Search results

The purpose of this paper is to answer a well-known but always-current question: what is the focus of entrepreneurship research? Usually, scholars address their attention toward the boundaries of entrepreneurship, and question the possible overlaps with innovation, on the one hand, and management, on the other. Despite their relevance, achieved results are still uncertain and opaque. To overcome these limits, the present paper adopts a different approach and, instead of delimiting the boundaries, looks for the heart of entrepreneurship research – H.E.R.

This paper reviews entrepreneurship literature not as a whole, but according to four main strands of research, respectively dealing with the telos (the Greek word standing for the aims), psychological traits, the context and the network. The results are read and interpreted to intertwine them and look for H.E.R.

This paper achieves two main results. First, it is clarified that H.E.R. consists of the adoption of dynamic capabilities by entrepreneurs and their networks in an attempt to foresee the future; the effort to work on entrepreneurial opportunities to make them mature for stakeholders and the market, thus reducing the likeability bias; and the reference to a context characterized by unknown unknowns. Second, by looking for H.E.R., it is possible to clearly distinguish entrepreneurship from other fields of research.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is among the first that look for H.E.R., the heart – and not the boundaries – of entrepreneurship research. Originality consists of adopting an unusual perspective to advance entrepreneurship studies and contribute to the international debate about their focus.

Sports bras can effectively reduce breast displacement, alleviate breast pain and protect the breast. Different bra components have different effects on breast support. This study aims to explore the quantitative relationship between bra components and vibration reduction function.

To understand the effects of different bra component parameters on breast support, 30 sports bras were fabricated with precise component parameters. The dynamic vertical breast displacement when wearing each sports bra was monitored using motion capture technology. The breast displacement data from five breast positions was used to analyze the overall vertical displacement of the breast. To address variability due to differences in human anatomy, the experiments were conducted on a custom-made manikin prepared using three-dimensional printing.

Compared with bare breasts, breasts supported by bras made with high-elastic-modulus cup materials, high-elastic-modulus shoulder strap materials and polyester underbands exhibited reduced vertical displacement during physical activity. Structurally, bras with higher cup heights, shorter strap lengths and smaller underband circumferences were associated with reduced overall breast displacement during physical activity.

By systematically studying the effects of different bra components on breast support, this study provides valuable insight and recommendations for the design and materials selection of sports bras.

We propose a method for calibrating high-dimensional parameters in the Hull–White one-factor model using market prices of swaptions, aimed at generating mark-to-market interest rate scenarios in the Korean insurance industry. Our approach integrates a trust region-based Bayesian optimization technique with a parameter space decomposition method to solve the calibration problem. Empirical studies demonstrate that our method achieves superior stability and effectiveness in calibrating high-dimensional parameters compared to conventional Bayesian optimization approaches.

Warehouses are under pressure to operate as efficiently as possible. In pursuit of attaining high efficiency in the order picking process, the warehouse manager must take several planning decisions, typically supported by a central planning system. However, highly centralised work erodes the autonomy of warehouse workers, interfering with worker well-being and productivity. This study holistically explores the impact of a work system with more decision autonomy for order pickers.

We conduct a unique field experiment in a real-world warehouse and use a within-subjects design to compare two work systems, one with worker autonomy and one without. 18 permanent employees participate in our study, in which we measure both psychosocial and physical well-being as well as productivity. Post-experimental interviews are conducted to delve deeper into the observed effects.

Our study illustrates that involving order pickers in operational decisions can benefit their job satisfaction and motivation without compromising productivity. Although we fail to find significance at the conventional level (α = 0.05), we do find marginally significant effects of our treatment on physical well-being aspects. Furthermore, our intervention invoked a highly positive user experience.

We show that slightly loosening tight process control results in organisational and individual benefits without endangering smooth operational flows. The warehouse in this paper acknowledged this and decided to permanently work according to this philosophy.

This study is the first to holistically explore the effects of a participatory work setting in a real-world warehouse.

