Entrepreneurial intentions in an emerging industry: An exploratory study

This exploratory study examines entrepreneurial intentions in the emerging craft brewing industry from the perspective of predominantly micro and small craft brewery owners/brewing masters through the lens of the theories of universal values and planned behaviour. In doing so, the study makes a contribution to the existing academic literature on entrepreneurial intentions, micro and small businesses, and craft brewing industry. A contribution is also made by refining the adopted theoretical frameworks to study craft brewing entrepreneurship. Employing content analysis and word association revealed that passion for the craft brewing industry, turning a hobby into a professional undertaking, and professional and lifestyle changes- as compared to financial rewards- are predominant reasons for being involved in this industry. Alignments between the findings and universal values and two of the three predicting intentions was noticed, demonstrating the applicability of these theoretical frameworks in the context of the industry under examination

Human resource management adaptation among family firms operating in Western Australia: An exploratory study

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to draw on the experiences of family owned firms, and explore how contemporary human resource management and allied developments shape their business practices. Design/methodology/approach – Interviews were conducted with eight family businesses involved in several industries in Western Australia. Findings – Significant strengths emerged relevant to ‘formalised HRM processes’ and ‘familiness’. However, challenges were simultaneously experienced or interpreted as negatively affecting family firm performance. In addition, there was a relationship between challenges and external environmental factors. These challenges are categorised as ‘labour costs and supply’ and ‘formalising HRM practices’. Further, participants discussed emerging opportunities, and how they were strategically considering the relationship between organisation finance, innovation, future growth, operations, and HRM. Originality/value – From a practical standpoint, the research addresses the complexities of managing contemporary human resource management developments in ways that contribute to improved family firm performance. From a theoretical perspective, key insights of the resource-based view of the firm and strategic human resource management theory are considered to gain a deeper understanding of family firms’ adaptive managerial activities

Understanding critical success factors and perceived future among micro and small firms through entrepreneurial action theory

Purpose – This study aims to examine how owners and managers of micro and small enterprises perceive firm success and the future of their businesses. Entrepreneurial action theory is adopted in the analysis and a modified theoretical framework is proposed. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 34 owners and managers representing 32 Italian and Spanish wine businesses; qualitative content analysis was used. Findings – Eight dimensions common to both groups of participants emerged, with the most prevalent themes revealing strong links with opportunity maximisation. In particular, the importance of perceived critical success factors was manifested by continuous improvements, building relationships, and being perceived highly are in line with perceptions of wineries’ future, including entering demanding markets, becoming a referent for the region, or attaining global recognition. Originality/value – In investigating critical success factors and the perceived future of businesses from two of the world’s largest wine producers and exporters, this study provides a theoretical, practical and international perspective concerning these dimensions. In addition, this study focuses on Europe’s largest business sector, namely, small and medium enterprises. Furthermore, this study proposes a theoretical framework, which brings together the findings and the insights of entrepreneurial action theory

Is internationalisation really an available choice for micro firms producing Cava and Prosecco Superiore? A cross-country, entrepreneurial action perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to examine pathways towards, and the rationale behind internationalisation from the perspectives of micro firms’ operators involved in the globally competitive wine industry. Moreover, drawing from entrepreneurial action theory, the study developed a theoretical framework to help understanding micro approaches and rationale for internationalisation. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through interviews with 19 micro winery owners and managers operating in the Prosecco Superiore (Italy) and Cava industry (Spain). Findings – Aligned with entrepreneurial action theory, uncertainty in participants’ environment, coupled with the associated need to diversify through exports, were predominant drivers of internationalisation. However, internationalisation also emerged through non-deliberate channels, including through growth of wine tourism and increasing foreign wine enthusiasts. Thus, while entrepreneurial action through deliberate means triggered a stronger focus on internationalisation, other passive interventions beyond the control or influence of micro firms, but rather emerge serendipitously, can similarly spur direct action. Originality/value – The study demonstrated its originality and value in various ways, fundamentally, addressing three knowledge gaps, thereby contributing to practical and theoretical discourses with corresponding value, including managerially. First, it extended literature focusing on micro firms, which as compared to small and medium enterprise research is much more limited. Second, it provided a comparative component, which is much rarer in contemporary research discussing internationalisation among micro firms. Third, the study proposed a theoretical framework stemming from the chosen inductive approach, thus, addressing concerns regarding the lack of theoretical rigour or depth in internationalisation activities among micro firms

Wine tourism in Spain: The case of three wine regions

By far the main focus of contemporary wine tourism research has been in ‘New World’ regions, while it appears to be under development in much of the ‘Old World.’ The present study adds to this underdeveloped body of research in that it addresses a range of wine tourism development issues, across three prominent ‘Old World’ wine regions: La Mancha, La Rioja and Penedès. A total of 94 wineries participated in the study. Respondents’ answers and comments indicate that while many of the participating wineries are several generations, or centuries, old, wine tourism appears to be in its ‘tentative’ stages, that is, only starting to gain momentum. One positive aspect is that most participants (68.1%) indicated that their wineries are open to the public mainly to generate interest for their wine brands among visitors, while 61.7% use the cellar door to educate customers, thus demonstrating wineries’ longer-term strategy to ‘convert’ visitors to brand loyalty through wine tourism. Given the critical role tourism plays for Spain’s economy, with over 50 million visitors per year, these findings can have important implications for the long term sustainability of the wine industry in many of the nation’s wine regions

Innovation, dynamic capabilities and family firms operating in an emerging economy

