International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 2024
This work makes a case for legitimacy as a framework with which to examine how educators made dec... more This work makes a case for legitimacy as a framework with which to examine how educators made decisions about implementing entrepreneurship education in higher education institutions to better understand the educator within the educational ecosystem. It then uses a new legitimacy framework that includes self-legitimacy to examine the issues a group of educators in China encountered when implementing new constructivist entrepreneurship modules in their non-entrepreneurship curricula. Methodology The researchers utilized focus groups to collect data from twenty-four groups of educators at higher education institutions in four regions of China. The researchers used a bottom-up thematic analysis process to identify themes, then used legitimacy as a lens to analyze the data.
Purpose
Employability is an established research theme in Western literature, however, in develop... more Purpose Employability is an established research theme in Western literature, however, in developing economies the concept remains unclear and under researched. This study addresses this lacuna by exploring how Sri Lankan higher education administrators conceptualise employability and which capitals they perceive as needing development to achieve employability.
Design/methodology/approach The research utilised semi-structured interviews with an expert panel, responsible for leading the development of the employment agenda within Sri Lankan higher education. The purposive sample included four Sri Lankan Vice Chancellors, representing leadership at 27% of the country’s publicly funded universities and the higher education funding commission. The qualitative data collected was thematically analysed to identify how employability was conceptualised and the perceived employability skills and capitals required.
Findings The findings demonstrated that employability was conceptualised as requiring transferable skills and job specific occupational skills. This view of employability represents a narrow definition with an emphasis on skill development rather than longer term capability building. The results show the applicability of Bourdieu’s (1977) capitals in the Sri Lankan higher education context, with cultural and social capital and proficiency in the English language critical to meeting employability objectives.
Originality This research addresses the shortage of research about the concept and requirements of employability in developing countries. Most employability studies have drawn on samples from students, lecturers, and employers, whilst this study considers the phenomenon from the perspectives of strategic administrators in higher education who guide the employability agenda in practice. These insights are important in informing policy makers to calibrate a more balanced approach by incorporating employability into the Sri Lankan higher education curriculum and sector strategy.
Purpose-This study investigates the impact of job rotation on employee performance and explores t... more Purpose-This study investigates the impact of job rotation on employee performance and explores the mediating role of HR strategy and training effectiveness on this relationship, within the petrochemical industry, which represents a highly specialist and hazardous industrial context. Methodology-Data was collected through a questionnaire which was distributed among the experts working in an Iranian petrochemical organization. Previously validated scales were utilized to measure job rotation, employee performance, HR strategy, and training effectiveness, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was utilized for hypothesis testing. Findings-The research findings indicated that job rotation had a negative effect on employee performance. Whilst training effectiveness and HR strategy positively mediated the relationship between job rotation and employee performance. This highlights the importance of ensuring effective training and a HR strategy to support job rotation of skilled and specialist employees. Practical Implications-Managers of employees in specialist and hazardous industries, such as petrochemical workers, interested in job rotation to support employee career development, should be mindful of potential negative implications on employee performance. To support and improve employee performance, job rotation should be considered alongside HR strategy and training. Originality-Previous research has largely focused on the value of job rotation to develop managers' organizational understanding and to reduce injury within blue collar work, which has led to a paucity of research into job rotation within highly skilled and specialist industrial roles. It is highlighted within the literature that it remains unclear what supports effective job rotation. This study addresses this lacuna by investigating how job rotation affects employee performance in a highly skilled and specialized industry and how strategy and training effectiveness mediate this effect.
Family businesses require internal communication to guide and provide direction, and the unique n... more Family businesses require internal communication to guide and provide direction, and the unique nature of involving both family and non-family employees add complexity. Navigating this complexity helps to ensure effective direction and management of family businesses. This paper explores the existing research concerning internal communication within family businesses and discusses the lenses and contexts through which it is commonly studied. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides a concise literature review to identify the most common lenses through which internal communication in family business has been researched. Findings Internal communication in family enterprises is mostly studied through the lenses of internal communication between family generations, internal communication and the influence on family identity, and internal communication in times of crises. Existing research is largely focused on the role of family in internal communication, and limited consideration is given to the role of non-family members and family members outside of the business. Originality/value The paper synthesises the direction and findings of existing research into internal communication within family business and provides avenues for future research. Managerial implications are also presented based on the synthesis of existing literature.
Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 2023
This study examines the relationship between entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial support pro... more This study examines the relationship between entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial support programs, and entrepreneurial intention, and the moderating role of entrepreneurial support programs in the relationship between entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial intention, among students with physical disabilities in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Methodology: This study used a closed-ended questionnaire survey, composed of previously validated scales, to sample 209 students with physical disabilities at tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Hierarchal regression was performed to assess the relationships between the variables and test the hypotheses. Findings: Both entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial support programs were found to be significantly positively related to entrepreneurial intention, and entrepreneurial support programs also moderated the relationship between entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial intention Originality/value: This research addresses calls for further understanding of how those with disabilities can be supported into entrepreneurship, by identifying supporting factors. The research provides further understanding of the entrepreneurial passion and intention nexus by exploring the relationship within those with a physical disability, where significant barriers exist, and within a developing country context where entrepreneurship might be a necessity rather than driven by passion. Research limitations/implications: This research identifies that developing entrepreneurial passion and providing accessible and inclusive entrepreneurial support programs are valuable in supporting and facilitating a passage into entrepreneurship for those with disabilities.
