Showing papers in "Bar. Brazilian Administration Review in 2021"

Do University Ecosystems Impact Student’s Entrepreneurial Behavior?

Abstract: The goal of this study is to propose a conceptual model for assessing the impact of entrepreneurship supportive university ecosystems (ESUE) on student’s entrepreneurship related behavioral characteristics: entrepreneurial intention (EI) and entrepreneurial characteristics (EC). The empirical research used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and a sample of 1,012 observations. Findings indicate that an ESUE has a positive influence on student’s EI. However, this effect is mostly perceived on the changing of student’s EC than on the direct stimulation for becoming entrepreneurs. Moreover, student’s EI is also influenced by the greater entrepreneurial ecosystem in which universities are embedded. Evidences hint at the possibility that the university’s push for entrepreneurship is insufficient. University and/or public managers stand to benefit from our findings for reassessing their current arrangements for fostering student entrepreneurship and designing new, more efficient mechanisms. Moreover, the literature presents a myriad of localized assessments of small countries, whereas this research provides a rough nation-wide overview of a continent-sized nation, thus contributing to the testing of the model against different contexts.

Pandemic and Innovation in Healthcare: The End-To-End Innovation Adoption Model

Abstract: The pandemic has been a challenge for many public health systems worldwide. Several health measures and innovations have been implemented to help in reducing COVID-19 spread and to avoid healthcare system overwhelming. During the pandemic emergency, the need for social protection and social distancing scenario has provided the push for healthcare stakeholders to innovate, and telemedicine has emerged as an efficient and effective way to provide care while reducing hospital overload and COVID-19 spread. The pandemic is having a direct impact on innovation and servitization by accelerating innovation processes, creating new interactions among ecosystem actors, promoting new ways to provide value and care, as well as time to market, and social acceptance for innovative solutions. Taking the widespread adoption of telemedicine as an example of innovation processes with the scope to identify which key innovation determinants are participating in the innovation adoption process and what type of contextual conditions are relevant for its development, we propose a seven-stage model with the aim to provide an end-to-end innovation adoption process to map and identify how society, technology, and environment act during the innovation adoption, including economic, social, and political impacts along with its regulation and time to market.

Evaluating the Effect of Entrepreneurial Programs Elements on Students: A Scale Development

Abstract: Entrepreneurship education is an approach that universities employ to attempt to produce more ventures. Currently, entrepreneurship education programs do not capture the perceived progress of their students because they lack such a method. In this study, we develop an instrument that measures students’ perceptions. We perform exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses based on the responses of 304 college students to identify the main factors that students consider in an entrepreneurship education program. The results show a measurement scale constituted by the following dimensions: learning, resources, instructor role, and a new dimension called the meaning of life. This new construct reflects the importance of factors beyond education or university resources and highlights individual perceptions. This study contributes to our understanding of the value that entrepreneurship education programs offer to their participants and provides insights into future adjustments to these programs.

Why Do Companies Engage in Sustainability? Propositions and a Framework of Motivations

Abstract: This article proposes a framework of corporate motivations for sustainability based on the study of sustainability engagement most prevalent in the different UN-defined macro-regions. Four main motivations were uncovered in the literature: Legitimacy - the perception that the actions are appropriate within a system of norms and beliefs; Market Success - increase in turnover, brand equity, or innovation due to sustainable practices; Process Improvement - sustainability-oriented optimization of processes; and Social Insurance - preemptive insurance against reputation or goodwill losses. Field articles were selected via a bibliometric review to develop the propositions. They indicate which motivations are of more academic concern in general and in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Northern America, and Oceania. Legitimacy appears as the most prevalent motivation, followed by Market Success. More developed regions tend to have more studies on Market Success, while Social Insurance seems linked to less developed markets, where corporations must provide access to needs beyond their business

Inhospitable Accessibility and Blurred Liability: Institutional Voids in an Emerging Economy Preventing Supply Network Transparency

