Aldo Salinas, Cristian Ortiz and Moreno Muffatto
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of formal rules such as business regulation and rule of law on the level of formal entrepreneurship in Latin America…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of formal rules such as business regulation and rule of law on the level of formal entrepreneurship in Latin America countries over time.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use the panel regression techniques to examine the influence of business regulation and rule of law on formal entrepreneurship. In particular, they implement together two alternative views of formal entrepreneurship suggested in the literature: the “dual” and “legalistic” view. At the empirical level, the “dual” definition corresponds to the business owners’ rate. As for the “legal” definition, it corresponds to the business registration rate. The evidence presented is based on two panels. The first panel covers the period 2004–2015, and the data set contains 180 observations in 18 countries. The second panel covers the period 2006–2015, and the data set contains 134 observations in 14 countries.
Findings
The impact of institutional variables on formal entrepreneurship depends on the definition employed: “dual” or “legal.” Thus, the results suggest that business owners’ rate is more substantial in Latin American countries that have weak property rights. Conversely, from a legal definition, the business registration rate is more significant in Latin American countries that have most secure property rights and fewer labor regulations. These contradictory results suggest that the legal definition of formal entrepreneurship, but not the dual definition, seems to be associated with the type of entrepreneurial activity that promotes economic growth and development.
Research limitations/implications
The results support the importance of conducting analyzes that take into account the different types of entrepreneurial activities that are present in an economy, and in addition the relevance of understanding what each measure is capturing of the heterogeneous phenomenon of entrepreneurship.
Practical implications
The results suggest that the entrepreneurship policy should focus on the quality of entrepreneurship, rather than merely seeking to increase the number of new businesses. Additionally, the results suggest that the legalistic definition of formal entrepreneurship is probably the most relevant for many policy issues.
Originality/value
The paper analyzes together two alternative views of formal entrepreneurship suggested in the literature: the “dual” and “legalistic” views. Also, the paper has used the Latinobarómetro data set, which has not been extensively used by scholars in the field of entrepreneurship and which could be useful for longitudinal research on entrepreneurial activity in Latin American countries.
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Aldo Salinas and Cristian Ortiz
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the productive structure and the size of the informal economy in Latin American countries.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the productive structure and the size of the informal economy in Latin American countries.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs econometric techniques for panel data covering the period from 2002 to 2017 and considering 17 Latin American countries. The evidence presented is based on the informal economy data generated by Medina and Schneider (2018) who estimate the size of the informal economy using a structural equation model and the share of manufacturing in total employment as a measure of the size of the manufacturing sector. Also, the study addresses the possible endogeneity bias in the relationship studied and makes the conclusions more robust, thus avoiding spurious correlations that weaken the findings.
Findings
The results indicate that most industrialized Latin American countries are associated with a smaller size of the informal economy.
Practical implications
The findings have important policy implications, as they suggest that Latin American economies need to switch the structure of the economy toward more sophisticated productive structures if they want to reduce the size of the informal economy. Thus, more efforts should be deployed to policies to diversify and upgrade economies.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the literature on the informal economy by connecting the country’s productive structure and informality. Specifically, the results show that the productive structure of countries is a plausible explanation for the size of the informal economy.
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Mauricio Castillo-Vergara, Diego Duarte Valdivia, Víctor Muñoz-Cisterna, Alejandro Álvarez-Marín, Cristian Geldes and Rodrigo Esteban Ortiz-Henriquez
This study developed a theoretical model to test the relationship between digital capability and Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and its effect on innovation performance in small and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study developed a theoretical model to test the relationship between digital capability and Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and its effect on innovation performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed theoretical model was evaluated using partial least-squares structural equation modeling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. The data were obtained from a sample of 536 SMEs in Chile.
Findings
The proposed model presented two dimensions of digital capability: management and information and communication technologies (ICTs). Management models composed of enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management systems are essential for optimizing organizational management. Meanwhile, ICTs facilitate the smooth flow of information within an organization, leading to improved efficiency in production processes. I4.0 is encouraged by exposing SMEs to base technologies such as data analytics. These results confirm that I4.0 influences innovation performance.
