Human capital and entrepreneurial success: A meta-analytical review

The study meta-analytically integrates results from three decades of human capital research in entrepreneurship. Based on 70 independent samples (N = 24,733), we found a significant but small relationship between human capital and success (r_c = .098). We examined theoretically derived moderators of this relationship referring to conceptualizations of human capital, to context, and to measurement of success. The relationship was higher for outcomes of human capital investments (knowledge/skills) than for human capital investments (education/experience), for human capital with high task-relatedness compared to low task-relatedness, for young businesses compared to old businesses, and for the dependent variable size compared to growth or profitability. Findings are relevant for practitioners (lenders, policy makers, educators) and for future research. Our findings show that future research should pursue moderator approaches to study the effects of human capital on success. Further, human capital is most important if it is task-related and if it consists of outcomes of human capital investments rather than human capital investments; this suggests that research should overcome a static view of human capital and should rather investigate the processes of learning, knowledge acquisition, and the transfer of knowledge to entrepreneurial tasks.     

中国畜产品如何应对动物福利壁垒

近年来，越来越多国家开始关注畜产品在养殖和加工过程中所受的待遇，并以动物福利为借口限制外国产品出口。本介绍了动物福利内容，分析了我国畜产品的动物福利现状及制约因素，并提出了应对措施。     

The Importance of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Sparkling Wine Characteristics and Behavior of Sparkling Wine Consumers in Croatia

ABSTRACT

Sparkling wines accounted for 7.7% of the total wine consumption in 2011 in the world. Even though sparkling wine remains a long way behind still wine in total volume of production, world consumption of sparkling wine is expected to grow at a faster rate with an 8.5% increase by 2016. Although Croatia is a country with a high residual per capita consumption, the share of sparkling wine consumption compared with total wine consumption amounts only 1.3%. To collect data on Croatian sparkling wine consumers’ behavior and attitudes, we performed online research with 273 consumers. The research confirmed the low frequency of sparkling wine consumption. The most important characteristics of sparkling wines for Croatian consumers are their intrinsic characteristics (taste, smell) together with price:quality ratio, while visual appearance, expert reviews, or wine prizes are less important. Consumption of sparkling wines is generally associated with specific celebrations. Due to such perception of exclusive wine use, there is a need to break down this prejudice by better sparkling wine promotion through wine-tasting events, seminars, and gastronomy offers, especially for younger consumers.     

Behavioral dimensions of channels of distribution: Review and synthesis

This paper reviews and synthesizes the past research in the area of behavioral dimensions of channels of distribution. The authors explore the focal points of works on bargaining, conflict, cooperation, power, performance, member roles, member satisfaction and political economy. Suggestions for future research are supplied.     

Can economic incentive help in reducing food waste: experimental evidence from a university dining hall

We show that a fixed financial incentive reduces the amount of food waste in an all-you-can-eat university-dining hall. Results indicate that the incentive increased the likelihood of students cleaning their plates, but did not affect the amount of food taken. These results raise important questions about implementing well-studied policies in modifying food consumption. An unintended consequence of the monetary incentive might have led students to consume relatively more food, thus encouraging unwanted eating habits.     

North and south: long-run social mobility in England and attitudes toward welfare

In this paper, we examine the long-run social mobility experience in England. We present evidence for surprisingly constant levels of social mobility over the period 1550–1749, despite huge structural changes. Examining regional differences, we show that the North of England exhibited higher rates of social mobility than the South. We link this to the hypothesis that historically high levels of social mobility can lead to a culture of non-acceptance of redistribution and welfare provision. Taking advantage of the fact that welfare provision was determined at the local level at the time, we are able to compare social mobility rates and welfare spending within a single country. Consistent with the hypothesis, we find evidence for historically higher levels of social mobility as well as lower welfare spending and less acceptance of redistribution in the North.     

Seguridad social y rendimiento empresarial. El caso de las pymes vietnamitas

Se investiga cómo la provisión de cobertura social –un factor clave de la formalidad– afecta al rendimiento de las pymes en Viet Nam. Con datos censales de todas las empresas declaradas de 2006 a 2011, los autores encuentran que las que aumentan su cobertura social en un 10 por ciento experimentan un aumento del ingreso por trabajador del 1,4 al 2 por ciento y un incremento del beneficio de hasta el 1,8 por ciento, dependiendo del tiempo de supervivencia. Sin embargo, dado el desfase entre la «inversión» y sus retornos (mejora del rendimiento), medidas como la subvención de las cotizaciones iniciales podrían incentivar la participación en los regímenes obligatorios.     

News Sentiment: A New Yield Curve Factor

The authors show that sentiments from newspaper articles can explain and predict movements in the term structure of U.S. government bonds. This effect is stronger at the short end of the curve, coinciding with greater volatility and investors' need to continually reassess the Fed's reaction function. Facing such uncertainty, market participants rely on news and sentiment as a central element in their decision-making process. Considering this dependence, the authors propose a new yield curve factor—news sentiment—that is distinct from the 3 established yield curve factors (level, slope, and curvature) as well as from fundamental macroeconomic variables.     

Food fight! Immigrant Street Vendors,Gourmet Food Trucks and the Differential Valuation of Creative Producers in Chicago

Immigrant street vendors in Chicago have fought for decades without success to change the restrictive and punitive city ordinance governing their work. The failure of the immigrant street vendors stands in marked contrast to the successful efforts of gourmet food truck entrepreneurs, who within only two years convinced the Chicago City Council to pass an ordinance permitting their work. The differential regulation of street vending reveals how local politicians use the rhetoric of the ‘creative’ city to justify building a city that appeals to young urban professionals, while simultaneously marginalizing the possibilities of working‐class immigrants to shape the city to their desires. This article aims to add to the literature on the politics of the creative class by demonstrating how discourses of creativity and entrepreneurialism get mobilized by competing interests, and how racial‐ethnic attitudes become integral to these discourses. The contrasting experiences of the vendors force us to ask: Why is the creativity of food truck entrepreneurs valued over the creativity of street vendors when, according to Richard Florida, creative class cities are supposed to be tolerant and immigrant‐friendly? Whose ‘creativity’ gets to be part of the ‘creative’ city? I draw on interviews with street vendors and a discourse analysis of media coverage of vending debates.     

Usage, barriers and measurement of social media marketing: An exploratory investigation of small and medium B2B brands

Previous research has established the benefits of branding for business-to-business (B2B) organizations. Various tools can be used to support B2B brands, including the internet and other interactive technologies. Yet research on how organizations use Social Networking Sites (SNS) to achieve brand objectives remains limited. This study addresses the gap by focusing on B2B SMEs and their social networking practices, particularly, usage, perceived barriers, and the measurement of effectiveness of SNS as a marketing tool. Findings from a mail survey show that over a quarter of B2B SMEs in the UK are currently using SNS to achieve brand objectives, the most popular of which is to attract new customers. On the other hand, the most significant barrier is the lack of perceived relevance for particular sectors. Notably, the overwhelming majority of users do not adopt any metrics to assess SNS effectiveness. Almost half of the sample of SMEs that currently use SNS have indicated their intention to increase their marketing spending on this channel, highlighting the growing importance of SNS in a B2B context.