What makes organizations so similar? We contend that the engine of rationalization and bureaucratization has moved from the competitive marketplace to the state and the professions. Once a set of organizations emerges as a field, a paradox arises: rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them. We describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative—leading to this outcome. We then specify hypotheses about the impact of resource centralization and dependency, goal ambiguity and technical uncertainty, and professionalization and structuration on isomorphic change. Finally, we suggest implications for theories of organizations and social change.

The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields (Chinese Translation)

Flexible Citizenship: The Cultural Logics of Transnationality. Aihwa Ong. Durham, NIC: Duke University Press, 1999. ix. 322 pp., notes, bibliography, index.

Flexible Citizenship: The Cultural Logics of Transnationality

Purpose – Facing the multiplication of entrepreneurship education programmes (EEP) and the increasing resources allocated, there is a need to develop a common framework to evaluate the design of those programmes. The purpose of this article is to propose such a framework, based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Design/methodology/approach – TPB is a relevant tool to model the development of entrepreneurial intention through pedagogical processes. The independent variables are the characteristics of the EEP and the dependent variables are the antecedents of entrepreneurial behaviour. To illustrate and test the relevance of the evaluation methodology, a pilot study is conducted. Findings – Data are consistent and reliable, considering the small scale of this experiment. The EEP assessed had a strong measurable impact on the entrepreneurial intention of the students, while it had a positive, but not very significant, impact on their perceived behavioural control. Research implications/limitations – This is a first step of an ambitious research programme aiming at producing theory-grounded knowledge. Reproduction of the experiment will allow researchers to test how specific characteristics of an EEP influence its impact and how the impact differs across several cohorts of students. Those comparisons will serve to improve a priori the design of EEP. Originality/value – The new methodology is built on a robust theoretical framework and based on validated measurement tools. Its originality is about a relative – longitudinal – measure of impact over time and a particular use of the theory of planned behaviour which is seen as an assessment framework.

Assessing the Impact of Entrepreneurship Education Programmes: A New Methodology

Foreign direct investment (FDI) brings host countries capital, productive facilities, and technology transfer, as well as new jobs and management expertise. Thus, it is important to understand why in many transition countries FDI inflow is lower than expected. The goal of this study is to explore some important factors determining flow of FDI into transition countries. In particular, we analyze the legal environment for FDI in some transition economies. Then we model the impact of stability of the economic and legal environment on the pattern of FDI. Our analysis shows that (1) higher variability of basic macroeconomic fundamentals reduces the flow of FDI, (2) high volatility of fiscal and business regulations makes the inflow of FDI smaller, and (3) macroeconomic and legal instability leads to adverse selection of the investors. Based on theoretical findings we formulate a clear message to policy makers stating that in order to attract significant inflows of long-term and nonspeculative foreign capital, ...

On the Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Transition Economies

Article history: Received October 28, 2015 Received in revised format November 28, 2015 Accepted January 17, 2016 Available online January 20, 2016 For decades, entrepreneurship has become a major concern to both scholars and policymakers because of its significant role in economic and social transformation. This paper modeled the direct effects of entrepreneurial skill, environmental factors and entrepreneurial orientation on entrepreneurial intention as well as the indirect (moderating) effect of entrepreneurial orientation on the relationship of entrepreneurial skill and environmental factors with entrepreneurial intention. Quantitative research design was employed using students’ sample. It was found that entrepreneurial skill, environmental factors and entrepreneurial orientation have a positive influence on entrepreneurial intention. It was also discovered that entrepreneurial orientation moderates the relationship between entrepreneurial skill and entrepreneurial intention. However, the moderation effect of entrepreneurial orientation on the relationship between environmental factors and entrepreneurial intention was not established in this study, thus, called for exploring this moderating effect in other contexts. As implication to policy, the government should ensure not only enriching students with entrepreneurial skill and conducive entrepreneurial environment but also well-built entrepreneurial orientation among Nigeria teeming youths as it has a direct effect as well as strong interaction with other factors in explaining entrepreneurial intention.

/pdf/moderating-role-of-entrepreneurial-orientation-on-the-62k8f0dr7i.pdf

Moderating role of entrepreneurial orientation on the relationship between entrepreneurial skills, environmental factors and entrepreneurial intention: A PLS approach

The entrepreneurship concept as a subject of social innovation

The purpose of our study is to identify the linkage between national culture and the entrepreneurial intent for a specific demographic group. Thus, we set out to identify the differences induced by cultural context on the entrepreneurial intent of business administration bachelor students, from Romania and Iceland. The study is focused on underlining the motivations that can determine students to start their own businesses and analysing the extent to which the entrepreneurial motivations have cultural determinations (the classic model Hofstede dimensions). The method employed was a questionnaire-based survey, carried-out in both targeted countries. The independent sample t-test was used to identify the significant differences between the two groups of students. Based on the Hofstede`s societal culture model (1980), the research calculates an indicator called cultural distance for four cultural dimensions: individualism/collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity/femininity, in order to highlight national cultural influence on the entrepreneurial process. The results indicate that there are significant differences between Romanian and Icelandic students; however, these differences are not explained by the cultural distance calculated for the two groups.

https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/168907/1/aej-v17-i38-p0133.pdf

Is Culture a Moderator of Entrepreneurship Motivation? A Comparative Study of Romania and Iceland

Understanding Cultural Intelligence Factors among Business Students in Romania

This paper is discussing the issue of European cohesion based on a management approach. It describes the positioning of Romania on the European map of cultures, in order to identify the convergence and divergence of its societal culture with various European cultural clusters. The paper is arguing that: a) European organizations have a major role to play in the process of increasing cohesion within the European Union; b) Organizational Management and leadership are paramount to their success and to society welfare; c) Performant Intercultural Knowledge Management is needed for achieving the most out of European organizations; d) Intercultural teams are one of the most effective ways to reduce the current cohesion-less of EU at individual and organizational level.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID1156343_code1059113.pdf?abstractid=1156343&mirid=2

Convergences of the Romanian Societal Culture with European Culture Clusters in the Process of European Integration - The Role of Intercultural Teams Management in Increasing European Cohesion

Laura Brancu

Papers

The entrepreneurship concept as a subject of social innovation

Is Culture a Moderator of Entrepreneurship Motivation? A Comparative Study of Romania and Iceland

Understanding Cultural Intelligence Factors among Business Students in Romania

Convergences of the Romanian Societal Culture with European Culture Clusters in the Process of European Integration - The Role of Intercultural Teams Management in Increasing European Cohesion

Study on Student's Motivations for Entrepreneurship in Romania