Search results
1 – 10 of 22Gilberto Santos, Sergio Gomes, Vitor Braga, Alexandra Braga, Vanda Lima, Paulo Teixeira and José Carlos Sá
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the best way to create value in Portugal through quality and innovation and also to check what needs to be improved.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the best way to create value in Portugal through quality and innovation and also to check what needs to be improved.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was applied to population of 152 companies, with the research and development (R&D) management certified by Portuguese Standard NP 4457. The final sample was 66 companies, which correspond to 45 percent of the population. Statistical analysis of the data collected was performed using IBM SPSS Statistical Software.
Findings
The authors highlighted the main reasons/motivations that led companies to implement the NP 4457, which were, among others, competitive advantage and creating value. The systematization of information and the generation and management of ideas were highlighted as the main advantages. The lack of methodologies for innovation management and knowledge management was the difficulty experienced in the implementation of NP 4457. Portugal needs to increase patent registration and it also needs to know how to take advantage of the investment made in R&D, in order to decrease the unit cost of knowledge. Portuguese engineering should be more about product design than production processes. The involvement of top management must be greater.
Originality/value
This investigation contributes to the innovation and quality body of knowledge, since it explores the complementarity between the two concepts as sources of value creation. This case study is one of the first Portuguese empirical research works about value creation through quality and innovation in Portugal. It also allows to know in detail the Portuguese business reality in terms of innovation management.
Details
Keywords
Vitor Braga, Aldina Correia, Alexandra Braga and Sofia Lemos
The success of the family firms cannot be detached from the current paradigm where, within the present economic conditions, economic agents struggle to exploit the existing…
Abstract
Purpose
The success of the family firms cannot be detached from the current paradigm where, within the present economic conditions, economic agents struggle to exploit the existing opportunities and need to take into account the risks associated to the international arena and the innovation processes. The internationalisation and innovation processes may trigger resistance within family business due to their relatively higher difficulty to take risks and to invest in industries outside the scope of their original core business. Innovation and internationalisation processes become relevant strategies for the family firms’ continuity and success. In line with such fact, the aim of this paper is to contribute with insights regarding the processes of innovation and internationalisation within family businesses. In particular, this paper aims to assess the propensity of such firms to apply such strategies, to identify the particular business behaviour and to assess the extent to which the particulars of family firms may constraint or lead to the implementation of innovation policies, and thus its internationalisation.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected through questionnaires within family business aiming to understand the scope and characteristics of internationalisation and innovation processes within these firms. The 154 replies from such data collection were analysed using different multivariate statistic procedures, although this paper is based on factorial and correlation analysis.
Findings
The analysis of the results shows that there is an association between the processes of innovation and internationalisation within family business. In addition, the results also suggest a typology of firms regarding their innovation and internationalisation strategies and motivations.
Research limitations/implications
The results of this paper are, to some extent, limited because they did not allow comparing the findings with data from non-family business. However, the authors’ aim was not to distinguish family firms, but rather to characterise them.
Practical implications
This paper expects to contribute with lessons for the management of family business and to raise awareness of the constraints faced by family business. It is important to highlight that family business performance may be affected by a lower propensity to risk-taking attitudes, by the lack of non-family management and to the necessity of separating the family and the business in the business dimensions that the family limits the business growth.
Originality/value
Although there is a significant amount of the literature devoted to explore family business, innovation and internationalisation studies, very few draw on the relationship between internationalisation and innovation processes within family business. This paper explores such a relationship within a particular business context – the family dynamics that strongly affect management and business development.
Details
Keywords
Mehdi Tajpour, Aidin Salamzadeh, Yashar Salamzadeh and Vitor Braga
The purpose of this paper is to investigate social capital's effect on family business development in selected family media firms.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate social capital's effect on family business development in selected family media firms.
Design/methodology/approach
The statistical population includes 100 individuals who run a family business in this industry. Eighty individuals are selected as the research sample through the stratified random sampling method. The data are collected using a questionnaire. The authors used structural equation modelling method for data analysis.
Findings
The results indicate that social capital affects the development of family businesses in media firms. According to the results obtained from the structural equation test, the effect of the relational dimension of social capital on trust and the effect of the cognitive and structural dimensions of social capital on trust are supported, while the effect of the relational dimension of social capital on commitment as well as the effect of the cognitive dimension of social capital on trust are not supported.
Practical implications
This research could help family firms in media industries improve trust and commitment by paying attention to different aspects of social capital. Besides, it shows that even the impact of relational and cognitive social capital, respectively, on commitment and trust, are not supported; these two could affect trust and commitment, respectively.
Originality/value
The paper is among the first studies that investigate family firms in media industries. Besides, the relationships between relational, cognitive and structural aspects of social capital and trust and commitment are rarely studied in the literature as two determinants of family business development.
