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Several different theoretical perspectives were examined in terms of the internationalisation processes of entrepreneurial firms. This article is built on past studies that recognize the case that when an entrepreneurial firm undertakes an internationalization strategy, financial, social and human capital factors all play a major role in its succes...
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Organizational learning is a scientific field of growing importance. It has developed from classic and foundational works to the two disparate perspectives today: the acquisition and the participation perspective. The first understands knowledge as a substance, mind as a container, and learning as a transfer of a substance from one mind to another....
Citations
... Again, research indicate that, identified gender differences are in terms of management style, organizational structure of the enterprises, and the degree of empowerment in them (Ascher 2012). Where, common characteristics include age, education, work experience, networks, skills and knowledge spill-over (Audretsch 2012;Badal & Streur 2014;Goedhuys & Sleuwaegen 2010;Njiro, Mazwai, & Urban 2010;Ramachandran & Shah 1999;Urban 2012;Urban et al. 2008). ...
The rise of women entrepreneurship as an economic stimulator globally as seen recently is not only heard in social or economic debates, but also in gender related issues. Thus, this paper argues the need for WomEntrepreneurs contribution to the economy and society in general to be recognized and at the forefront. Women are one of the groups that are underrepresented and under-researched in entrepreneurship studies. They are classified and treated under the same umbrella of beings with no capability of managing and growing a business beyond profit making with employees than their male counter-parts. Even though, they have different backgrounds, are brought up differently, accessed opportunities (including their access to different market) and resources differently. Research indicate, women are better educated, skilled and start businesses that have growth potential. That is, there are a select few High-Growth and Impact WomEntrepreneurs among the female population. These High Growth and Impact WomEntrepreneurs, even strive under great resource scarcity and high uncertainty. This is despite the challenges of stereo types that want women to constantly prove themselves. The word “WomEntrepreneur, High Growth and Impact WomEntrepreneur and WomEntrepreneurship” has been coined by the researcher to identify opportunity driven women entrepreneurs within the “high growth” women entrepreneurship space which adds as a contribution, and might also prove useful in entrepreneurship studies. Gender plays a huge role in society, as men tend to have easy access to education, business, family and financial support and their businesses are growth driven and perform very well financially. While on the other hand, data indicate that, women find it difficult to secure financial resources. Hence, the aim of this paper is to discuss High-Growth and Impact WomEntrepreneurs, as a recognized gender of recent times in growing global economies and the individual factors (tested: confidence and risk-taker, reliability and determination) that drive this phenomenon. The paucity of studies addressing women theories and individual WomEntrepreneurs entrepreneurial attributes has led the call for incorporating the validated SIGMO Model, which considers the individual, the firm and the environment, as tested in South Africa which is considered as an economy that is still developing, using data collected from WomEntrepreneurs. WomEntrepreneurs are identified as highly educated than their male counter-parts. The paper addresses High Growth and Impact WomEntrepreneurship as a gender issue and also looks at the individual factors that influence and propel WomEntrepreneurs into High-Growth and Impact WomEntrepreneurs. Thus, in order to answer the research question of this study: How High-growth and Impact WomEntrepreneurs contribute to economic growth? The study undertook a quantitative research method, where online surveys were undertaken to access High Growth and Impact WomEntrepreneurs individual factors that positively contribute to High Growth Formation in firms managed by High Growth and Impact WomEntrepreneurs. Recommendations to policy makers have been drafted, which will encourage and support such an activity to sustain, grow and remove stereo types.
... It also enhances ability of the apipreneurs' to promote additional product development, production and promotion. Entrepreneurs' connection with stakeholders involved in their supply chains enables the easy access to resources and also ensure sale of the produce on a wider mass (Urban & Shree, 2012). ...
The paper assessed the apipreneurs of Kerala based on their entrepreneurial potential. Ex post facto research design was followed for the study conducted during 2019-2020. The location of the study was South Kerala focusing on three districts viz., Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Kottayam. Seventy-five apipreneurs were randomly selected for the study. Based on the study it was found that about 69 per cent of the apipreneurs had medium level of entrepreneurial potential. The results obtained from principal component analysis on the dimensions of entrepreneurial potential, based on Eigen vectors revealed that the three dimensions viz., entrepreneurial motivation, management competencies and social competencies had influenced the entrepreneurial potential of the apipreneur.
