Social networks of female tech-entrepreneurs and new venture performance: the moderating effects of entrepreneurial alertness and gender discrimination

The social networks of entrepreneurs are an important factor affecting new venture performance. Based on the survey data of 316 new ventures in China, this paper explores the relationship between the social networks of female tech-entrepreneurs and new venture performance, and examines the moderating effects of entrepreneurial alertness and gender discrimination on this relationship. Our findings reveal that: (a) the social networks of female tech-entrepreneurs have a positive effect on new venture performance; (b) the entrepreneurial alertness of female tech-entrepreneurs has a positive effect on new venture performance; and (c) gender discrimination against women has a negative effect on new venture performance. Moreover, we found that gender discrimination negatively moderates the relationship between the social networks of female tech-entrepreneurs and new venture performance. We also found that entrepreneurial alertness positively moderates the relationship between the social networks of female tech-entrepreneurs and new venture performance. Our findings provide theoretical and practical implications for female technical individuals in the entrepreneurial practice, and shed light on the study of entrepreneurship theory in other emerging economies.     

University training for entrepreneurial competencies: Its impact on intention of venture creation

This study tests the effect of entrepreneurship education programmes on the entrepreneurial competencies and intention of university students in order to confirm (or disconfirm) conventional wisdom that entrepreneurial education increases the intention to start a business. We address the following research question: Do entrepreneurship education programmes raise the entrepreneurial competencies and intention of students? We used a pretest-post-test quasi-experimental design. Data were collected from 864 university students of Castilla & León (Spain), from 863 students (403 taking the programme and 460 in a control group). The results showed that students in the ‘programme’ group increased their competencies and intention towards self-employment, whereas students in the control group did not. The findings contribute to the theories of planned behaviour and to the literature of entrepreneurship education itself, by revealing the effect of specific benefits for the students derived from the entrepreneurship ‘programme’.     

Exploring the landscape of corporate venture capital: a systematic review of the entrepreneurial and finance literature

The influence of corporate venture capital (CVC) investments within the venture capital industry, that is, equity stakes in high technology ventures, has stimulated the academic literature on this specific research area. Generally, CVC is strongly associated with the concept of corporate venturing and plays a vital role in the strategic renewal of established companies. Owing to the multifaceted nature of the CVC phenomenon, the existing literature is rather fragmented. Therefore, the purpose of this article is twofold: first, bibliographic coupling is introduced to the field of CVC to reveal the underlying structure of the current research front. Second, a content-related review is conducted to shed light on nascent research streams and shortcomings within the CVC literature that indicate promising avenues for future research. The systematic review of a comprehensive set of 65 articles reveals that the prevailing CVC literature is mainly driven by two dominant logics, management and finance, that tend to separate themselves from one another. Moreover, nascent research streams are identified that will broaden and enrich the academic discussion.     

Social capital effects on the discovery and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities

Social capital refers to social networks and the norms of reciprocity, cooperation and trust associated with them. It can be studied at different levels of analysis. As previous literature suggests, social capital has aspects at both the individual and collective levels. However, theory development and empirical research have focused on separate, sometimes diverging levels. In an attempt to address this, this research examines the simultaneous influence of individual and regional social capital on the discovery and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities using individual-level data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor linked with regional-level data on social capital. The results show that individuals from regions with higher social capital are more likely to discover and to exploit entrepreneurial opportunities. Moreover, individuals having networks with other entrepreneurs are also more likely to identify a business opportunity and to become an entrepreneur. Also, we found that social capital at individual level had a greater effect than social capital at regional level in the two stages of the entrepreneurial process.     

安全防范型企业创业中的问题及对策浅析

文章通过分析安全防范型企业创业环境及其特点,指出了创业中常出现的问题,提出了问题解决的思路——运转就是一切,并提出了具体解决策略。     

The price of success: balancing the effects of entrepreneurial commitment,work-family conflict and emotional exhaustion on job satisfaction

This research explores job satisfaction among entrepreneurs to investigate two paths from entrepreneurial commitment to job satisfaction: the direct path and the family path that includes work-family conflict and emotional exhaustion. An empirical study of 232 small and micro firm business owners are used to test the hypotheses seeking to understand which path to job satisfaction has the greatest influence. The results indicate that although being committed to one’s own business increases job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion takes a greater toll. We conclude that negative aspects of entrepreneurship exert an important influence on entrepreneurs’ satisfaction with their job. These findings offer important theoretical and practical implications.

