Marina Solesvik, Tatiana Iakovleva and Anna Trifilova
This paper focuses on the motivation of females to start businesses in developed and emerging economies. Although the issues related to the motivation of entrepreneurs have been…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper focuses on the motivation of females to start businesses in developed and emerging economies. Although the issues related to the motivation of entrepreneurs have been widely studied, there are a few studies focusing on the differences in women’s entrepreneurial motivation in countries with different levels of market economy development. Furthermore, existing studies on female founders mainly adapt the concepts that have often been developed in male-dominated paradigm. The purpose of this paper is to explore in depth motivations of female entrepreneurs in different contexts and discover the dissimilarities in women’s entrepreneurial motivations in countries with different levels of economic development.
Design/methodology/approach
The qualitative research approach is applied in this study to explore the social-driven and profit-driven motives of female entrepreneurs. The authors have employed purposeful sampling to select cases. The authors investigated the motivations of 45 female entrepreneurs in Norway (12), Russia (21) and Ukraine (12). Semi-structured interviews were used to collect primary data. The authors have also triangulated the data collected from interviews with the data available on the internet, company reports and newspaper publications.
Findings
The findings indicate that women often pursuit business opportunities to satisfy social needs, rather than focusing on traditional business outcomes such as growth or profit. However, different contexts – the emerging economies context of Russia and Ukraine and the developed one of Norway – seem to influence the motivation to establish new ventures differently. The study found a stronger desire to contribute to a society’s needs among female founders in Norway compared to their counterparts in Russia and Ukraine. This indicates that cultural and social context in developed countries, such as in Norway, probably provides more possibilities for female entrepreneurs for self-realisation elsewhere leaving more room for focusing on societal issues in business in comparison with emerging countries contexts.
Originality/value
A novel conceptual contribution is the exploration of links between the social-driven and profit-driven motives of female entrepreneurs in emerging and developed economises. The study also adds to debates relating to context embeddedness of smaller firms.
Marina Z. Solesvik, Paul Westhead, Harry Matlay and Vladimir N. Parsyak
Universities provide entrepreneurship-specific education (ESE) to equip students with the entrepreneurial alertness and risk-taking assets required to pursue entrepreneurial…
Abstract
Purpose
Universities provide entrepreneurship-specific education (ESE) to equip students with the entrepreneurial alertness and risk-taking assets required to pursue entrepreneurial careers. Building upon insights from a dynamic view of human capital, the paper explores the linkage between ESE investment, alertness, and risk-taking asset accumulation, and the outcome relating to the intention “to become an entrepreneur” (henceforth termed an “entrepreneurial mindset”).
Design/methodology/approach
Survey information from 189 students from three universities in the Ukraine was hand collected. Hierarchical multiple ordinary least squares regression analysis and slope analysis were used to test presented hypotheses.
Findings
ESE students reported higher intensity of entrepreneurial mindset. Further, ESE students who accumulated the connection entrepreneurial alertness asset reported higher intensity of entrepreneurial mindset. ESE students were more oriented to higher entrepreneurial mindset when they had accumulated more connection entrepreneurial alertness asset. ESE students who accumulated the risk-taking propensity asset reported lower intensity of entrepreneurial mindset. ESE students were more oriented to higher entrepreneurial mindset when they perceived less risk.
Originality/value
The paper makes a novel contribution by considering whether ESE promotes different elements of entrepreneurial alertness and risk-taking assets. Building upon insights from a broader conceptualization of the entrepreneurial alertness asset (Tang et al., 2012), the paper conceptualized for the first time the linkage between three elements of entrepreneurial alertness and student entrepreneurial mindset. Further, the paper conceptualized linkage between two elements of risk-taking relating to risk-taking perception asset and risk-taking propensity asset, and higher intensity of entrepreneurial mindset. Assets relating to entrepreneurial alertness and risk-taking perception need to be honed in transition economy contexts associated with political structures that did not promote individual risk-taking.
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Keywords
The purpose of this study is to explore the difference in entrepreneurial intentions, perceived entrepreneurial motivation, and cognitive profiles (attitudes towards…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the difference in entrepreneurial intentions, perceived entrepreneurial motivation, and cognitive profiles (attitudes towards entrepreneurship, perceived behaviour control, and subjective norms) between individuals who have participated in enterprise education programmes in the universities and those who have not. The paper also investigates the mediating role of attitudes towards entrepreneurship, perceived behaviour control, and subjective norms related to entrepreneurial motivation and the forming of entrepreneurial intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey information from 321 students from three universities in the Ukraine was hand collected. Hierarchical multiple regressions were used to test hypotheses.
Findings
Individuals who participate in enterprise programmes tend to have higher entrepreneurial motivation and are more likely to become entrepreneurs. Empirical evidence shows that attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behaviour control mediate the relationship between perceived entrepreneurial motivation and entrepreneurial intentions.