... Prim, Amal, and Carvalho (2016) also didn't find that innovation leads to export performance. Meanwhile, Urban and Shree (2012) states that internationalization generates innovation and creativity, two forms of improvement either for product or production process. Other research also shows that internationalization triggers innovation (Chang et al., 2019;Genc et al., 2019).The exposition promotes the following hypothesis: ...
This article aims to explore the factors influencing MSMEs – Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises production process improvement using variables of VRIO (Value Rarity, Inimitability, and Organization) resources and capabilities, foreign market knowledge, and internationalization. This research is conducted in 150 exporting-MSMEs samples in Central Java, Indonesia. The main analysis applied in this research is multiple regressions. The result shows that VRIO resources and capability, foreign market knowledge, and internationalization, significantly influenced production process improvement. It emphasizes that degree of internationalization only weakly influencing process improvement. The more important factors are internal factors like knowledge, resources, and capability. The result obtained can be used as the basis to develop the strategy of capability improvement for MSMEs in designing internationalization strategy. The strategy will closely relate to MSMEs’ process improvement to compete in international market. This research provides two contributions. First, the internationalization of handicraft MSMEs does not strongly define MSMEs production process improvement. Second, process improvement can be accelerated by gaining market knowledge and exploiting valuable, rare, inimitable, and organized resources and capabilities.
... The theory was grounded on the assumption that top managers face cognitive limitations and thus are boundedly rational. Meanwhile, studies in the small business context emphasized the significance of an entrepreneur in the international expansion of the firm and aimed to investigate the elements of human capital, contributing to the international performance (Lafuente, Stoian, & Rialp, 2015;Lin, Mercier-Suissa, & Salloum, 2016;Lucchella, Palamara, & Denicolai, 2007;Urban & Shree, 2012). The emphasis was put on knowledge, skills, talent and experience of entrepreneurs, contributing to strategic choices and consequently value of the firm (Javalgi & Todd, 2011). ...
... To combat and reduce the negative effects of transaction costs that small-scale agripreneurs typically encounter, the improvement of human and social capital has been recognised as essential (Louw et al. 2008;Shree & Urban 2012 knowledge level of small-scale agripreneurs, while enhancing social capital and collective capacity of these producers (Randela et al. 2008:460). ...
... Levels of educational attainment are commonly considered to have implications for different types of entrepreneurial behaviour (Shree & Urban 2012). Longitudinal research on the relationship between education and entrepreneurship shows that (1) better-educated entrepreneurs pursue more opportunity-based ventures; ...
... Social capital consists of both bridging and bonding ties, where both weak and strong ties have potential to build social capital (Adler & Kwon 2000:22). Small-scale agripreneurs may rely on industry organisations or study groups (weak ties) to access relevant information in terms of bridging social capital, while relying on family members (strong ties) to access funding in terms of bonding social capital (Shree & Urban 2012). Individuals with higher levels of social capital are likely to be provided with enhanced access to information including trust from others. ...
Orientation: Participating in the agriculture and agro-processing chain has the potential to enhance the competitive advantage of small-scale agricultural enterprises in South Africa.
Research purpose: The study empirically investigated the extent to which agro-processing participation is determined by human and social capital factors, while accounting for the moderating effects of transaction costs.
Motivation of the study: Research is required that examines levels of human and social capital of small-scale agripreneurs, as these act as major constraints towards improved competitiveness of agribusinesses.
Design: To test the study hypotheses, a structured questionnaire was administered to 166 small-scale agripreneurs at farmer gatherings across regions in South Africa.
Findings: Based on the survey results, both human and social capital factors showed a positive and significant influence on agro-processing participation. The findings further highlight the importance of market access and transaction costs to small-scale agripreneurs.
Practical implications: Policy-makers need to be aware of how human capital factors such as previous education and experience impact participation in agro-processing activities and help to mitigate transaction costs.
Contribution: Study findings are highly relevant to South Africa as agro-processing and value-adding activities are not always scale dependent, and hence, a focus on human and social capital is valuable.
... Scholars engaged with IC research have proposed different definitions, conceptualisations and categorisations (Djamil et al. 2013). Several authors suggest that the different dimensions of IC need to complement each other in order for organisations to achieve their organisational goals (Johannessen et al. 2005;Shree, Urban 2012;Tsakalerou 2015). ...