     

The strategic,organizational, and entrepreneurial evolution of smart cities

International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal - This present editorial illustrates the recent evolution of strategy, organization and entrepreneurship in smart city. Referring to strategy,...     

Environmental uncertainty,prospector strategy,and new venture performance: the moderating role of network capabilities

We examine the network capability of new ventures and its relationship to uncertainty management, engagement in the prospector strategy, and performance outcome in a transition economy. Using data from a survey of 302 new ventures based in China, we find that new ventures respond to a high environmental uncertainty by engaging more in prospector strategy, consequently enhancing the ventures’ performance. Moreover, we find that network capabilities significantly moderate these relationships by not only strengthening the relationship between environmental uncertainty and engagement in the prospector strategy (the E–S relationship) but also by enhancing the relationship between engagement in the prospector strategy and new venture performance (the S–P relationship). Our findings extend the environment, strategy, and performance paradigm from large firms to small new ventures, highlighting the importance of network capabilities in a new venture’s engagement in an innovative strategy and of performance outcomes in a transition economy with a generally high level of environmental uncertainty.     

The role of venture capitalist to enhance the growth of Spanish and Italian university spin-offs

The establishment of spin-offs to commercialise university knowledge/technology is a potential mechanism to promote economic and innovative development. Nevertheless, University Spin-Offs (USOs) are usually resource-constrained, especially in obtaining funding, limiting their growth. Venture Capital (VC) investors play an important role in the financing and the improvement of their managerial skills, which are critical for firm growth. This paper aims to explore both the effect of VC partners on the USOs’ growth and the cross-national differences in the role played by them. To study both issues, we empirically analysed 516 Spanish and 904 Italian USOs created by 50 Spanish and 57 Italian universities, respectively, and observed them between 2005 and 2013. The results showed different effects in the Spanish and Italian cases. While in Spain the presence of VC partners positively affects the USOs’ growth, in Italy there is not a significant effect. This evidence calls for systematic policies by public administrations and universities to foster USO growth.     

Independent venture capital, corporate venture capital, and the internationalisation intensity of technology-based portfolio firms

Firms that internationalise early in their lives share characteristics with those that receive venture capital. The relationship between receipt of venture capital and the international intensity of 1348 young technology firms is examined, including whether the source of capital, from independent venture capital firms, corporations or private sources, has an impact. The absence of venture capital is shown to be positively associated with increased internationalisation. While previous literature suggests differences in the value added of different sources of venture capital, the results indicate no such differences in their impact on international intensity.     

A longitudinal study on the relationship between financial bootstrapping and new venture growth

While bootstrap finance is widely used in entrepreneurial ventures, both scholars and practitioners have presented conflicting views on the relation between financial bootstrapping and venture growth. This article empirically investigates the association between bootstrap strategies used at startup and subsequent venture growth. For this purpose, we use a longitudinal database comprising data from both questionnaires and financial accounts of 214 new ventures. Findings demonstrate that the association between financial bootstrapping and venture growth is either nonexistent or positive. More specifically, new ventures that use more owner funds, employ more interim personnel, encourage customers to pay more quickly, and apply for more subsidy programs exhibit higher growth over time. We discuss the managerial and policy implications of these results and suggest avenues for future research.     

The role of network density and betweenness centrality in diffusing new venture legitimacy: an epidemiological approach

To survive and grow, new ventures must establish initial legitimacy, and subsequently diffuse this legitimacy through a given population. While the notion of initial legitimacy has received substantial attention in the recent literature, diffusion has not. This work endeavors to outline the legitimacy diffusion process via drawing parallels with the field of epidemiology. Ultimately, to effectively diffuse legitimacy (and grow) a firm must gain positive judgments of appropriateness from members of a given network. Importantly, as with diseases, the characteristics of the network are critical to the diffusion process. A relatively dense network is posited to invoke a normative evaluation process by its members, and can be difficult for new ventures to access, but subsequent diffusion of new venture legitimacy can be rapid. A less dense network, on the other hand, is posited to invoke a pragmatic evaluation process by its members, and is likely easier for new ventures to access initially, but may result in lower levels of new venture legitimacy diffusion in the long run. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

