Entrepreneurial Orientation and Firm Performance in the Context of Upper Echelon Theory

Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) is a firm-level phenomenon, which involves the firm’s prospects to take risks, be proactive, and be innovative. Most of the research assumes a positive EO-performance relationship adopting the EO-as-advantage perspective without providing enough theoretical foundations of the way EO enhances performance. This paper provides insights into the EO and firm performance relationship looking into the EO-as-experimentation perspective. Through EO-as-experimentation perspective, we argue for the importance of looking into the differential effects of each of the EO dimensions on firm performance in active and inactive firms. We hypothesized that the effect of each of the proactiveness and innovativeness dimension of EO on firm performance is positive among active firms and negative among inactive firms. Whereas risk taking dimension of EO is negative among active and inactive firms. Based on the results of firm fixed effect regression some empirical support for the hypotheses is presented and discussed

Seminario sobre el proceso científico : naturaleza de la ciencia, investigación científica y relaciones ciencia-tecnología- sociedad

Se presentan los resultados obtenidos en los cambios sobre concepciones científicas al realizar un seminario con estudiantes de grado de biología sobre el proceso científico: naturaleza de la ciencia, investigación científica y relaciones ciencia-tecnología-sociedad, de carácter teórico y práctico. Se realizó una sesión teórica sobre naturaleza de la ciencia y dos prácticas: lectura de un artículo para aplicar los contenidos de la naturaleza de la ciencia y análisis de un proyecto realizado que incluía aspectos sobre ciencia, tecnología y sociedad. Se evaluaron los progresos obtenidos mediante el cuestionario COCTS, el cual manifiesta un resultado positivo de mejora sobre el conocimiento de ciencia y sus procesos

Barriers to women entrepreneurship. Different methods, different results?

Building on research by Akehurst et al. (Serv Ind J 32:2489-2505, 2012), this study analysed internal and external factors in women entrepreneurship and linked these factors to the barriers that women face when starting businesses. To do so, two contrasting statistical techniques were used: PLS and QCA. After analysing results from each of these techniques, we observed that family duties and difficulties in obtaining financing (both internal and external) were the main factors related to barriers faced by women entrepreneurs

Triggering the internationalization of Malaysian quantity surveying firms

Although there is an increasing trend of services being traded across borders, quantity surveying (QS) firms in the construction sector remain under-researched. The triggers for the increasing globalization of QS firms are not clear, nor how these triggers are perceived by managers at different levels. A questionnaire was administered in over 84 QS consultancy firms, and the results were analyzed using the repertory grid technique, allowing a comparison between the general respondents and a focus group of senior managers. The findings show that senior managers with significant experience realize the importance of a strong internal capability of the QS firm and the capability to develop innovative offerings, coupled with an awareness of the target market and the ability to secure revenue through key contracts. Firm- and location-specific factors were more important than other competitive advantages or foreign markets’ characteristics when deciding to globalize

Longitudinal changes in adherence to the portfolio and DASH dietary patterns and cardiometabolic risk factors in the PREDIMED-Plus study