... HC represents the individual knowledge stock of an organisation as represented by its employees and which is inseparable from its bearer (Becker 1964;Bontis et al. 2000;Mention, Bontis 2013). HC exemplifies the investment and costs in education and skills (Shree, Urban 2012) as held by employees through tangible and intangible resources. Employees generate IC through competence (skills and education), attitude (behavioural component) and intellectual agility (enabling one to change practise and consider innovative solutions) (Bontis et al. 2000). ...
Intellectual capital (IC) as the knowledge-based equity of organizations is increasingly recognised as an important value contributor to performance. By building on previous research, the study examines the IC components of human capital, structural capital and relational capital as they relate to organisational performance. Following past international studies, a model is developed and statistically tested. A survey is administered to firms across several industries and data is analysed employing structural equation modelling. Recognising that replications and extensions of IC studies are vital to knowledge development, comparisons with international studies are made. The results provide support for the hypotheses where relationships between the IC components and performance are evident. These findings suggest that it is crucial for an organisation to optimise the utilisation of its human capital for the sake of optimising its structural capital, which leads to higher performance. By positioning the study in terms of IC literature, the study offers the ability to compare the present study findings with similar findings across countries.
... Human capital is socially embedded and is strongly inf luenced by social structures (Urban, Shree 2012). Noted McCarthy et al. (2011) that a focus on human capital de velopment ensures that the right talent will be in place to achieve the organizational strategic aims by effective human resource management practices. ...
This study aims to explore impact of managerial human capital in performance of a Syrian public organization, Directorate of Finance of province of Damascus, through use some of managerial characteristics are age, level of education, tenure and functional track. This study applied on a sample of 12 managers and 138 employees. The study reveals that there are no significant effect of age, level of education and functional track in performance of Directorate of Finance of province of Damascus, while there is a positive, strong and significant effect of tenure manager in organizational performance, which indicates that managerial characteristics almost irrelevant with performance of Directorate of Finance of the province of Damascus, and the public sector in general. Such results appear a need for efforts are invested in the formulation and implementation of human resource procedures and policies which can bring about effective change in behaviours and roles of the public managers and employees.
While the importance of knowledge management is increasingly acknowledged, many firms do not fully understand the significance of innovativeness in relation to knowledge management and firm performance. Consequently, the objective of this article is to investigate innovativeness and its relationship with knowledge management and organizational performance in an under-examined industry sector and country context. The study methodology was survey-based and took place in the hospitality industry sector in Lesotho, Africa. Findings highlight the importance of knowledge management practices as an important driver of firm performance, where the results emphasize the positive mediating effect of innovativeness on the relationship between knowledge management and firm performance. The study has important practitioner and policy implications, where it is recommended that knowledge management be utilized in conjunction with innovativeness so as to positively influence firm performance. The article delivers a novel contribution to the literature in terms of establishing empirical associations between knowledge management, innovativeness and firm performance in an emerging country context.
Social networks serve as an important source for new business opportunities in foreign markets and are considered as one of the most significant resources for the internationalising firm in emerging markets. This article empirically examines how internationalised firms in under-researched African context access and use social networks to increase their recognition of opportunities. Hypotheses are formulated based on several social networking principles and are tested statistically. The findings highlight that interacting with international contacts more fre-quently is associated with higher levels of opportunity recognition when compared to firms with fewer interactions. Additionally, internationalised firms tend to spend more time developing and maintaining contacts which are associated with higher levels of opportunity recognition. The article makes a contribution to the international entrepreneurship literature by demonstrating that multiple social networking factors will raise the level of opportunity recognition for internationalised firms in South Africa.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to understand the influence of internal resource drivers on internationalization of commercial banks.
Design/methodology/approach
– Panel data on 46 Indian commercial banks from 2008 to 2012 were collected from secondary sources to measure how assets size, human resources, branding and advertising, ownership and age influence the international diversification of the commercial bank. Internationalization of the commercial bank was measured in terms of international advances intensity, international borrowing intensity and number of countries served. Regression models were designed with controlled multicolinearity, heterogeneity and exogeneity.
Findings
– Higher assets’ size, higher human resources, private ownership and higher organizational age led to internationalization of Indian commercial banks. However, higher branding and advertisement expenses and state ownership were found to be negatively related to international diversification.
Originality/value
– Internationalization is one of the growth strategies of a firm which cannot be unified and generalized due to resource heterogeneity. So this necessitates a large number of studies sector-wise, sub-sector-wise, product-wise, industry-wise and region-wise. There is a dearth of literature on resource view of internationalization of commercial banks. So, this Indian study adds a new finding on resource-based view of internationalization to the existing body of knowledge.
