Search results

Increasingly, there is scholarly recognition that individuals' faith constitutes a background factor much like other antecedents conditioning entrepreneurial inclination. Yet, there is room to expand knowledge on how faith interrelates with psychological and social determinants of entrepreneurship, especially in under-researched contexts such as Nigeria.

This inquiry conceptualises associations between religiosity and (1) entrepreneurial self-efficacy, (2) entrepreneurial attitudes (3) and subjective norms as predictors of nascent entrepreneurship. For analysis, 1,259 observations of Nigerian students are assessed by structural equation modelling.

The path analysis showed that the religiosity–nascent entrepreneurship nexus is altogether mediated by entrepreneurial self-efficacy, entrepreneurial attitudes and subjective norms. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy is found to have the greatest impact on nascent entrepreneurship, followed by subjective norms and then entrepreneurial attitudes.

Theoretically, this study is one of the first to test all three dimensions of the theory of planned behaviour in the religiosity–nascent entrepreneurship nexus. It draws fresh attention to faith motivation and praxis, role-taking and attribution theory as explainers of the inherent correlations. Practically, the findings summon stakeholders to consider religious activity in the delivery of entrepreneurship programmes.

Although recent literature has examined diverse measures adopted by SMEs to navigate the COVID-19 turbulence, there is a shortage of evidence on how crisis-time strategy creation behaviour and digitalization activities increase (1) sales and (2) cash flow. Thus, predicated on a novel strategy creation perspective, this inquiry aims to investigate the crisis behaviour, sales and cash flow performance of 528 SMEs in Morocco.

Novel links between (1) aggregate wage cuts, (2) variable operating hours, (3) deferred payment to suppliers, (4) deferred payment to tax authorities and (5) sales performance are developed and tested. A further link between sales performance and cash flow is also examined and the analysis is conducted using a non-linear structural equation modelling technique.

While there is a significant association between strategy creation behaviours and sales performance, only variable operating hours have a positive effect. Also, sales performance increases cash flow and this relationship is substantially strengthened by e-commerce digitalization and innovation.

Theoretically, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first inquiries to espouse the strategy creation view to explain SMEs' crisis-time behaviour and digitalization. For practical purposes, to supplement Moroccan SMEs' propensity to seek tax deferrals, it is argued that debt and equity support measures are also needed to boost sales performance and cash flow.

Although the outcomes arising from firms’ interaction with policymakers is a developed theme, family firms’ political credentials and lobbying remain unexplored. To ignite this discourse, the extent to which these factors influence family firms’ tax experience and perception of corruption obstacles is estimated, as well as the impact on sales performance.

Cross-sectional data from Turkish family firms are examined by a structural equation model. The sample is comprised of 588 family firms spanning 12 regions.

The paths revealed that family firms’ political credentials do not inherently yield a positive tax experience. Rather, membership of a business association provides a medium to engage in lobbying activity. In turn, this leads to a more positive tax experience but also a greater exposure to corruption. Likewise, informed lobbying increases sales performance while corruption has the reverse effect.

The significant influences of political credentials and lobbying make a novel contribution to organisational field theory. Practically, the study appeals to family firms seeking to ease their tax experience while increasing sales and bypassing corruption.

This chapter provides an introduction and outlines the rationale for this book. It also specifies the organisation and structure of the chapter contributions while introducing the authors. The chapter concludes by summarising the main points of the ensuing sections and intimates on directions for further research as well as theoretical implications in the international entrepreneurship field.

Scholars have typically examined family business exposure as an aggregate variable. However, it is probable that this trend oversimplifies the complexity of family exposure and its nuanced influence on entrepreneurial behaviour. Thus, to extend the theoretical boundary, this inquiry investigates distinct dimensions of family exposure in Nigeria while drawing on the theory of planned behaviour.

Data were collected from five public universities in Nigeria. A sample of 1,314 respondents was analysed using a partial least squares structural equation modelling approach to determine the influence of alternate family business exposures.

The results show that entrepreneurial exposure in the forms of parent, family member and work involvement have salient and distinctive influences on implementation intention to the extent that entrepreneurial self-efficacy, attitudes and subjective norms are uniquely impacted.

