Search results

While supporting entrepreneurship through government intervention has become a global phenomenon, the OECD (2021) has identified that several communities (including women, youth, seniors, unemployed and immigrants) remain under-represented in terms of entrepreneurial activity. Inclusive entrepreneurship policies seek to enhance economic and social inclusion and emphasise the significant contribution that people from within these communities could make to local and regional development if appropriate support was offered. The purpose of this study is to examine how higher education institutions (HEIs) can co-create inclusive entrepreneurial training initiatives with local communities that support economic and social inclusion.

This in-depth qualitative study draws on the experiences of multiple stakeholders to highlight how an HEI can enhance entrepreneurial activity within under-represented and disadvantaged communities through its community engagement initiatives. The research was conducted through a revelatory case study of an Irish HEI that is newly constituted and is developing an inner-city campus with a focus on community benefit. Rich qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and participant observation of an HEI community engagement initiative with disadvantaged communities. Thematic analysis methods were used in the processes of generating codes, categories and themes leading to the findings of this study.

The study identified that broadening the interpretation of entrepreneurial activity to value creation and developing enterprising behaviour has significant relevance for disadvantaged communities. These communities may not have the capacity to start a business yet might benefit from the personal development aspects of entrepreneurial education. Moreover, findings indicate how HEIs are uniquely positioned to develop inclusive entrepreneurial education initiatives to redress social inequalities in their regions.

As an original contribution to knowledge, this paper extends traditional education frameworks to identify individual, collective and system-level considerations in the design and development of inclusive entrepreneurial education initiatives. This study contributes an evidence-based framework to guide HEIs and their regional partners in the future development of inclusive, tailored support through entrepreneurial education.

This study introduces an innovative approach to long-term economic forecasting by integrating anticipatory governance (AG) and causal layered analysis methodologies. Focussing on emerging economies, with Vietnam as a case study, we explore potential economic trajectories to 2050.

The research employs a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative economic projections with qualitative scenario building and analysis.

Our findings reveal four distinct future scenarios, ranging from low growth to transformative change. The preferred scenario, characterized by adaptive change, projects a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of $30,684 by 2050, with significant reductions in agricultural labour and improvements in human development indicators.

This study contributes to theoretical and practical domains by demonstrating the value of integrated foresight methodologies in economic planning. It offers policymakers a comprehensive framework for navigating complex, long-term economic challenges and opportunities. This research underscores the importance of adaptive governance and systemic thinking in achieving sustainable, inclusive economic growth in an increasingly uncertain global environment.

This paper introduces the foresight matrix, a conceptual framework for foresight analysis rooted in critical realism (CR) and complexity theory. It aims to address the need for a comprehensive theoretical perspective that embraces emergence and recognizes the interplay between different layers of reality. Informed by critical theory within futures studies, the study seeks to provide additional foresight theoretical perspectives in addressing contemporary societal challenges and collectively shaping desirable futures.

The proposed reflexive foresight matrix incorporates elements of CR, complexity theory and morphogenesis theory, providing an alternative conceptual framework for analyzing complex social challenges. It integrates the vertical layers – empirical, actual and real – and horizontal dimensions – structure, agency and culture. This matrix guides researchers through a systematic analysis of structural barriers, cultural influences and individual agency, offering a comprehensive tool for understanding the underlying mechanisms driving social change.

The reflexive foresight matrix dissects complex situations into structure, agency and culture dimensions, enabling a thorough understanding of societal dynamics by examining the interplay between these dimensions and their influence on individual and collective behaviors. This conceptual framework guides researchers through a systematic analysis of structural barriers, cultural influences and individual agency, uncovering the mechanisms driving social change. Through reflexive monitoring and temporal action analysis, it explores historical and contextual factors, informing future tendencies.

The reflexive foresight matrix provides a multidimensional lens for understanding social issues, prompting researchers to consider the interplay between structure, agency and culture across different layers of reality. By exploring historical and contextual factors, this framework enables an insight into diverse perspectives and their impact on future outlooks. Furthermore, the matrix facilitates critical inquiry into prevailing power dynamics and narratives, offering insights into societal injustices and inequalities. This critical examination empowers stakeholders to challenge dominant narratives and work toward more equitable and desirable futures.

The proposed reflexive foresight matrix offers a comprehensive approach to analyzing complex social challenges, potentially impacting futures thinking and foresight practices. By integrating CR, complexity theory and morphogenesis theory, the framework fosters a deep understanding of the interplay between various factors influencing future tendencies. This comprehensive view of problems allows analysts to consider structural barriers, cultural influences and agency, thereby enhancing foresight efforts in addressing contemporary challenges.