Research limitations/implications
The study is based on data collected from three universities in one city. The implications for education managers related to the inclusion of enterprise courses into the study plans of engineering students are also discussed here.
Practical implications
The findings have implications for the stimulation of student enterprise in transitional economies where attitudinal and resource (i.e. skill, competence and knowledge) deficiencies can retard enterprise. Entrepreneurial motivation is an important link between an intention and action. Enterprise education programs which stimulate entrepreneurial motivation should be offered to engineering students since many of them start ventures later. Engagement into enterprise development programs of engineering students might evoke earlier interest in self‐employment career path among young people.
Originality/value
The article contributes to the field of entrepreneurial motivation and intentions. The study extends insights from the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) (i.e. subjective norms, attitudes toward this behaviour, and perceived behavioural control) by also considering the perceived entrepreneurial motivation profiles of students.
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Marina Solesvik, Paul Westhead and Harry Matlay
Universities provide entrepreneurship-specific education (ESE) to equip students with the skills required to pursue entrepreneurial careers in new firms and innovative private and…
Abstract
Purpose
Universities provide entrepreneurship-specific education (ESE) to equip students with the skills required to pursue entrepreneurial careers in new firms and innovative private and public sector organizations. Building upon insights from entrepreneurial event theory, cultural values theory and human capital theory, the purpose of this paper is to explore the linkage between perceived local cultural environment, ESE investment and the intensity of entrepreneurial intention with regard to becoming an entrepreneur.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey information from 321 students from three universities in the Ukraine was hand collected. Hierarchical multiple ordinary least squares regression analysis and slope analysis were used to test presented hypotheses.
Findings
Analysis revealed that students who cited a perceived desirability and perceived feasibility for entrepreneurship, initiative taking culture and participation in ESE reported significantly higher intensity of entrepreneurial intention. Conversely, students who cited the capability beliefs culture factor reported significantly lower intensity of intention. ESE interactions with perceived cultural factors as well as perceived desirability and perceived feasibility for entrepreneurship were not significantly associated with higher intensity of entrepreneurial intention.
Research limitations/implications
This study was limited to three universities in the Ukraine and university students who followed business or engineering courses. The generalizability of the findings might be limited to this context. Additional quantitative and qualitative research is warranted to explore the external validity of presented findings with regard to other countries, universities and courses.
Practical implications
Practitioners in transition economies are seeking to increase the rate of new firms formation in order to encourage economic development and to reduce social and regional inequality, but they also want existing organizations to grow utilizing the skills and capabilities of talented graduates with transferable skills. This study has confirmed that it is unrealistic to assume that ESE alone can alleviate cultural barriers to an entrepreneurial intention. The authors detected that participation in ESE was associated with higher entrepreneurial intention, but failed to highlight the specific entrepreneurial skills and capabilities associated with a higher entrepreneurial intention.
Originality/value
The authors extend the conceptual base by exploring novel hypotheses relating to the assumed direct role ESE plays in promoting a higher intensity of entrepreneurial intention in a transition context. Notably, the authors propose that ESE will moderate the relationships between the cultural factors perceived by students and their reported intensity of entrepreneurial intention. The authors suggest that ESE can raise awareness of positive cultural values that stimulate an entrepreneurial intention. In addition, the authors suggest that ESE can foster the accumulation and mobilization of skills, capabilities and knowledge required to circumvent attitudinal and resource barriers to enterprise.
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Marina Z. Solesvik, Paul Westhead, Lars Kolvereid and Harry Matlay
This paper aims to explore whether an integrated conceptual model (ICM) relating to factors drawn from entrepreneurial event theory (EET) (i.e. perceived desirability and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore whether an integrated conceptual model (ICM) relating to factors drawn from entrepreneurial event theory (EET) (i.e. perceived desirability and perceived feasibility) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) (i.e. attitudes toward the behaviour, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control) explains more of the variance relating to the intention to become an entrepreneur than individual EET or TPB models.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey information from 192 students from three universities in the Ukraine was hand collected. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses presented.
Findings
Models relating to EET, the TPB and the ICM explained 40 per cent, 55 per cent and 60 per cent of the variance in the entrepreneurial intention dependent variable, respectively. Students reporting higher levels of perceived desirability, perceived feasibility, attitude toward the behaviour (i.e. enterprise) and perceived behavioural control were more likely to report the formation of entrepreneurial intentions. No significant negative interaction effect between perceived desirability and perceived feasibility was detected.
Research limitations/implications
The study does not evaluate the benefits of enterprise modules. The results can be generalised to the Ukraine and comparable transition economy contexts.
Practical implications
The formation of entrepreneurial intentions in more students could be increased if enterprise teaching seeks to nurture higher levels of attitude toward the behaviour (i.e. enterprise), and higher levels of perceived behavioural control.
Originality/value
Structural equation modelling was used to test the predictive accuracy of EET, TPB and ICM perspectives. Direct and indirect effects between factors and the intention to become an entrepreneur were considered.