Plant-Based Food Consumption Products, Consumers and Strategies, 2023
Plant-based milk has become increasingly mainstream, not only being sold to a niche audience thro... more Plant-based milk has become increasingly mainstream, not only being sold to a niche audience through specialist outlets. This change has been supported by a tidal shift in consumer consumption patterns, the broadening of plant-based alternative products available, and product availability. The demand for plantbased milk alternatives has escalated beyond just those consumers following a vegetarian or vegan diet due to changes in consumer attitudes and behaviors. The broadening of consumer needs and motivations for the consumption of plant-based milk has resulted in the growth of market entrants and new products to fill different customer needs and segments. This chapter explores this phenomenon by exploring the needs and motivations of plant-based milk consumers, through the lens of Maslow's (1970) Hierarchy of Needs, to review and illustrate how a range of plant-based milk brands have been developed, marketed, and positioned to meet consumer needs.
Entrepreneurship education (EE) has been present in some form in UK higher education since the ea... more Entrepreneurship education (EE) has been present in some form in UK higher education since the early 1970s. Over the last 50 years, both its scope and prominence have increased with more emphasis on EE as a distinctive discipline.
The delivery of entrepreneurship education can present a challenge for educators unfamiliar with ... more The delivery of entrepreneurship education can present a challenge for educators unfamiliar with entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial process in practice. It is not uncommon for educators to be pushed toward teaching entrepreneurship, despite having limited or no personal experience of entrepreneurship. This is commonly the case in Oman, which has introduced mandatory entrepreneurship classes for all higher education students as a part of the Oman 2040 vision, which seeks to increase the level of entrepreneurship within the country. Arising from this, there is the potential for a disconnect between educators' discourse and conceptualization of entrepreneurship in their teaching practice and the actual practice of entrepreneurship. This research explores how Omani educators conceptualize entrepreneurship in their delivery of entrepreneurship education, through 80 hours of ethnographic observation of two mandatory online entrepreneurship education classes in Oman, delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings highlight that the educators conceptualized entrepreneurship as the process of business creation, a central pillar of economic growth, a linear process, and as a career. These conceptualizations underpin a classical and narrow view of entrepreneurship. Identifying educators' conceptualization and understanding of entrepreneurship within their teaching practice can highlight potential misalignment between entrepreneurship as it is taught, and how it is practiced.
Generative artificial intelligence has seen fast paced developments, with it being utilised in nu... more Generative artificial intelligence has seen fast paced developments, with it being utilised in numerous contexts, including both entrepreneurship and education. This has led to calls to integrate generative artificial intelligence into entrepreneurship education, to help prepare students to take advantage of future entrepreneurial opportunities. The technology also has the potential to influence pedagogy, teaching practice, and assessment and has raised concerns and questions within education about how educators can train students to use the latest technology to prepare them for the future, whilst managing potential changes to teaching practice. However, given the rapid emergence of the technology, discussion as to the implications for education and particularly entrepreneurship education is limited and there have been calls for further exploration and discussion. This paper addresses these calls by discussing some of the potential implications which generative artificial intelligence brings to entrepreneurship education and the entrepreneurship classroom, at both a macro and curricular level. The advancement of generative artificial intelligence furthers the need for entrepreneurship educators to embrace the technology in a managed way, develop students critical and reflective thinking, and foster the development and assessment of practical and technical entrepreneurial skills, to support student's effective utilisation of generative artificial intelligence. Educators should also be aware of the potential effects which generative artificial intelligence poses to teaching and assessment.
There has been a significant growth in Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programs and appli... more There has been a significant growth in Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programs and applied business research in recent times. Whilst a range of approaches and methods can be used in DBA and applied business research, this paper seeks to add depth of understanding to the use of the mixed methods approach within case study research designs. These can be used in a complementary fashion with a mixed methods approach being used to collect data within a case study design. However, the adoption of a mixed method case study research design has failed to keep pace with the growth of DBA research in the UK and commentary as to the value, application, and implications of adopting a case study research design and mixed methods is currently lacking. Therefore, building and presenting a robust justification and rationale as to their adoption in applied business research has been cited as a major challenge for DBA and novice researchers. This paper addresses this lacuna by providing commentary as to the value, key decisions, and implications of adopting a case study research design and mixed methods to conduct applied business research and reviews current application in practice, to support DBA candidates and novice researchers to make informed research decisions.
This paper explores the link between the entrepreneurial intention of students in higher educatio... more This paper explores the link between the entrepreneurial intention of students in higher education and the entrepreneurial interventions an institution can provide to support them. The study uses data collected from 679 undergraduate students from Chinese and UK Universities. The instrument for data collection was a paper-based questionnaire. This study uses the integrated model of entrepreneurial intentions as the theoretical underpinning for this approach. The initial findings highlight the perceived need for a range of entrepreneurship interventions, with business training programmes being the highest priority, followed by mentoring, specialist business advice, low-cost finance, business networking events and enterprise clubs. It also shows that those with different Intention Horizons do request a different portfolio of interventions. The paper provides an evidence-based approach to entrepreneurship education design and the development of interventions to support a range of students with and without entrepreneurial intention. This work suggests a previously under-articulated relationship between the nascent entrepreneur’s Intention Horizon, university interventions, and entrepreneurial action. There are numerous calls for further contextualisation of entrepreneurship education which this paper fulfils (Baron and Shane in Psychol Entrepreneurship 19-39, 2007; Byrne et al. in Edward Elgar Publishing, 2014). It further develops the narrative around both contextualisation, the previous experience of the students and the range and importance of these interventions to support the creation of a new venture.
