Dynamic capabilities, value creation and value capture: Evidence from SMEs under Covid-19 lockdown in Poland

Dynamic capabilities, resulting from activities that allow conscious and skillful modification of a firm's strategic potential, are seen as one of the key drivers of a firm's value creation, competitive advantage and above-average performance in changing environments. However, little is known about how dynamic capabilities can shape business survival and performance during crises. The research objective of this paper is twofold. First, through a literature review, we seek to identify which first-order dynamic capabilities-managerial decisions under uncertainty-are vital for rapid response to a crisis. Second, we present the results of research carried out among 151 small and medium-sized companies in Poland immediately after the beginning of the economic lockdown (April 2020). The survey that we developed identifies which dynamic capabilities were essential for businesses to survive during this unexpected black swan event. We also present dependence and regression analyses showing the links between the identified dynamic capabilities and value creation, understood as retaining employees and production levels, as well as value capture, understood as maintaining cash flow and current revenues.

Entrepreneurial ecosystems in cities: The role of institutions

Entrepreneurship activity varies significantly across cities. We use the novel data for 1,652 ecosystem actors across sixteen cities in nine developing and transition economies during 2018-2019 to examine the role that institutional context plays in facilitating the productive entrepreneurship and reducing the unproductive entrepreneurship. This study is the first to develop and test a model of multi-dimensional institutional arrangements in cities. It demonstrates that not just that institutions matter in shaping the entrepreneurship ecosystem in cities, but in particular those institutional arrangements enhancing the productive and reducing unproductive entrepreneurship. Our findings suggest that differences between normative, cognitive, and regulatory pillars are associated with variance in both types of entrepreneurship in cities. For the formation of productive and high-growth entrepreneurs, all three pillars of institutional arrangement matter. For unproductive entrepreneurship normative pillar of institutions and the role of civil society matter most. This study has theoretical and practical implications for entrepreneurship ecosystem policy in cities.

Proportion, Type, and Characteristics of Physician Entrepreneurship in Massachusetts

IMPORTANCE

Although there have been signs of increasing interest in entrepreneurship among physicians as well as claims of a paucity of entrepreneurial activity in health care in general, there is little systematic evidence of the extent, type, and characteristics of entrepreneurship by physicians. Physician involvement in entrepreneurship may result in more innovative and financially successful health care companies.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the proportion and characteristics of physicians who founded new businesses and the types of businesses that they started.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cross-sectional study was conducted by matching all 33 770 physicians holding a Massachusetts medical license in 2017 with the Massachusetts new business registration records from 1960 to 2017 to identify companies founded by physicians. Data were analyzed from September 2017 to December 2019.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The number of physician-founded companies in Massachusetts and the types of businesses as characterized by the stated purpose at the time of founding.

RESULTS

Among the 33 770 physicians holding a Massachusetts license in 2017, 13 839 (41.0%) were women and 8029 (23.8%) were international medical graduates; the median year of graduation from medical school was 1994 (interquartile range, 1983-2004). A total of 6494 (19.2%) physicians had founded at least 1 new business, and 831 of the 2448 physicians (33.9%) who graduated from medical school between 1974 and 1978 had founded a business. A total of 9501 companies were founded, of which 6267 (66.0%) were clinical practice, real estate, or practice management companies; 703 companies (7.4%) were in the public interest, including advocacy, public health, and philanthropy; 533 (5.6%) were biotechnology, health care information technology, or medical device companies; and 1759 (18.5%) were other business pursuits. For physician entrepreneurs, the mean (SD) time from medical school graduation to company founding was 20.2 (9.8) years. Regression analysis suggested that female physicians founded companies at lower rates than male physicians (odds ratio [OR], 0.529; 95% CI, 0.494-0.567) and that there was an association between attending a top-10 medical school by National Institutes of Health research funding and starting a clinical practice (OR, 0.687; 95% CI, 0.616-0.766) or biotechnology company (OR, 4.326; 95% CI, 2.951-6.344).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that physicians may be substantially involved in entrepreneurship, although there may be disparities by sex. Facilitation of physician entrepreneurship by policy makers, educators, and institutions may enhance medical innovation and public health.

