable insights into how the COVID-19 pandemic altered advertisers and researchers’ perspectives on advertisement content and message strategies. We also explore the application of diversified theoretical lenses to our research on advertisements during the pandemic. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted societies worldwide, leading to challenges in ensuring well-being and sustainability. In this context, it is essential to better understand consumer consciousness of pro-environmental products from the perspective of well-being. Therefore, our cross-national investigation aimed to explore the relationship between subjective well-being (SWB) and sustainable luxury consumption during the pandemic. We analyzed data from 800 respondents in China and Japan during the pandemic. Our findings, obtained through partial least squares structural equation modeling, reveal novel insights. First, SWB positively influences pro-environmental behavioral intentions, even in luxury fashion consumption. This highlights the potential for individuals to make sustainable choices, while indulging in luxury products. Additionally, we observed variations in the impact of subjective happiness and life satisfaction on luxury consumption between China and Japan. Specifically, the influence of subjective happiness was more pronounced in China than in Japan, indicating cultural distinctions in the relationship between well-being and luxury consumption. Moreover, our study identifies consumer novelty seeking as a mediator linking SWB to sustainable luxury consumption. This discovery provides a further understanding of the relationships explored in our study. These findings deepen our understanding of the interplay between well-being and sustainable luxury consumption, thereby informing strategies to promote pro-environmental behaviors in the luxury fashion sector. Full article

This research seeks to investigate the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation dimensions (behavioral dimension EOBD and attitudinal dimension EOAD) and firm performance (FP) through a sequential mediation model of innovation capability (IC) and firm resilience capability (FRC) in a specific context. Sample data for this study were collected using a questionnaire survey from 225 randomly selected SMEs in Saudi Arabia and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results revealed that there are significant relationships between EO dimensions and IC. No direct relationships were found between EO dimensions and FRC or between EOAD and FP. Therefore, IC plays a mediating role in the relationships between EO dimensions and FRC. In addition, FRC does not play a mediating role in the relationships between EO dimensions and FP. On the contrary, it plays a partial mediation between IC and FP. To our knowledge, little research has investigated simultaneously the effects of EO, IC, FRC and FP in the Saudi context. Our study contributes to the literature on entrepreneurship, innovation and resilience by providing new empirical evidence. It also contributes to managerial practices by displaying the importance of translating strategic EO dimensions into performance outcomes through IC and FRC. Full article

This research aims to examine the mediating effects of eco-innovation practices in the relationship between the drivers of eco-innovation and the performance of tourism and hospitality enterprises. A quantitative approach was adopted in this research using questionnaire surveys as an instrument for collecting primary data. Based on the convenience sampling technique, a total of 550 questionnaire forms were distributed to five-star hotels and travel agencies in Cairo. Out of the distributed forms, only 400 forms were filled out and returned to the researchers and thus valid for analysis, representing a response rate of 72.7%. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using partial least squares (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the research model. The results showed the significant effect of independent variables on dependent variables through mediating variables. Multiplied path coefficients were used to measure the confidence interval (CI) for measuring the mediating relationship. The results supported the effect of eco-innovation practices as a mediating factor in the relationship between the drivers of eco-innovation and the performance of tourism and hospitality enterprises. The findings also showed that the eco-innovation drivers, which include management awareness, organizational capabilities, and environmental strategy, have a significant effect on eco-innovation practices and tourism/hospitality enterprise performance when integrating the mediating variables of eco-innovation practices. There are a few studies that have also examined a conceptual framework to examine eco-innovation practices as mediating factors in the relationship between the drivers of eco-innovation and the performance of tourism and hospitality enterprises in terms of five-star hotels and travel agencies in Egypt. Consequently, this research contributes to the literature related to tourism and hospitality management through highlighting the mediating effect of eco-innovation practices on the relationship between the drivers of eco-innovation and the performance of tourism and hospitality enterprises. Full article