International Journal of Management Education, 2023
Entrepreneurship education and pedagogic reforms advocating the increased use of progressive educ... more Entrepreneurship education and pedagogic reforms advocating the increased use of progressive educational methods have been promoted by the Chinese government. In practice, this has led to a fusion of the more traditional teaching approach and more progressive approaches. This has led to calls for entrepreneurship education to be contextualized within the Chinese context, against the backdrop of the progressive pedagogic reforms. This paper addresses this by exploring how Chinese educators are responding to directives encouraging progressive pedagogic entrepreneurship education, by applying the lens of Sfard's knowledge acquisition and participationorientation learning metaphors. Interviews were conducted with fifteen educators and analysis of their narratives of practice was undertaken to identify knowledge acquisition and participation-orientation metaphors to elicit the approaches adopted in the classroom. The results indicate that both acquisition and participation approaches are adopted by educators, but in a way that reflects the traditional and cultural heritage that values knowledge. Educators still relied heavily on the transmission-acquisition metaphor, however the encouragement to introduce more progressive practices could be observed in two ways, the constructivist acquisition metaphor, and the participation metaphor. The former appeared more developed and the latter less so, although both are desirable in the light of the education reforms.
The International Journal of Management Education, 2022
Educators and policymakers have sought to open entrepreneurship to a broader range of students. T... more Educators and policymakers have sought to open entrepreneurship to a broader range of students. The paper investigates the role of entrepreneurship education in the development of People with Physical Disabilities (PWPDs) and the moderating role of inclusion in their entrepreneurial action. This research employed a cross-sectional survey of 253 students with physical disabilities across tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The findings underscore the significant role of entrepreneurship education in enhancing the entrepreneurial action of physically disabled students. The finding of the study established the moderating role of inclusion in the relationship between entrepreneurship education and the entrepreneurial action of physically disabled students. This implies that the commitment of the educators to accept and support physically disabled students in the class will create an environment in which physically disabled students can learn to monitor and respond to entrepreneurial changes in the environment. This will in turn prepare them to engage in a business start-up. This research highlights that entrepreneurship education and inclusion make significant contributions to physically disabled students' entrepreneurial action. Therefore, these factors are key to consider in preparing physically disabled students to become entrepreneurial graduates. The study contributes to the extant literature by underscoring the value of creating an environment of inclusion in entrepreneurship education.
Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 2022
Previous research has found that family characteristics influence an offspring's entrepreneurial ... more Previous research has found that family characteristics influence an offspring's entrepreneurial potential and perception of the barriers to entrepreneurship. This research extends this proposition to women in Oman to determine whether family income, entrepreneurship/business experience and family size influences women's perception of barriers to entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on primary data that was collected through a structured questionnaire from 123 female respondents at an Omani private university. The data was analysed using PCA, correlation and regression analysis to determine the influence of the family characteristic on the perception of barriers to entrepreneurship. Findings The findings concluded that the three family characteristics being tested were not able to predict a change in the perception of barriers to entrepreneurship. This contradicts previous research conducted in Western contexts and highlights potential weakness in family support for female entrepreneurship in Oman. Originality This research addresses the paucity of studies about female entrepreneurship in developing countries. The results challenge some of the extant findings in the literature, thus enriching the current perspectives on female entrepreneurship and the impact of Omani family characteristics, in terms of income, economic background, and family size, on the perception of barriers that hinder entrepreneurship among female students.
The International Journal of Management Education, 2022
This research investigates how entrepreneurial education activity (EEA) influences entrepreneuria... more This research investigates how entrepreneurial education activity (EEA) influences entrepreneurial behaviour (EB) by unpacking how EEA influences both entrepreneurial intention (EI) and EB and how behavioural entrepreneurial mindset (BEM) mediates the relationship between EEA and EI. This furthers research into the behavioural subdimension of entrepreneurial mindset and how this impacts the relationship between EEA and EI. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for checking the measurement model fit and psychometric properties of the measurement scales used, and structural equation modelling was used for testing the proposed model using questionnaire data collected from 1428 students participating in EEA in higher education institutions in China. The research found that effective EEA has a positive effect on EB which was partly mediated by EI, and that EEA positively affects BEM, which in turn mediates the relationship between EEA and EI. This research contributes by expanding the understanding of how EEA can influence students' EB by highlighting BEM as an impact indicator of entrepreneurship education (EE). Secondly, it contributes to the understanding of the formation of students' EB by identifying how BEM mediates the transition from EEA to EB through the development of EI. This highlights BEM as an effective endogenous driver of students' EI, addressing a lacuna in research by investigating EM from the behavioural perspective in EE research.
