Guest Editorial. Innovation, management, and governance for sustainable growth.

The main objective of this special issue is to recognize the excellent and enriching contribution of researchers who have made an important contribution to the Journal of Entrepreneurial People and Community Places in the Global Economy (JEC). This issue contributes to the literature on new governance models based on new implementations of technologies, the evolution of human behaviours and their effect on a fluctuating society, new management models and the relationships between organizational mechanisms. Researchers are already detecting that consumers are adopting a new posture of change, especially in new forms of payment. Museba et al. (2021) stress the importance of the implication of a need for access to unbanked financial services. There is also a need to support digital literacy and digital skills in all scientific branches to implement new jobs (Abdulquadri et al., 2021). In addition, empowered democratic movements are emerging globally, where new leadership models that are aligned with business strategies are required (Moccia et al., 2020). In doing so, this issue supports the long-term socio-economic growth of innovation and knowledge management. The contributions provided and the conclusions drawn from them are of real interest to decision-makers and decision-makers in both private and public organizations who are responsible for defining new strategies. It is also of interest to the entire academic community. In this sense, the Academic World is promoted by an enriching ecosystem centered on the valuable contributions of authors, suggestions from Editorial Board members, reviewers" considerations and comments based on constructive criticism, and associate editors. JEC"s impact factor, as CiteScoreTracker of 3.0 (updated as of 4 October 2021), demonstrates its commitment and the quality of its contributions. Therefore, these comments are intended to recognize the researchers who have contributed in different ways to all these achievements

Challenged global economics amid conflict in warring countries

This research delves into the multifaceted challenges posed to society and regional development in the wake of Russia"s invasion of Ukraine, with a specific focus on the period spanning from February 2022 to February 2023 as a response to the social and entrepreneurial threats that have appeared due to the conflict. In addition, this research seeks not only to alleviate prevailing uncertainties but also to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the economic landscape by identifying causal factors and providing a relevant contextual framework for the threats to society and regional development in the aftermath of Russia"s invasion of Ukraine, which affects sustainability both economically and socially. These disruptions have given rise to unprecedented uncertainties that could potentially trigger an irreversible cascade of shortages, leading to escalating costs of critical or irreplaceable products that directly affect regional development. This paper scrutinizes this intricate process, aiming to discern underlying patterns and mitigate the prevailing uncertainty—a state that challenges rational decisionmaking. In this pursuit, established economic theories are deployed to provide comprehensive insights into the evolving reality. Through an in-depth analysis of the interplay between the Covid-19 pandemic, the ensuing economic crisis, and the ramifications of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, this research reveals a stark decline in economic growth. In addition, the present study explores potential solutions, emphasizing the importance of enhancing workforce skills through meticulously designed educational strategies and promoting gender diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs

Guest Editorial: Sustainable growth and development in the food and beverage sector

The main reason for writing this Editorial on the Special Issue 'Sustainable growth and development in the food and beverage sector” is to acknowledge the brilliant contribution of the researchers who have enriched the British Food Journal (BFJ) with their contributions. This Special Issue contributes to the literature on the advancement of technologies and their impact on individuals" behaviours, measures to be taken for environmental protection and green consumption, extends research in the field of sustainable supply chain management, consumer perceptions and reactions to food products and provides various tools to manage individuals" behaviours. Previous studies have already identified changes adapted to the environment. Consumers are becoming increasingly demanding and require their needs to be met as quickly as possible (Baker et al., 2020). The literature also demonstrates the growing interest of digitalization in institutions, even affecting customer consumption (Zhuang et al., 2021). Selby et al. (2021) claim that individuals with low levels of physical activity, poor diet and smoking tend to acquire higher risks on their adaptations. Another issue is the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in numerous restrictions in daily life, including social isolation and lack of defined protocols (Jaworski, 2021). Individuals" lifestyles have been modified, and they have had to adapt in order not to spread the virus. According to Ammar et al. (2020), food consumption and eating patterns were characterised as more unhealthy during confinement

Intelligent recruitment: how to identify, select, and retain talents from around the world using artificial intelligence.

This research analyzes how digital technologies contribute to improving the successive stages of the recruitment process: identifying, selecting, and retaining talented people. E-recruitment is an emerging and polymorphous phenomenon that starts with identification of candidates on social networks, continues through gamification of recruitment and job interviews with chatbots, and ends by matching a candidate and a job using artificial intelligence. These technologies are particularly useful for social businesses looking to recruit not only skilled people, but above all employees who have behaviors and values that match their mission. The methodology is based on grounded theory, participant observation, and qualitative data collection. A multiple case study is designed to analyze, compare, and combine several technologies dedicated to recruitment: (1) a social network with LinkedIn, (2) a MOOC with Udacity, (3) a serious game called Reveal from L'Oréal, (4) a chatbot called Ari from TextRecruit, and (5) a massive data analysis matching system with Randstad.tech. The discussion examines the respective performance and limits of these tools and their convergence via a progressive integration that leads to an uberization of recruitment. Managerial recommendations are formulated to support recruiters in their adoption of e-recruitment

Mindfulness "effects on undergraduates" perception of self-knowledges and stress levels

