Autonomy-connectedness in collectivistic cultures: an exploratory cross-cultural study among Portuguese natives, Cape-Verdean and Chinese people residing in Portugal

The present investigation focuses on a recent personality trait construct, Autonomy-connectedness. This concept has been proposed as a three-dimensional variable (self-awareness, sensitivity to others, and capacity to manage new situations), which intends to reflect a more gender- and culture- sensitive notion of autonomy rather than a value based on individualism and hegemonic masculinity. Two studies were conducted. Study I (N = 185) aimed to adapt the Autonomy-Connectedness Scale (ACS-30) to Portuguese and evaluate its three dimensions among a Portuguese sample. The subscales showed satisfactory reliability and overall results converge with previous studies on Autonomy-connectedness. Study II aimed to analyze and compare three different cultural groups, namely Portuguese natives and, Chinese and Cape Verdean immigrants residing in Portugal. A total of 90 participants (30 participants per nationality/cultural group) collaborated in the study. The findings suggest cultural differences in autonomy-connectedness, as well as a possible association between acculturation processes and autonomy-connectedness. This study extends to the support of autonomy-connectedness as a conceptually meaningful construct, with contributions to both gender and cross-cultural studies.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Autonomy-connectedness, gender and culture: a comparative study on the interplay of personality functioning and social context

Autonomy-connectedness refers to the need and ability the individual has for selfgovernance, as well as the capacity for intimacy and interpersonal relationships. The present study aimed to examine and compare participants (N=121) of four different cultural groups, namely Portuguese natives as well as Brazilian, British and Ukrainian immigrants residing in Portugal, on the different autonomy-connectedness components (self-awareness: SA; sensitivity to others: SO; capacity for managing new situations: CMNS). It also aimed at investigating the relationship between autonomy-connectedness and acculturation among the groups of immigrants. The results showed significant gender differences and among the cultural groups on SO. Adherence to the heritage culture was associated with the distinct dimensions of autonomy-connectedness differently for the various groups, and time of residence was also key in how the dimensions were endorsed cross time. This study contributes to the theoretical framework of the concept of autonomy-connectedness in light of cross-cultural perspectives.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Towards a distinction between technology incubators and non-technology incubators: can they contribute to economic growth?

Business incubators are an increasingly popular tool for promoting job and wealth creation. Yet given the heterogeneity of incubation models, it is not always clear how incubators operate, what their main characteristics are and how can they best contribute to job and wealth creation. If technology is central in promoting economic growth and new firm creation the crucial mechanism in transferring new knowledge to markets, then technology incubators have the biggest potential to contribute to economic growth. We define technology incubators by their strategic choices in terms 1/26 of mission, linkages to universities and geographical location. We investigate their nature by comparing the levels of business services provision, selection criteria, exit policy and tenants’ characteristics. Our sample includes 12 incubators located in six Northwestern European countries and a total of 101 incubated companies. Data were collected in both incubators and among their tenants. Results show that technology incubators provide more tenants with their services, select younger companies and practice stricter exit policies. Additionally, they tend to attract more experienced teams of entrepreneurs. Our main contribution is a better understanding of the technology incubators impact against the remainder population of business incubators. We speculate that incubators not focused in incubating technology might not be fostering company creation and therefore not actively contributing to growth. Further, the low levels of service provision are both a product and a consequence of slack selection criteria and weak exit policies. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings to business incubator managers, policy makers and prospective tenants

Industrial Clusters in Russia: The Development of Special Economic Zones and Industrial Parks

This paper investigates the process of developing and implementing special economic zones (SEZs) and industrial parks in Russia. Governments commonly use SEZ policies to develop and diversify exports, create jobs and launch technology/knowledge sharing. The industrial cluster concept is based on the significance of rivalry and supplier networks within the cluster, the combination of geographical specificities and government policies that lead to innovation and productivity growth. This study reveals that in Russia the government′s approach in developing these initiatives has strongly interfered with business activities and prevented the vital competitive and collaborative behavior of firms within these economic zones