The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2022
This case study provides a critical understanding of the connection between start-up investment a... more This case study provides a critical understanding of the connection between start-up investment and the development of a loyal brand community. Learners develop an appreciation of how engagement in crowdfunding campaigns can lead to the creation of engaged partners. This is explored through applying the Business Model Canvas to the case of BrewDog, a company that has expanded beyond the niche market of craft brewing to become an international brand. The use of crowdfunding has not only enabled Brewdog to raise the capital to finance expansion but also to develop a special relationship with some of their customers, who through investment and engagement can become partners in the product development process.
This study investigates the effect of entrepreneurship education in terms of the development of e... more This study investigates the effect of entrepreneurship education in terms of the development of entrepreneurial knowledge and skills, on graduate students' entrepreneurial alertness and the mediating role of the entrepreneurial mindset.
The aim of this study is to inform entrepreneurs about how best to implement the positive face of... more The aim of this study is to inform entrepreneurs about how best to implement the positive face of the fear of missing out (FOMO) to foster brand community building in the context of equity crowdfunding in the post-Covid era. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with crowdinvestors from Europe and North America investing via different equity crowdfunding portals, to obtain primary in-depth qualitative data. Using thematic analysis, the authors investigated how FOMO influences the crowdinvestor's decision making. Findings suggest that FOMO is a powerful belongingness facilitator to support the crowdinvestor's self-determination strategies and thus their willingness to be part of a crowdfunding community to share in its values and beliefs. As such it can be used by entrepreneurs to activate identification mechanisms through which they can create a loyal fan base. An entrepreneurial action plan is proposed to guide the entrepreneur in making the most of the equity crowdfunding opportunity through the positive face of FOMO.
Purpose This research identifies the forms of tacit knowledge frequently requested in the job des... more Purpose This research identifies the forms of tacit knowledge frequently requested in the job descriptions of knowledge workers in a multinational automotive manufacturer's product development department. It then explores how and why the most requested forms of tacit knowledge are used in practice to achieve organizational goals. Design/methodology/approach This study follows a sequential mixed-methods approach to quantify the most frequently requested forms of tacit knowledge within internal job descriptions and then explores how and why this tacit knowledge is used. The first stage applies manifest content analysis to internal job descriptions to highlight the epitomes of tacit knowledge to identify the most frequently requested forms of tacit knowledge. The second stage employs semi-structured interviews to explore the use of the most frequently requested forms of tacit knowledge in practice. Findings The research indicated that the organization most frequently requested tacit knowledge in the form of skills and experience in the job descriptions of knowledge workers in the product development department. When the use and application of tacit knowledge in the form of skills were further explored in practice, it was found that tacit knowledge-based socially-focused skills were used, which was underpinned by the need to bring people together and align them towards a common goal to make things work; by enabling people to work together as a team; by developing and using networks; and acting as a required resource to support the development and integration in product development. Tacit knowledge in the form of experience was applied through the application of personally obtained experience to enhance development work by acting as a pacemaker for increasing efficiency and a sense of upcoming issues.
Entrepreneurship educators can maximise the effectiveness of their delivery by having a firm gras... more Entrepreneurship educators can maximise the effectiveness of their delivery by having a firm grasp of the different educational philosophies and theories that underpin entrepreneurship education pedagogy and practice. A particular educational philosophical orientation underlies, directs, and drives educator practices and should align with what the teaching seeks to impart and achieve, and the roles the learners and educator play in the learning process. Whilst educators might not always be explicitly aware of their philosophical orientation, it will direct and drive their pedagogic practice and have implications for what they deliver, and how they deliver it. The benefits of bringing together different learning theories, philosophies, and approaches for entrepreneurship education has previously been posited in the literature. However, it has been highlighted that connections between educational theory and practice are limited, and that the field of entrepreneurship education could be advanced through providing links between education literature, theory, and learning. This paper advances the literature by linking educational philosophy and theory to entrepreneurship education and pedagogy in higher education. It discusses and highlights how behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism, and humanism can be used to underpin and support learning in entrepreneurship education. This meets calls for the conceptualisation of how educational philosophies and theories can be integrated into entrepreneurship education to support learners.
International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 2024
This work makes a case for legitimacy as a framework with which to examine how educators made dec... more This work makes a case for legitimacy as a framework with which to examine how educators made decisions about implementing entrepreneurship education in higher education institutions to better understand the educator within the educational ecosystem. It then uses a new legitimacy framework that includes self-legitimacy to examine the issues a group of educators in China encountered when implementing new constructivist entrepreneurship modules in their non-entrepreneurship curricula. Methodology The researchers utilized focus groups to collect data from twenty-four groups of educators at higher education institutions in four regions of China. The researchers used a bottom-up thematic analysis process to identify themes, then used legitimacy as a lens to analyze the data.
Purpose
Employability is an established research theme in Western literature, however, in develop... more Purpose Employability is an established research theme in Western literature, however, in developing economies the concept remains unclear and under researched. This study addresses this lacuna by exploring how Sri Lankan higher education administrators conceptualise employability and which capitals they perceive as needing development to achieve employability.
Design/methodology/approach The research utilised semi-structured interviews with an expert panel, responsible for leading the development of the employment agenda within Sri Lankan higher education. The purposive sample included four Sri Lankan Vice Chancellors, representing leadership at 27% of the country’s publicly funded universities and the higher education funding commission. The qualitative data collected was thematically analysed to identify how employability was conceptualised and the perceived employability skills and capitals required.