Pragmatic ex-ante evaluation using an innovative conceptual framework: The case of a high-tech entrepreneurship program for women

Program designers at local project level usually design interventions under conditions of scarce resources and bounded rationality lacking sufficient information about the process and impact mechanisms of the complex social programs they design and implement. This paper proposes a model for pragmatic ex ante evaluation using an innovative conceptual framework for practitioners working in the field to improve gender equality in research and innovation. The presented and applied model is pertinent to the theory-oriented evaluation tradition using a logic frame and a theory of change approach adapted to the special requirements of ex-ante evaluation. The model is illustrated by the case study of a program for the promotion of women entrepreneurship in the STEM fields. It is concluded that in a setting with limited resources and information, ex-ante evaluations should aim at defining clear conditions of proportionality and need to take into account the extent to which contextual factors hinder or facilitate the implementation of a program, and the specific institutional and system mechanisms at play, in order to enable proactive risk management from the beginning.

Authentic Leadership and Employees' Innovative Behaviour: A Multilevel Investigation in Three Countries

The innovativeness of individual employees is a vital source of competitive advantage of firms, contributing to societal development. Therefore, the aim of this multilevel study was to examine how entrepreneurial firm owners' authentic leadership relates to their employees' innovative behaviour. Our conceptual model postulates that the relationship between business owners' authentic leadership (as perceived by their employees) and their employees' innovative behaviour is mediated by employees' personal initiative and their work engagement. Hypotheses derived from this model were tested on data collected from 711 employees working in 85 small firms from three European countries: the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain. The results of the multilevel modelling confirmed our model, showing that when business owners are perceived as more authentic leaders, their employees show higher personal initiative and are more engaged at work and, in turn, identify more innovative solutions to be implemented in the organization. A cross-national difference was observed: employees from Spain (in comparison to Dutch and Polish employees) reported engaging less frequently in innovative behaviour. These research findings suggest that the innovative behaviour of employees can be boosted through leadership training, improving the quality of relationships between leaders and subordinates, and strengthening employees' personal initiative and work engagement.

Can training interventions in entrepreneurship, beekeeping, and health change the mind-set of vulnerable young adults toward self-employment? A qualitative study from urban Tanzania

Young adults face unemployment-related challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Self-employment is encouraged by the Tanzanian government and international institutions such as the World Bank. It has been found that young adults who are employed or self-employed show more functional independence and less inequality and social polarization, as well as a decrease in deviant behaviour. However, limited knowledge and skills related to entrepreneurial activities contribute to lack of motivation towards self-employment among young adults. In order to examine these behaviours, an intervention study implementing an entrepreneurship and beekeeping training in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania was conducted. After completion of the intervention, a qualitative study was conducted that used focus group discussions (FGDs) to explore the experiences and changes in behaviour of young adults following the intervention. A total of 36 of the original 57 young adults from four camps who fully participated in the four arms of interventions were recruited. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the FGD data. Three themes emerged from the findings: establishment and maintenance of an entrepreneurial business, changes in behaviour, and perceived challenges. Improved entrepreneurial skills, customer care, and financial management were expressed as positive changes the participants attained relating to business management. Similarly, changes in the participants’ behaviours, attitudes, and lifestyle practices led to improved health and increased recognition and respect in their communities. Insufficient start-up capital and long intervals between sessions were the main challenges. The study showed an improvement in the ability of the participants to generate the human, social, and financial capital prerequisite to business development. Increase in customer care, social capital and financial management are key factors for successful microbusiness activities for stable self-employment.

Entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship and scientific mobility: The Spanish case

Scientific mobility can stimulate entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, acting as a catalyst for reducing imbalances between local and global science and the resulting socio-economic damage. This study evaluates both whether scientific mobility effectively promotes these concepts and the fundamental reasons to articulate effective policies for scientific mobility. Toward this end, a survey has been prepared following the methodology of Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) and current scientific literature. A total of 364 researchers involved in Spanish scientific mobility took part in the study: Spanish scientists abroad (135) and scientists returned to Spain (52), as mobile groups, and young researchers in Spain (177), as a group of scientists who could go abroad, but that have not yet begun to leave. The results demonstrate that scientific mobility does promote entrepreneurship and, especially intrapreneurship. Moreover, since permanent positions are scarce for these groups and their mobility decisions largely depend on job opportunities, the involved Spanish authorities and agents can improve scientific mobility by means suitable policies that make the most of this potential to the benefit of economic growth and job creation.