Abstract: Research on supply network transparency is incipient and focused on how focal firms can improve monitoring of supplier misbehavior. This narrow focus has restricted advancements in the topic. Our research, firstly, shifts the focus from supplier to focal firm misbehavior, and secondly, focuses on Brazil as an exemplar of an emerging economy. We explore how institutional voids influence supply network transparency. We focus on how voids in regulation, labor market, and contracting systems provide fruitful land for buyer misconduct and undermine supply network transparency. We review legislation in five developed countries to contrast with legislation in Brazil and we synthesize six years of Brazilian law suits regarding outsourcing issues in the apparel sector. This study exposes that voids can ease pressures allowing firms to navigate ‘below the radar’ and sustain poor working conditions along the supply network. Within this context, society has limited information availability and accessibility - what we label inhospitable accessibility (due to the regulatory void), as well as limited proportionality between real risks in the supply network and traceability of those risks back to the buying firm - what we label blurred liability (due to voids in labor market and contracting systems), thus preventing supply network transparency.

Entrepreneurship Education and its Influence on Higher Education Students’ Entrepreneurial Intentions and Motivation in Portugal

Abstract: The present study has as main objective to evaluate the students’ perception of the entrepreneurial education level of higher education institutions (HEIs) and its impact on their entrepreneurial motivations to become an entrepreneur and their entrepreneurial intention. Finally, we intend to measure to what extent the effect of entrepreneurial education is direct or indirect in their entrepreneurial intention, evaluating the role of entrepreneurial motivation of students in this relationship. A sample of 966 students from different HEIs in Portugal was surveyed using the HEInnovate Self-Assessment, student entrepreneurial motivations scale (based on the Society for Associated Researchers on International Entrepreneurship - SARIE), and an adapted version of the Carland entrepreneurship index. Our results point indirect effects of the entrepreneurial universities on entrepreneurial intention by the entrepreneurial motivations of the students to become an entrepreneur. This study showed the importance of analyzing, fostering, and investing in entrepreneurial education in the HEIs to achieve a more entrepreneurial level, due to the interesting positive direct and indirect impact on the entrepreneurial motivations and entrepreneurial intention of the students.

Entrepreneurship and Strategy: Analyzing Themes from Bibliometric Studies in the Light of the Concept of Strategic Entrepreneurship

Abstract: Entrepreneurship and strategy have common interests of research and they are close fields of studies; however, it is important to know the boundaries of each research field to preserve the identity of each discipline, as well as to advance in the comprehension of the strategic entrepreneurship domain. This research aims to identify common and distinct themes between entrepreneurship and strategy to understand the boundaries of each discipline, the interfaces between them, as well as contribute to the discussion of the strategic entrepreneurship concept. A scoping literature review was carried out about bibliometric studies on entrepreneurship, strategy, and entrepreneurship and strategy together. From 62 bibliometric studies in entrepreneurship, 18 in strategy, and 22 in entrepreneurship and strategy, a thematic analysis was performed. Entrepreneurship bibliometric resulted in 25 themes, strategy in 9 themes, and 12 in entrepreneurship and strategy together. This research presents a theoretical contribution to the field of research in entrepreneurship, strategy, and strategic entrepreneurship. Comparing the bibliometric studies in each field evidenced what are the themes focused on each discipline. To the concept of strategic entrepreneurship, results of this research contribute to advance in the comprehension of what can be entrepreneurship and what can be strategy in the concept, as the gap of studies. Furthermore, this study provides inputs about contexts of study to strategic entrepreneurship, such as familiar, social, and sustainable ventures.

Opportunities and Challenges of Using Blockchain Technology in Government Accounting in Brazil

Abstract: New technologies lead to significant changes in how public and private organizations structure their processes and activities. This study aims to identify the challenges and opportunities of using blockchain technology in government accounting in Brazil. This is a descriptive research using quantitative and qualitative data, collected through a questionnaire applied to a non-probabilistic sample of 94 professionals. The data were submitted to descriptive statistical analysis and content analysis, based on seven categories: technology, government accounting, security, transparency, control, change, and knowledge. For 89.4% of respondents, blockchain can improve government accounting and be applied to financial transactions, auditing, and asset transfers. The technology offers the benefits of trust and control, information security, and control against fraud and corruption. For 98.9% of the sample, the challenges of using blockchain technology in government accounting are the lack of knowledge about the technology and its cost-benefit and implementation, difficulties in replacing or adapting systems, and few blockchain use cases demonstrating the technology’s use and application.