Findings The findings demonstrated that employability was conceptualised as requiring transferable skills and job specific occupational skills. This view of employability represents a narrow definition with an emphasis on skill development rather than longer term capability building. The results show the applicability of Bourdieu’s (1977) capitals in the Sri Lankan higher education context, with cultural and social capital and proficiency in the English language critical to meeting employability objectives.
Originality This research addresses the shortage of research about the concept and requirements of employability in developing countries. Most employability studies have drawn on samples from students, lecturers, and employers, whilst this study considers the phenomenon from the perspectives of strategic administrators in higher education who guide the employability agenda in practice. These insights are important in informing policy makers to calibrate a more balanced approach by incorporating employability into the Sri Lankan higher education curriculum and sector strategy.
Purpose-This study investigates the impact of job rotation on employee performance and explores t... more Purpose-This study investigates the impact of job rotation on employee performance and explores the mediating role of HR strategy and training effectiveness on this relationship, within the petrochemical industry, which represents a highly specialist and hazardous industrial context. Methodology-Data was collected through a questionnaire which was distributed among the experts working in an Iranian petrochemical organization. Previously validated scales were utilized to measure job rotation, employee performance, HR strategy, and training effectiveness, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was utilized for hypothesis testing. Findings-The research findings indicated that job rotation had a negative effect on employee performance. Whilst training effectiveness and HR strategy positively mediated the relationship between job rotation and employee performance. This highlights the importance of ensuring effective training and a HR strategy to support job rotation of skilled and specialist employees. Practical Implications-Managers of employees in specialist and hazardous industries, such as petrochemical workers, interested in job rotation to support employee career development, should be mindful of potential negative implications on employee performance. To support and improve employee performance, job rotation should be considered alongside HR strategy and training. Originality-Previous research has largely focused on the value of job rotation to develop managers' organizational understanding and to reduce injury within blue collar work, which has led to a paucity of research into job rotation within highly skilled and specialist industrial roles. It is highlighted within the literature that it remains unclear what supports effective job rotation. This study addresses this lacuna by investigating how job rotation affects employee performance in a highly skilled and specialized industry and how strategy and training effectiveness mediate this effect.
Family businesses require internal communication to guide and provide direction, and the unique n... more Family businesses require internal communication to guide and provide direction, and the unique nature of involving both family and non-family employees add complexity. Navigating this complexity helps to ensure effective direction and management of family businesses. This paper explores the existing research concerning internal communication within family businesses and discusses the lenses and contexts through which it is commonly studied. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides a concise literature review to identify the most common lenses through which internal communication in family business has been researched. Findings Internal communication in family enterprises is mostly studied through the lenses of internal communication between family generations, internal communication and the influence on family identity, and internal communication in times of crises. Existing research is largely focused on the role of family in internal communication, and limited consideration is given to the role of non-family members and family members outside of the business. Originality/value The paper synthesises the direction and findings of existing research into internal communication within family business and provides avenues for future research. Managerial implications are also presented based on the synthesis of existing literature.
Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 2023
This study examines the relationship between entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial support pro... more This study examines the relationship between entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial support programs, and entrepreneurial intention, and the moderating role of entrepreneurial support programs in the relationship between entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial intention, among students with physical disabilities in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Methodology: This study used a closed-ended questionnaire survey, composed of previously validated scales, to sample 209 students with physical disabilities at tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Hierarchal regression was performed to assess the relationships between the variables and test the hypotheses. Findings: Both entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial support programs were found to be significantly positively related to entrepreneurial intention, and entrepreneurial support programs also moderated the relationship between entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial intention Originality/value: This research addresses calls for further understanding of how those with disabilities can be supported into entrepreneurship, by identifying supporting factors. The research provides further understanding of the entrepreneurial passion and intention nexus by exploring the relationship within those with a physical disability, where significant barriers exist, and within a developing country context where entrepreneurship might be a necessity rather than driven by passion. Research limitations/implications: This research identifies that developing entrepreneurial passion and providing accessible and inclusive entrepreneurial support programs are valuable in supporting and facilitating a passage into entrepreneurship for those with disabilities.
Plant-Based Food Consumption Products, Consumers and Strategies, 2023
Plant-based milk has become increasingly mainstream, not only being sold to a niche audience thro... more Plant-based milk has become increasingly mainstream, not only being sold to a niche audience through specialist outlets. This change has been supported by a tidal shift in consumer consumption patterns, the broadening of plant-based alternative products available, and product availability. The demand for plantbased milk alternatives has escalated beyond just those consumers following a vegetarian or vegan diet due to changes in consumer attitudes and behaviors. The broadening of consumer needs and motivations for the consumption of plant-based milk has resulted in the growth of market entrants and new products to fill different customer needs and segments. This chapter explores this phenomenon by exploring the needs and motivations of plant-based milk consumers, through the lens of Maslow's (1970) Hierarchy of Needs, to review and illustrate how a range of plant-based milk brands have been developed, marketed, and positioned to meet consumer needs.
Entrepreneurship education (EE) has been present in some form in UK higher education since the ea... more Entrepreneurship education (EE) has been present in some form in UK higher education since the early 1970s. Over the last 50 years, both its scope and prominence have increased with more emphasis on EE as a distinctive discipline.