This study aims to investigate factors affecting consumers’ perceptions of brand allyship activities given the presence or absence of corresponding community investment. Using the black American community as a contextual group receiving support, this research probes factors that make brand allyship seem sincere and how brand allyship affects consumer self-esteem. It further examines how perceived sincerity and derived self-esteem affect consumers’ perceived self-brand connections and reported brand attitudes.

Collecting data with experimental surveys, hypothesized effects are tested in a main study (n = 1,184) using a general linear model and moderated mediation analyses.

Perceived sincerity is shown to interact with consumers’ self-esteem to induce an approach/avoidance reaction to a brand, where high self-esteem consumers are more apt to accept sincere brand allyship activities and reject insincere campaigns.

As sincerity is critical to brand allyship success, this research outlines instances where managers need to contextually manipulate sincerity perceptions by outlaying community investment to coincide with the campaign. Specific contexts revolve around racial diversity in the management group and the race of consumers/perceivers.

Racial and ethnic minorities have long been underrepresented in the superhero genre. Empirical examination of the effects of this underrepresentation, however, has been limited. The purpose of this research was to identify if “being White” is a component of the superhero prototype.

Across three different studies, participants recruited through CloudResearch’s Connect platform and Amazon’s Mechanical Turk viewed different versions of comic panel compilations and responded to questions about their perceptions of characters shown in the panels.

When using measurements similar to those typically used to test for prototypicality, we found no evidence that “being White” is a component of the superhero prototype. However, when using less conspicuous questions, we found that participants exposed to a not-White character were more likely to recall the character’s race and correctly identify the purpose of the research, providing some indication that “being White” is a component of the superhero prototype. Our findings suggest that when studying race, researchers may need to transition from traditional experimental designs to less conspicuous methods.

In a time where research on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has been confounded by social desirability bias, our findings demonstrate how researchers can use less conspicuous methods within traditional survey methodology to examine DEI questions.

During the last decade, several areas in the biomedical and social sciences experienced a reproducibility crisis, where mounting empirical evidence indicated that many published findings could not be successfully replicated. This crisis resulted in considerable introspection within the field of statistics because the null hypothesis statistical testing (NHST) paradigm is acknowledged as one of its root causes based on widespread agreement that it is deeply flawed. However, unlike in many other areas, there has yet to be a concerted effort within the discipline of accounting to acknowledge these developments, let alone steps taken to improve practice. This essay aims to spark discussion and debate on the validity of the NHST paradigm by presenting a comprehensive case, incorporating the latest arguments and findings, that demonstrates why the paradigm needs to be abandoned, especially in fields where statistical model misspecification looms large and statistical power is low, such as in management accounting. In so doing, the analysis exposes why obtaining robust knowledge in management accounting has proved elusive. Additionally, it offers a new perspective on the reproducibility crisis and critical insights for improving statistical practice.

Professional associations in the hospitality, tourism and events (HTE) industry are struggling to keep their members committed and engaged, especially in uncertain times of external crises. This study examines whether pre-crisis perceived benefits from membership lead to increased post-crisis organizational commitment and organizational citizenship, considering the moderating role of organizational social responsibility (OSR) and the mediating effect of perceived indebtedness.

Two sequential studies were conducted. Study 1 was designed to test the effects of perceived benefits on organizational commitment and citizenship and the moderating effects of OSR. Study 1 used a survey of event association members for a more homogeneous sample, thereby increasing the internal validity of the initial findings. Subsequently, Study 2 tested the conceptual model with the addition of a mediator – perceived indebtedness – using the second survey with a larger sample from broader hospitality and tourism associations, thereby increasing the external validity of the findings. Data from both studies were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Study 1 found that perceived benefits (knowledge, networking and self-esteem) enhanced organizational commitment. When moderated by OSR, networking benefits increased organizational citizenship, a more proactive form of reciprocal dedication. Study 2 confirmed perceived indebtedness as a significant mediator.

This paper is among the first to frame organizational commitment and citizenship as reciprocal dedication and to conceptually propose and empirically confirm indebtedness as an explicit mediator, providing robust evidence for the theory of indebtedness. The findings also offer practical implications, suggesting strategic directions for professional associations to effectively communicate their OSR initiatives to members, provide enhanced networking opportunities and cultivate perceived indebtedness.