Key Conditions for Successful Serial Entrepreneurship in Healthcare

As a serial entrepreneur in the medical device industry, the author embraces Snowdon's (2017) effort to create and stimulate dialogue among experts in health system innovation in an effort to define and support Canada's innovation agenda. In this paper, he outlines some of the attributes and skills that companies need to launch their products and scale their companies. He also identifies the main conditions of an innovation ecosystem that create the necessary infrastructure to enable and support highly successful companies while allowing them to accelerate their growth.

Institutional Knots: A Comparative Analysis of Cord Blood Policy in Canada and the United States

Umbilical cord blood is a rich source of blood stem cells, which are of critical clinical importance in the treatment of a variety of malignant and genetic conditions requiring stem cell transplantation. Many countries have established national public cord blood banks; such banks often coexist with a panoply of private options for cord blood banking. Until recently, Canada was the only G8 country without a national cord blood bank. This differs markedly from the United States, which years ago established a national cord blood bank policy and inventory. This article investigates potential reasons for this discrepancy through a comparative analysis of the evolution of programs and policies on national cord blood banking in Canada and the United States. My analysis suggests that cross-national discrepancies in policy on public cord blood banking were determined primarily by institutional factors, principal among them formal governmental structure and the legacy of past policies. Institutional entrepreneurialism in the health sector played a constitutive role in the earlier evolution of national cord blood policy in the United States as compared to Canada.

Open Innovation Challenge in Healthcare. Role for Education

The vision of this paper is that collaboration creates new openings for engagement of non-commercial actors, such as universities, in innovation networks on the one hand, while opening up for collaborative innovation, and getting valuable real life anchors on the other hand, all these underpinned by greater connectivity and globalization. We present our approach in re-designing the courses on medical informatics and data processing to meet these challenges by employing public Internet services and media facilitation.

Building a Culture of Health Informatics Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A New Frontier

Entrepreneurship and innovation within the health informatics (HI) scientific community are relatively sluggish when compared to other disciplines such as computer science and engineering. Healthcare in general, and specifically, the health informatics scientific community needs to embrace more innovative and entrepreneurial practices. In this paper, we explore the concepts of innovation and entrepreneurship as they apply to the health informatics scientific community. We also outline several strategies to improve the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within the health informatics scientific community such as: (I) incorporating innovation and entrepreneurship in health informatics education; (II) creating strong linkages with industry and healthcare organizations; (III) supporting national health innovation and entrepreneurship competitions; (IV) creating a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within healthcare organizations; (V) developing health informatics policies that support innovation and entrepreneurship based on internationally recognized standards; and (VI) develop an health informatics entrepreneurship ecosystem. With these changes, we conclude that embracing health innovation and entrepreneurship may be more readily accepted over the long-term within the health informatics scientific community.

Agency-based empowerment training enhances sales capacity of female energy entrepreneurs in Kenya

Globally, women's involvement in clean cooking value chains has been minimal. This is partly because of the multiple challenges faced by women that impede their capacity to effectively engage in the energy sector. To better discern gender-specific differences in involvement in the energy sector, the authors conducted a randomized trial in Kenya to compare sales performance of newly trained male and female improved cookstove entrepreneurs and to test the effects of an agency-based empowerment training on business activity. A total of 257 entrepreneurs completed either a 4-day entrepreneurial training (control) or a 4-day empowerment training (intervention) and were followed for nearly 8 months documenting business activity and sales. The empowerment training led to more than doubling of sales for both genders. In addition, participants in the intervention group were significantly more likely to demonstrate business commitment over time and nearly three times more likely to be higher sellers (relative risk = 2.7, 95% CI [1.4, 5.4]), controlling for gender and rural/urban locale. Women outsold men by a margin of nearly 3 to 1 and were more likely to continue to pursue leads despite limited sales. Nonactive participants (those selling 1 improved cookstove or less) were a larger percentage of the control group (72%) than the intervention group (50%), and more men were nonactive participants (65% of men) compared with women (56% of women).These data show that women can serve as active improved cookstove entrepreneurs in both urban and rural settings and that targeted agency-based empowerment training can significantly increase women's capacity to engage effectively within the improved cookstove value chain.