[Background & aims]: The Portfolio and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets have been shown to lower cardiometabolic risk factors in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, the Portfolio diet has only been assessed in RCTs of hyperlipidemic patients. Therefore, to assess the Portfolio diet in a population with metabolic syndrome (MetS), we conducted a longitudinal analysis of one-year data of changes in the Portfolio and DASH diet scores and their association with cardiometabolic risk factors in Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea (PREDIMED)-Plus trial. [Methods]: PREDIMED-Plus is an ongoing clinical trial (Trial registration: ISRCTN89898) conducted in Spain that includes 6874 older participants (mean age 65 y, 48% women) with overweight/obesity fulfilling at least three criteria for MetS. Data for this analysis were collected at baseline, six months and one year. Adherence to the Portfolio and DASH diet scores were derived from a validated 143-item food frequency questionnaire. We used linear mixed models to examine the associations of 1-SD increase and quartile changes in the diet scores with concomitant changes in cardiometabolic risk factors. [Results]: After adjusting for several potential confounders, a 1-SD increase in the Portfolio diet score was significantly associated with lower HbA1c (β [95% CI]: −0.02% [−0.02, −0.01], P < 0.001), fasting glucose (−0.47 mg/dL [−0.83, −0.11], P = 0.01), triglycerides (−1.29 mg/dL [−2.31, −0.28], P = 0.01), waist circumference (WC) (−0.51 cm [−0.59, −0.43], P < 0.001), and body mass index (BMI) (−0.17 kg/m2 [−0.19, −0.15], P < 0.001). A 1-SD increase in the DASH diet score was significantly associated with lower HbA1c (−0.03% [−0.04, −0.02], P < 0.001), glucose (−0.84 mg/dL [−1.18, −0.51], P < 0.001), triglycerides (−3.38 mg/dL [−4.37, −2.38], P < 0.001), non-HDL-cholesterol (−0.47 mg/dL [−0.91, −0.04], P = 0.03), WC (−0.69 cm [−0.76, −0.60 cm], P < 0.001), BMI (−0.25 kg/m2 [−0.28, −0.26 kg/m2], P < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (−0.57 mmHg [−0.81, −0.32 mmHg], P < 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (−0.15 mmHg [−0.29, −0.01 mmHg], P = 0.03), and with higher HDL-cholesterol (0.21 mg/dL [0.09, 0.34 mg/dL, P = 0.001]). Similar associations were seen when both diet scores were assessed as quartiles, comparing extreme categories of adherence. [Conclusions]: Among older adults at high cardiovascular risk with MetS, greater adherence to the Portfolio and DASH diets showed significant favourable prospective associations with several clinically relevant cardiometabolic risk factors. Both diets are likely beneficial for cardiometabolic risk reduction.The PREDIMED-Plus trial was supported by the Spanish government's official funding agency for biomedical research, ISCIII, through the Fondo de Investigación para la Salud (FIS) and co-funded by European Union ERDF/ESF, “A way to make Europe”/“Investing in your future” (five coordinated FIS projects led by JS-S and JVid, including the following projects: PI13/00673, PI13/00492, PI13/00272, PI13/01123, PI13/00462, PI13/00233, PI13/02184, PI13/00728, PI13/01090, PI13/01056, PI14/01722, PI14/00636, PI14/00618, PI14/00696, PI14/01206, PI14/01919, PI14/00853, PI14/01374, PI14/00972, PI14/00728, PI14/01471, PI16/00473, PI16/00662, PI16/01873, PI16/01094, PI16/00501, PI16/00533, PI16/00381, PI16/00366, PI16/01522, PI16/01120, PI17/00764, PI17/01183,PI17/00855, PI17/01347, PI17/00525, PI17/01827, PI17/00532, PI17/00215, PI17/01441, PI17/00508, PI17/01732, PI17/00926, PI19/00957, PI19/00386, PI19/00309, PI19/01032, PI19/00576, PI19/00017, PI19/01226, PI19/00781, PI19/01560, and PI19/01332), the Special Action Project entitled: Implementación y evaluación de una intervención intensiva sobre la actividad física Cohorte PREDIMED-Plus grant to JS-S, the European Research Council (Advanced Research Grant 2014–2019, 340918) to MÁM-G, the Recercaixa Grant to JS-S (2013ACUP00194), grants from the Consejería de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía (PI0458/2013, PS0358/2016, and PI0137/2018), a grant from the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO/2017/017), a SEMERGEN grant, and funds from the European Regional Development Fund (CB06/03). This research was also partially funded by EU-H2020 Grant (EAT2BENICE/H2020-SFS-2016-2; Ref 728018). Study resulting from the SLT006/17/00246 grant, funded by the Department of Health of the Generalitat de Catalunya by the call “Acció instrumental de programes de recerca orientats en l'àmbit de la recerca i la innovació en salut”. We thank CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya for institutional support. This work is partially supported by ICREA under the ICREA Academia programme. IP-G receives a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (FPU 17/01925). MRBL was supported by “Miguel Servet Type I” program (CP15/00028) from the ISCIII-Madrid (Spain), cofinanced by the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional-FEDER. AJG was supported by the Nora Martin Fellowship in Nutritional Sciences, the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre Tamarack Graduate Award in Diabetes Research, the Peterborough K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation Graduate Award and an Ontario Graduate Scholarship. PH-A was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship (Juan de la Cierva-Formación), FJCI-2017–32205, funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation. RE group has been supported by the ‘Ajut 2017-2021 SGR 1717 from the Generalitat de Catalunya. DJAJ was funded by the Government of Canada through the Canada Research Chair Endowment. JK was supported by the ‘FOLIUM’ programme within the FUTURMed project from the Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Illes Balears (financed by 2017 annual plan of the sustainable tourism tax and at 50% with charge to the ESF Operational Program 2014–2020 of the Balearic Islands). JLS was funded by a Diabetes Canada Clinician Scientist Award