The delivery of entrepreneurship education can present a challenge for educators unfamiliar with ... more The delivery of entrepreneurship education can present a challenge for educators unfamiliar with entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial process in practice. It is not uncommon for educators to be pushed toward teaching entrepreneurship, despite having limited or no personal experience of entrepreneurship. This is commonly the case in Oman, which has introduced mandatory entrepreneurship classes for all higher education students as a part of the Oman 2040 vision, which seeks to increase the level of entrepreneurship within the country. Arising from this, there is the potential for a disconnect between educators' discourse and conceptualization of entrepreneurship in their teaching practice and the actual practice of entrepreneurship. This research explores how Omani educators conceptualize entrepreneurship in their delivery of entrepreneurship education, through 80 hours of ethnographic observation of two mandatory online entrepreneurship education classes in Oman, delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings highlight that the educators conceptualized entrepreneurship as the process of business creation, a central pillar of economic growth, a linear process, and as a career. These conceptualizations underpin a classical and narrow view of entrepreneurship. Identifying educators' conceptualization and understanding of entrepreneurship within their teaching practice can highlight potential misalignment between entrepreneurship as it is taught, and how it is practiced.
Generative artificial intelligence has seen fast paced developments, with it being utilised in nu... more Generative artificial intelligence has seen fast paced developments, with it being utilised in numerous contexts, including both entrepreneurship and education. This has led to calls to integrate generative artificial intelligence into entrepreneurship education, to help prepare students to take advantage of future entrepreneurial opportunities. The technology also has the potential to influence pedagogy, teaching practice, and assessment and has raised concerns and questions within education about how educators can train students to use the latest technology to prepare them for the future, whilst managing potential changes to teaching practice. However, given the rapid emergence of the technology, discussion as to the implications for education and particularly entrepreneurship education is limited and there have been calls for further exploration and discussion. This paper addresses these calls by discussing some of the potential implications which generative artificial intelligence brings to entrepreneurship education and the entrepreneurship classroom, at both a macro and curricular level. The advancement of generative artificial intelligence furthers the need for entrepreneurship educators to embrace the technology in a managed way, develop students critical and reflective thinking, and foster the development and assessment of practical and technical entrepreneurial skills, to support student's effective utilisation of generative artificial intelligence. Educators should also be aware of the potential effects which generative artificial intelligence poses to teaching and assessment.
There has been a significant growth in Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programs and appli... more There has been a significant growth in Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programs and applied business research in recent times. Whilst a range of approaches and methods can be used in DBA and applied business research, this paper seeks to add depth of understanding to the use of the mixed methods approach within case study research designs. These can be used in a complementary fashion with a mixed methods approach being used to collect data within a case study design. However, the adoption of a mixed method case study research design has failed to keep pace with the growth of DBA research in the UK and commentary as to the value, application, and implications of adopting a case study research design and mixed methods is currently lacking. Therefore, building and presenting a robust justification and rationale as to their adoption in applied business research has been cited as a major challenge for DBA and novice researchers. This paper addresses this lacuna by providing commentary as to the value, key decisions, and implications of adopting a case study research design and mixed methods to conduct applied business research and reviews current application in practice, to support DBA candidates and novice researchers to make informed research decisions.
This paper explores the link between the entrepreneurial intention of students in higher educatio... more This paper explores the link between the entrepreneurial intention of students in higher education and the entrepreneurial interventions an institution can provide to support them. The study uses data collected from 679 undergraduate students from Chinese and UK Universities. The instrument for data collection was a paper-based questionnaire. This study uses the integrated model of entrepreneurial intentions as the theoretical underpinning for this approach. The initial findings highlight the perceived need for a range of entrepreneurship interventions, with business training programmes being the highest priority, followed by mentoring, specialist business advice, low-cost finance, business networking events and enterprise clubs. It also shows that those with different Intention Horizons do request a different portfolio of interventions. The paper provides an evidence-based approach to entrepreneurship education design and the development of interventions to support a range of students with and without entrepreneurial intention. This work suggests a previously under-articulated relationship between the nascent entrepreneur’s Intention Horizon, university interventions, and entrepreneurial action. There are numerous calls for further contextualisation of entrepreneurship education which this paper fulfils (Baron and Shane in Psychol Entrepreneurship 19-39, 2007; Byrne et al. in Edward Elgar Publishing, 2014). It further develops the narrative around both contextualisation, the previous experience of the students and the range and importance of these interventions to support the creation of a new venture.
International Journal of Management Education, 2023
Entrepreneurship education and pedagogic reforms advocating the increased use of progressive educ... more Entrepreneurship education and pedagogic reforms advocating the increased use of progressive educational methods have been promoted by the Chinese government. In practice, this has led to a fusion of the more traditional teaching approach and more progressive approaches. This has led to calls for entrepreneurship education to be contextualized within the Chinese context, against the backdrop of the progressive pedagogic reforms. This paper addresses this by exploring how Chinese educators are responding to directives encouraging progressive pedagogic entrepreneurship education, by applying the lens of Sfard's knowledge acquisition and participationorientation learning metaphors. Interviews were conducted with fifteen educators and analysis of their narratives of practice was undertaken to identify knowledge acquisition and participation-orientation metaphors to elicit the approaches adopted in the classroom. The results indicate that both acquisition and participation approaches are adopted by educators, but in a way that reflects the traditional and cultural heritage that values knowledge. Educators still relied heavily on the transmission-acquisition metaphor, however the encouragement to introduce more progressive practices could be observed in two ways, the constructivist acquisition metaphor, and the participation metaphor. The former appeared more developed and the latter less so, although both are desirable in the light of the education reforms.