Details
Keywords
Telma Mendes, Vítor Braga, Aldina Correia and Carina Silva
Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV) and knowledge-based view (KBV) theories, this study contributes to deepen the knowledge that corporate social responsibility (CSR) exerts…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV) and knowledge-based view (KBV) theories, this study contributes to deepen the knowledge that corporate social responsibility (CSR) exerts on firms' innovation, considering the role played by cooperation. The research also seeks to ascertain the factors that influence the development of business cooperation.
Design/methodology/approach
The database used is the Community Innovation Survey (CIS, 2014) applied in the European Union (EU) during the time period 2012–2014. A sample of 7083 Portuguese firms were analyzed through the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).
Findings
The results suggest that CSR positively relates with firms' innovation, and business cooperation partially mediates this relationship. The outcomes also reveal that investing in certain types of innovation activities increases the firms' willingness to cooperate.
Originality/value
The findings contribute to encourage an open innovation strategy as an easy and effective way to cope with rapid trends and changes, since it demonstrates the complementary between innovation and cooperation, as sources of value creation. From a triple bottom line (TBL) perspective, it also highlights that CSR must include social, economic and environmental initiatives, and should be a part of the firms' innovation strategy. As a result, managers who intend to contribute for society in the long term should plan, monitor and manage all CSR dimensions.
Details
Keywords
Vitor Medeiros, Carla Marques, Anderson Rei Galvão and Vitor Braga
The aim of this study is to explore which factors of entrepreneurship and innovation influence economic development under the quadruple helix model, contrasting Southern and…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to explore which factors of entrepreneurship and innovation influence economic development under the quadruple helix model, contrasting Southern and Northern Europe.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, secondary data are collected from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor databases, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and Global Competitiveness Index, for four countries in the North and four Southern European countries, for the period from 2007 to 2015. Data was analyzed with SPSS 22.0 software and subjected to several multivariate statistical tests.
Findings
The results show a statistically significant difference in the variables of the four quadruple helix model dimensions. This means that Northern European countries (Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden) display better results on innovation and entrepreneurship than Southern European countries (Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal). The results also showed that per capita gross domestic expenditure on R&D is positively related to government and university dimensions, with significant differences between Southern and Northern European countries.
Originality/value
It is hoped that this study will contribute to new evidence on the factors of innovation and entrepreneurship that are decisive for economic development. To the traditional quadruple helix model, control variables were added to meet the endogenous characteristics of the countries.
Details
Keywords
Aidin Salamzadeh, Samira Mortazavi, Morteza Hadizadeh and Vitor Braga
The onset of a crisis demands that businesses respond quickly and effectively. So, it might be helpful to examine the effect of business model innovation and how to increase its…
Abstract
Purpose
The onset of a crisis demands that businesses respond quickly and effectively. So, it might be helpful to examine the effect of business model innovation and how to increase its impact on better crisis management. This study aims to discuss the aforementioned objectives.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study is applied in terms of aim and a quantitative descriptive survey regarding the data collection method. The structural equation model with the partial least squares approach and Smart PLS 3 software was used for the structural analysis of the questionnaire.
Findings
The findings revealed that business model innovation could lead to better crisis management. In addition, the components of entrepreneurial capability, resilience and business performance played a mediating role.
Research limitations/implications
Some factors may mediate the effect of business model innovation on crisis management. Thus, future research can investigate them and identify their impact.
Practical implications
The present study suggests that managers should re-examine business model processes and make them innovative to improve crisis management.
Originality/value
The present study examines the factors that affect crisis management with an emphasis on innovation, assesses the impact of mediating factors in this regard and attempts to provide a model to facilitate better crisis management.
Details
Keywords
Telma Mendes, Vitor Braga and Carina Silva
This article aims to explore how cluster affiliation moderates the relationship between family involvement and speed of internationalization in family firms. The speed of…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to explore how cluster affiliation moderates the relationship between family involvement and speed of internationalization in family firms. The speed of internationalization is examined in terms of earliness and post-internationalization speed.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based on a sample of 639 Portuguese family businesses (FBs) created and internationalized between 2010 and 2018 that was retrieved from the Iberian Balance Analysis System – SABI database. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to assess the measurement and construct the model.
Findings
The results suggest that higher levels of family involvement in ownership and management make family firms enter on international markets in later stages of their development but, after the first international market entry, the firms are able to exhibit a higher post-internationalization speed. When considering the effect of cluster affiliation, the authors found that clustered FBs are more likely to engage in early internationalization and to accelerate the post-internationalization process than non-clustered FBs.
