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Mário Franco is an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and SME Administration at the Department of Management and Economics, Beira Interior University, Portugal. He received his Ph.D. in Management from Beira Interior University in 2002. In 1997, he was a doctoral candidate and participated in the European Doctoral Programme in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management in Spain and Sweden. His research focuses on strategic alliances, business networks, innovation and business creation. He is also a member of a Research Center (CEFAGE-UBI) and is currently involved in several research projects on SMEs.
There is increasing recognition worldwide of the importance of academic activities, specifically in situations of pandemics. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the effects of COVID-19 on lecturers/researchers and Ph.D. and master students who have faced unexpected and continuous disruption in their teaching and research activities. To fulfil the aims, the study focused on a mixed method approach quantitative study based on a questionnaire administered on social networks and open questions. The unit of analysis was lecturers/researchers and Ph.D. and master students. The results obtained show that this lengthy interruption had severe impacts on their activities, requiring new competencies and capacities to deal with changes in a short period of time, including less positive feelings affecting them and their families. The main contribution of this study lies in identifying the barriers and opportunities created by this virus in the academic world and in presenting a theoretical framework to improve the situation, given that the confinement exponentiated negative and psychological feelings in academics, although telework is seen as a positive factor with continuity in the future, as a way to foster the social, environmental sustainability of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the wellbeing of their human capital. As implications for practice, the evidence points to the need for academics to be provided with training in E-learning, about technological tools for use in distance-learning and to reconsider how they carry out their research on the ground.
Margarida Rodrigues; Rui Silva; Mário Franco. Teaching and Researching in the Context of COVID-19: An Empirical Study in Higher Education. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8718 .
AMA StyleMargarida Rodrigues, Rui Silva, Mário Franco. Teaching and Researching in the Context of COVID-19: An Empirical Study in Higher Education. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (16):8718.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMargarida Rodrigues; Rui Silva; Mário Franco. 2021. "Teaching and Researching in the Context of COVID-19: An Empirical Study in Higher Education." Sustainability 13, no. 16: 8718.
Digital technology always accelerates change, altering organisations culturally, socially and technically. These modifications are known as “digital transformation” (DT). On a much greater scale than DT, the world was changed in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic, which re-organised society in the way of thinking, acting, producing, consuming and creating new business. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) were no different, since these institutions had to make changes to the student–lecturer interaction; teaching–learning, where DT had a relevant role, above all in academic entrepreneurship. Therefore, this study aims to propose a framework showing the structural pillars of the link between digital transformation (DT) and academic entrepreneurship (AC) (DT-AC Framework). This framework identifies the new patterns, methods, skills and other discoveries in aspects such as management, information systems and culture sciences. The intention is not to analyse how the COVID-19 pandemic imposed global structural changes, but because of it, lecturers and students found their DT accelerated and intensified, and so it is necessary to investigate the pillars supporting academic entrepreneurship. The results show that DT was already emerging as a basic element of academic entrepreneurship before the pandemic, but the process has speeded up. This bibliometric study indicates the structural pillars that support entrepreneurship following the Covid19 pandemic, as created from DT in universities, providing an extensive systematic review that indicates the cause and effect of the academic entrepreneurship process.
Ana Garcez; Ricardo Silva; Mário Franco. Digital transformation shaping structural pillars for academic entrepreneurship: A framework proposal and research agenda. Education and Information Technologies 2021, 1 -24.
AMA StyleAna Garcez, Ricardo Silva, Mário Franco. Digital transformation shaping structural pillars for academic entrepreneurship: A framework proposal and research agenda. Education and Information Technologies. 2021; ():1-24.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAna Garcez; Ricardo Silva; Mário Franco. 2021. "Digital transformation shaping structural pillars for academic entrepreneurship: A framework proposal and research agenda." Education and Information Technologies , no. : 1-24.
The importance of cooperation between higher education institutions (HEIs) has increased and allows the development of competitive advantages, particularly through the transfer of knowledge and technology. Establishing well-conceived and well-managed cooperation networks can bring benefits and overcome obstacles. This article assesses the importance of cooperation between HEIs, characterizing the type of partner suitable for the establishment of cooperation and analysing the benefits and barriers that may arise. To achieve this objective, a qualitative approach based on a case study was adopted. Portuguese HEIs cooperating in the Business Simulation (BS) project were analysed. The results obtained reveal that cooperation between HEIs, more specifically in the BS project, is fundamental for the exchange of knowledge, the acquisition of new technology and platforms, and the acquisition of new work practices. However, it will be necessary to overcome barriers, principally of a more technological nature. This study uses a new and innovative structure, employing a model that expands knowledge on the topic by identifying three dimensions that influence cooperation between HEIs. The authors also present implications for theory and practice and propose an agenda for future research.
Natália De Lima Figueiredo; Mário Franco. Business simulation in higher education: A case study from a network cooperation perspective. Industry and Higher Education 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleNatália De Lima Figueiredo, Mário Franco. Business simulation in higher education: A case study from a network cooperation perspective. Industry and Higher Education. 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNatália De Lima Figueiredo; Mário Franco. 2021. "Business simulation in higher education: A case study from a network cooperation perspective." Industry and Higher Education , no. : 1.
This study aims to (1) analyse whether university students’ psychological and cognitive factors influence the entrepreneurial intention and integration in academic hazing, and (2) assess the effect the entrepreneurial intention may have on integration in academic hazing. Using a sample of 258 new students from the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences at the University of Beira – Portugal, we use structural equation model (SEM) to test our hypotheses. From the structural model, the outcomes reveal that students’ cognitive and psychological factors influence their entrepreneurial intention, but no statistically significant direct effects of these factors were found on academic hazing. Another conclusion is that the entrepreneurial intention has a positive influence on students’ academic hazing and there is an indirect effect of psychological factors on this relation. In this study, a new and innovative construct is inserted in the model of entrepreneurial intention: “Academic Hazing”. Academic hazing is characterised as a ritual of initiation for new students at universities.
Ana Garcez; Mário Franco. Effects of Psychological and Cognitive Factors on the Relation between Entrepreneurial Intention and Academic Hazing: Case of the New Students in the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences at the University of Beira – Portugal. Entrepreneurship Research Journal 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleAna Garcez, Mário Franco. Effects of Psychological and Cognitive Factors on the Relation between Entrepreneurial Intention and Academic Hazing: Case of the New Students in the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences at the University of Beira – Portugal. Entrepreneurship Research Journal. 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAna Garcez; Mário Franco. 2021. "Effects of Psychological and Cognitive Factors on the Relation between Entrepreneurial Intention and Academic Hazing: Case of the New Students in the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences at the University of Beira – Portugal." Entrepreneurship Research Journal , no. : 1.
Digital entrepreneurship is an inseparable axis of technological evolution and digitalization experienced in the twenty-first century, so the role played by the technological and related sectors requires the relevant investment of all economic and non-economic actors in places with administrative and political powers. Like any kind of entrepreneurship, digital entrepreneurship stimulates the formation of bonds and local networks, attracting investment and people. In addition, it stimulates the fight against depopulation in rural areas, such as the case studied here. The objective is to study local authorities’ level of digitalization and their capacity to improve their technological and digital information systems, through a qualitative methodology, specifically the case study method. The results show the relevance of local actors becoming digital entrepreneurs, as this impacts on economic development and is a means to counter the negative aspects of geographical isolation verified in recent years.
Margarida Rodrigues; Mário Franco. DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT: CASE STUDY IN MUNICIPALITY OF FUNDÃO, PORTUGAL. Sustainable Cities and Society 2021, 73, 103115 .
