Can environmentally oriented CEOs and environmentally friendly suppliers boost the growth of small firms?

The core question addressed in the natural resource‐based view (NRBV) of the firm is how to develop and exploit resources beneficial for both the natural environment and firm performance. Due to the resource constraints and increased competition facing small manufacturing firms, achieving this is a challenge for such companies. Building on the NRBV and resource orchestration literatures, we examine the relationship between green purchasing capabilities (GPCs), CEO's environmental orientation (EO), and firm growth. Results from 304 Swedish small manufacturing firms indicate a significant relationship between GPC and growth, and this relationship is positively moderated by the EO of the CEO.     

Why they moved — Emigration from the Swedish countryside to the United States, 1881–1910

Swedish emigration rates were among the highest in Europe in the late nineteenth century. The majority of the emigrants originated from the countryside. In the article the determinants of emigration from the Swedish countryside to the United States are explored using panel regression methods on a newly constructed dataset consisting of yearly observations for 20 counties over the period 1881–1910. Amidst sharp fluctuations the emigration rate declined over the long term, which is explained by a rise in the standard of living and improved employment opportunities at home. Persistent regional differences in the emigration rate are explained by regional differences in population density and emigration tradition.     

The influence of colour on visual search times in cluttered environments

Fifty subjects participated in a series of visual search tasks where the aim was to explore the influence of colour on visual search times for targets situated in a series of cluttered distractor fields. The results supported previous findings regarding the effect of colour and showed that, even in cluttered environments, certain hues helped in the reduction of search times. The findings also indicated that there were interaction effects between the colour and positioning of the targets in the distractor fields.     

International network extension processes to institutionally different markets: Entry nodes and processes of exporting SMEs

This article is about how SMEs reduce their liability of network outsidership in the process of establishing a network insider position in foreign business networks. By examining how SMEs establish insidership positions in institutionally different business networks, the authors contributes to the network approach to firm internationalization. From a detailed longitudinal and retrospective case study of four SMEs from mature market entering emerging country markets and four SMEs from such immature markets entering mature markets, the authors develop propositions based on intra-group and inter-group analysis. The propositions concern the parties to which the exporter initiates and develops relationships when plugging into the foreign network (the entry node), and how the firm reaches an insider position in this network (the entry process). Three distinct network types are identified along this entry process: the exposure network, the formation network and the sustenance network.     

Application of optimal control in man power planning

Many techniques are met in the literature (see for instance Bartholomew and Forbes (Statistical Techniques for Manpower Planning. wiley, New York 1979); Gunz (Organiz. Stud. 9(4), 529–554, 1988); Becker and Huselid (Human Resour. Manage. 38, 287–301, 1999); Wagner et al. (J. Manage. Med. 14(5/6), 383–405, 2000); Harris and Ogbonna (J. Business Res. 51, 157–166, 2001); Rogg et al. (J. Manage. 27, 431–449, 2001), among others), for planning the manpower resources. However, we haven’t seen in the literature an empirical study regarding the proper application of optimal control, which considered to be the most efficient method for multi-objective programming. With this in mind, we analyse in this paper the way of applying optimal control for manpower planning. For this purpose, and in order to facilitate the presentation, we first adopted a comparatively simple dynamic system (plant), with analytical presentation of stocks and flows. Next we proceed to the formulation of an optimal control problem, aiming to achieve in the most satisfactory way some preassigned targets. These targets mainly refer to a desirable trajectory of the plant stocks over time, in order to fully satisfy the needs for human resources over the planning horizon. Finally we present a method of solution of the formulated control problem which is based on the use of the generalized inverse Lazaridis (Qual. Quan. 120, 297–306, 1986). We believe that it is very important for successful management, that the policy makers have to know the effect of their polices and to determine the optimal path of the state variables (i.e. the ones describing the system) before the realization of the plan, so as to be able to reform their strategies, reallocate the resources and arrange the infrastructure accordingly, if all these are necessary, as it can be depicted from the optimal control solution.     

Determinants of consumers’ aesthetic responses to Point‐of‐Purchase materials

The four‐dimensional nature of the Kaplans’ model of aesthetic response to images was tested on Point‐of‐Purchase (POP) material. It was found that only two robust dimensions emerged in the analysis, Clarity and Mystery. These however, had a significant influence on the subjects’ rating of the POP’s attractiveness. Path analysis suggested each of these dimensions was independent of the other. The implications of the findings are discussed and possible future areas of research identified.     

Correlates of turnover propensity of software professionals in small high tech companies

Abstract
The intent of this study is to shed some empirical light on the turnover propensity of software professionals in small software companies. Different sized firms were included to examine whether organizational size affected the relationships between the time the employees expected to stay in their present company, and a range of personal and organizational characteristics. A sample of 339 employees completed a questionnaire on their experience of and reactions to working in their current firm. None of the usual demographic indicators, e.g. age or tenure, was related to turnover propensity. The more time spent on programming, debugging or implementation, the shorter the time expected to stay. Satisfaction with both job and senior management was strongly related to expecting to stay longer, although satisfaction with project team or immediate boss showed virtually no relationship at all. The effect of organizational size occurred primarily with different company atmosphere qualities and certain work conditions. A warm atmosphere, fun and enjoyment, and friends in the company were important correlates only for the companies with below 50 people. Autonomy was a critical theme in the companies with 150–250 people, and recognition and advancement were important in the large company with approximately 2,000 employees. This suggests that the critical issues managers are confronted with would be different in organizations of different sizes.     

Hedging labor income risk

We use a detailed panel data set of Swedish households to investigate the relation between their labor income risk and financial investment decisions. In particular, we relate changes in wage volatility to changes in the portfolio holdings for households that switched industries between 1999 and 2002. We find that households do adjust their portfolio holdings when switching jobs, which is consistent with the idea that households hedge their human capital risk in the stock market. The results are statistically and economically significant. A household going from an industry with low wage volatility to one with high volatility ceteris paribus decreases its portfolio share of risky assets by up to 35%, or $15,575.     

Commitment to Sustainability in Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises: The Influence of Strategic Orientations and Management Values

Ecosystem degradation and social sustainability have become important issues in the corporate sphere during the last few decades. However, research discussing corporate social responsibility and related concepts has often focused on larger companies, sometimes neglecting the specifics of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between two common strategic orientations, market orientation (MO) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO), in relation to sustainability commitment, sustainability practices and management values in SMEs. Questionnaire responses from 450 Swedish SMEs were analyzed, confirming the influence of MO, EO and sustainability practices on commitment to sustainability, implying that firms committed to sustainability see both market and entrepreneurial advantages of sustainability. The results also show that different parts of MO and EO differ in importance for commitment to sustainability among SMEs. Implications concern the importance for firms and policymakers to work with sustainability issues using both internal and external perspectives. © 2015 The Authors. Business Strategy and the Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd