Theoretical foundations of Swedish entrepreneurship and small-business research

Our main purpose is to test the proposition that Swedish entrepreneurship and small-business research has established a theoretical platform of its own over the last quarter of a century. In order to cope with that challenge we have to provide answers to some basic questions, for example: (i) What theoretical basic elements can be identified in Swedish entrepreneurship and small-business research? (ii) Can we detect shifts in the theoretical basis over time? (iii) To what extent does the research accumulate to form a unified body of knowledge? References used in doctoral theses within this field of research between 1970 and 1995 constitute the basis for the analysis. The results of the study show that the research field is deeply rooted in the sphere of business administration, primarily in organisation and decision theory, and in a strong qualitative research tradition. The field is still very fragmented — it is difficult to identify any “core literature” and the number of different journals used in the research is large. However, during the last decade some interesting changes have taken place: (i) interest has grown among researchers in the field to seek the roots of the subject, which means that more references are made to the “classical works” in the research field, (ii) the academisation of the field has increased, as manifested in the growing use of scientific journals, as against official publications and “grey research literature”, and (iii) theoretical linkages to other fields of research (apart from business administration) have grown stronger. The results indicate greater specialisation and more attention paid to nuances in the research due to clearer definitions of important concepts and the generation of a vocabulary and models specific to the field. Also, the field is in the process of distancing itself from a purely technical approach to knowledge. However, we will still reject the initial proposition that the research field has developed a robust theoretical platform. The citation analysis provides an emergent pattern in the development of entrepreneurship and small-business research. In the seventies the research was empirically orientated, with a view to describing the phenomenon and making it visible in different contexts. The eighties were characterised by the positioning of entrepreneurship and small-business research within business administration, whereas the nineties have been marked by an attempt to create a separate identity as a distinct academic field of study. This is reflected in a growing interest in the origins of this field of research and a broadening of the research beyond the frame set by business administration. We believe that a favourable platform for a future specialisation of research challenges and integration of lines of thought is thereby created, which in turn will help the research field to mature and to develop its own theories and methodologies.     

Laying the foundations of international careers research

As an editorial to the special issue “new avenues in international careers research” this article discusses the roots of the international careers research stream, which sits at the intersection between career studies, HRM and international management. In order to support future studies in this emerging area of enquiry, we attempt to lay down the foundations of a research agenda based around what we see as the three core areas of interest: contextualised careers research, comparative careers research and careers research in internationally operating organisations. After providing some suggestions for the kinds of theoretical and methodological tools that will be required to build on these foundations, we introduce the five empirical papers that comprise this special issue.     

The micro foundations of the corporate economy

This paper challenges the orthodox microeconomic theory of the firm which is being gradually replaced as the consensus view by managerialist, behaviourist, institutionalist and post-Keynesian schools of thought. From this new microeconomics is emerging a synthesis which is providing the foundations for a theory of the ‘megacorp’. Megacorps have behaviour patterns at odds with those of the atomistic firm. Unless this is understood and an appropriate theory developed, attempts to manage the economy by traditional means are doomed to failure. The paper lays the foundations of such a theory at both the micro and macro levels.     

Microeconomic foundations of corporate strategy

This paper examines several approaches to corporate strategic planning in the context of their relationship to the microeconomic theory of the firm, and discusses the implications of that theory for corporate strategy in general. Specifically, three types of analytical tools are discussed: (1) analytical portfolio models; (2) business simulation models; and (3) optimization models. Examples of how the three types of tools are used in corporate decision-making are given, and certain limitations are cited. The limitations include, for example, the inability of some of the models to deal with interdependencies across business units in production resources or output demand. Finally, the paper examines the approach to strategic planning known as the ‘strategy matrix’, which explicitly allows for interdependices across business units. The use of the strategy matrix by a major petroleum company is discussed in some detail.     

Epistemological foundations of international entrepreneurship

International entrepreneurship emerged in recent years as a promising research stream focusing on how firms explore and exploit opportunities across borders, creating customer value and anticipating competitors’ moves. This study addresses international entrepreneurship literature challenges by analyzing more than seventy studies from the last twenty-four years that deal with the international new venture’s phenomenon. Particularly this study discusses five literature challenges: the increased amount of international entrepreneurship content among different journals; the different types of research conducted in the international entrepreneurship field; international new ventures and high-tech industry; the controversy in the definition and the different labels given to the firms with international presence right from their birth or shortly after; and, the factors that characterize successful firm internationalization. The study findings offer a comprehensive review, synthesis, and organization in the field.     