AMA StyleMargarida Rodrigues, Mário Franco. DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT: CASE STUDY IN MUNICIPALITY OF FUNDÃO, PORTUGAL. Sustainable Cities and Society. 2021; 73 ():103115.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMargarida Rodrigues; Mário Franco. 2021. "DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT: CASE STUDY IN MUNICIPALITY OF FUNDÃO, PORTUGAL." Sustainable Cities and Society 73, no. : 103115.
Governments have increasingly encouraged firms to have products, cleaner production processes and service provision with less ecological impact. Therefore, eco-innovation has become the focus of many firms, and consequently, researchers and managers have paid more attention to this aspect. However, only a few studies provide a global research panorama. The main aim of this study is to review the literature on collaboration between organisations towards eco-innovation, and in doing so, orient future research on this very important area. To achieve this purpose, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was undertaken, using the Scopus database. In total, 40 publications dealing with the main studies related to collaborative eco-innovation were identified and analysed. The results obtained led to the conclusion that eco-innovation can have important effects on organisational performance, if carried out in collaboration. However, it is necessary to know about and make an appropriate choice of partners to pursue this type of innovation. Thus, the main contribution of this study is to bring together in one single research the most relevant collaborative studies for eco-innovation, in order to follow future research paths in this important theme of the world economy. Future lines of research in this area are also presented.
Renato Araújo; Mário Franco. The use of collaboration networks in search of eco-innovation: A systematic literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production 2021, 314, 127975 .
AMA StyleRenato Araújo, Mário Franco. The use of collaboration networks in search of eco-innovation: A systematic literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021; 314 ():127975.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRenato Araújo; Mário Franco. 2021. "The use of collaboration networks in search of eco-innovation: A systematic literature review." Journal of Cleaner Production 314, no. : 127975.
Outsourcing is part of a system, as it includes products and services integrated in a value chain and which are performed by an external (contracted) firm, aiming to establish an interdependent, collaborative and trusting relationship between the contracting and contracted firms. Like any dimension of business in organisations, changes in organisational structures and in how the service is produced/provided, outsourcing brings benefits and risks. Therefore, from literature review method, this chapter aims to explore the concept of outsourcing as a differentiating tool in organisations’ performance, emphasising the benefits and risks. The results showed the dimensions to consider in the decision to implement outsourcing, which are: (1) transaction costs, (2) use of resources, and (3) collaboration between the parties. The contribution of the study is to present a synopsis of the outsourcing topic, specifically the theories that support it, its benefits and risks. Additionally, a decision-making model is presented, in the certainty of its usefulness for the organizations’ managers.
Mário Franco; Margarida Rodrigues; Rui Silva. The Viability of Outsourcing in Organisational Performance: Benefits and Risks. Outsourcing and Offshoring [Working Title] 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleMário Franco, Margarida Rodrigues, Rui Silva. The Viability of Outsourcing in Organisational Performance: Benefits and Risks. Outsourcing and Offshoring [Working Title]. 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMário Franco; Margarida Rodrigues; Rui Silva. 2021. "The Viability of Outsourcing in Organisational Performance: Benefits and Risks." Outsourcing and Offshoring [Working Title] , no. : 1.
Guided by Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study aims to examine the influence of digital entrepreneurship on the digitalization and management of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), as well as contributing to developing this topic which is so far little developed in the scientific world. To this end, data were collected from 71 questionnaires obtained from a sample of SME managers in an inland region of Portugal. This quantitative study resulted in combining the advantages of digital entrepreneurship in 3 factors: efficiency, customer relations and collaborator behaviour. The research hypotheses, proposing that digital entrepreneurship has a positive influence on SME digitalization and management, were supported, i.e. the results show that customer relations and collaborator behaviour are of crucial importance in SME digitalization and management, particularly in those implementing digital entrepreneurship. This study contributes to showing the importance of digital entrepreneurship in SME management and its importance for the future success of this type of firm.
Mário Franco; Luis Godinho; Margarida Rodrigues. Exploring the influence of digital entrepreneurship on SME digitalization and management. Small Enterprise Research 2021, 1 -24.