Prospective associations between a priori dietary patterns adherence and kidney function in an elderly Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk

Purpose To assess the association between three different a priori dietary patterns adherence (17-item energy reduced-Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet), Trichopoulou-MedDiet and Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH)), as well as the Protein Diet Score and kidney function decline after one year of follow-up in elderly individuals with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Methods We prospectively analyzed 5675 participants (55-75 years) from the PREDIMED-Plus study. At baseline and at one year, we evaluated the creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and food-frequency questionnaires-derived dietary scores. Associations between four categories (decrease/maintenance and tertiles of increase) of each dietary pattern and changes in eGFR (ml/min/1.73m(2)) or >= 10% eGFR decline were assessed by fitting multivariable linear or logistic regression models, as appropriate. Results Participants in the highest tertile of increase in 17-item erMedDiet Score showed higher upward changes in eGFR (beta: 1.87 ml/min/1.73m(2); 95% CI: 1.00-2.73) and had lower odds of >= 10% eGFR decline (OR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.47-0.82) compared to individuals in the decrease/maintenance category, while Trichopoulou-MedDiet and DASH Scores were not associated with any renal outcomes. Those in the highest tertile of increase in Protein Diet Score had greater downward changes in eGFR (beta: - 0.87 ml/min/1.73m(2); 95% CI: - 1.73 to - 0.01) and 32% higher odds of eGFR decline (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.00-1.75). Conclusions Among elderly individuals with overweight/obesity and MetS, only higher upward change in the 17-item erMedDiet score adherence was associated with better kidney function after one year. However, increasing Protein Diet Score appeared to have an adverse impact on kidney health. Trial Registration Number: ISRCTN89898870 (Data of registration: 2014).Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This work was supported by the official Spanish Institutions for funding scientific biomedical research, CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutricion (CIBEROBN) and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), through the Fondo de Investigacion para la Salud (FIS), which is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (six coordinated FIS projects leaded by JS-S and JVi, including the following projects: PI13/00673, PI13/00492, PI13/00272, PI13/01123, PI13/00462, PI13/00233, PI13/02184, PI13/00728, PI13/01090, PI13/01056, PI14/01722, PI14/00636, PI14/00618, PI14/00696, PI14/01206, PI14/01919, PI14/00853, PI14/01374, PI14/00972, PI14/00728, PI14/01471, PI16/00473, PI16/00662, PI16/01873, PI16/01094, PI16/00501, PI16/00533, PI16/00381, PI16/00366, PI16/01522, PI16/01120, PI17/00764, PI17/01183, PI17/00855, PI17/01347, PI17/00525, PI17/01827, PI17/00532, PI17/00215, PI17/01441, PI17/00508, PI17/01732, PI17/00926, PI19/00957, PI19/00386, PI19/00309, PI19/01032, PI19/00576, PI19/00017, PI19/01226, PI19/00781, PI19/01560, PI19/01332, PI20/01802, PI20/00138, PI20/01532, PI20/00456, PI20/00339, PI20/00557, PI20/00886, PI20/01158); the Especial Action Project entitled: Implementacion y evaluacion de una intervencion intensiva sobre la actividad fisica Cohorte PREDIMED-Plus grant to JS-S; the European Research Council (Advanced Research Grant 2014-2019; agreement #340918) granted to MAMG.; the Recercaixa (number 2013ACUP00194) grant to JS-S; grants from the Consejeria de Salud de la Junta de Andalucia (PI0458/2013, PS0358/2016, PI0137/2018); the PROMETEO/2017/017 and the PROMETEO 21/2021 grant from the Generalitat Valenciana; the SEMERGEN grant; the Boosting young talent call grant program for the development of IISPV research projects 2019-2021 (Ref.: 2019/IISPV/03 grant to AD-L); the Societat Catalana d'Endocrinologia i Nutricio (SCEN) Clinical-Research Grant 2019 (IPs: JS-S and AD-L). Collaborative Nutrition and/or Obesity Project for Young Researchers 2019 supported by CIBEROBN entitled: Lifestyle Interventions and Chronic Kidney Disease: Inflammation, Oxidative Stress and Metabolomic Profile (LIKIDI study) grant to AD-L. Jordi Salas-Salvado, gratefully acknowledges the financial support by ICREA under the ICREA Academia programme. M.R.-G., is supported by the Ministry of Education of Spain (FPU17/06488). None of the funding sources took part in the design, collection, analysis, interpretation of the data, or writing the report, or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication

One-year longitudinal association between changes in dietary choline or betaine intake and cardiometabolic variables in the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea-Plus (PREDIMED-Plus) trial

Choline and betaine intakes have been related to cardiovascular health. We aimed to explore the relation between 1-y changes in dietary intake of choline or betaine and 1-y changes in cardiometabolic and renal function traits within the frame of the PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea)-Plus trial. We used baseline and 1-y follow-up data from 5613 participants (48.2% female and 51.8% male; mean ± SD age: 65.01 ± 4.91 y) to assess cardiometabolic traits, and 3367 participants to assess renal function, of the Spanish PREDIMED-Plus trial. Participants met ≥3 criteria of metabolic syndrome and had overweight or obesity [BMI (in kg/m 2) ≥27 and ≤40]. These criteria were similar to those of the PREDIMED parent study. Dietary intakes of choline and betaine were estimated from the FFQ. The greatest 1-y increase in dietary choline or betaine intake (quartile 4) was associated with improved serum glucose concentrations (−3.39 and −2.72 mg/dL for choline and betaine, respectively) and HbA1c levels (−0.10% for quartile 4 of either choline or betaine intake increase). Other significant changes associated with the greatest increase in choline or betaine intake were reduced body weight (−2.93 and −2.78 kg, respectively), BMI (−1.05 and −0.99, respectively), waist circumference (−3.37 and −3.26 cm, respectively), total cholesterol (−4.74 and −4.52 mg/dL, respectively), and LDL cholesterol (−4.30 and −4.16 mg/dL, respectively). Urine creatinine was reduced in quartile 4 of 1-y increase in choline or betaine intake (−5.42 and −5.74 mg/dL, respectively). Increases in dietary choline or betaine intakes were longitudinally related to improvements in cardiometabolic parameters. Markers of renal function were also slightly improved, and they require further investigation. This trial was registered at as ISRCTN89898870

Theories for computing prosocial behavior

\u3cp\u3eMost relevant theories of prosocial behavior aim at exploring and understanding helping motivations from an evolutionary perspective. This article summarizes findings from research on prosocial behavior from both a socio-economic and psychological perspective. Building on literature exploring the basic processes and determinant variables of helping, we propose a stochastic and dynamic model to simulate prosocial behaviors over time and recreate evolutionary processes of helping behaviors. Such a mathematical model formalizes a procedure for dynamic simulations, including agent-based modeling, which implies non-linear dynamics of prosocial processes underlying helping motivations. Practical implications for organizations and societies are addressed.\u3c/p\u3

Leading Trends in Technology Transfer

The Journal of Technology Transfer (JOTT) published its first issue in 1977. Since this first issue, the JOTT has made major contributions to its field. This chapter uses dynamic bibliometric techniques and the Scopus database to analyze all JOTT issues published between 1977 and 2018. Citations are considered up to and including September 30, 2019. The primary objective is to determine the leading research trends in technology transfer by analyzing the most influential studies published in the JOTT and studying their evolution. The evolution of these research trends suggests that entrepreneurial universities, university-industry collaboration, and knowledge management have become the leading trends in technology transfer in the last few years, alongside entrepreneurial ecosystems, which rose to prominence in 2019. Finally, to complement the previous analyses, examining the most influential JOTT articles is carried out from a policy perspective, as public policies are one of the main factors affecting the environment for technology transfer. A qualitative text analysis of these 16 articles shows that the words policy and policies are found in 15. A more profound review reveals that the policies mentioned and dealt with in these articles can be grouped into three different types: technology transfer, entrepreneurship, and regional innovation policies

Half a century of Quality &amp; Quantity: a bibliometric review

© 2018, Springer Nature B.V. The Quality & Quantity was established in 1967 and in 2017 it completed its half century. The journal is interdisciplinary in nature and it mainly discusses methodological application of mathematics and statistics in the social sciences, particularly sociology, economics, and social psychology. It was created with the idea of advancing methodology of the various social studies. This study looks back journey of the journal from 1967 to 2017 aims to develop a bibliometric analysis of all the publications of the journal. Web of Science Core Collection database is used to collect data. The present study discovered the significant contributions of the journal in terms of impact, topics, authors, universities and countries. Utrecht University of Netherlands is the most productive university. Asian Universities are emerging and growing quickly in the recent years. Although USA leads among the countries but Europe leads among the six supranational regions. Finally, the visualization of similarities viewer software is used to present network visualization of the bibliographic coupling, co-citation, citation, co-authorship and co-occurrence of keywords