In this study, mindfulness was applied in the university to help students reach a higher self-knowledge and reduce stress levels. The general goals are for students to identify their role in every situation and moment of their everyday routine and to teach them how to control their emotions, thus increasing their motivation and tolerance to frustration. The sample consisted of 64 students of Business Administration and International Business degrees. The method involved multiple sessions and exercises that took place for eight weeks. Using data from an initial questionnaire and a final, long-term questionnaire, this study assesses stress determinants. The conclusions indicate that participants' stress levels are up to 15% lower, and they feel more relaxed. Mindfulness is an additional tool for self-knowledge acquisition that increases motivation and enables analysis of the environment through a more objective viewpoint

Towards an entrepreneurial leadership based on kindness in a digital age

This study identifies the main competencies required for an entrepreneurial leadership style in the digital age and for effectiveness in innovative organisations. A total of 119 leaders in the technology sector were surveyed. Seven latent variables that give meaning to a new style are identified through a factor analysis. The results show that Teamwork, Motivation and Risk-taking have a direct and significant impact. They are the most developed competencies and, therefore, the ones that have the greatest impact on the Kinder Leadership style (that is, one based more on kindness, caring, gentleness, and graciousness towards colleagues). Creativity and Caring for Others had the least effect. A number of tools are offered for improving the competences with the lowest impact and pushing towards kind entrepreneurship. An entrepreneurial attitude improves the quality of the entrepreneurial ecosystem for business management

Development of an integrative model for electronic vendor relationship management for improving technological innovation, social change and sustainability performance

Vendor relationship management (VRM) is a software tool that helps to provide seamless connectivity between buyer and supplier. With the rapid development of information and communication technology (ICT) most firms have migrated to electronic VRM (EVRM) capability. Only a few studies have examined how EVRM can impact the dynamic B2B capability of firms that combine technological and social innovation in support of transitions and the achievement of business goals. There are also very few interdisciplinary studies using a range of performance matrices to explore the relationship between firms' dynamic B2B capabilities and their sustainability performance, mediated through their various sustainable growth opportunities. In this context, this study aims to develop an integrative model for B2B EVRM capability and firm sustainability. With the help of dynamic capability view (DCV) theory and related literature, a theoretical model is proposed. This model was later validated using the covariance-based structural equation modeling technique (CB-SEM), in considering 378 responses from Indian firms. The study has three main findings. First, EVRM capability significantly and positively impacts B2B dynamic relationship capability between the firm and the vendors. Second, B2B dynamic relationship management capability has a significant and positive impact on firms' sustainability performance mediated through the financial, environmental, and operational performance of the firm. And third, Environmental dynamism (ED) plays a significant role as a moderator, influencing B2B dynamic relationship management capability

Mindfulness as an entrepreneurship tool for improving the working environment and self-awareness

This paper presents how to implement a program with an Intrapreneurship methodology such as Mindfulness which develops the emotional intelligence. The objective is for workers to acquire role self-awareness using Mindfulness, and to improve the working environment. The results obtained after analysing quantitative variables are presented for a sample of 76 professionals working in nursing homes for the elderly after a Mindfulness and Emotional Management program for 8 weeks. The before and after step in the FFMQ questionnaire is used to examine how it acts as a measurement model for obtaining a report composed of 39 items, which measures the general tendency towards Mindfulness, based on five skills. The results show improvements in all the dimensions, and particularly in Observing, Acting with Self-Awareness and Nonjudging. In conclusion, the workers' social well-being improved after the program was implemented, thereby contributing to the improvement of their relationships with their colleagues

Developing management skills through experiential learning: the effectiveness of outdoor training and mindfulness

The primary goal of this study is to develop a tool to measure the personal and interpersonal skills of individuals who participate in experiential learning based on outdoor training and mindfulness sessions. This paper presents the results of an application of this method to a sample of 97 participants (49 employees and 48 master’s and undergraduate students). Using competency questionnaires, participants were evaluated by managers and tutors. Participants were assessed individually. The following competencies were analysed: teamwork, communication, leadership, motivation, stress tolerance, organisation and planning, responsibility, and analysis, resolution and anticipation of problems. The results show that students and employees require further development in terms of their leadership, teamwork, responsibility and stress tolerance. Teamwork should be promoted. Individuals should be encouraged to delegate and accept opinions, ideas and criticism from other team members. It is important to identify the leader and the followers. This requires all individuals to accept their roles and responsibilities by taking charge of their actions. For the sample of workers, the manager’s evaluations were consistently less positive than the evaluations by the workers themselves

Ecosystem emergence in emerging markets: Evidence from the Nigerian digital financial services ecosystem

Ecosystem emergence has gained the attention of multiple researches, governments and developmente experts as a route to estabishing linkages between institutions and insdustries aimed, ultimately, at value creation for the end customer. Ecosystems have been instrumental in the progress of various industries where it would be otherwise difficults for a single organisation to develop. Using the case of the Nigerian digital financial ecosystem, which comprises about forty-three organisations, this study traces and explores the stages of ecosystem emergence: initiation, envisioning, enacting, momentum, control/optimisation and enlivening. The results show that the Nigerian digital financial services (DFS) ecosystem emerged from the need to leverage strategic partnerships across several industries for efficient value creation and delivey. The emergence of the DFS ecosystem, though organic, evolved without any form os design intentionality by the operators and regulators, as most relationships and interactions were loosely coupled. The study highlights the need for ecosystem actors such as governments and regulators to provide more clarity on incentives and ecosystem rules in order to overcome the limitations imposed by system-level and institutional barries that constrain its legitinacy and growth and the launch of new initiative