AMA StyleMário Franco, Luis Godinho, Margarida Rodrigues. Exploring the influence of digital entrepreneurship on SME digitalization and management. Small Enterprise Research. 2021; ():1-24.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMário Franco; Luis Godinho; Margarida Rodrigues. 2021. "Exploring the influence of digital entrepreneurship on SME digitalization and management." Small Enterprise Research , no. : 1-24.
Who could have imagined that the COVID-19 crisis would affect the whole world? This means that all aspects of society, in general, have felt the consequences of the measures imposed to reduce contagion. Firms, businesses, and their management had to be and must continue to be resilient, and entrepreneurs creative to overcome the present and future impacts of the pandemic, which will be long-lasting. This study aims to map the existing literature on the topic and identify emerging ones. To provide a robust response to this objective, qualitative methodology was adopted through content analysis of the selected documents and the use of MAXQDA software to analyze qualitative data. In addition, a descriptive analysis of the selected documents is presented. The results obtained show there is still a shortage of studies, principally empirical ones, addressing this subject, to complete existing knowledge and thereby contribute to understanding the effects of the virus on businesses and their management. The main contribution of this article lies in a first systematization and coding of the literature, to identify emerging topics for study by academics, the foremost agents of knowledge.
Margarida Rodrigues; Mário Franco; Nuno Sousa; Rui Silva. Reviewing COVID-19 Literature on Business Management: What It Portends for Future Research? Sustainability 2021, 13, 5995 .
AMA StyleMargarida Rodrigues, Mário Franco, Nuno Sousa, Rui Silva. Reviewing COVID-19 Literature on Business Management: What It Portends for Future Research? Sustainability. 2021; 13 (11):5995.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMargarida Rodrigues; Mário Franco; Nuno Sousa; Rui Silva. 2021. "Reviewing COVID-19 Literature on Business Management: What It Portends for Future Research?" Sustainability 13, no. 11: 5995.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many firms to close, causing an unprecedented interruption in trade in most sectors of economic activity worldwide. Although global supply chains have been affected by the general lockdown, due to their particular characteristics, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been hit most severely by the measures implemented to prevent the spread of the virus. This study aims to determine how these firms coped with the disruption caused by the closure, in terms of population and their daily lives to carry out their economic activities. For this purpose, a qualitative methodology (descriptive and inductive) was used through the use of snowball sampling with a questionnaire in Portugal during the lockdown. The results obtained show that SMEs face a series of difficulties from interrupting their operations, which has caused serious liquidity problems, with effects on their future continuity and maintaining jobs. Additionally, it showed the importance of government measures to support these firms today and in the future, although the number of firms adhering to them is considerably affected by the eligibility criteria and the speed of institutions’ response. The main contribution of this research lies in confirming that the weaknesses in SMEs are the principal obstacle to a resilient response to this crisis, such as their limited liquidity, human resources, digitalization, and use of information technology. These weaknesses and/or threats had already been indicated in the various theoretical currents stemming from Organizational Theory, so the originality of this contribution lies in the fact that the managers of these SMEs are endowed with other skills and characteristics, such as, for example, dynamic capacities to manage business in an unparalleled crisis and to continue their operations, even when faced with a global blockage. Implications for theory and practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are also presented.
Margarida Rodrigues; Mário Franco; Nuno Sousa; Rui Silva. COVID 19 and the Business Management Crisis: An Empirical Study in SMEs. Sustainability 2021, 13, 5912 .
AMA StyleMargarida Rodrigues, Mário Franco, Nuno Sousa, Rui Silva. COVID 19 and the Business Management Crisis: An Empirical Study in SMEs. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (11):5912.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMargarida Rodrigues; Mário Franco; Nuno Sousa; Rui Silva. 2021. "COVID 19 and the Business Management Crisis: An Empirical Study in SMEs." Sustainability 13, no. 11: 5912.