Practical implications
SME managers should encourage the development of digital capabilities to transition toward I4.0, as this can make SMEs more competitive and innovative in changing and dynamic scenarios.
Social implications
I4.0 adoption and the development of digital capabilities can directly affect employment and national economic growth.
Originality/value
Most studies focus on the organizational factors affecting SMEs’ I4.0 adoption. They do not, however, address the role played by current digital capability in I4.0 technology adoption and its effect on firms’ innovation performance.
Propósito
Este estudio desarrolló un modelo teórico para probar la relación entre la capacidad digital y la Industria 4.0 (I4.0) y su efecto en el desempeño de la innovación en pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYME).
Diseño/método/enfoque
El modelo teórico propuesto se evaluó mediante el uso de modelos de ecuaciones estructurales de mínimos cuadrados parciales y análisis comparativo cualitativo de conjuntos difusos. Los datos se obtuvieron de una muestra de 536 pymes de Chile.
Resultados
El modelo propuesto presenta dos dimensiones de la capacidad digital: la gestión y las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC). Los modelos de gestión compuestos por sistemas de planificación de recursos empresariales y de gestión de relaciones con los clientes son esenciales para optimizar la gestión organizacional. Por su parte, las TIC facilitan el flujo fluido de información dentro de una organización, lo que conduce a una mejora de la eficiencia en los procesos de producción. La I4.0 se fomenta exponiendo a las PYME a tecnologías de base como el análisis de datos. Estos resultados confirman que la I4.0 influye en el rendimiento de la innovación.
Originalidad
La mayoría de los estudios se centran en los factores organizativos que afectan a la adopción de la I4.0 por parte de las pymes, pero no abordan el papel que desempeña la capacidad digital actual en la adopción de la tecnología I4.0 y su efecto en el desempeño innovador de las empresas.
Implicaciones prácticas
Los gestores de las PYMES deben incentivar el desarrollo de capacidades digitales para realizar la transición hacia la I4.0, ya que esto puede hacer que las PYMES sean más competitivas e innovadoras en escenarios cambiantes y dinámicos.
Implicaciones sociales
La adopción de la I4.0 y el desarrollo de capacidades digitales pueden afectar directamente al empleo y al crecimiento económico nacional.
Details
Keywords
- Industry 4.0
- Technology
- Innovation
- Small and medium-sized enterprises
- Enterprise resource planning
- Customer relationship management
- Industria 4.0
- Tecnología
- Innovación
- Pequeñas y medianas empresas
- Sistema de planificación de recursos empresariales (ERP)
- Sistema de gestión de relaciones con los clientes (CRM)
- O300
- O30
- O320
- O330
Mariana Zerón Félix, Claudia Milena Álvarez Giraldo and Cristian Alejandro Rubalcava de León
The objective of this study is to review the main studies of social entrepreneurship (SE) in Latin America, to categorize them into four categories. To accomplish this, a…
Abstract
The objective of this study is to review the main studies of social entrepreneurship (SE) in Latin America, to categorize them into four categories. To accomplish this, a bibliometric literature review is carried out based on data from the Web of Science database, to locate the Latin American collection of studies. In this way, the main studies are described and grouped, following a qualitative scheme that allows to substantiate the main findings of the Latin authors. Consequently, the progress made in the literature of the SE for Latin America is corroborated, by visualizing that the SE turns out to be a forceful fact to manage well-being, but that it is faced with an inconsistent development.
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Mariano González-Delgado, Manuel Ferraz-Lorenzo and Cristian Machado-Trujillo
After World War II, an educational modernization process gained ground worldwide. International organizations such as UNESCO began to play a key role in the creation, development…
Abstract
Purpose
After World War II, an educational modernization process gained ground worldwide. International organizations such as UNESCO began to play a key role in the creation, development and dissemination of a new educational vision in different countries. This article examines the origin and development of this modernization process under the dictatorship of Franco. More specifically, we will show how the adoption of this conception in Spain must be understood from the perspective of the interaction between UNESCO and Franco's regime, and how the policies of the dictatorship converged with the proposals suggested by this international organization. Our principal argument is that the educational policies carried out in Spain throughout the second half of the 20th century can be better understood when inserted into a transnational perspective in education.