Servitization as a Strategy for Remanufacturing: An Experimental Study

Abstract: Although remanufacturing has attracted the attention of academia and practitioners, there is a lack of empirical studies regarding servitization strategy in a remanufacturing context. We aim to address this gap by examining how servitization may influence the likelihood of purchasing a remanufactured battery for an electric vehicle. We also test if price increases the purchase likelihood, even when additional services are provided as part of the service package. We conducted a 2 x 2, full factorial, between-subjects experiment. The results reveal that the offer of additional service influences the effect that price has on the purchase likelihood. Our study contributes to fill the gap in the literature by identifying under which conditions low price is not a significant predictor of the likelihood of purchasing a remanufactured EV battery. Our findings may help managers develop strategies to improve the sales of remanufactured products, especially considering the use of additional services. New studies can benefit from our findings by focusing on how additional services can improve perceived value and reduce the perceived risk of remanufacturing. Finally, we conclude that servitization is a promising strategy for increasing the perceived value and the purchasing intentions of remanufactured products.

Blockchain: Effects in Transactions Costs from Information Governance

Abstract: This research aims to analyze the effects of the adoption of blockchain on information governance and transaction costs. We present an exploratory, quantitative, and qualitative study. In the first stage, quantitative, a theoretical model was developed and tested based on structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Data collection was carried out through an online survey with IT and management professionals involved in blockchain projects from different countries. In the second stage, qualitative, a multiple case study was carried out in order to illustrate how the relations of the developed model are established. In the quantitative phase, the study’s hypotheses were supported and it was observed that the adoption of blockchain technology can be seen as a mechanism to reduce transaction costs, since it has a positive impact on information governance. In the qualitative phase, it was observed that, in the three cases analyzed, characteristics such as information security, transparency, and the possibility.

Blockchain Technology in Renewable Energy Certificates in Brazil

Abstract: Several renewable energy certificate (RECs) applications point out that the blockchain technology can be useful in ensuring the traceability and transparency of transactions, despite some barriers to its implementation, such as the legal and market development. However, it is not clear how the organizational positioning, in relation to its given market, influences the artifact developed. In this study, through design science research (DSR) and case study methodology, we structure the problem space of two different positioned organizations in the sustainability field, with blockchain-based applications to produce and trade RECs. We find out that: (a) the position of the organization in relation to other stakeholders changes the behavior of the technology adoption; (b) the technological solution preceded the perception of the problem; (c) organizations create different representations of the artifact for each stakeholder. We suggest other studies to deepen these findings in order to better develop theories that explain how organizations see their problem when developing technological solutions while using DSR.

The Resource-Seeking Internationalization Process of a Nongovernmental Organization

Abstract: This paper aims at investigating the resource-seeking internationalization process of an international nongovernmental organization (INGO) from the process point of view. INGOs have received scant attention in the international business literature, despite their relevance in almost every aspect of aid and development and as actors of global governance. The research question addresses the issue of whether or not INGOs can follow a path similar to business firms in their internationalization process. The study departs from two different theoretical perspectives - the Uppsala model and the born global perspective - to study the case of the NGO Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), an international, private, nonprofit, member-based organization. We identify three stages in the resource-seeking internationalization process of the NGO, which present similarities with that of business organizations. The study contributes to the IB literature by revealing key aspects of the internationalization trajectory of an NGO to raise funds and recruit volunteers in advanced and emerging economies with the purpose of employing these resources to support its emergency assistance activities in less developed countries, and to the literature on INGOs in exploring the issue of resource-seeking internationalization

Does Ecological Sustainability Really Matter? Evaluation of Its Mediating Role in the Relationship between Innovation and Competitiveness