Purpose The change in couples' personal ambitions concerning their careers, how they look after their family and how they deal with the work–family balance has revolutionized their position in the business world, specifically in family businesses. When couples embark on a joint business, the authors have copreneurial couples or copreneurs, the concept having existed for decades. This study provides mapping and a broad, holistic bibliometric analysis of copreneurs. Design/methodology/approach The study presented here followed the literature review for scientific mapping of the topic under discussion. Findings The results obtained show that the vast literature on copreneurs refers to other social sciences rather than business and management. Furthermore, final refining of the initial research made indicates that the literature in these areas is still minimal, justifying the need for this study. Also shown is the need to continue to study copreneurs, as fundamental economic actors in the business sector. Practical implications One of the study's main contributions lies in building a theoretical framework to explore empirically the success or failure of this business typology. The topics identified in this analysis highlighted copreneurial teams, copreneurial business and copreneurs' success factors. Originality/value The review presented here is wide-ranging and holistic, showing there is a shortage of research on the link between family business and copreneurs, whose conceptual difference lies in the construct of business succession since most researchers have studied psychological aspects, these couples' marital relationships and the factors contributing to conflict between work and domestic responsibilities.
Margarida Rodrigues; Mário Franco. Revisiting copreneurial from a business perspective: theoretical developments. Journal of Family Business Management 2021, ahead-of-p, 1 .
AMA StyleMargarida Rodrigues, Mário Franco. Revisiting copreneurial from a business perspective: theoretical developments. Journal of Family Business Management. 2021; ahead-of-p (ahead-of-p):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMargarida Rodrigues; Mário Franco. 2021. "Revisiting copreneurial from a business perspective: theoretical developments." Journal of Family Business Management ahead-of-p, no. ahead-of-p: 1.
Purpose Higher education internships have been studied in different aspects, mainly from the student or university perspective. To contribute to the understanding of the third actor in this type of university-industry cooperation, the paper examines employers' perspectives on higher education internships. Design/methodology/approach Through a literature review and based on Narayanan et al. (2010) conceptual model, an a priori model was developed, which was then validated by a multiple-case study in a Portuguese undergraduate course. Findings The findings reveal rich and meaningful insights into an under-researched area, including validation of seven antecedents, two processes and six outcomes of internships from the employer's perspective. This research showed that employers give great importance to outcomes of internships, either in terms of productivity, possible future recruitment, inflow of ideas, behaviours and competences or the intern's satisfaction. Practical implications The findings suggest the need for universities to undertake more collaboration with industry, as the employers made weak references to the creation and maintenance of ties with the educational institution, denoting low motivation. On the other hand, most of the outcomes for employers found in the literature are confirmed, except for the continued inflow of ideas construct. This may evidence some lack of strategic thinking related to the internship programs on part of the employers. Originality/value This paper validates and extends the dispersed findings of existing research by providing a useful, unifying conceptual model of the employer's perspective on higher education internships, which can be tested at other levels of education or in other countries.
Nanja Kroon; Mário Franco. Antecedents, processes and outcomes of an internship program: an employer's perspective. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education 2021, ahead-of-p, 1 .
AMA StyleNanja Kroon, Mário Franco. Antecedents, processes and outcomes of an internship program: an employer's perspective. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education. 2021; ahead-of-p (ahead-of-p):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNanja Kroon; Mário Franco. 2021. "Antecedents, processes and outcomes of an internship program: an employer's perspective." Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education ahead-of-p, no. ahead-of-p: 1.
This study aims to present the relationship between universities and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through a systematic literature review. SMEs play an important role in economic development. Similarly, universities are important actors in the innovation system. To fulfil the study objective, data were collected from the Scopus database. The bibliometric results found, using bibliometrix software, reveal that this topic first appeared in the literature in 1995 and entered a growth stage in 2014. Systematically, studies have focused mostly on European countries and the emphasis in cooperation is on knowledge transfer. In addition, the results show that SMEs form cooperative relationships with universities in search of competitive results. However, the main difficulty with regard to the establishment of such relationships is a lack of knowledge in SMEs about university programmes that can support them and about how to access such programmes. Therefore, it is suggested that universities should establish more effective communication channels in order to reach this type of firm.
