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This study aims to understand to what extent family firms engage in and understand the importance of cooperation whilst analysing the underlying barriers that may restrain cooperative engagement.

Considering the purpose of this study, a qualitative exploratory approach is adopted, using a multiple case study methodology, consisting of four cases. Thus, interviews were chosen as the source of data collection, as this allows proximity and involvement with those with power to engage in cooperation.

The results highlight that family business particularities seem to have an aggravating effect on the general barriers to cooperative engagement. Managerial characteristics such as risk aversion, concern about independence and emotional attachment to the business, along with a lack of qualified knowledge, seem to be the most salient obstacles.

Interfirm cooperation has become more vital for organizational success. However, empirical contributions regarding the barriers to engaging in cooperation, especially within a family business context, are limited. This study seeks to present theoretical barriers to engaging in interfirm cooperation and effectively link them within a family business context.

Being structured around the underlying challenges for interfirm cooperation, this paper contributes to advancing this specific research stream and presents practical contributions for managers for more effective implementation.

From the network approach, the purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidence about the role of international cooperative alliances (CAs) in the decision of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to internationalize and remain in the external market.

To fulfill the proposed objective, qualitative research was carried out through analyzing two SMEs (case studies) in the Portuguese textile sector. Data collection was based on structured interviews, direct observation and some documental analysis.

The results show that the analyzed SMEs internationalized immediately after their creation, with this decision not being influenced by CAs but rather by the founder’s role and above all by a saturated domestic market.

Alliances are determinant in subsequent developments in the foreign market, allowing SMEs to reach new markets, increase their market share and consolidate their name in the international market. Thus, managers/entrepreneurs should adopt strategies that stimulate the firm’s expansion in the external market, prioritizing the formation of CAs with international partners.

This study suggests that none of the dominant models can exclusively explain the internationalization process of the studied SMEs. Therefore, this research has implications for the recent stream of literature that argues for a holistic view of internationalization models, considering the arguments of all models instead of only one.

This study aims to present how an inter-organisational cooperation network can contribute to the competitive performance of higher education institutions (HEI) and also to students’ academic performance. The intention is also to examine how knowledge-sharing processes should develop to meet the needs of maintaining cooperation networks.

This study adopts a qualitative approach, using the case study (network) method. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, group interviews and documentary analysis. The convenience sampling technique was used. Data analysis was carried out through a data triangulation process.

The general benefits arising from cooperation networks are encouraging. The HEIs improved not only through creating an environment that supports learning processes and knowledge-sharing efficiently, but also through cooperation between students and lecturers.

The cooperation network experience studied here can be used by other universities or HEIs as an approach/strategy to launch a cooperation initiative in order to increase levels of knowledge, learning, innovation and competitiveness. The results also help university or HEI leaders to understand the importance of academic cooperation networks, letting them form innovative teaching strategies that stimulate academic and competitive performance, as well as economic growth.

The central elements of originality lie in advancing a new vision of cooperation networks, creating a new, innovative framework that considers the dimensions presented from the theoretical and practical point of view. The framework helps to understand what is necessary for network cooperation to develop and create value for HEIs. Combining different perspectives of the cooperation network inevitably represents a significant innovation.

From social network theory, this study aims to understand how trust is built in a coopetition relationship.

A case study of a qualitative nature was carried out using several semi-structured interviews with managers of two Brazilian firms involved in a dyadic coopetition relationship.

Based on the empirical evidence, five categories/themes resulted for understanding trust-building mechanisms: mutual dependence, previous experience and reputation, awareness of the risks of opportunistic behaviour, contractual agreement and dynamic process. The juridical sphere, contractual agreement, was the only one identified in the study where firm representatives presented discordant positions, referring specifically to contractual relations of the terms of the agreement.

The results of this study provide some suggestions for managers. First, before beginning interaction in a coopetition relationship, it is necessary to assess whether the coopetition relation meets the required conditions for interaction to take place. Second, the results suggest that firms should make provision against members of both organizations making the relationship vulnerable to acts of opportunism.

This case study is innovative because it reveals manifestations that could help to enhance knowledge of how organizations build trust in dyadic coopetition relationships.

This study aims to identify the main reasons for forming a cooperation agreement in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and understand the role of reputation in this business process.

To achieve these objectives, a qualitative research approach was adopted, specifically the case study method. The context of analysis studied here was formed of five SMEs (cases) located in an inland region of Portugal. Data-collecting instruments were individual interviews and documentary analysis, and the data treatment technique was content analysis.

From the results obtained, it is concluded that SMEs have different reasons for entering a cooperation agreement and that the criterion of reputation, in the partner selection process, was quite frequently mentioned. In addition, the study found trust to be another important criterion when choosing a partner. This means that besides the resources a partner may possess, the most important aspect is that there should be mutual trust.

This study seeks to help SME managers to characterise and understand the phenomenon of cooperation and show the main criteria to consider when choosing their partner(s).

This study is innovative because it will help to characterise and understand business cooperation in SMEs and contribute to choosing a suitable partner, so that SMEs can achieve good performance, major market expansion and improve relations with their partners, in an increasingly competitive environment.

The change in couples' personal ambitions concerning their careers, how they look after their family and how they deal with the work–family balance has revolutionized their position in the business world, specifically in family businesses. When couples embark on a joint business, the authors have copreneurial couples or copreneurs, the concept having existed for decades. This study provides mapping and a broad, holistic bibliometric analysis of copreneurs.

