Transferring intermediate technologies to rural enterprises in developing economies: a conceptual framework

This paper integrates the contributions from different branches of the technology transfer literature to identify enablers driving the transfer of intermediate or appropriate technologies to recipients in rural areas of developing economies. An in-depth analysis of the literature shows that many enablers identified in the literature focus on high technology transfers and are of limited relevance in the context of rural enterprises. Other important enablers in this specific setting are ignored or insufficiently considered. This paper proposes a framework comprising a specific set of enablers that facilitates technology transfer in rural enterprises in developing regional economies

Guest editors' introduction : diversity and inclusion in different work settings:emerging patterns, challenges, and research agenda

The purpose of this article is to analyze and highlight the developments in the current scholarship on managing diversity and inclusion (D&I) and provide insights for future research. While doing so, the article advances our understanding of “what matters” in this field, through the integration of different literature concerning the dimensions of D&I. It also provides a neo-institutionalist framework, which locates different themes in the D&I scholarship to assist in further development of the field. It argues for a consideration of inquiry in D&I from a neo-institutionalist perspective to encourage interdisciplinarity and align with broader social science research in human resource management (HRM) and development, highlighting the complexity involved in the theorizing of D&I management in organizations. Specifically, we argue for the need to engage with a variety of stakeholders concerned with the management of D&I, to enable cross-fertilization of theories and mixing methods for future research designs. The article also introduces the manuscripts included in this special issue and build on them as well to develop the future research agenda. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Migrant entrepreneurs as cosmopolitan change agents:a Bourdieuan perspective on capital accumulation

Purpose : The aim of this paper is to provide novel insights into how the cosmopolitan mind-set can be fostered at a time of globalization by considering a group of social actors that has received scant attention in the literature on institutional change, notably migrant entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach : This is a conceptual study that draws on Bourdieu’s theory of capital to develop a set of testable propositions as to how the economic, cultural, social and symbolic capital endowments of migrant entrepreneurs shape their agency in bringing about cosmopolitan transformation. Findings : Together, migrant entrepreneurs endowed with higher levels of capital may act as institution reformers and promote the cosmopolitan mind-set by influencing the beliefs, incentives and behaviors of those embedded in more entrenched traditional institutions. Research limitations/implications : Our conceptual framework deals with only one of the many agents that may help bring about cosmopolitan change and is particularly well suited to a Western European context. Practical implications This conceptual paper provides a number of testable propositions that can be central to an empirical investigation into how the levels of capital possessed by migrant entrepreneurs affect their engagement in cosmopolitan change. Originality/value : The novelty of this paper lies in the development of a set of propositions that shows how divergent change toward a cosmopolitan vision might be engendered by spatially dispersed actors endowed with varying degrees of economic, cultural, social and symbolic capital

Knowledge flows, learning and development in an international context

In the editorial of this special issue we argue that knowledge flows,learning and development are becoming increasingly important in all organisations operating in an international context. The possession of capabilities relating to acquisition, configuration and transfer of relevant knowledge effectively within and across different organisational units, teams, and countries is integrally related to superior organisational performance. In mastering such capabilities, internationalised organisations need to grapple with the inherent challenges relating to contextual variation and different work modes between subsidiaries, partners or team members. The papers in this special issue cast light on crucial aspects of knowledge flows, learning and development in internationalised organisations. Their contribution varies from the provision of frameworks to systematise investigation of these issues, to empirical evidence about effective mechanisms, as well as enabling and constraining forces, in facilitating knowledge transfer, learning and human capital development

What matters in business incubation? A literature review and a suggestion for situated theorising

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to provide a critical assessment of the literature on business incubation effectiveness and second, to submit a situated theoretical perspective on how business incubation management can provide an environment that supports the development of incubatee entrepreneurs and their businesses. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a narrative critical assessment of the literature on business incubation effectiveness. Definitional issues, performance aspects and approaches to establishing critical success factors in business incubation are discussed. Business incubation management is identified as an overarching factor for theorising on business incubation effectiveness. Findings – The literature on business incubation effectiveness suffers from several deficiencies, including definitional incongruence, descriptive accounts, fragmentation and lack of strong conceptual grounding. Notwithstanding the growth of research on this domain, understanding of how entrepreneurs and their businesses develop within the business incubator environment remains limited. Given the importance of relational, intangible factors in business incubation and the critical role of business incubation management in orchestrating and optimising such factors, it is suggested that theorising efforts would benefit from a situated perspective. Originality/value – The identification of specific shortcomings in the literature on business incubation highlights the need for more systematic efforts towards theory building. It is suggested that focusing on the role of business incubation management from a situated learning theory perspective can lend itself to a more profound understanding of the development process of incubatee entrepreneurs and their firms. Theoretical propositions are offered to this effect, as well as avenues for future research

Profiling high-growth enterprises in Portugal

This paper describes employer enterprise dynamics in Portugal for high-growth and gazelle enterprises for the period 1990-2007, using the methodology by Eurostat/OECD. It discusses stylized facts related to performance and employment by size, region and sector, to a detail which has not been previously considered, uncovering potential business areas of growth which are of prime importance for the country’s economic growth and development. Two parallel perspectives are provided, by turnover and by employment. We also provide a comparison between Portuguese firms and some of their European counterparts. This contrast highlights differences in performance related to underlying national framework conditions, and specifically to the regulatory and cultural environment in which Portuguese firms operate, which seems to be instrumental to the understanding of their poorer performance

Profiling high-growth enterprises in Portugal

This paper describes employer enterprise dynamics in Portugal for high-growth and gazelle enterprises for the period 1990-2007, using the methodology by Eurostat/OECD. It discusses stylized facts related to performance and employment by size, region and sector, to a detail which has not been previously considered, uncovering potential business areas of growth which are of prime importance for the country’s economic growth and development. Two parallel perspectives are provided, by turnover and by employment. We also provide a comparison between Portuguese firms and some of their European counterparts. This contrast highlights differences in performance related to underlying national framework conditions, and specifically to the regulatory and cultural environment in which Portuguese firms operate, which seems to be instrumental to the understanding of their poorer performance

Nurturing communities of practice for effective university-to-industry technology transfer:two exemplar cases from the Cauca Region of Columbia

This paper’s primary aim is to demonstrate how university-industry technology transfer can be achieved effectively by nurturing and bridging communities of practice amongst recipients of technology and stakeholders concerned with technology diffusion, productivity and economic development. Its empirical evidence is from an intervention initiative targeting two small-scale industries, namely fish farming and coffee production, in the Cauca region of Colombia. Results show how barriers to transfer have been overcome and the intervention’s design elements and outcomes are discussed

Do small firms fare better without a professional human resource manager?

We examine the direct and indirect effects of human resource (HR) informality—that is, not having a professional HR manager in post—on employee outcomes in growth‐oriented small firms. Drawing from literature of principal–agent relationship and trust, we theorise a moderated‐mediating model between HR informality and unfavourable employee outcomes through owner‐manager's distrust during firm growth. Based on matched employer–employee data from 543 small firms and their 4853 employees in the United Kingdom, the empirical results show a positive and significant association between HR informality and owner‐managers' distrust of staff, especially in multiple‐site (often a manifestation of growth‐oriented) small firms. Through this path, HR informality has a significant and adverse indirect effect on firm recorded staff voluntary turnover, absenteeism, number of dismissals and staff perceived collective trust in management, which counteracts its weak positive direct effect, thus leads to an overall negative impact. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed