Entry mode research and SMEs : a review and future research agenda

Research on SMEs’ entry modes remains limited and is spread across various, often disconnected research fields using a broad variety of theories, sample characteristics, and methods. This makes it challenging for researchers to identify interesting research opportunities. Our study investigates the current state of the SME entry mode literature by conducting a systematic literature review of 47 articles. Our review shows that scholars should be more careful when conceptualizing SMEs, and we recommend the use of both quantitative and qualitative longitudinal research designs. We explain how new theories and perspectives might address existing problems and weaknesses in this literature.status: publishe

Are they really helping? : an assessment of evolving business incubators'value proposition

Most studies about business incubation describe an array of available services but often fail to present the tenants’ assessment quality. We set out to investigate if business incubators differ in terms of their value proposition. To do so, we identify three distinct generations of business incubators based on different dimensions included in their value proposition. We pose the question of whether the generation affects the extent to which tenant companies use the different dimensions of the incubator’s value proposition. Using data collected within business incubators and their respective tenants, the results show that while incubators claim to have similar support structures regardless of their generation, tenants in the older generations make less use of the incubator’s service portfolio. We discuss the implications of our findings for incubator managers, prospective tenants and policy makers

The role of prior domestic experience and prior shared experience in young firm internationalization

This article examines how the prior domestic experience of a founding team influences an entrepreneurial firm's ability to grow international sales. We argue that such experience leads to domestic mind-sets, which limit a team's ability to perceive and interpret international stimuli and impact negatively upon international sales growth. Previous studies have overlooked the shared component of such experience. Prior shared experience allows ventures to learn faster from internationalization as a result of team familiarity and transactive memory systems. In uncertain environments, such as geographically distant regions, ventures that have founding teams with prior shared experience are able to outperform those without such experience

Investigating the factors that diminish the barriers to university-industry collaboration

Trabajo presentado al 7th Biennial International Conference on University, Industry & Government Linkages celebrado en Glasgow (UK) del 17 al 19 de Junio de 2009.Although the literature on university-industry links has begun to uncover the reasons for, and types of, collaboration between universities and businesses, it offers little explanation of ways to reduce the barriers in these collaborations. This paper seeks to unpack the nature of the obstacles to collaborations between universities and industry, exploring influence of different mechanisms in lowering barriers related to the orientation of universities and to the transactions involved in work with university partners. Drawing on a large-scale survey and public records, this paper explores the effects of collaboration experience, breadth of interaction, and interorganizational trust on lowering different types of barriers. The analysis shows that prior experience of collaborative research lowers orientation-related barriers and that greater levels of trust reduce both types of barriers studied. It also indicates that breadth of interaction diminishes the orientation-related, but increases transaction-related barriers. The paper explores the implications of these findings for policies aimed at facilitating university-industry collaboration.Peer reviewe

The impact of financial slack on explorative and exploitative knowledge sourcing from universities:evidence from the UK

Some organizations use universities to explore new areas, whereas others turn to universities to exploit knowledge for immediate and practical gain. Drawing on the behavioral theory of the firm and the literature on university–industry collaboration, we examine how the level of financial slack available to a firm influences their level of explorative and exploitative knowledge sourcing from universities. We suggest that two types of proximity moderate this relationship: organizational and geographical. Using on a rich sample of university collaborators, we find—consistent with our expectations—that high levels of financial slack are associated with explorative knowledge sourcing, whereas low levels of slack are associated with exploitative knowledge sourcing. Our results also point out that organizational proximity can complement for the lack of financial slack in shaping explorative knowledge sourcing, while it can heightens the effects of low levels of financial slack on exploitative knowledge sourcing. In contrast, we find that geographical proximity plays a weaker moderating role compared to organizational proximity. We explore the implications of these findings for our understanding of university–industry collaboration

The effect of a multidisciplinary weight loss program on renal circadian rhythm in obese adolescents

Adolescent obesity is a serious health problem associated with many comorbidities. Obesity-related alterations in circadian rhythm have been described for nocturnal blood pressure and for metabolic functions. We believe renal circadian rhythm is also disrupted in obesity, though this has not yet been investigated. This study aimed to examine renal circadian rhythm in obese adolescents before and after weight loss. In 34 obese adolescents (median age 15.7 years) participating in a residential weight loss program, renal function profiles and blood samples were collected at baseline, after 7 months, and again after 12 months of therapy. The program consisted of dietary restriction, increased physical activity, and psychological support. The program led to a median weight loss of 24 kg and a reduction in blood pressure. Initially, lower diurnal free water clearance (- 1.08 (- 1.40-- 0.79) mL/min) was noticed compared with nocturnal values (0.75 (- 0.89-- 0.64) mL/min). After weight loss, normalization of this inverse rhythm was observed (day - 1.24 (- 1.44-1.05) mL/min and night - 0.98 (- 1.09-- 0.83) mL/min). A clear circadian rhythm in diuresis rate and in renal clearance of creatinine, solutes, sodium, and potassium was seen at all time points. Furthermore, we observed a significant increase in sodium clearance. Before weight loss, daytime sodium clearance was 0.72 mL/min (0.59-0.77) and nighttime clearance was 0.46 mL/min (0.41-0.51). After weight loss, daytime clearance increased to 0.99 mL/min (0.85-1.17) and nighttime clearance increased to 0.78 mL/min (0.64-0.93). Conclusion: In obese adolescents, lower diurnal free water clearance was observed compared with nocturnal values. Weight loss led to a normalization of this inverse rhythm, suggesting a recovery of the anti-diuretic hormone activity. Both before and after weight loss, clear circadian rhythm of diuresis rate and renal clearance of creatinine, solutes, sodium, and potassium was observed.What is Known:center dot Obesity-related alterations in circadian rhythm have been described for nocturnal blood pressure and for metabolic functions. We believe renal circadian rhythm is disrupted in obesity, though this has not been investigated yet.What is New:center dot In obese adolescents, an inverse circadian rhythm of free water clearance was observed, with higher nighttime free water clearance compared with daytime values. Weight loss led to a normalization of this inverse rhythm, suggesting a recovery of the anti-diuretic hormone activity.center dot Circadian rhythm in diuresis rate and in the renal clearance of creatinine, solutes, sodium, and potassium was preserved in obese adolescents and did not change after weight loss