Determinants of agricultural entrepreneurship: a GEM data based study

The aim of this study is to explain the determinants of entrepreneurship in agriculture industry. What are the drivers of early stage entrepreneurial activity of agri-business entrepreneur and how it is influenced by various cognitive and social capital factors? To answers these questions various driving factors of entrepreneurial activity have been explored from the literature. To achieve the objective, the study uses APS (Adult Population Survey) 2013 data of 69 countries provided by GEM (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor). Total number of respondents 1470, those who are alone or with others, currently trying to start a new business, including any self-employment or selling any goods or services to others in Agriculture Industry, were selected from the data set. To measure the influence of cognitive and social capital factors on early stage entrepreneurial activity logistic regression was employed. The findings show that those who see entrepreneurial opportunities, are confident in their own skills and ability, having personal relationship or social networks with existing entrepreneurs, and have invested in others business as business angels are more likely to become an entrepreneur. Additionally, fear of failure or risk perception does not prevent people to become entrepreneur. Policy implications have been discussed. This is one the first study of its kind and contributes to the existing literature by explaining agricultural entrepreneurship through an integrated approach of entrepreneurial cognition and social networking.

     

The role of mentoring in the learning development of the novice entrepreneur

It has been recognized that learning outcomes can be divided into three general categories: Cognitive, skill-based, and affective learning. Moreover, public organizations offer mentoring-inspired support programs to novice entrepreneurs starting a business. This study explores entrepreneurial learning through mentoring. We have coded 53 learning outcomes acquired by novice entrepreneurs through their mentoring relationship. These learning outcomes were analysed using the three general categories and linked with the mentor’s way of promoting learning. Cognitive learning accounts for 62% of total learning outcomes and affective learning makes up 35.9%, which leaves skill-based learning in a marginal position. In addition, methods used by the mentor to ensure mentee learning affect learning content. Mentees were also asked to describe the benefits of their mentoring relationship through discussion groups. From a cognitive learning standpoint, benefits reported by entrepreneurs include an increase in management knowledge and skills, improved vision for their business venture and identifying new opportunities. Benefits resulting from affective learning include a greater sense of self-efficacy, validation of one’s entrepreneurial self-image and a lowered sense of solitude, all factors that could ultimately influence entrepreneur resilience. These results reveal the scope and limitations of mentoring as means to support learning.     

A cross cultural study of gender-role orientation and entrepreneurial self-efficacy

The study of gender differences in entrepreneurial self-efficacy to date has produced inconclusive results. Cross-cultural studies are virtually non-existent. The present study seeks to understand the complex interplay of biological sex, socialized gender-roles, and culture on entrepreneurial self-efficacy and motivation to become an entrepreneur. Findings indicate that among American business students the traditional view of “entrepreneur as male” is fading. For the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs, a new entrepreneur stereotype is emerging that balances stereotypical feminine and masculine characteristics. These findings were not replicated in Spain where traditional gender-role stereotypes associated with entrepreneurship persist, even among business students. Implications for entrepreneurial education are discussed as they relate to the development of skills associated with venture creation.     

The influence of perceived management skills and perceived gender discrimination in launch decisions by women entrepreneurs

Our study answers the call for a better understanding of female entrepreneurs in Morocco and the role families play in launch decisions. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of perceived management skills and perceived gender discrimination in obtaining funds on women entrepreneurs’ propensity to start their businesses with or without family members. Drawing upon the family embeddedness and institutional economics theoretical frameworks, perceived high management capabilities are found to increase the likelihood that a female entrepreneur will set up her business with family members. However, when the entrepreneur perceives gender discrimination in obtaining funds, this will negatively moderate this relationship and will make it more likely that a woman will start her business alone or with nonrelatives. This research contributes to the literature by advancing knowledge of the socio-cultural factors, embedded in the family-oriented contextual framework, that affect women entrepreneurs’ ways of starting their businesses. Implications affecting the success of women-owned start-up businesses and public policy implications are discussed.     

Management competencies of women business owners

Women owners of small business are known to be better informed about issues relating to starting their own business compared to their male counterparts. Women spend more time conducting market research and have historically spent more time accessing finance because of gender bias within the lending industry. Due to their previous employment history many women have better administrative skills over men which should translate to women having better basic business management knowledge and a higher level of basic business competencies. Research conducted on a sample of 270 business owners found that whereas women rated themselves as more competent than men on a number of issues when they first started their business, they were no more inclined than men to pursue further business skills development or training once they were actively operating their business. Further, both women and men believed that they gained sufficient managerial experience ‘on-the-job’ not to warrant professional assistance in most business competencies.     