Drawing on the dynamic capabilities framework (DCF), this exploratory study examines family firms\u27 involvement in innovation practices, including reasons and ways to innovate. The cases of four family firms operating in an emerging economy (Uruguay) are investigated. Semi-structured, face-to-face and telephone interviews were conducted with owners and managers, and complemented with e-mail correspondence. Based on the imperative need to solve problems in their industry, firms\u27 managements were intensively involved in various innovative processes. These processes included quality improvements, responding to a dynamic and competitive business and consumer environment, and extending the life and survival of the family enterprise for future generations. Notably, the importance of sensing and learning in the form of identifying and assimilating key information, and seizing and applying such information to develop or adopt innovation, including new technologies, emerged strongly. The findings also highlight the usefulness of the DCF to understand firms\u27 integration, and transformation of learning

Los cambios en el sector vinícola de las Islas Canarias y sus implicaciones: un estudio longitudinal

Noticias y reportajes reconocen los retos a los que las regiones vinícolas españolas se enfrentan, incluyendo las Islas Canarias, donde las denominaciones de origen (DO) existen desde hace menos de dos décadas. El presente estudio es una extensión de una investigación previa conducida en la industria vinícola de las islas, y profundiza en los hechos que están ocurriendo en el sector vitivinícola isleño. Dueños, enólogos y gerentes de 55 bodegas de seis islas que producen vinos participaron en entrevistas cara a cara y telefónicas. El sentimiento general entre los participantes es de seria preocupación, y los problemas actuales no parecen tener soluciones a corto plazo. El estudio presenta las posibles repercusiones de los resultados del estudio, incluyendo aquellos pertinentes al futuro del sector vitivinícola local, su cultura vinícola y tradición.News and reports acknowledge the challenges that Spanish wine regions are facing, including the Canary Islands, where wine designations of origin (DOs) have existed for less than two decades. The present study extends from preliminary research conducted on the islands’ wine industry to delve into the developments that continue to unfold in the archipelago’s wine sector. Winery owners, wine makers and managers of 55 wineries located in the six wine producing islands participated in face-to-face and telephone interviews. The general view among participants is of serious concern, and there appear to be very few short-term solutions for current challenges. Different implications are drawn from the findings, including those concerning the future of the local wine sector, its wine culture, and tradition.

An exploration of Cava wineries: A resource-based approach

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory study is to identify the most important resources, and emerging issues among Spain’s Cava wineries, including opportunities and challenges, from predominantly winery operators, and through the lens of the resource-based view of the firm (RBVF). Design/methodology/approach: Unstructured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with the representatives of five Cava firms, and with the manager of the local Institute of Cava in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, Spain. In addition, owners/managers of seven other Cava wineries provided responses and comments via email. Findings: The attributes pertaining to the RBVF, such as valuable, rare, imperfect imitable resources, and (non)substitutability emerged in the present study, illustrated by the local designation of origin (DO), tradition/history, territory, specific grape varietals, and increased perceived quality of Cava products. In order to address pressing challenges and maximise opportunities, particularly the decline of domestic Cava consumption, participants underline strategies to gain more exposure in international wine consumer markets, and also benefit from the growing popularity of gastronomy and wine tourism. Originality/value: Originality and value in this research are demonstrated in two ways. First, the study focuses on a region, which, despite its long history and tradition, has received limited attention from the academic literature, especially in recent years. Second, the study adopts the RBVF to facilitate understanding of contemporary issues affecting Cava wineries, and in aligning theory and findings. To date, this theoretical framework has been marginally adopted to examine the wine industry; this limitation is even more evident within the Cava industry

Perceptions and images of “typical” Australian dishes: An exploratory study

The research investigates the perceived images that ‘typical’ Australian dishes evoke in the minds of consumers, including words they associate to describe typical Australian dishes. A questionnaire designed and distributed among undergraduate students at various universities yielded 561 usable responses. Three predominant responses, grilled/barbequed meats, steaks, and meat pies associated typical Australian dishes with; in addition, Australian dishes evoked four different images among respondents: positive, related to specific images (e.g., barbequed foods), neutral, negative, and food related. Overall, the findings underline limited knowledge. Consumer education could help broaden understanding, with resulting enhanced images of the country’s culinary attributes

The role of tradition for food and wine producing firms in times of an unprecedented crisis

Purpose: The purpose of the present study is twofold. First, the study will investigate the importance of tradition for businesses operating during the COVID-19 crisis, notably, as a valuable proposition and strategy. Second, the study seeks to advance theoretical understanding, proposing two frameworks based upon emerging dimensions, the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey gathered the views of 107 predominantly micro and small-scale owner-manager and family-owned firms involved in the food and wine sector. These participants are based in Italy, one of the hardest-hit countries in the crisis. Findings: Three fundamental dimensions emerge from the findings. The first, “embedded advantage”, concerns firms’ more direct involvement and tradition-related actions. The second, “active advantage”, highlights the already established value of tradition, for example, through firm identity gained, well-established roots and firm culture. The third dimension, “strategic fusion”, underscores the importance of upgrading the business model, where innovation complements tradition strategically. Originality/value: The study’s revealed dimensions provide new conceptual perspectives to understand tradition in the context of firms confronting an unprecedented event. The first proposed theoretical framework illustrates that firms appear to mainly rely on tradition as the fundamental pillar of their overall strategy. Additionally, other firms engage in actions to consolidate tradition’s strategic significance, while others embrace innovation to further strengthen their competitiveness. The second framework emphasises relations between these dimensions and key attributes associated with the two adopted theoretical foundations, where the need to “reconfigure tradition” clearly emerges