Rosivalda Pereira; Mário Franco. Cooperation between universities and SMEs: A systematic literature review. Industry and Higher Education 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleRosivalda Pereira, Mário Franco. Cooperation between universities and SMEs: A systematic literature review. Industry and Higher Education. 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRosivalda Pereira; Mário Franco. 2021. "Cooperation between universities and SMEs: A systematic literature review." Industry and Higher Education , no. : 1.
This study seeks to understand the main factors predicting the future entrepreneurial attitude and intention of higher education students. To do so, a questionnaire was sent to a sample of 508 students at a higher education institution (HEI) in the central region of Portugal. From a structural equation model, the results show that students’ entrepreneurial attitude is influenced positively, and with statistical significance, by Entrepreneurial Benefits, Entrepreneurial Passion, Psychological Cognition Factors and Religion Beliefs. On the other hand, the factors/dimensions of Self-Confidence and Creativity are found not to have a statistically significant influence on the Entrepreneurial Attitude of the students studied. In turn, entrepreneurial attitude was a direct and mediated predictor of students’ entrepreneurial intention. The results of the study can explain the influence of important factors on students’ entrepreneurial attitude and intention, presenting relevant challenges for HEIs to develop and provide more courses and programmes aimed at entrepreneurship. Such initiatives are a way to motivate students to be future entrepreneurs, raising business development and growth in the economy in general, and the country in particular. This study also makes an important contribution to the literature on higher education students’ attitude towards entrepreneurship and its influence on their future entrepreneurial intention. People with a strong entrepreneurial attitude and intention are needed to allow development, growth and innovation in the business sector. These actions can motivate students to be future entrepreneurs raising the business development and growth of the economy in general.
Margarida Rodrigues; Rui Silva; Mário Franco. Entrepreneurial Attitude and Intention in Higher Education Students: What Factors Matter? Entrepreneurship Research Journal 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleMargarida Rodrigues, Rui Silva, Mário Franco. Entrepreneurial Attitude and Intention in Higher Education Students: What Factors Matter? Entrepreneurship Research Journal. 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMargarida Rodrigues; Rui Silva; Mário Franco. 2021. "Entrepreneurial Attitude and Intention in Higher Education Students: What Factors Matter?" Entrepreneurship Research Journal , no. : 1.
This study aims to analyze the influence that interfirm partnership motives can have on the implementation of organizational innovation activities. To achieve this aim, a quantitative cross-sectional research design was adopted, surveying owners-managers of small and medium-sized enterprises in the automotive sector. Based on the empirical evidence, the study concludes that the motives for partnership formation are related to organizational innovation activities, but only partially. Of the four main factors for establishing interfirm partnerships (‘Efficiency’, ‘Innovation and learning’, ‘Market opportunities’, ‘Technology and competition’), only the motives associated with the latter were shown to have a positive and significant influence on organizational innovation. Implications for theory and practice are also presented.
Mário Franco; Heiko Haase. Interfirm Partnerships and Organizational Innovation: Study of SMEs in the Automotive Sector. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity 2020, 6, 193 .
AMA StyleMário Franco, Heiko Haase. Interfirm Partnerships and Organizational Innovation: Study of SMEs in the Automotive Sector. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity. 2020; 6 (4):193.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMário Franco; Heiko Haase. 2020. "Interfirm Partnerships and Organizational Innovation: Study of SMEs in the Automotive Sector." Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity 6, no. 4: 193.