Private practice — An advanced practice option

Currently there is considerable debate on the role and function of nurses in Australia and internationally. This debate stems from developments within the nursing profession itself from political and economic issues in health platforms, due to restructuring of the health care system, consumer expectations of health care and nurses' expectations of a career. This paper provides the opportunity to reflect on the development of the role of the private practice (independent nurse) and where that role is situated in the nursing profession. This forms the basis for discussion of the development of specialty practice at an advanced level in Australia and to demonstrate its relationship with the nurse practitioner movement in Australia.

Using a social entrepreneurial approach to enhance the financial and social value of health care organizations

In this study, a conceptual framework was developed to show that social entrepreneurial practices can be effectively translated to meet the social needs in health care. We used a theory-in-use case study approach that encompasses postulation of a working taxonomy from literature scanning and a deliberation of the taxonomy through triangulation of multilevel data of a case study conducted in a Taiwan-based hospital system. Specifically, we demonstrated that a nonprofit organization can adopt business principles that emphasize both financial and social value. We tested our model and found comprehensive accountability across departments throughout the case hospital system, and this led to sustainable and continual growth of the organization. Through social entrepreneurial practices, we established that both financial value creation and fulfilling the social mission for the case hospital system can be achieved.

Nursing entrepreneurship: motivators, strategies and possibilities for professional advancement and health system change

In Canada, as well as internationally, efficiency-focused organizational restructuring in healthcare has resulted in stressful job change for nurses, although nurses continue to work in a system that values technology-based, physician-provided services. Employed nurses have had to participate in organizational activities that undermine their professional values and goals. Nursing entrepreneurship presents an opportunity to explore nursing's professional potential in nursing practice that is uniquely independent. In this study, a focused ethnographic approach was used to explore the experiences of self-employed nurses, who see themselves as leaders in advancing the profession of nursing and its contribution to healthcare. Key themes in the findings include the responses of self-employed nurses to health system change, expanded roles for nurses, the consequences of this non-traditional approach to nursing work and the possibilities for change that arise from nursing entrepreneurship. This research has implications for healthcare policy, professional advocacy and nursing education.

Social entrepreneurship for sexual health (SESH): a new approach for enabling delivery of sexual health services among most-at-risk populations

Joseph Tucker and colleagues argue for social entrepreneurship, a new approach to help improve delivery of sexual health services.

When the business of nursing was the nursing business: the private duty registry system, 1900-1940

In the initial decades of the 20th century, most nurses worked in the private sector as private duty nurses dependent on their own resources for securing and obtaining employment with individual patients. To organize and systematize the ways in which nurses sought jobs, a structure of private duty registries, agencies which connected nurses with patients, was established via professional nurse associations. This article describes the origins of the private duty nurse labor market as the main employment field for early nurses and ways in which the private duty registry system connected nurses and patients. The impact of professional nurses associations and two registries, (New York and Chicago) illustrates how the business of nursing was carried out, including registry formation, operation, and administration. Private duty nurses are compelling examples of a previous generation of nurse entrepreneurs. The discussion identifies problems and challenges of private nursing practice via registries, including the decline and legacy of this innovative nurse role. The story of early 20th century nurse owned and operated registries provides an early and critical historical illustration of the realization of nurse power, entrepreneurship, and control over professional practice that we still learn from today.

Initial resource assembly in new ventures: does location matter?

The formation of a new venture requires crucial choices that impact the future success of the firm. An important initial decision is whether or not to start the new venture from home or from a separate location. In this paper, we examine the impact of firm-location decisions on the resource assembly process. Resource assembly is the first step taken by entrepreneurs to begin building a resource base, and it involves gaining ownership or control over resources. Our findings indicate that resource profiles significantly differ by location. In addition, away-based businesses assemble significantly higher counts of physical, financial, and organizational resources.

