Rethinking the contextual factors influencing urban mobility: A new holistic conceptual framework

Urbanisation, urban mobility (active travel), and public health continue to be three defining issues of the 21st century. Today, more than half of humanity lives in cities, a proportion that is expected to reach 70% by 2050. Not surprisingly, urbanisation has significant impacts on mobility, health, and well-being. Today’s cities struggle with health challenges such as those that are either a direct result of infectious and non-communicable diseases or issues related to violence and injuries. According to the World Health Organisation, the lack of suitable space in urban areas for physical activities and active living has turned cities into epicentres for diseases. The concept of urban mobility and its connection to health is not new. However, the ways through which a healthy city objective is achieved are poorly investigated in the academic literature. Accordingly, this article proposes a holistic conceptual framework by consolidating knowledge around factors impacting urban mobility by adopting a scoping review methodology to determine the field’s scope, coverage, and existing knowledge gap. To achieve the above objectives, 3,189 research articles and book chapters published between 2014 and 2021 were screened. A total of 92 studies were identified as eligible for inclusion in the scoping review. This approach revealed the importance of understanding urban mobility and healthy cities and of identifying and enacting associated enablers. Covid-19 has amplified the urgency of giving attention to these issues. The scoping review also showed a need for further research that investigates the future of urban mobility and healthy cities. A conceptual framework has been drawn from the literature to guide such future research

Exploring sustainability orientation of MSME-owners in Tanzania

This explorative study examines the performance, socio-demographics and sustainability orientation of owners of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises' (MSMEs) in Tanzania, a Least Developed Country (LDC). Based on a literature review, a pre-study conducted with experts, and a main study of 168 MSMEs-owners in Morogoro, the analyses show that sustainability orientation is made up of four factors of which clearly one social factor and one environmental factor. Furthermore, in light of the literature, performance and sociodemographic factors are regressed on sustainability orientation and appear not to have a significant influence. However, at a granular level, there are certain effects observed from performance and socio-demographics on sustainability orientation. In contrast to previous research, this study presents fine-grained insights into how performance and sustainability orientation are developed and how the former determines the latter. In doing so, this study sheds light on entrepreneurship in the informal economy of an LDC, refines the understanding of the sustainability orientation of MSME-owners, and endorses the position that "one size does not fit all" regarding the applicability of Western constructs to LDC settings

Does one size fit all? A look at entrepreneurial motivation and entrepreneurial orientation in the informal economy of Tanzania

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of entrepreneurial motivation and entrepreneurial orientation in Tanzania’s informal economy. The development of personal wealth is used to measure the performance of subsistence entrepreneurs in the mama lishe sector. Design/methodology/approach – On the basis of a literature review and a qualitative pre-study involving 27 interviewees, a questionnaire was completed by 152 subsistence entrepreneurs who are known as the mama lishe. Subsequently, a correlation analysis, a factor analysis, and regression analyses were performed to test the hypotheses. Findings – On the basis of a factor analysis, a distinction is made between the development of basic personal wealth and the development of advanced personal wealth. Entrepreneurial motivation and entrepreneurial orientation, as constructed by studies in western countries, have little effect on both forms of personal wealth. Instead, the owner's age, as an indicator of entrepreneurial experience, is a relatively strong predictor for the development of personal wealth. Originality/value – By examining the determinants of the performance of subsistence entrepreneurs in an African least developed country (LDC), this study shows that the western definitions of entrepreneurial motivation and entrepreneurial orientation are not directly applicable in this context. By using performance measures such as the development of personal wealth, this study supports the perspective that entrepreneurs in the informal economy of an LDC operate under a different paradigm than their counterparts

Conceptualising destination membership cards for elite travellers

This study explores two different destination membership card models with the aim of developing a comprehensive framework for understanding this aspect of elite travel. Through a comparative analysis of the different types of destination membership cards, we develop a model that situates tourism knowledge and suggests areas of further research in this under-explored area. Two important destination membership card models are identified: state supported and private sector based. The state-supported agent offers privileged membership, consolidates resources, and creates exclusive experiences. Conversely, the private-sector-based agent tends to amass the resources offered by destination businesses to create exclusive services and provide special access to resources. Both types are significant agents that channel and empower travellers in the high-end segment, thereby creating further differentiation in products and services in the context of market segmentation. Der vorliegende Artikel widmet sich dem bisher wenig betrachteten Bereich von „Destination Membership Cards“ im Segment der Luxusreisenden. Den Kern des Beitrages stellt eine vergleichende Analyse der beiden zentralen Betreibermodelle derartiger Angebote, nämlich den staatlich geförderten beziehungsweise den privatwirtschaftlich organisierten Mitgliedsangeboten, dar. Stark verkürzt, lassen sich für staatlich unterstützte Initiativen die Ziele einer privilegierten Mitgliedschaft, der Konsolidierung von Ressourcen und die Schaffung exklusiver Erlebnisse konstatieren. Umgekehrt tendieren Initiativen im privaten Sektor dazu, die von den Zielunternehmen angebotenen Ressourcen anzuhäufen, um exklusive Dienste und einen besonderen Zugang zu Ressourcen zu schaffen. Beide Ansätze stellen interessante Instrumente dar, das Segment der High-End-Reisenden zu stärken und zukünftig stärker zu beeinflussen. Darüber hinaus führen sie zu einer zunehmenden Differenzierung von Produkten und Dienstleistungen und damit zu einer stärkeren Marktsegmentierung