Following a network approach, this study aims to understand the potential of inter-organizational relationships in clusters for sharing knowledge and innovation. To this end, qualitative research of an exploratory nature was undertaken, with the information being gathered through interviews with owners and managers of small and medium-sized family enterprises belonging to an agro-industrial cluster in Portugal. Through content analysis, the results obtained showed that clustering 1 promotes the publicizing and internationalization of products and has an impact on small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SME) results. The importance of the cluster’s action regarding innovation was also confirmed, and so was its potential as a catalyst for the sharing of knowledge. Business-people’s attitude and relational competences, particularly trust, mutual help and having an open mind, were found to be essential factors for successful network functioning and the clustering process. Therefore, this study contributes to the developing existing theory by analysing clustering as inter-organizational networks of sharing knowledge and innovation activities in the light of the network theory and its association with resource-based and knowledge-sharing theories.
Mário Franco; Lurdes Esteves; Margarida Rodrigues. Clusters as a Mechanism of Sharing Knowledge and Innovation: Case Study from a Network Approach. Global Business Review 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleMário Franco, Lurdes Esteves, Margarida Rodrigues. Clusters as a Mechanism of Sharing Knowledge and Innovation: Case Study from a Network Approach. Global Business Review. 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMário Franco; Lurdes Esteves; Margarida Rodrigues. 2020. "Clusters as a Mechanism of Sharing Knowledge and Innovation: Case Study from a Network Approach." Global Business Review , no. : 1.
COVID-19, What to do now? This issue has had devastating effects in all domains of society worldwide. Lockdowns, the lack of freedom and social distancing meant the closure of a country’s entire activity. Having effects at all levels, beside incalculable ones in health, it is argued that scientific activity in education, business, economics and management suffered some of the most drastic impacts of this pandemic. This study aims to map the scientific literature in these areas in the context of COVID-19 and analyze its content through bibliometrics, which made it possible to highlight the scarcity of studies on the topic, namely empirical studies on the effects of this pandemic on scientific research and teaching/education. The results show there is a lack of peer-reviewed publications on this topic, with the studies covered (93) via the threads used revealing only 28 articles coming within the proposed objective. The bibliometrics corroborates that shortage. Finally, the contributions and implications for theory and practice are presented, followed by the limitations and suggestions for future research.
Margarida Rodrigues; Mário Franco; Rui Silva. COVID-19 and Disruption in Management and Education Academics: Bibliometric Mapping and Analysis. Sustainability 2020, 12, 7362 .
AMA StyleMargarida Rodrigues, Mário Franco, Rui Silva. COVID-19 and Disruption in Management and Education Academics: Bibliometric Mapping and Analysis. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (18):7362.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMargarida Rodrigues; Mário Franco; Rui Silva. 2020. "COVID-19 and Disruption in Management and Education Academics: Bibliometric Mapping and Analysis." Sustainability 12, no. 18: 7362.
Purpose This study aims to identify the main reasons for forming a cooperation agreement in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and understand the role of reputation in this business process. Design/methodology/approach To achieve these objectives, a qualitative research approach was adopted, specifically the case study method. The context of analysis studied here was formed of five SMEs (cases) located in an inland region of Portugal. Data-collecting instruments were individual interviews and documentary analysis, and the data treatment technique was content analysis. Findings From the results obtained, it is concluded that SMEs have different reasons for entering a cooperation agreement and that the criterion of reputation, in the partner selection process, was quite frequently mentioned. In addition, the study found trust to be another important criterion when choosing a partner. This means that besides the resources a partner may possess, the most important aspect is that there should be mutual trust. Practical implications This study seeks to help SME managers to characterise and understand the phenomenon of cooperation and show the main criteria to consider when choosing their partner(s). Originality/value This study is innovative because it will help to characterise and understand business cooperation in SMEs and contribute to choosing a suitable partner, so that SMEs can achieve good performance, major market expansion and improve relations with their partners, in an increasingly competitive environment.