Conditions for growth in one-person startups: a longitudinal study spanning eight years

In the European Union, one-person businesses (OPBs) are increasingly regarded as an important alternative to dependent employment. From an economic policy standpoint, the growth potential of such businesses is especially attractive. This paper analyzes the growth potential of OPBs by postulating five key groups of enterprise growth predictors: personal traits, resources, strategy, industry, and organizational structures and systems. The framework model was adapted to suit the specific circumstances of OPBs. The model was tested using a longitudinal data set comprising 188 OPBs which were observed over a period of eight years. At the end of the observation period, the OPBs included in the study had an average of 1.33 employees. The gender of the founder, capital requirements at the time of establishment, and growth strategy proved to be the most important predictors of growth. In addition, human capital resources also tended to have a positive impact. The traits of the person founding the business were not found to affect growth. In summary, it is possible to draw empirically reliable conclusions about growth potential on the basis of the «seriousness» of an OPB startup project.

Scientific entrepreneurship in the materials and life science industries

Scientists constantly generate great ideas in the laboratory and, as most of us were meant to believe, we should publish or perish. After all, what use is a great scientific idea if it is not shared with the rest of the scientific community? What some scientists forget is that a good idea can be worth something - sometimes it can be worth a lot (of money)! What do you do if you believe that your idea has some commercial potential? How do you turn this idea into a business? This chapter gives the aspiring scientific entrepreneur some (hopefully) valuable advice on topics like choosing the right people for your management team, determining inventorship of the technology and ownership shares in the new company, protecting your intellectual property, and others; finally, it describes some of the various pitfalls you may encounter when commercializing an early stage technology and instructions on how to avoid them.

Growth and resilience of pioneering nonprofit human service organizations: a cross-case analysis of organizational histories

Knowledge of organizational history is important for recognizing patterns in effective management and understanding how organizations respond to internal and external challenges. This cross-case analysis of 12 histories of pioneering nonprofit human service organizations contributes an important longitudinal perspective on organizational history, complementing the cross-sectional case studies that dominate the existing research on nonprofit organizations. The literature on organizational growth, including lifecycle models and growth management, is reviewed, along with the literature on organizational resilience. Based on analysis of the 12 organizational histories, a conceptual model is presented that synthesizes key factors in the areas of leadership, internal operations, and external relations that influence organizational growth and resilience to enable nonprofit organizations to survive and thrive over time. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal examples from the organizational histories illustrate the conceptual map. The paper concludes with a discussion of directions for future research on nonprofit organizational history.

Freedom to innovate

Clinicians discuss the benefits and challenges of the community foundation trust model for delivering healthcare services in England.

Increasing equity of access to point-of-use water treatment products through social marketing and entrepreneurship: a case study in western Kenya

Point-of-use water chlorination reduces diarrhoea risk by 25-85%. Social marketing has expanded access to inexpensive sodium hypochlorite for water treatment, at a cost of less than US$0.01 per day, in Kenya. To increase product access, women's groups in western Kenya were trained to educate neighbours and sell health products to generate income. We evaluated this programme's impact on equity of access to water treatment products in a cross-sectional survey. We surveyed 487 randomly selected households in eight communities served by the women's groups. Overall, 20% (range 5-39%) of households in eight communities purchased and used chlorine, as confirmed by residual chlorine observed in stored water. Multivariate models using illiteracy and the poorest socioeconomic status as a referent showed that persons with at least some primary education (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.8, 3.5) or secondary education (OR 5.4, 95% CI 1.6, 17.5) and persons in the four wealthiest quintiles (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.0, 6.0) were more likely to chlorinate stored water. While this implementation model was associated with good product penetration and use, barriers to access to inexpensive water treatment remained among the very poor and less educated.

The QNI is open-minded when it comes to social enterprise

It cannot have escaped the notice of any community nurse in England that current Government policy favours the development of social enterprises as delivery vehicles for community services. And since social enterprise is neither a new invention, nor confined to health or social care purposes, community nurses across the UK must be watching with interest to see if this form of business has any potential to deliver their own professional (or private) good ideas.

Building today's platform company

For entrepreneurs developing innovative technology, the platform business model is making a comeback.