The impact of state legitimacy on entrepreneurial activity

The purpose of this research is to analyze the influence of the state legitimacy on of the different countries’ entrepreneurial activity’s development, the opportunities’ perception and the entrepreneurship’s motivations. This paper is set into the research field which analyze how the institutional environment influence entrepreneurship in different countries. Research framework has been built based on the Institutional Theory. To develop the model we use a set of data extracted from the European Social Survey and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor about 28 European countries and we analyze them through Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling. Results show that state’s legitimacy influences the level of entrepreneurship in the different countries and the perception of the entrepreneurial opportunities and chances. Besides, the research shows that, in the scenario of the most legitimated countries, entrepreneurial activities is related to the need of self-employment. Based on the Institutional Theory, this research provide relevant contributions in the research field about entrepreneurship and countries’ institutions. From a practical point of view, the research shows ideas on how policymakers can improve entrepreneurial activity managing state legitimacy. Furthermore, the results provide new contributions in the research on the influence of the institutional context on the states entrepreneurial activity, providing an analysis and a comparison of the differences between countries, based on institutional theory.

     

道路工程项目网络关键路径中的活动排序问题

文章将道路工程项目网络结构中的关键路径与道路工程项目关键路径上活动的排序有机结合起来,提出了在道路工程项目施工组织管理中,既要关注关键路径,又要重视道路工程项目关键路径上活动排序的观点,为道路工程项目资源的最佳配置和进度的有效控制提供了理论依据。     

The asymmetric effects of uncertainty on inflation and output growth

We study the effects of growth volatility and inflation volatility on average rates of output growth and inflation for post‐war US data. Our results suggest that increased growth uncertainty is associated with significantly lower average growth, while higher inflation uncertainty is significantly negatively correlated with lower output growth and lower average inflation. Both inflation and growth display evidence of significant asymmetric response to positive and negative shocks of equal magnitude. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effects of network groups on minority employee turnover intentions

Companies in the United States are concerned with retaining minority employees to maintain or increase the diversity of their workforce. Here we assess the value of one approach companies have used to retain minority employees: “network” groups. Based on data obtained from a large company with extensive network groups, this study compares the turnover intentions of minority employees who have joined one of the company's network groups to those who have not joined one of the company's network groups. The data show that employee network groups can be useful in helping companies retain managerial‐level minority employees. Extensive recommendations are provided to help organizations maximize the effectiveness of network groups. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The relationship between resources,entrepreneurial orientation and performance in farm-based ventures

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how firm-specific resources and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) of the firm may influence performance in small farm-based ventures. It builds upon theoretical strands from the resource-based and entrepreneurship perspectives. Research within these fields indicates that these relationships might be dependent on the context within which the firm operates. Hypotheses are developed to test the possible effect of entrepreneurial efforts and resources (financial position, farm size, location, network and unique competence) on short- and long-term performance. Data gathered in 2003 and 2006 from farms engaged in innovative ventures were used to test the hypotheses. The results show that financial capacity, unique competence and entrepreneurial efforts influence performance in the investigated firms. This suggests that firms do get paid back in the long run for engaging in entrepreneurial efforts. Thus, entrepreneurial activities and attitudes represent an important factor enabling firms to create, reconsider and apply their resources in more efficient ways.     

The knowledge brokers: venture capitalists,tacit knowledge and regional development

This article reviews the role of knowledge in economic development and the actors through which it is created and transferred. Unpacking the often oversimplified dichotomy between tacit and explicit knowledge, the contribution of firms, communities of practice and regions to the creation of knowledge is considered. While acknowledging the importance of global knowledge flows, it is argued that regional processes of Marshallian interaction and observation retain their relevance even within the decidedly global financial and internet industries. This argument is supported empirically through an analysis of the spatial structure of the knowledge used by venture capitalists during the development of the internet industry. The ability to create and access knowledge proves key for venture capitalists throughout their work, but particularly in (1) selecting promising industries, (2) finding and evaluating firms, and (3) assisting portfolio companies. Cet article étudie le rôle du savoir dans l'expansion économique, ainsi que les acteurs qui permettent de le créer et le transmettre. En démêlant la dichotomie souvent simplifiée à outrance entre savoirs tacite et explicite, il examine l'apport des entreprises, communautés de pratiques et régions dans la création du savoir. Tout en reconnaissant l'importance des flux internationaux de connaissances, il soutient que les processus régionaux d'observation et d'interaction marshallienne restent pertinents même pour les secteurs de l'Internet et de la finance résolument planétaires. Cet argument est étayé empiriquement par l'analyse de la structure spatiale du savoir utilisé par les spéculateurs capitalistes pendant l'essor des activités de l'Internet. L'aptitude à créer du savoir et à y accéder est essentielle pour eux quel que soit leur travail, mais surtout pour repérer les secteurs prometteurs, trouver et évaluer des entreprises, et aider les sociétés de capital‐risque.