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Tatiana Iakovleva, Marina Solesvik and Anna Trifilova
This paper studies female entrepreneurship in two post‐Soviet countries – Russia and Ukraine. Employing institutional theory, the research aims to investigate the entrepreneurial…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper studies female entrepreneurship in two post‐Soviet countries – Russia and Ukraine. Employing institutional theory, the research aims to investigate the entrepreneurial environment, particularly government support programmes and the availability of financial resources, with a focus on women entrepreneurs.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is a qualitative investigation that comprises 60 interviews with Russian and Ukrainian entrepreneurs, bank officers and representatives of government organisations supporting the development of entrepreneurship.
Findings
The investigation provides evidence that these countries have overcome the transition from a command to a market economy and local people are gradually adjusting to the new environment. Concentrating on macro/meso and money elements from the 5M model suggested by Brush et al., the authors suggest an additional construct – “motherland” – to embed a context in a new model.
Research limitations/implications
Only two factors of Brush et al.'s 5M model were considered – i.e. macro/meso environment and money (availability of financial resources). Discussion of management, marketing and motherhood is beyond the scope of the present paper.
Practical implications
The study reveals a broad range of managerial information and empirical data on the development of female entrepreneurship in contemporary Russia and Ukraine. The findings are helpful for policymakers engaged with these two countries.
Originality/value
The study is an attempt to capture the context dependency of research on female entrepreneurs, and suggests a new dimension for inclusion in Brush et al.’s 5M model – “motherland”.
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Marina Z. Solesvik and Sylvia Encheva
The purpose of this paper is to apply a mathematical method of formal concept analysis (FCA) to facilitate evaluation of potential partners, and to select the most appropriate…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to apply a mathematical method of formal concept analysis (FCA) to facilitate evaluation of potential partners, and to select the most appropriate partner for horizontal strategic alliances. Horizontal collaboration between ship design firms is important in relation to business cyclicality in the industry. The workload in ship design firms drops during the troughs of the shipbuilding cycle and increases dramatically during the peaks of the cycle.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed method of partnership selection applies FCA, which is based on mathematical lattice theory. FCA allows firms to evaluate and select the best suitable partners for horizontal interfirm cooperation from several possible candidate firms. Utilization of FCA allows a firm to visually analyze a potential partner for a horizontal strategic alliance.
Findings
The contribution of this study to the literature is twofold. First, it contributes to the literature on the application of FCA in management field. Second, this study contributes to the partner selection literature. The contribution of the study is an alternative quantitative method for partner selection based on FCA. FCA compliments qualitative approaches in the process of alternatives evaluation and decision‐making regarding partner selection for horizontal collaboration.
Practical implications
Practitioners from ship design firms can use the FCA tool to facilitate decision‐making relating to the screening of potential partners for horizontal cooperation with regard to pre‐specified selected criteria.
Originality/value
FCA has been marginally applied to aid managerial decision making. The FCA tool is valuable for practitioners from ship design firms to manage the selection of partners for horizontal collaboration. The FCA tool is associated with numerous advantages, notably, relative simplicity and versatility of visual analysis when compared with other mathematical approaches such as the analytic hierarchy process, the analytic network process, optimization modeling, and fuzzy set logic.
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Marina Z. Solesvik and Paul Westhead
The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine the partner selection criteria reported by maritime firms in Norway. The study aims to analyze how a maritime firm's…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine the partner selection criteria reported by maritime firms in Norway. The study aims to analyze how a maritime firm's competitive advantage can be enhanced by the selection of the right partner with reference to a strategic alliance.
Design/methodology/approach
A multiple‐case study methodology was used. Archival, survey and interview data were explored relating to the partner selection process reported by Norwegian maritime firms. Primary data were gathered from semi‐structured personal interviews with managers of Norwegian maritime firms.
Findings
Case study evidence suggests that the strategic alliances were successful when partners had been carefully selected. As detected elsewhere, successful alliances were associated with partners that had managed to build trustful and honest relationships, had common strategic goals, and partners that supplied resources and competencies. Notably, it was detected that cyclicality in the maritime industry shaped the partner selection process. Trust between partners was used as mechanism to reduce uncertainty relating to the strategic alliance process. Firms seeking long‐term alliances selected partners with substantial capital and financial stability to survive a market's downturn, as well as the resources required for expansion during a recession.
Practical implications
Presented findings have implications for practitioners, especially for managers of shipping firms, banks, shipyards, producers of ship equipment, ship design firms, and ship brokers. Practitioners need to be aware that the rationale for inter‐firm collaboration change over time, and motives are linked to the phase of the maritime cycle. Inter‐firm collaboration provides competitive advantage benefits to firms and collaboration can protect as well as create jobs and can create wealth in maritime communities.
Originality/value
A novel conceptual contribution is the exploration of links between maritime industrial cyclicality and the partner selection process relating to strategic alliances. The study also adds to debates relating to the profiles of internationalizing smaller firms.