城市经济学的理论研究重心及其研究范式

城市经济学是以城市综合体的经济运行作为研究对象的一门经济学分支学科。由研究对象本身固有的综合性、开放性和动态性所决定 ,城市经济学自产生以来即成为一种具有典型兼容性的边缘学科研究。由不同的研究角度、不同的研究目的以及所运用的不同的研究工具和研究方法所致 ,学科内部长期以来未能形成较为一致的理论研究逻辑和有效的理论研究工具。作者谨以本文对关系城市经济学理论研究和应用基础的学科研究重心及研究范式这两个基本问题谈几点个人看法。　　一、对城市经济学理论研究重心的重新认定　　由学理而言 ,真实世界发生的现象在学…     

The statistical foundations of a class of parametric tests for heteroscedasticity

In this paper we examine the statistical foundations of the five tests for heteroscedasticity considered by Griffiths and Surekha (1986). We identify the precise specification of the alternative hypothesis as an important determinant of the power of the tests.     

Towards understanding the foundations of Deming's theory of management

W. Edwards Deming's management writings are used to deduce a set of axioms which can be viewed as the most basic assumptions or the foundation of his theory of management. These axioms are used to deduce some of the propositions that are the most important tenets of Deming's management theory. The relationship between Deming's familiar 14 points for management and the axioms and propositions are discussed. Issues that practicing managers need to address when implementing Deming's management philosophy are discussed.     

Preferences,choices, tournaments: Alternative foundations for the evaluation of voting schemes

The standard assumption underlying most of the negative results of the social choice theory is that the individuals have complete and transitive preference relations over the candidates. As an alternative to this assumption we consider the possibility that individuals can be characterized as possessing preference tournaments (i.e. asymmetric and complete relations) over the candidate set. We discuss the implications of the latter assumption to the negative results of social choice theory. Finally some solution concepts applicable in the individual preference tournament framework are outlined.     

Building micro‐foundations for the routines,capabilities, and performance links

Micro‐foundations have become an important emerging theme in strategic management. This paper addresses micro‐foundations in two related ways. First, we argue that the kind of macro (or ‘collectivist') explanation that is presently utilized in the capabilities view in strategic management—which implies a neglect of micro‐foundations—is incomplete. There are no mechanisms that work solely on the macro‐level, directly connecting routines and capabilities to firm‐level outcomes. While routines and capabilities are useful shorthand for complicated patterns of individual action and interaction, ultimately they are best understood at the micro‐level. Second, we provide a formal model that shows precisely why macro‐explanation is incomplete and which exemplifies how explicit micro‐foundations may be built for notions of routines and capabilities and how these impact firm performance. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Projective testing: Historical foundations and uses for human resources management

The use of projective psychological measures has intrigued scientists and the general public for nearly a century. In the following, we provide the historical and conceptual foundations for a variety of projective measures and review empirical research using them in application to areas relevant to human resource management (HRM). From these reviews, we argue that the slowing of projectives research in HRM applications over the past two decades does not appear to be warranted given these findings. Based on this historical account, we note two major barriers to the use of these measures in HRM. The first is the lack of an HRM-centric literature on projectives, as most research has drawn on theories and measures designed in the context of abnormal attributes. Secondly, subgroups of researchers have historically become mired in what we call philosophical deadlock, wherein the evidence provided by one group does not address the concerns of another and vice versa. We humbly provide some suggestions and hint at future directions for projective measurement in HRM.     

On the foundations of stochastic non-price rationing and the adjustment of prices

The paper presents a general model of an economy with price stickiness. The model is structually equivalent to a generalized game. Strategies are vectors of transaction offers and the list of all agents'transaction offers determines agents'strategy sets, by means of quantity signals. An equilibrium in this game is an equilibrium with quantity rationing. If the quantity signals consist of the aggregate values of demands and supplies, then compatible rationing mechanisms must be manipulable and stochastic.The study of price adjustment between successive plays of the game calls for a measure of the size of disequilibrium in an equilibrium. Since under stochastic rationing equilibrium transaction offers differ from actual trades, the ratios of aggregrate demands and supplies provide such a measure. In order that it be reliable in spite of agents' incentives to manipulate, their preference structures must meet a (weak) condition.