The negative influence of the entrepreneur’s level of higher education on the attractiveness of European SMEs as alliance partners in Brazil: the role of practical experience and international entrepreneurial orientation

Notwithstanding the contemporary relevance of alliance strategies for SME internationalisation, especially in the case of uncertain business environments, few studies have investigated human resource issues in the context of SMEs prior to alliance formation. Even more scarce are studies looking at the impact of a manager/entrepreneur’s characteristics on pre-alliance formation, despite recognition of the expected crucial role of the entrepreneur in this context and of the strong connection between an entrepreneur and their SME. Drawing on international entrepreneurship theory and empirical observations from an exploratory study, we propose a post hoc conceptual model. The exploratory empirical part of our study employs a sample of entrepreneurs from biotechnology SMEs in the United Kingdom and Germany intending to ally in a large emerging market (i.e. Brazil). Our empirical observations suggest an anomalous (at first glance) negative association between the entrepreneur’s level of higher education (a construct at the individual level) and the attractiveness of the SME as a partner firm vis-à-vis alliance formation (a construct at the firm level). Our post hoc model emphasises the role of practical experience and the corresponding levels of international entrepreneurial orientation as theorised variables mediating the observed empirical relationship. We develop theoretical propositions, and suggest practical implications and future research directions.     

Business creation by immigrant entrepreneurs in the valencian community. The influence of education

The authors analyse the level of education and the attitude to education of immigrant entrepreneurs in relation to enterprise activity, the reasons for setting up businesses and the creation process. The main objective of this article is to discover the most important characteristics of immigrant entrepreneurs in the Valencian Community. In particular, it attempts to explain the influence of education on the setting up of businesses. To do so, 326 questionnaires have been analysed to undertake a study of the various immigrant communities in the Valencian Community that identify said factors. The hypothesis we put forward in this article is an attempt at relating the attitude to education of immigrant entrepreneurs, and its relation to business activity, the motivation for setting up businesses and the process for said business creation. As the most outstanding result, this article shows that the level of education of an entrepreneur is the factor on which the majority of business activity will depend. There is no factor of this personal dimension that relates to most aspects of motivation and business process. The study focuses on a particular geographical area. Consequently, the study helps to understand business activity by non-national entrepreneurs in a globalized economy and adds value to public policies for fostering business.     

Individual and Environmental Determinants of Entrepreneurship

I argue that to better understand the emergence of entrepreneurial activity in a given country, we need to complement the analysis of the psychological and non-psychological characteristics of the individual entrepreneur that currently dominates entrepreneurship studies with the analysis of environmental characteristics in terms of the availability of resources and competition, as well as the conditions of the institutions that govern economic activity. These three groups of factors enable the entrepreneur not only to identify a business opportunity, but also to exploit it, and create a firm that achieves profitability and generates wealth.     

浅谈家族企业共同治理机制的构建

家族企业共同治理结构是处理家族企业利益相关者之间契约关系的制度安排,其目标是规避经营风险和提高资本运营效率。但是,目前家族企业的治理结构存在着投资主体过于单一、族亲模式无法实现知识共享、个人权威背离科学决策等诸多问题,而实施共同治理面临市场环境压力不够、资本市场发育不良、职业经理阶层没有形成、职业经理人的败德行为和业主权威不容挑战等瓶颈制约,所以构建家族企业共同治理机制迫在眉睫。     

Entrepreneur political skill and new venture performance: Extending the social competence perspective

Research on the social competence perspective holds that since operating high performing new ventures is dependent on entrepreneurs’ ability to influence stakeholder actions, entrepreneur social competence is likely critically important to new venture performance. Using a sample of 163 entrepreneurs throughout the USA, we extend such research by examining the entrepreneur political skill new venture performance relationship. Our results suggest that political skill, which is the component of social competence which specifically assesses an individual's ability to influence other's actions within the business environment, is positively associated with new venture performance. Study results provide additional support for the social competence perspective.     

Young people’s ICT role at home—a descriptive study of young Finnish people’s ICT views in the home context

For young people home is an increasingly important place to use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and to acquire new digital skills mainly by informal learning. In this study we focused on young people’s ICT activity in the home context to examine what kind of theoretical or practical added value as an analysis tool this factor can give for the studies concerning the relationship between young people and information and communication technology. Therefore we constructed a simple ICT role variable to describe young people’s ICT activity at home. In order to find out the expressive power and functionality of the new variable we used empirical data analysing young people’s personal qualities, external factors, ICT usage and ICT competence in the light of the ICT role at home. The research took 2 years (2005–2007) and its empirical data are based on the information given by the Finnish young at the age of about 14 in a geographically limited area. On the basis of the data the personal qualities of young people characterized a young person as an ICT expert at home better than the factors in his/her social and physical environments. The study revealed that the ICT role is a notable factor, when we want to learn more about the relationship between young people and ICT, for example, from the viewpoints of informal learning and diffusion of innovations and use or when we want to create a model of ICT usage or competence.     

Influence of a culture-based entrepreneurship program on student interest in business ownership

This paper reports the results of a study that examined the impact of a culture-based entrepreneurship study abroad program on student interest in business ownership. Ninety-six students were asked to complete a pre-and post-study abroad program questionnaire that asked about their understanding of a variety of program activities and to gauge their interest in starting a business. Little similar research has been reported in the literature. Pre- and post- program mean rankings of the variable are reported. The results indicated that post-program mean ranking of knowledge, understanding, and skill ability variables tend to be higher than pre-program mean rankings. Fifteen of the 22 post-program mean values of the measured variables are significantly different from pre-program mean values. Logit regression analysis indicated that the language and program structure variables were positively associated with interest in starting a business while the Spanish business and entrepreneurial skills were negatively associated with business ownership. The results of this study may be of interest to educators involved in developing entrepreneurship and study abroad courses and programs. The study may be of special interest to those involved in developing integrative entrepreneurship programs.     