The proposed reflexive foresight matrix contributes to futures thinking and foresight practices by offering a comprehensive approach to analyzing complex social challenges. By combining CR, complexity theory and morphogenesis theory, the framework fosters an insightful understanding of the interplay between various factors influencing future trajectories. Moreover, the integration of critical perspectives and reflexive methodologies into foresight practices underscores the importance of challenging dominant narratives, fostering inclusive decision-making processes and empowering individuals and communities to shape their futures.

The nexus of transport and tourism is critical to the 2021 Glasgow Declaration which sets out the net zero by 2050 goal for global tourism in the context of the Paris Agreement. Numerous small and medium-sized urban destinations (SMUDs) populated under one million are constrained by a limited capacity to manage visitor flows and increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This paper aims to develop an analytical approach for urban practitioners, based on a case study in Taiwan, to identify the low-emission pathway and strategies for tourism passenger transport.

A GHG emissions assessment and scenario analysis were enabled by historical activity data from official sources and projected scenario data from the International Energy Agency. The scenarios were established based on the avoid-shift-improve framework for low-carbon transport.

To drive tourism passenger transport to a low-emission pathway compatible with the Paris Agreement goal, three low-carbon transport strategies, i.e. “Avoid,” “Shift” and “Improve,” shall be applied all together, with a focus on “improving” the efficiency of heavy-duty vehicles and rail transport. Meanwhile, alternative tourism and integrated transport policy packages could enhance demand-side management of visitors’ mobility, enabling the “avoid” and “shift” strategies.

Unlike most studies that have focused on large cities or small tourist areas, this paper addressed our knowledge gap regarding the low-emission pathway for tourism transport in numerous SMUDs compatible with a 1.5°C world. The proposed analytical approach can help policymakers assess effective strategies toward the targeted pathway.

This paper aims to identify such “entrepreneurial skills” that the scientific community can develop within themselves through training and practice to improve their academic research translation capabilities and performance.

From a qualitative perspective, this study currently presents a few findings from some of the best government-funded laboratories in India and Japan, where they are training their young researchers to be world-class scientists as well as entrepreneurs to help them commercialize their scientific research findings from lab to market for societal benefit.

This paper intends to focus on identifying some of the “best practices” in developing such capabilities that allow “entrepreneurial scientists” to take their science to the society through entrepreneurship. This paper presents two exemplary case studies about institutions that are trying to build innovation and entrepreneurship capabilities in their research groups through continuous training and practice in the fields of biotechnology (India) and autonomous transportation (Japan).

Policymakers and top management teams at academic institutions can learn from the “best practices” on envisioning, evaluation and execution skills for designing their innovation and entrepreneurship skill-building programs for their scientific community.

Disruptions are appearing more frequently and having an ever greater impact on supply chains (SC), affecting the vulnerability and sustainability of organisations. Our study proposes an innovative approach to address contemporary challenges by introducing coopetition as a strategic capability. The aim of this study is to enable companies to adapt and thrive by applying a tool that measures and monitors different logistical scenarios to improve performance and antifragility.

With the aim of jointly planning transport activities of two competing companies, we present a linear programming model that promotes synergies which enhance resource utilisation. To demonstrate the validity of the model, a case study is conducted to measure, monitor and evaluate the results obtained after collaborating on SC activities.

Current tools to support logistics planning are not effective because they hamper information exchange, cost allocation and performance measurements. Our innovative model optimises collaborative networks (CNs) and monitors economic, environmental and social improvements. The case study shows the reduction of logistics costs (13%), carbon footprint (37%) and the improvement of social antifragility when agility and flexibility emerge.

CNs have become an effective means of enhancing resilience, but there are no empirical contributions to demonstrate how to achieve this. We provide a real case with computational experiments that provide empirical evidence of the effectiveness of the model, which measures, optimises and evaluates SC performance in coopetitive environments. This approach is a guide to researchers and practitioners when creating simulations to reduce risks and facilitate decision-making.

Despite the increasing heterogeneity of the organizational workforce – as a consequence of major worldwide socioeconomic trends – a considerable number of studies shows how traditionally underrepresented groups still face significant barriers in entering the labor market. Literature has highlighted several grounds for discrimination: ethnicity, age, gender, religion, social status, sexual orientation, etc., and while some of these are extensively investigated (e.g. ethnicity), other fields are still gaining evidence (e.g. social status).