Mário Franco; Heiko Haase. The role of reputation in the business cooperation process: multiple case studies in small and medium-sized enterprises. Journal of Strategy and Management 2020, 14, 82 -95.
AMA StyleMário Franco, Heiko Haase. The role of reputation in the business cooperation process: multiple case studies in small and medium-sized enterprises. Journal of Strategy and Management. 2020; 14 (1):82-95.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMário Franco; Heiko Haase. 2020. "The role of reputation in the business cooperation process: multiple case studies in small and medium-sized enterprises." Journal of Strategy and Management 14, no. 1: 82-95.
This Special Issue, “Entrepreneurship, Competitiveness and Innovation”, comprises a selection of papers addressing approaches and tools to understand how entrepreneurship and innovation can be good vehicles for competitiveness. These studies address the multifaceted topics surrounding entrepreneurship, such as exploratory and exploitative innovation performance, inter-enterprise knowledge, clusters, entrepreneurial orientation, learning orientation, sustainable growth, etc. These topics include the definitions of the concepts of entrepreneurship, innovation, and competitiveness, as well as the identification of factors affecting these types of phenomena. Perspectives guiding the design of entrepreneurship and innovation are presented to be considered when implementing public policies for increasing economic growth and competitiveness. Papers use some support theories to explain the topics studied here, such as cluster theory, resources-based theory, social theory and institutional theory, among others. Thus, in general, this Special Issue is devoted to the study of the benefits of entrepreneurship, innovation practices, and competitiveness in various countries and regions worldwide, but mainly in China. Therefore, this Special Issue is of particular value for both academic research and the context of business.
Mário Franco. Entrepreneurship, Competitiveness and Innovation. Sustainability 2020, 12, 6576 .
AMA StyleMário Franco. Entrepreneurship, Competitiveness and Innovation. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (16):6576.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMário Franco. 2020. "Entrepreneurship, Competitiveness and Innovation." Sustainability 12, no. 16: 6576.
PurposeUrban sustainability is an inseparable dimension of today's cities; thus, the role played by creativity, and consequently sustainable urban entrepreneurship and the networks it raises, gives rise to the pro-activity of these two constructs toward a tripartition (economic, social and environmental). This study aims to measure sustainable urban entrepreneurship through a composite of existing indicators in the literature of cities.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the authors followed a quantitative research by applying exploratory factor analysis. The sample contains 308 towns and cities in Portugal, and the data were collected using secondary databases (e.g. INE; PORDATA).FindingsThrough quantitative research, this study identified the key indicators that mediate sustainable urban entrepreneurship in cities, as a methodological tool for them to evaluate their sustainable entrepreneurial capacity.Practical implicationsThe results obtained here provide information to show that sustainable urban entrepreneurship is an essential construct for cities, allowing a solution to many of their urban problems by its association with creative economy and its influence on the revitalization of urban spaces by urban regeneration, and by the importance of networks in these, the latter being another fundamental construct.Originality/valueThis research makes important contributions to studies considering the sustainability construct in urban entrepreneurship area. It will help to fill part of the gap in existing studies involving the cities’ aspects in entrepreneurship field. Consequently, the main contribution of this study lies in identifying the indicators that contribute to cities' tripartite sustainable balance by assuming sustainable urban entrepreneurship as a crucial premise.
Mário Franco; Margarida Rodrigues. Indicators to measure the performance of sustainable urban entrepreneurship: an empirical case study applied to Portuguese cities and towns. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment 2020, ahead-of-p, 1 .
AMA StyleMário Franco, Margarida Rodrigues. Indicators to measure the performance of sustainable urban entrepreneurship: an empirical case study applied to Portuguese cities and towns. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment. 2020; ahead-of-p (ahead-of-p):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMário Franco; Margarida Rodrigues. 2020. "Indicators to measure the performance of sustainable urban entrepreneurship: an empirical case study applied to Portuguese cities and towns." Smart and Sustainable Built Environment ahead-of-p, no. ahead-of-p: 1.