Propensity to firm creation: empirical research using structural equations

The identification of the entrepreneurs’ characteristics and the knowledge of the entrepreneurial profile of university students have been assuming a growing importance in the development of educational programs directed towards the entrepreneurship and start-up processes. This study aims to identify the factors that most contribute for the intention to start up a business. The research also tries to identify the profile of a potential entrepreneur student concerning several characteristics: personal attributes, family, demographic variables and motivations. Research findings include the idea that entrepreneurship education is the most relevant factor in what concerns the propensity to business creation. On the other side, personal characteristics have an important role in shaping motivation to start-up a business and perceived hurdles have a negative impact in the intention to start-up. The results may be relevant when developing an adequate educational program directed to the entrepreneurship education and start-up processes.     

Aspiring,nascent and fledgling entrepreneurs: an investigation of the business start-up process

This study focuses on three different milestones in the business gestation process, i.e. becoming an aspiring entrepreneur, a nascent entrepreneur, and a founder of a fledgling new business. Moreover, this study uses a combination of both individual and regional (or environmental) factors in predicting individuals’ success or failure to reach each of these three milestones. Hypotheses are developed to test the effect that human and environmental resources have on the odds of reaching the different milestones in the business start-up process. The study is based on interviews of a representative sample of 9533 Norwegians aged 18 years or older. From this group, 197 respondents qualified as nascent entrepreneurs. These were subsequently interviewed in follow-up interviews conducted in 1996, 1997 and 1999. In addition, regional data at the municipality level is included to measure the available pool of environmental resources. The results indicate that entrepreneurial experience is the single most important factor for predicting the outcome of the business start-up process. Even though environmental resources play a role, human resources are generally found to be better predictors of the outcome of the business start-up process. Several important implications for policy-makers are presented.     

基于互补资产的企业集群技术创新机制研究

互补资产是企业集群技术创新体系的重要组成部分。通过促进集群中企业共享互补资产,可以提高企业技术创新绩效,因为它们中的一部分由集群中的生产力促进中心、企业孵化器、行业协会等中介服务机构提供,而生产力促进中心能够引进外部创新源,提供共性技术和创新信息;企业孵化器提供经营场地、财务与融资的渠道、创业技能训练服务,提供创业家的相关网络、与大学及科研机构密切的关系;行业协会则可以保护知识产权维护创新环境,制定行业标准和开发人力资源等。     

“Management accountants must learn to speak in the language of the business to be better business partners.”

Praxis | Artikel

“Management accountants must learn to speak in the language of the business to be better business partners.”     

The civil rights act of 1991: Death Knell for traditional faculty staffing and pay practices in business schools?

The language in the Civil Rights Act of 1991 relating to “alternative selection practices equally effective in achieving legitimate employment goals” may require business schools to alter their traditional staffing and compensation practices. Because of market conditions, many business schools pay newer faculty members more than faculty members currently on staff. This practice may have an unlawful, discriminatory impact on older faculty. Several nondiscriminatory alternatives that may be equally effective in achieving business schools’ need to employ and compensate competent faculty are examined.     

从叛逆者到博弈者——30年政商关系演变简析

允许博弈是一种历史进步,但是在一个利益主体日益多元化的社会,博弈是要有底线的1978年,十一届三中全会召开,确立改革开放的大政方针。那一年,张宏伟做了城里人鄙夷的黑包工,成为夹缝中求生的叛逆者。15年后的1993年,十四届三中全会通过《中共中央关于建立社会主义市场经济体制若干问题的决定》。是     

基于AHP方法的企业家人力资本选择模型研究

企业家人力资本是企业发展的核心推动力,企业家人力资本类型与企业核心能力的构建具有内在的匹配性。企业家人力资本选择的核心在于根据企业家所拥有的知识资本、社会资本和精神资本等因素,选择出合适的企业家类型。本文采用AHP方法作为甄选企业家人力资本的选择方法,使得选择在定量化分析的基础上具有科学性,充分发挥企业家人力资本的作用。     

创业投资契约机制与机会主义行为

文章从"经济人"的自利性、公平理论和信息不对称等方面分析创业投资活动中道德风险产生的理论原因,并根据投资方和创业方对创业投资契约条款的认知不同,对创业投资契约条款进行分类分析,找出双方的主要分歧,分析创业投资道德风险产生的现实原因。根据道德风险产生的原因,提出建立契约设置的动态调整机制,合理分配投资方和创业方的收益,减少投资方与创业方委托代理关系中的道德风险。这种动态调整机制包括企业价值动态分配机制、信息共享机制、支配权的相机调整机制、双向激励机制和风险分担机制。