Design/methodology/approach
This article uses documents from archives that until now were unpublished or scarcely known. We have also analyzed materials published in the preeminent educational journals of the dictatorship, such as the Revista de Educación, Revista Española de Pedagogía, Bordón and Vida escolar, as well as documents published by the Spanish Ministry of National Education.
Findings
Franco's dictatorship built an educational narrative closely aligned with proposals put forward by UNESCO on educational planning after World War II. The educational policies created by the dictatorship were related to the new ideas that strove to link the educational system with economic and social development.
Originality/value
This article is inspired by a transnational history of education perspective. On the one hand, it traces the origins of educational modernization under Franco's regime, which represented a technocratic vision of education that is best understood as a result of the impact that international organizations had in the second half of the 20th century. On the other hand, it follows the intensifying relationship between the dictatorship and the educational ideas launched by UNESCO. Both aspects are little known and studied in Spain.
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Cristian Morosan and Agnes DeFranco
As social distancing procedures can be facilitated by various hotel technologies, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which consumers develop perceptions of…
Abstract
Purpose
As social distancing procedures can be facilitated by various hotel technologies, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which consumers develop perceptions of value regarding the use of certain hotel technologies for social distancing in hotels.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing from the social exchange theory, this study conceptualized the benefits of using technologies for social distancing, health risks, social rewards and privacy concerns as antecedents of value of using technologies for social distancing in hotels. The structural model was validated by using data from more than 1,000 nationwide US consumers.
Findings
Benefits and consumers’ privacy concerns of using technologies for social distancing in hotels were the strongest predictors of value. Social rewards also had a significant but relatively lower effect on value. Health risks was found to have no influence on value.
Originality/value
The study is the first to examine the role of technologies in mitigating the effects of coronavirus. Thus, it extends the information technology and hospitality literature by examining the role of these technologies in safeguarding individual and public health.
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Sorana Vătavu, Cristian Tudorescu, Oana-Ramona Lobonţ, Nicoleta-Claudia Moldovan and Florin Costea
Purpose/Objective: The shadow economy problem comes from the need for governments to increase their revenues, while citizens expect better social protection schemes such as…
Abstract
Purpose/Objective: The shadow economy problem comes from the need for governments to increase their revenues, while citizens expect better social protection schemes such as universal basic income, increased spending for social security, and better living standards, including a sustainable and green environment. Our study analyses a complex and multifaced relationship between the shadow economy and the environment.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The analysis refers to the shadow economy (% in GDP) and three environmental proxies (Agriculture Methane Emissions, Methane Emissions for the Energy Sector, and Tax on Pollution) for the EU countries over the 2009–2019 period. Firstly, we describe the evolution of the indicators, and then we observe the correlation between the indicators. The last stage considers simple linear regression models, with shadow economy as the independent variable and environmental proxies as dependent variables.
Significance/Implications/Conclusions: Our research found that the evolution of the shadow economy is on a downtrend, considering that the fight against corruption developed after the 2009 financial crisis and especially after the Euro crisis 2014. Countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal, and Spain have the highest shadow economy due to their political electorate’s constant mismanagement and low credibility. On the contrary, countries such as Hungary, Estonia, and Lithuania have a low shadow economy.
Limitations: The reliance on limited data and the models applied.
Future Research: Future studies could expand the analysis by incorporating additional indicators, considering other econometric models, and incorporating more comprehensive and up-to-date data.