The International Journal of Management Education, 2022
Educators and policymakers have sought to open entrepreneurship to a broader range of students. T... more Educators and policymakers have sought to open entrepreneurship to a broader range of students. The paper investigates the role of entrepreneurship education in the development of People with Physical Disabilities (PWPDs) and the moderating role of inclusion in their entrepreneurial action. This research employed a cross-sectional survey of 253 students with physical disabilities across tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The findings underscore the significant role of entrepreneurship education in enhancing the entrepreneurial action of physically disabled students. The finding of the study established the moderating role of inclusion in the relationship between entrepreneurship education and the entrepreneurial action of physically disabled students. This implies that the commitment of the educators to accept and support physically disabled students in the class will create an environment in which physically disabled students can learn to monitor and respond to entrepreneurial changes in the environment. This will in turn prepare them to engage in a business start-up. This research highlights that entrepreneurship education and inclusion make significant contributions to physically disabled students' entrepreneurial action. Therefore, these factors are key to consider in preparing physically disabled students to become entrepreneurial graduates. The study contributes to the extant literature by underscoring the value of creating an environment of inclusion in entrepreneurship education.
Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 2022
Previous research has found that family characteristics influence an offspring's entrepreneurial ... more Previous research has found that family characteristics influence an offspring's entrepreneurial potential and perception of the barriers to entrepreneurship. This research extends this proposition to women in Oman to determine whether family income, entrepreneurship/business experience and family size influences women's perception of barriers to entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on primary data that was collected through a structured questionnaire from 123 female respondents at an Omani private university. The data was analysed using PCA, correlation and regression analysis to determine the influence of the family characteristic on the perception of barriers to entrepreneurship. Findings The findings concluded that the three family characteristics being tested were not able to predict a change in the perception of barriers to entrepreneurship. This contradicts previous research conducted in Western contexts and highlights potential weakness in family support for female entrepreneurship in Oman. Originality This research addresses the paucity of studies about female entrepreneurship in developing countries. The results challenge some of the extant findings in the literature, thus enriching the current perspectives on female entrepreneurship and the impact of Omani family characteristics, in terms of income, economic background, and family size, on the perception of barriers that hinder entrepreneurship among female students.
The International Journal of Management Education, 2022
This research investigates how entrepreneurial education activity (EEA) influences entrepreneuria... more This research investigates how entrepreneurial education activity (EEA) influences entrepreneurial behaviour (EB) by unpacking how EEA influences both entrepreneurial intention (EI) and EB and how behavioural entrepreneurial mindset (BEM) mediates the relationship between EEA and EI. This furthers research into the behavioural subdimension of entrepreneurial mindset and how this impacts the relationship between EEA and EI. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for checking the measurement model fit and psychometric properties of the measurement scales used, and structural equation modelling was used for testing the proposed model using questionnaire data collected from 1428 students participating in EEA in higher education institutions in China. The research found that effective EEA has a positive effect on EB which was partly mediated by EI, and that EEA positively affects BEM, which in turn mediates the relationship between EEA and EI. This research contributes by expanding the understanding of how EEA can influence students' EB by highlighting BEM as an impact indicator of entrepreneurship education (EE). Secondly, it contributes to the understanding of the formation of students' EB by identifying how BEM mediates the transition from EEA to EB through the development of EI. This highlights BEM as an effective endogenous driver of students' EI, addressing a lacuna in research by investigating EM from the behavioural perspective in EE research.
The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2022
This case study provides a critical understanding of the connection between start-up investment a... more This case study provides a critical understanding of the connection between start-up investment and the development of a loyal brand community. Learners develop an appreciation of how engagement in crowdfunding campaigns can lead to the creation of engaged partners. This is explored through applying the Business Model Canvas to the case of BrewDog, a company that has expanded beyond the niche market of craft brewing to become an international brand. The use of crowdfunding has not only enabled Brewdog to raise the capital to finance expansion but also to develop a special relationship with some of their customers, who through investment and engagement can become partners in the product development process.
This study investigates the effect of entrepreneurship education in terms of the development of e... more This study investigates the effect of entrepreneurship education in terms of the development of entrepreneurial knowledge and skills, on graduate students' entrepreneurial alertness and the mediating role of the entrepreneurial mindset.
The aim of this study is to inform entrepreneurs about how best to implement the positive face of... more The aim of this study is to inform entrepreneurs about how best to implement the positive face of the fear of missing out (FOMO) to foster brand community building in the context of equity crowdfunding in the post-Covid era. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with crowdinvestors from Europe and North America investing via different equity crowdfunding portals, to obtain primary in-depth qualitative data. Using thematic analysis, the authors investigated how FOMO influences the crowdinvestor's decision making. Findings suggest that FOMO is a powerful belongingness facilitator to support the crowdinvestor's self-determination strategies and thus their willingness to be part of a crowdfunding community to share in its values and beliefs. As such it can be used by entrepreneurs to activate identification mechanisms through which they can create a loyal fan base. An entrepreneurial action plan is proposed to guide the entrepreneur in making the most of the equity crowdfunding opportunity through the positive face of FOMO.