---

Sunto Il lavoro presenta un modello generale di un'economia con vischiosità dei prezzi. Il modello è strutturalmente equivalente a un gioco generalizzato. Le strategie sono vettori di offerte di transazione e la lista delle offerte di transazione di tutti gli agenti determina, attraverso segnali di quantità, gli insiemi di strategie degli agenti. Un equilibrio in questo gioco è un equilibrio con razionamento delle quantità. Se i segnali di quantità si identificano nei valori aggregati di domande e offerte, allora i meccanismi compatibilie di razionamento devono essere manipolabili e stocastici.Lo studio dell'aggiustamento di prezzo in successive ripetizioni del gioco richiede una misura del disequilibrio in un equilibrio. Dato che, in caso di equilibrio stocastico con razionamento, le offerte di transazione differiscono dagli scambi effettuati, i raporti tra domande e offerte aggregate fomiscono tale misura. Per renderla affidabile nonostante gli incentivi degli agenti a manipolarla, le loro strutture di preferenze devono soddisfare una (debole) condizione.

---

---

This paper builds upon notes [Weinrich (1984c), (1984d)] written at C.O.R.E., Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, while I was a Research Fellow there. I am grateful to Volker Böhm and the participiants of the micro seminar at VPI & SU for helpful discussions and suggestions.     

债务期限结构的理论研究综述

本文从代理成本、信息不对称、税收三个角度总结了国外关于债务期限结构研究的理论基础,并对我国关于债务期限结构现有的理论研究进行概括,以期为研究我国上市公司债务期限结构提供依据。     

酸碱复合激发硼泥的理论研究

硼泥中的主要成分为菱镁矿(MgCO3),对硼泥有活性激发的作用。文章利用硼泥中的镁元素来制备磷酸镁水泥,为硼泥的综合利用提供了新途径。     

建立一体化管理体系的理论基础

随着经济的发展和社会的进步 ,企业需要通过多个管理体系标准的认证。本文探讨了如何建立可满足各类相关方要求的一体化管理体系 (IMS)的理论基础 ,分别阐述了融入大质量观的系统方法 ,拓展的八项质量管理原则和管理标准化原理。     

"免费经济"的理论模式

免费是网络经济中的一大景观。在分析网络经济本质的基础上,提出了“免费经济”的四种理论模式,即竞争市场模式、新产品模式、网络效应模式和社会共享模式。     

Examination of the roles of foundations on Turkish education system of Cyprus

The foundation, to be recognized as a commodity which is used for the sake of humanity, is to remove from being a special commodity and to carry on and develop as a resource that could be benefited by society eternally for people’s service. After Cyprus was received by Ottoman Empire, some foundations were installed in order that people could meet their religious and social needs. British-Ottoman defense treaty in June 4, 1878 did not mortgage in any way any either Turkish people or assets in Cyprus. Foundation commodities and Land Registry Office were under the sovereignty and supervision of Ottoman Empire. No change was foreseen on immovable properties and especially status of immovable commodities belonging to the Foundations which are under the property of Ottoman Empire through this treaty. The British Colonial Administration changed the provisions of this treaty unilaterally, and developed a series of transactions towards invading the island. It firstly intervened in Foundations, and it settled an English administrator in pious foundation management. In 1914, it changed the island to be Royalty colony, namely; it acquired the island. Thanks to the royal charter enacted in November 30, 1915, the foundations started to manage with commissioners assigned to the management and benefit from the institution in order to control the commodities of the foundation. The foundations were transformed into Government Offices in 1928, and all of the foundation immovables were left to face the threat of intervention. The Turkish Cypriot foundation commodities and foundations management were exposed to continuous interventions, thus administrative and financial power of foundation institution were weakened. As a result of the changes in law that were made by British Colonial Administration, many lands belonging to the foundations and Varosha (Mara?) Region which is the most important tourism center of Famagusta passed into the ownership of Greeks.