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Mario Tani, Ciro Troise, Paola De Bernardi and Tian Han
Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, also known as three-dimensional printing (3DP), is a technological breakthrough that have the potential to disrupt the traditional…
Abstract
Purpose
Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, also known as three-dimensional printing (3DP), is a technological breakthrough that have the potential to disrupt the traditional operations of supply chains. They open the way to a supply chains innovation that can significantly benefit hospitals and health-related organizations in dealing with crises or unexpected events in a faster and more flexible way. In this study the authors identify the boundary of this potential support.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors adopt a case study approach to understand the dynamics behind a well-known best practice to identify the main opportunities and the main pitfalls that AM may pose to health-related organizations wanting to leverage them.
Findings
The case highlights that it is possible to increase hospital flexibility using AM and that by leveraging the Internet it is possible to spread the benefits faster than what it would be normally possible using traditional supply chain processes. At the same time the case highlights that leveraging these technologies needs buy-in from all the relevant stakeholders.
Originality/value
The paper is one of the first, to the best of the authors' knowledge, to highlight the main opportunities and difficulties of implementing 3DP technologies in hospital supply chain management.
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Cristian Camilo Fernández Lopera, José Manuel Mendes and Eduardo Jorge Barata
Climate-related disasters are the most representative in terms of recurrence and impacts. To reduce them, risk transfer is a key strategy for climate risk management. However…
Abstract
Purpose
Climate-related disasters are the most representative in terms of recurrence and impacts. To reduce them, risk transfer is a key strategy for climate risk management. However, this approach does not consider the socioeconomic vulnerability of each population group, limiting its effectiveness. The objective of this paper is to improve and increase the usefulness of risk transfer through the Differential Risk Transfer (DRT) approach.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive and systematic review of the state of the art on Differential Approach (DA) is presented, and its connection with existing models of vulnerability to disasters is analysed. Through epistemic deliberations, an operational definition of Differential Risk Transfer (DRT), as well as its advantages are discussed. Finally, general guidelines are presented for the implementation of the DRT in a specific context.
Findings
The results confirm that DA presents a clear relation with the models for the study of disaster vulnerability. The small group discussions agree with the usefulness of DRT for improving climate-related risk management.
Practical implications
This paper argues for the inclusion of the DRT approach in the climate risk management strategies aiming to fill the disaggregated data gaps that limit the potentiality and accuracy of risk transfer schemes worldwide.
Originality/value
This innovative approach improves the accuracy of the risk transfer mechanisms through the recognition of the differences of ethnicity, gender and life cycle that increase socioeconomic vulnerability to climate-related disasters.
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Camelia Cmeciu, Anca Anton and Eugen Glăvan
Since the COVID-19 pandemic has put the spotlight on national governments as (ir)responsible actors, it is valuable to investigate how national authorities handled this new…
Abstract
Since the COVID-19 pandemic has put the spotlight on national governments as (ir)responsible actors, it is valuable to investigate how national authorities handled this new normality. The dark side of online activism emerged as a challenge for national governments since multiple voices with competing interests were present in the online environment. This chapter assesses how the Romanian government acted as a hijacker of the #Nuvreau/#Idonotwantto hashtag launched by COVID-19 anti-vaccine advocates. Adopting an issue arena approach and employing a network analysis and a framing analysis, this chapter explores the interconnectivity and the topics in the #Nuvreau/#Idonotwantto network. The findings showcase a narrative shift from an online conspiracy-laden citizen-driven movement against COVID-19 vaccination to a government-issued manifesto against the COVID-19 virus through a process of hashtag hijacking performed by a governmental authority. The Romanian national authority was the most important social mediator in this hashtag landscape, constantly emphasizing a recontextualization of the hashtag linked to the COVID-19 virus and its negative consequences. Using rational messaging based on figures and facts, the Romanian governmental authority as the most active pro-vaccination social media poster hijacked the #Nuvreau/Idonotwantto hashtag, mainly employing frame transformation as a strategic alignment process. Opinion leadership in the #Nuvreau/Idonotwantto broadcast network belonged to ROVaccination, the official governmental Facebook page, but timing, fast response, and frame extension are essential elements in the digital arena. Since governmental effective crisis responses are of paramount importance, this chapter concludes with implications of the urgency of issue tracking, of stakeholders mapping, and of an active role dominating the arena.