The study presented here followed the literature review for scientific mapping of the topic under discussion.

The results obtained show that the vast literature on copreneurs refers to other social sciences rather than business and management. Furthermore, final refining of the initial research made indicates that the literature in these areas is still minimal, justifying the need for this study. Also shown is the need to continue to study copreneurs, as fundamental economic actors in the business sector.

One of the study's main contributions lies in building a theoretical framework to explore empirically the success or failure of this business typology. The topics identified in this analysis highlighted copreneurial teams, copreneurial business and copreneurs' success factors.

The review presented here is wide-ranging and holistic, showing there is a shortage of research on the link between family business and copreneurs, whose conceptual difference lies in the construct of business succession since most researchers have studied psychological aspects, these couples' marital relationships and the factors contributing to conflict between work and domestic responsibilities.

From a resource-based perspective, the purpose of this paper is to analyse the key success factors underlying inter-organisational partnerships in the university sport sector.

To attain this objective, the paper uses a qualitative approach, performing an exploratory case study in a Portuguese higher education institution. Four interviews with key informants and documentary analysis served for data collection.

Based on the case evidence, five generic success factors emerged: relationships, partner selection, complementarity, sporting performance and organisation, which are likely to determine the success of partnerships in the field of university sport.

University sport managers and other actors in the field should bear the major success factors in mind when taking strategic decisions. Specifically, relational capital and the complementarity of resources seem to be important in initiating and managing sport partnerships.

This exploratory study contributes to advancing knowledge of inter-organisational partnerships in a particular area: sport in higher education. More precisely, this research outlines which success factors are relevant in sport partnerships and deserve further investigation with other research designs.

Urban sustainability is an inseparable dimension of today's cities; thus, the role played by creativity, and consequently sustainable urban entrepreneurship and the networks it raises, gives rise to the pro-activity of these two constructs toward a tripartition (economic, social and environmental). This study aims to measure sustainable urban entrepreneurship through a composite of existing indicators in the literature of cities.

In this study, the authors followed a quantitative research by applying exploratory factor analysis. The sample contains 308 towns and cities in Portugal, and the data were collected using secondary databases (e.g. INE; PORDATA).

Through quantitative research, this study identified the key indicators that mediate sustainable urban entrepreneurship in cities, as a methodological tool for them to evaluate their sustainable entrepreneurial capacity.

The results obtained here provide information to show that sustainable urban entrepreneurship is an essential construct for cities, allowing a solution to many of their urban problems by its association with creative economy and its influence on the revitalization of urban spaces by urban regeneration, and by the importance of networks in these, the latter being another fundamental construct.

This research makes important contributions to studies considering the sustainability construct in urban entrepreneurship area. It will help to fill part of the gap in existing studies involving the cities’ aspects in entrepreneurship field. Consequently, the main contribution of this study lies in identifying the indicators that contribute to cities' tripartite sustainable balance by assuming sustainable urban entrepreneurship as a crucial premise.

Focused on the intersection between entrepreneurial resilience and different forms of collaboration, this research makes a systematic analysis of the literature resorting to various complementary bibliometric techniques (keyword co-occurrence; bibliographic coupling of documents; bibliographic coupling of authors; co-citation of references).

According to the research protocol defined, a search by topics was made in Web of Science (WoS), with no time restriction, which led to including 97 articles in the sample. Descriptive analysis identified the evolution and tendency of publications and citations, the most productive journals, universities and countries in this topic and the research methodologies followed in the articles of the sample.

The different bibliometric techniques applied led to understanding and systematization of the tendencies and themes concerning the topic, allowing the development of a conceptual framework articulating them and revealing possible lines of research that could contribute to developing the literature.

By showing different facets of the intersection between entrepreneurial resilience and collaboration, this paper highlights the multiple implications of this area at different levels of analysis (individuals, ventures and communities) with the importance of networks of collaboration patent in each. Therefore, this study can help entrepreneurs, business and political decision-makers to make better informed decisions, which can be particularly relevant in scenarios of uncertainty and crisis, such as the present, arising from the global pandemic.

As far as the authors know, the research carried out is the first centred on systematic analysis of entrepreneurial resilience and forms of collaboration. It gives a complete conceptual and theoretical picture of the evolution of research on the topic and accordingly points out possible avenues for future research.

This study aims to investigate whether organizational commitment in small and medium-sized family enterprises (FSMEs) is associated with their employees’ contextual performance.

A quantitative and exploratory research approach was adopted focusing on FSMEs based in an inland region of Portugal. These were considered family firms, being owned exclusively by one or a small number of families. The data-collecting instrument was based on a questionnaire, with the final sample being composed of 101 employees.

The results obtained allow the conclusion that in FSMEs, affective commitment has a positive influence on contextual performance, as employees in this firm segment have an emotional connection in the context in which they are situated.

The authors can point out the fact that the strong association between affective commitment and employees’ contextual performance has a relevant role in FSMEs. Therefore, these firms must be aware of this type of organizational commitment, as affective commitment increasingly influences their employees’ and teams’ performance.

The study contributes to advancing theory regarding the relationship between organizational commitment and contextual performance in small and medium-sized enterprises with a family structure. A new dimension of organizational commitment (Imperative) was considered in the family firm context.