In the current paper, we aim at providing a review of current experimental studies aimed at detecting discrimination in hiring and the possible interventions to reduce bias. Then, we offer a point of reflection for policymaking, analyzing whether such issue should be addressed at the level of the individual (i-frame) or rather at a more systemic level (s-frame).

The paper provides substantial evidence that discrimination in hiring still exists, despite the never greater pressure for firms’ social sustainability. Further, existing interventions appear to have an overall limited impact in reducing bias. Hence, we suggest that the issue of discrimination in hiring should be tackled at a systemic level, by means of s-frame interventions.

The paper offers a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon by systematizing the existing body of knowledge deriving from empirical research and offering a broad perspective onto policy implications.

Recently, financial inclusion promoters have observed that financial literacy is a vital tool for financial inclusion growth, especially among the poor who are considered financially illiterate. The purpose of this paper is to look at the role of Islamic financial literacy (IFL) and inclusion in improving the performance of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia.

This study uses questionnaire data collected as many as 197 MSMEs. This study was analyzed using structural equation modeling approach to test the hypothesis.

The results show that IFL is an important variable to increase Islamic financial inclusion. The results also show that both have a significant influence in developing the MSME sector business.

This research is not without limitations. This study only adopted a sample in one Province in Indonesia with focus on creative economy sector and some others sectors located in the province of Riau, therefore ignoring suburban and urban areas in Indonesia. Therefore, future studies using a cross-sectional research design are feasible. In addition, this study only uses quantitative data, so that qualitative research with key informant interviews can be considered for further research.

The findings of this study enlighten policymakers, managers of financial institutions and advocates of financial literacy and inclusion about the importance of improving the performance of MSMEs. As a policy recommendation, this study suggests that Islamic policy makers and financial institutions should play a proactive role in increasing service outreach and providing the regulatory environment needed for MSMEs given the important role MSMEs play in the Indonesian economy.

This study combines functional components (behaviors and attitudes) and nonfunctional measures (knowledge and skills) of financial literacy and financial inclusion in explaining the performance of MSMEs. Thus, this research is an initial effort to explain financial literacy and inclusion on the performance of MSMEs.

The purpose of this study is to understand the role and impact of gender on reading habits. It is an attempt to explore the probable reason why or why not gender differences take place concerning reading time, reading purpose, reading resources and digital devices among undergraduate students in the digital environment.

For this study, the researcher used a survey-based approach. To accomplish the study’s goals, a meticulously designed questionnaire has been disseminated among undergraduate students in selected colleges located in the western district of Tripura, a northeastern state in India.

The study found that female respondents have a slightly higher level of liking for reading than males. For both genders, the major purpose of reading is to enhance their knowledge unvaryingly. Furthermore, it has been observed that female respondents read electronic and print reading material more frequently compared to their male counterparts. Female respondents read fiction more frequently than males in print form. Both genders have more ease in reading print resources than digital resources. Among all digital devices, respondents are most competent at using mobile devices and prefer them for digital reading.

As part of the pilot study, investigators surveyed a limited sample population, where the participation of students was further lower because of the unavailability of students.

The gender-based level of competency with digital devices is studied as a variable among the adult population to measure its correlation with reading habits.

The study aims to identify the factors that influence young consumers’ compulsive buying, particularly Gen Z consumers who exhibit fandom qualities such as sharing the same interests and being willing to collaborate with others. This study investigates the direct and indirect impact of brand love and brand addiction on the relationship between social media addiction and compulsive buying.

The study collected data from 338 Gen Z fandoms. The snowball sampling approach is used to determine and collect data from the sample. To test for hypotheses, the study used the PROCESS macro with bootstrapping techniques to explore the direct and indirect relationships, as well as the moderated serial mediation model in this study.

The study found that social media addiction influences compulsive buying via the hierarchical linkages between brand love and brand addiction. Trash talking functions as a stimulant, amplifying the effect of brand addiction on compulsive buying.

The data were collected from young Thai consumers; thus, the generalizability aspect of the research is limited and needs to be tested in different countries and cultures.

This research provides several key contributions to the understanding of compulsive buying behavior among Gen Z, particularly within the context of a developing country. By integrating the stimulus-organism-response framework and psychological theories, this study offers a nuanced understanding of how social media addiction influences emotional and behavioral outcomes. Previous studies have primarily focused on these variables in isolation. The study fills this gap by demonstrating the sequential pathway through which social media addiction translates into compulsive buying behavior via brand love and brand addiction.