This study offers novel insights on the predictors of entrepreneurial implementation intention through the distinctive effects of (1) family member exposure, (2) parent exposure and (3) work involvement exposure among students in the family firm context.

Recognising the shortage of research investigating the effect of individual characteristics in cross-border entrepreneurship, this study models the dimensions of personal values as predictors of international entrepreneurship. Also, noting the paucity of evidence on the influence of ethnicity and gender in the personal values and international entrepreneurship nexus, the study undertakes a multi-group analysis to clarify the moderating effects of these social antecedents in the context of Mauritius.

Cross-sectional data from Mauritius is examined using a sample of 504 students spread across six universities. The analysis takes a structural equation modelling approach.

The results show that, comparing the distinct personal values dimensions, international entrepreneurship has a positive association with self-enhancement and openness to change. Furthermore, it has a non-significant relationship with self-transcendence and a negative connection with conservation. Also, the multi-group analyses revealed significant differences in the individual correlations across gender and ethnic categories.

Building on emerging empirical interest in the literature, this study presents novel evidence of the link between personal values and international entrepreneurial intention in the context of Mauritius. Additionally, examining the moderating influence of ethnicity and gender in the personal values, international entrepreneurship nexus advances current literature. On a practical level, the study offers insights to universities and other stakeholders tasked with nurturing international entrepreneurial behaviour among students to contemplate personal and social antecedents and, accordingly, adapt their entrepreneurship pedagogy.

While pursuing energy management, firms simultaneously strive to boost sales as a path towards economic performance. Also, the literature suggests that family firms exhibit greater environmental commitment than their non-family counterparts. To examine these contentions, this review espouses contingency theory to interrogate the correlations of (1) energy consumption targets, (2) energy efficiency enhancing measures, (3) energy consumption monitoring and (4) the domestic sales performance of small family firms in Turkey's food sector.

Data were sourced from the World Bank Enterprise Survey. A sample of 137 family firms in food production, processing and retail was analysed using non-linear structural equation modelling. Path coefficients were determined to estimate the extent to which energy management practices predict domestic sales.

The path analysis revealed that although energy consumption targets do not directly increase sales performance, they stimulate firms' energy efficiency enhancement measures and energy consumption monitoring to produce this effect by 21%.

The contingency lens espoused leaves room to capture further antecedents in small family food firms' technical, managerial, ownership, operational and architectural configuration that may also interact with or predict the propensity for energy management.

For practitioners, the inherent findings demonstrate that there are firm-specific material benefits arising from adopting energy management practices. And, although small firms such as family food businesses may have low energy intensities, they can improve their sales performance by setting energy targets, installing energy efficiency enhancing measures and embarking on energy consumption monitoring.

Public stakeholders in Turkey such as the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the General Directorate of Energy Affairs and affiliate institutions can reflect on these findings to develop a coherent national energy management policy for small firms. Such initiatives are especially relevant to Turkey and its ambitions to join the EU which requires member states to set up a national energy efficiency action plan.

This inquiry is one of the first to examine energy management in the food sector at the family firm level through the contingency lens. Theoretically, the results draw attention and shed new light on disparate energy management practices and their discrete yet substantial contribution to sales performance.

The export entry behaviour of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is a complex behaviour that requires specific tools for a holistic investigation. Thus far, there are inconclusive findings in the literature on key predictors of export behaviour, which may be explained by methodological limitations. In this chapter, using a novel fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis for its ability to capture complex causality, the authors study the impact of managerial attributes and collaborative behaviours on SMEs’ export propensity. The analysis is based on a sample of 80 SMEs operating in the emerging country context of Turkey. Participants were selected using a non-probability sampling approach. For export propensity, it is found that no single driver is sufficient to facilitate SMEs’ export entry. Rather, a combination of managerial attributes including export knowledge, international orientation, entrepreneurial orientation and export perception is more likely to lead to export entry. Alternatively, the lack of some of these attributes could be offset by the presence of collaborative activities. Specifically, the shortage of export knowledge, international orientation and entrepreneurial orientation at any rate could be mitigated by collaborative activities. These findings hold important implications for SMEs and export promotion organisations in similar emerging contexts.