Originality/value
The study's findings are explained by the existence of socially proximate relationships with other cluster members, based on similarity, trust, knowledge exchange and sense of belonging, which push family firms to internationalize and increase their level of international commitment over time. The empirical evidence, therefore, highlights the primary role of industrial clusters in moderating the relationship between family involvement, earliness of internationalization and post-internationalization speed.
Details
Keywords
Joao Campos, Vitor Braga, Aldina Correira, Vanessa Ratten and Carla Marques
Public policies provide a way for governments to influence the effectiveness of business strategies in the international marketplace. The main goal of this article is to show the…
Abstract
Purpose
Public policies provide a way for governments to influence the effectiveness of business strategies in the international marketplace. The main goal of this article is to show the importance of key aspects for policymaking at the national level and, secondly, to try to evaluate if public policies and programmes are effective in the entrepreneurship and internationalization of firms.
Design/methodology/approach
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data set was used to perform a multivariate analysis through multiple linear regression.
Findings
The economic and financial crisis that has plagued the world recently has incentivized entrepreneurs to be more creative and encouraged policymakers to be more effective in the important role they can play in economic growth. Thus, the findings indicate that government support can help firms be more entrepreneurial and increase their level of internationalization in the marketplace. The findings indicate that entrepreneurship is an important growth factor, so it is important to understand government support can be effective in stimulating business activity.
Research limitations/implications
This study focusses on perceptions of government policy based on the GEM database, which means it is limited to subjective assessments rather than objective measures.
Practical implications
The findings of this study will help business managers focus on their country of origin as a way to stress the impact of government policies on reputation in the international marketplace.
Social implications
Governments need to acknowledge how their entrepreneurial policies regarding innovation and internationalization affect business success rate. This means emphasizing the trustworthiness and credibility of their policies.
Originality/value
This article highlights the need for more entrepreneurial policymaking that emphasizes government reputational affects in the success rate of firms in the international marketplace. This provides a way for firms to gain better recognition from country-of-origin effects but also for policymakers to prioritize international strategic efforts. By comparing data from different countries, the article highlights the different ways government policy can be utilized strategically in order to increase entrepreneurship and internationalization rates.
Details
Keywords
Jorgina Pereira, Vitor Braga, Aldina Correia and Aidin Salamzadeh
This study aims to distinguish businesses by their degree of complexity and to analyse the influence of complexity on the performance of firms during the coronavirus disease 2019…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to distinguish businesses by their degree of complexity and to analyse the influence of complexity on the performance of firms during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 468 businesses, and various multivariate statistical techniques were used. Initially a factor analysis was conducted, organising variables into five factors. A discriminant analysis, performed with the five factors, allowed discriminating firms based on whether they internationalise or not. A linear regression was performed in order to estimate the contribution of each factor in the business performance.
Findings
The results suggest the existence of additional variables for measuring the complexity. From the factorial analysis it is possible to conclude that business complexity can be explained by size, indebtedness and profitability, internationalisation, number of employees, and age and leverage. Total assets, indebtedness and age are the variables that contribute the most to business performance. On the other hand, indebtedness, internationalisation, age and leverage are the independent variables that most contribute to explain business performance.
Originality/value
This paper presents advances in two ways. First, it proposes measures of complexity (highly debatable in the literature). It also proposes internationalisation as an explanation of complexity. Second, this paper sheds light on businesses decisions to grow, taking into account how complexity may affect performance.
Details
Keywords
João Campos, Vitor Braga and Aldina Correia
The main concern of policymakers is to avoid the problems resulting from the economic crisis. One way to avoid these problems is to stimulate economic growth, as well as the…
Abstract
Purpose
The main concern of policymakers is to avoid the problems resulting from the economic crisis. One way to avoid these problems is to stimulate economic growth, as well as the economic activity, needed to reduce unemployment and increase well-being. Recent academic literature shows entrepreneurship as a key factor to increase economic growth, so it is important to understand a set of concepts related to this topic and their relevance to the economic growth of these firms. The purpose of this paper is to analyse some concepts about public policies associated with entrepreneurship and the internationalization processes of firms.
Design/methodology/approach
The findings result from a number of multivariate techniques based on the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2012 survey.
Findings
The data allowed calculating a coherence index that shows that respondents tend to associate the different responses, which suggests that there is a reputation effect when experts evaluate public policies.
Research limitations/implications
This paper takes advantages of one of the GEM limitations, i.e. data refer to perceptions, rather than on real data, to explore how different countries see a more or less dispersed perception of public policies effectiveness.
Practical implications
This paper informs policymaking and sheds light into the importance of building on a reputation to make policies more effective.
Originality/value
The coherence index developed in this paper is an original contribution, based on the dispersion of experts' perceptions on the effectiveness of public policies.
Details