Abstract: Organizational studies highlight the role of innovation for competitiveness, but few of them address ecological sustainability as one of the variables in this relationship. The traditional model only considers economic growth to be anchored in the dimension of innovation, disregarding the environment. Thus, the purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of ecological sustainability on the relationship between innovation and global competitiveness. To reach the goal of the manuscript, a database was used that included indicators from 119 countries present in the Global Competitiveness Report of WEF and the Global Innovation Index. The data were treated using regression analysis with mediation techniques. The results suggest significant mediation of ecological sustainability in the relationship between innovation and global competitiveness. This work shows the importance of ecological sustainability to increase country’s innovative activity and consequently its competitiveness. Additionally, it draws attention to the gap in studies that present these relationships at the country level. In terms of practical contributions, the findings support the recommendation for companies to focus on actions to environmental and innovation management improving sustainability and increasing organizational performance and long-term survival. Finally, this research also draws attention to the lack of an important indicator of ecological sustainability in a report addressing countries’ competitiveness.

Monitoring and Managerial Discretion Effects on Agency Costs: Evidence from an Emerging Economy

Abstract: We analyzed the effect of managerial ownership, leverage, and managerial discretion on the agency costs of 14,719 Chilean companies. The results of the instrumental variables (IV) regressions indicate that managerial ownership and capital structure have a negative and non-linear effect on agency costs. Managerial ownership concentration is an effective means of internal control over agency costs, discarding the managerial entrenchment effect. The non-linear impact of debt suggests that for high leverage levels, agency costs would increase due to higher bankruptcy costs. Managerial discretion reduces agency costs; however, in firms with low growth opportunities, it increases them. These results have relevant implications for firms’ corporate policy and investors.

Blockchain in Supply Chain Management: Characteristics and Benefits

Abstract: The basis for application of new technologies in organizations is supported by the continuous analysis of data and information from multiple sources. Blockchain is one of the new technologies that, in association with the concepts and principles of Industry 4.0, could generate gains and improvements. Much has been said about the potential of blockchain technology, its benefits, and its disruptive impact in various areas, including supply chain management. In the academic field, however, the development of this topic is in full swing, as a growing number of scientific studies have been published without a theoretical convergence of their foundations, concepts, and authors being noted. Thus, considering the initial stage of the scientific debate of this object of analysis, this research aimed to understand the scenario of the adoption of blockchain in supply chain management based on academic publications evidencing its characteristics and benefits, through a systematic literature review. Due to profound analysis, characteristics and benefits of its application on supply chain management as transparency, confidence, information decentralization, and information security are disclosed in this study.

Image Filters: Effects of Emotion Displays on Followers’ Perceptions of Principled Leaders

Abstract: We analyze how followers respond to principled and unprincipled leaders as they express positive and negative emotions, based on the moral tenets of authentic leadership theory. Grounded on the theoretical principles of emotion contagion and cognitive interpretation, we propose that negative affective displays taint followers’ perceptions of authentic leaders and that positive affective displays brighten followers’ perceptions of inauthentic leaders. We tested these hypotheses in two laboratory experiments. Results indicate that while negative affective displays significantly disfavored perceptions about an authentic leader, positive affective displays did not favor attitudes about the leader. In contrast, positive affective displays not only favored attitudes toward an inauthentic leader but also positively influenced judgments regarding the leader’s ethicality. Passive negative displays led to more favorable attitudes toward an inauthentic leader than active negative displays. Our findings unveil followers’ susceptibility to distant leader’s emotion displays, highlighting the nexus among leadership, emotions, and ethics, as well as their relevance in the organizational and political arenas.

Proteus Looks Around: Agency, Time, and Context in a Gig Economy Career Analysis

Abstract: Contemporary career studies based on the protean career theory emphasize individual characteristics such as adaptability and flexibility. However, it is important to consider elements that permeate and influence the individual’s agency and career paths. This study analyzes how the perspectives of time and context, in addition to the individual’s agency, influence the career paths of gig economy workers. The qualitative analysis of data collected from interviews with 57 Brazilian app-based drivers enabled developing an empirically based typology with eight workers’ profiles and different ways of adaptation, including how they experience the activity and how they redirect their professional paths. Although adaptability marks their career trajectory, the time and context limit the area in which they can work and exercise agency. This study joins a broader movement in the career field and international studies that seek a better understanding of the gig economy and its consequences. The emergence of app-based activities resulting from a particular time and technological context brings different ways to adapt and change career plans