The deal: employment relations in growth-oriented, high-tech start-ups: an employee perspective

The aim of this thesis is to explore employment relations in young, growth-oriented, technology-driven (high-tech) start-ups. It takes a closer look at the exchange relationship between founders and their first employees in this specific context. At its core, the research is interested in employees motivation to work for a growth-oriented start-up and their understanding of the employment deal. The study uses the psychological contract as an analytical framework to gain deeper insights into individuals perceptions of this deal. The research is embedded within an interpretivist paradigm and includes eight case studies involving growth-oriented high-tech start-ups in Berlin and London. For each case, in-depth interviews with three full-time employees as well as the founder(s) were conducted. The findings of this thesis demonstrate that the employment deal in growth-oriented start-ups is a short-term, faith-driven contract, which differs substantially from the current understanding of the psychological contract. In contrast to the long-term or open-ended contract often offered by larger, more established organisations, this deal has a defined expiration date . Moreover, the findings challenge the current understandings on remuneration, relationship building and power dynamics within growth-oriented start-ups and add to the literature by offering a re-conceptualisation of the psychological contract. This thesis helps to inform prospective employees about the advantages and challenges of joining a start-up and encourages entrepreneurs to further tailor their management and compensation strategies

Evaluating the impact of enterprise education competitions upon entrepreneurial intentions of STEMM women early career researchers

This thesis explores whether an enterprise education competition (EEC), promoted as best practice vehicle of entrepreneurial education (EE), may have gendered outcomes in terms of differential impacts upon women participants, given mixed findings relating to the efficacy of EE for women which is considered to relate to the acknowledged masculine construction of entrepreneurship. Thus, this thesis investigates the influence of an EEC on the entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE), entrepreneurial intentions (EI) and perceived gender barriers to entrepreneurship of STEMM women early career researchers (ECRs). Of novelty, the theoretical framework draws upon Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), from the career literature, which captures the socio-economic influences of perceived gender barriers upon entrepreneurial career intentions, while also exploring the predispositions of men and women EEC participants. Underpinned by a critical realist methodology, a quantitative study of 120 pre- and post-surveys of men and women participants, followed by 45 semi-structured interviews of women participants, were undertaken. The quantitative findings suggest that EEC participation removed the gender gap in: (a) perceived stereotype threat, (b) perceived networking difficulty and (c) perceived ability related to entrepreneurial finance and cost estimation. However, following EEC participation, women participants continued to perceive high barriers in: (a) sex discrimination, (b) childcare-work conflict and (c) a lack of role models and mentors when compared to their male counterparts. In addition, the EEC deterred self-confidence in ESE of women participants who perceived a high barrier in stereotype threat. Despite this, evidence from the qualitative study suggests that the EEC programme still reproduced unintended gendered outcomes for some women participants, particularly in: (a) perpetuating the stereotypical masculine stereotypes of an entrepreneur, (b) reinforcing perceived conflict between childcare and work-life of a woman entrepreneur as well as (c) highlighting a negative image of STEMM women entrepreneurs

Integral descriptors of the vertical structure of the ocean

12 pages, 12 figuresWe propose a simple polynomial expression for neutral density and nutrients as a function of potential temperature, pressure and salinity. The expression is applied to the 1988 North Atlantic A16N WOCE meridional section and the polynomial coefficients are calculated using an inverse technique. The resulting polynomials show good skill in reproducing the nutrients and density structure, as verified through an analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. The large-scale changes in the polynomial coefficients occur between equatorial (E), tropical (T), subtropical (ST), and subpolar (SP) waters. The temperature and pressure coefficients experience substantial changes at all transitions (E-T, T-ST, and ST-SP), while the salinity ones only have major variations at the T-ST transition. Mesoscale-like oscillations occur all along the section but are relatively small, except between about 40 and 50°N, in a region of rough bottom topography. The density field is reconstructed using individual and group coefficients, and the contribution of each coefficient is identified. The method is also applied to analyze the neutral density distribution in a nearly identical 2003 section, removing near-surface density values that may be related to different warming/cooling of the surface layer. The results show close resemblances but also some significant variations, which are discussed in terms of interdecadal variability. Hence, we argue that the set of calculated coefficients provides good integral descriptors for the vertical structure of the oceanThis work has been carried out with support from the CANOA Project (CTM2005-00444/MAR), funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia. The first author wishes to acknowledge funding through the Juan de la Cierva ProgrammePeer reviewe

Маркетинг роздрібної торгівлі

Посібник містить навчально-методичні матеріали для вивчення дисципліни "Маркетинг роздрібної торгівлі". Блок навчально-методичного забезпечення включає методичні поради до кожної теми дисципліни: необхідні пояснення до теми, план семінарського заняття, основні питання для обговорення, практичні завдання, завдання для перевірки знань та контрольні питання. Призначено для студентів економічних спеціальностей всіх форм навчання

Evaluating the impact of enterprise education competitions upon entrepreneurial intentions of STEMM women early career researchers

This thesis explores whether an enterprise education competition (EEC), promoted as best practice vehicle of entrepreneurial education (EE), may have gendered outcomes in terms of differential impacts upon women participants, given mixed findings relating to the efficacy of EE for women which is considered to relate to the acknowledged masculine construction of entrepreneurship. Thus, this thesis investigates the influence of an EEC on the entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE), entrepreneurial intentions (EI) and perceived gender barriers to entrepreneurship of STEMM women early career researchers (ECRs). Of novelty, the theoretical framework draws upon Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), from the career literature, which captures the socio-economic influences of perceived gender barriers upon entrepreneurial career intentions, while also exploring the predispositions of men and women EEC participants. Underpinned by a critical realist methodology, a quantitative study of 120 pre- and post-surveys of men and women participants, followed by 45 semi-structured interviews of women participants, were undertaken. The quantitative findings suggest that EEC participation removed the gender gap in: (a) perceived stereotype threat, (b) perceived networking difficulty and (c) perceived ability related to entrepreneurial finance and cost estimation. However, following EEC participation, women participants continued to perceive high barriers in: (a) sex discrimination, (b) childcare-work conflict and (c) a lack of role models and mentors when compared to their male counterparts. In addition, the EEC deterred self-confidence in ESE of women participants who perceived a high barrier in stereotype threat. Despite this, evidence from the qualitative study suggests that the EEC programme still reproduced unintended gendered outcomes for some women participants, particularly in: (a) perpetuating the stereotypical masculine stereotypes of an entrepreneur, (b) reinforcing perceived conflict between childcare and work-life of a woman entrepreneur as well as (c) highlighting a negative image of STEMM women entrepreneurs