Profiling the tropical entrepreneur

Amongst the different existing types of entrepreneurs (e.g., portfolio entrepreneurs, serial entrepreneurs, and social entrepreneurs), an important one has been overlooked: the tropical entrepreneur. While most of the world’s socioeconomically disadvantaged people live in the tropics, they are all dependent on endangered tropical natural resources. Rapid migration and urbanization require tropical cities to expand rapidly, and in doing so, they become increasingly attractive to entrepreneurs. This phenomenon calls for an exploration of the profile of the entrepreneur based in the tropics, seen through a climatological and geographical lens. This chapter’s point of departure is a review of relevant literature. Subsequently, based on quantitative and descriptive analyses of n = 81 surveys collected between October 2020 and March 2021, we empirically assessed what a tropical location means to entrepreneurs. On a granular level, the findings indicate how gender, age groups, and education levels result in different perceptions of tropical locations’ coastal proximity, presence of infectious diseases, and agricultural productivity. Our findings also open avenues for future research and provide clear takeaways for practitioners and entrepreneurs in the tropics

Resource-conserving entrepreneurial behaviour of micro-entrepreneurs: evidence from a Tanzanian community

To conserve the planet for current and future generations, researchers in entrepreneurship have focused increasingly on pro-environmental entrepreneurial behaviour. However, in tropical constrained environments, factors underlying pro environmental entrepreneurial behaviour (for example, resource conservation, as considered in this study) have been largely understudied. Against this background, this chapter examines a prototypical sample of 140 micro-entrepreneurs (food vendors, in this case) in Iringa, a city in the Southern Highlands region of Tanzania. The analyses show that resource-conserving entrepreneurial behaviours and actions depend on entrepreneurial competencies and the micro-entrepreneurs’ attitudes towards resource conservation, the latter of which is, in turn, crucially contingent upon the entrepreneurs’ educational background. Apart from the theoretical implications that can be drawn from the granular findings, on a broader level, this study contributes to a much-needed deeper contextualisation of entrepreneurship as a research field. Several practical implications, revolving around reconsidered education and training young generations, are presented in the concluding discussion

The performance of subsistence entrepreneurs in Tanzania's informal economy

Many scholars have found difficulties with the applicability of Western entrepreneurship typologies in non-Western contexts. Hence, this paper "takes a step back" by revealing what does apply as opposed to what does not apply. First, this paper investigates what the performance of subsistence entrepreneurs in Tanzania's informal economy consists of. Second, it examines which demographic and social factors predict that performance. Based on a literature review and a pre-study, a main study with questionnaires was completed by 152 informal food vendors —that is, "subsistence entrepreneurs", in southern Tanzania. Next, correlation, factor, reliability and regression analyses were performed to test the hypotheses. Based on a factor analysis, a distinction is made between basic performance and advanced performance. The results show that advanced performance is positively influenced by experience and age; but other factors, such as the subsistence entrepreneur's gender, education and support from family, have no effect

Entrepreneurship, knowledge-economy and economic success of cities: a ccoping review and thematic analysis

The existing literature on the interplay between entrepreneurship, knowledge-based economy and urban economic prosperity has often portrayed a predictable relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth, yet the arguments are mainly broad-brush. It appears that most studies fail to pay adequate attention to the dynamic forces of positive externalities and mechanisms through which they affect the sources of economic growth in cities. This paper adopts a scoping review approach to determine the scope, coverage, knowledge gap and context of the existing literature on the topic. The paper further uses thematic analysis to identify, analyse and report the patterns in the reviewed literature. The paper finds that the literature relating to the entrepreneurship–growth nexus determinants is sporadic and less structured. The paper concludes that the multidimensionality of this complicated relationship requires a more systematic understanding of the dynamic interaction between factors such as innovation, urbanisation and technology. Additionally, this scoping review finds that while migration and industry clusters are growing phenomena in both developed and developing countries, their effects on entrepreneurial activities and growth have yet to receive sufficient attention. Finally, the paper finds a paucity of comparative studies on the multi-level interactions of entrepreneurial activities at the industry–city–country level

Entrepreneurial motivation in a least developed country: push factors and pull factors among MSEs in Uganda

The objective of this study is to explore entrepreneurial motivation in a least developed country (LDC), which can be divided into push factors and pull factors, without a priori separation between those which are necessity-driven and those which are opportunity-driven. This study shows that the premise "For people who start their own business in an LDC, push factors are more important than pull factors" can be rejected. In contrast to the findings from prior studies on entrepreneurship in LDCs, this study shows that push factors and pull factors are not mutually exclusive. In addition, this study shows that pull factors are even more important than push factors, and that therefore push factors only play a minor role for entrepreneurs. The overall implications are that motivation is a more combined, and nuanced construct, and that the Western concept of entrepreneurial motivation and method of measuring entrepreneurial motivation, are globally applicable

Exploring wellbeing indicators of women micro entrepreneurs in Zambia

Wellbeing is the sustained state of feeling well, healthy, and prosperous. Sometimes it is also referred to as happiness: frequent experiences of positive feelings (Diener, 1994, 2000). Wellbeing can be achieved by numerous factors. Being oriented towards sustainability is one way for an individual to improve one's wellbeing because addressing environmental and social concerns can lead to better feelings of health, prosperity, and happiness. In this chapter, sustainability orientations are concerned primarily with the micro entrepreneurs willingness to address environmental and social issues. Shepherd and Patzelt (2011) suggested that the sustainability orientations depend largely on the micro entrepreneurs' realisation that their environment is suffering. Their altruism and their knowledge of social and environmental factors (such as those related to the community and the climate) also matter. Taking this as the baseline, sustainability is defined in this chapter as the micro entrepreneur's social and environmental orientations while starting and/or actively running a business – akin to an adapted definition of Roxas, Ashill, and Chadee (2017, p.164) which is "strategic stance of firms to integrate [social and] natural environmental considerations into their business strategy"