Purpose This research identifies the forms of tacit knowledge frequently requested in the job des... more Purpose This research identifies the forms of tacit knowledge frequently requested in the job descriptions of knowledge workers in a multinational automotive manufacturer's product development department. It then explores how and why the most requested forms of tacit knowledge are used in practice to achieve organizational goals. Design/methodology/approach This study follows a sequential mixed-methods approach to quantify the most frequently requested forms of tacit knowledge within internal job descriptions and then explores how and why this tacit knowledge is used. The first stage applies manifest content analysis to internal job descriptions to highlight the epitomes of tacit knowledge to identify the most frequently requested forms of tacit knowledge. The second stage employs semi-structured interviews to explore the use of the most frequently requested forms of tacit knowledge in practice. Findings The research indicated that the organization most frequently requested tacit knowledge in the form of skills and experience in the job descriptions of knowledge workers in the product development department. When the use and application of tacit knowledge in the form of skills were further explored in practice, it was found that tacit knowledge-based socially-focused skills were used, which was underpinned by the need to bring people together and align them towards a common goal to make things work; by enabling people to work together as a team; by developing and using networks; and acting as a required resource to support the development and integration in product development. Tacit knowledge in the form of experience was applied through the application of personally obtained experience to enhance development work by acting as a pacemaker for increasing efficiency and a sense of upcoming issues.
Entrepreneurship educators can maximise the effectiveness of their delivery by having a firm gras... more Entrepreneurship educators can maximise the effectiveness of their delivery by having a firm grasp of the different educational philosophies and theories that underpin entrepreneurship education pedagogy and practice. A particular educational philosophical orientation underlies, directs, and drives educator practices and should align with what the teaching seeks to impart and achieve, and the roles the learners and educator play in the learning process. Whilst educators might not always be explicitly aware of their philosophical orientation, it will direct and drive their pedagogic practice and have implications for what they deliver, and how they deliver it. The benefits of bringing together different learning theories, philosophies, and approaches for entrepreneurship education has previously been posited in the literature. However, it has been highlighted that connections between educational theory and practice are limited, and that the field of entrepreneurship education could be advanced through providing links between education literature, theory, and learning. This paper advances the literature by linking educational philosophy and theory to entrepreneurship education and pedagogy in higher education. It discusses and highlights how behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism, and humanism can be used to underpin and support learning in entrepreneurship education. This meets calls for the conceptualisation of how educational philosophies and theories can be integrated into entrepreneurship education to support learners.
Transformational entrepreneurship is a strategy to reconcile social and economic development, by ... more Transformational entrepreneurship is a strategy to reconcile social and economic development, by holistically combining inclusivity and innovation. On the one hand, it revolves around the ability of entrepreneurs to face global challenges to improve the well-being of communities; on the other, it relies on community-based decision-making to ease the formation of ecosystems meant to foster value creation, appropriation, and distribution. Digital platforms have offered a promising tool for transformational entrepreneurship to advance. For example, crowdfunding has established itself as one of the emerging contexts to appreciate how transformational entrepreneurship takes place in the real world by catalysing collaboration. As such, it is positioned to unleash the potential of public-private partnerships to favour socioeconomic development from the ground up. This chapter aims to investigate the match-funding (a type of crowdfunding) programme run by the Italian public University of Milan-Bicocca. The project, named BiUniCrowd, started in 2018 and, since then, has had multiple calls, more than 100 applications and funded projects focusing on tackling contemporary challenges, and the active involvement of thousands of backers along with several affiliate partners. Findings highlight the pivoting role played by digital platforms to help universities encourage transformational entrepreneurship whilst fulfilling their third mission.
Mixed methods research designs are a popular approach to research which can offer the advantages ... more Mixed methods research designs are a popular approach to research which can offer the advantages of both quantitative and qualitative data. However, using two types of data within one piece of research also presents challenges. To minimise these challenges and maximise the potential benefits, it is important for mixed methods research projects to be well planned and thought out. This case study explores and discusses the use of concurrent and sequential mixed methods research designs and the implications on the data collection and analysis processes, as well as the underpinning research philosophy. Specifically, this case study examines the use of a mixed method research design in a study exploring the forms of tacit knowledge requested of employees in the automotive industry and how and why these forms of tacit knowledge are used. Understanding available options for data collection and their influence on the research process is essential to making an informed decision about whether to follow a concurrent or sequential mixed methods research design.
Mixed methods research designs are a popular approach to research which can offer the advantages ... more Mixed methods research designs are a popular approach to research which can offer the advantages of both quantitative and qualitative data. However, using two types of data within one piece of research also presents challenges. To minimise these challenges and
Whilst there has been a rapid expansion and proliferation in the delivery of entrepreneurship edu... more Whilst there has been a rapid expansion and proliferation in the delivery of entrepreneurship education globally, the literature suggests that entrepreneurship educators are not always well versed in educational theory and philosophy. This can lead to a degree of separation between the practice of entrepreneurship education and educational science, which underpins the delivery of entrepreneurship education. Existing literature has proposed the need for a range of educational philosophies and theories to be integrated to ensure the effective delivery of entrepreneurship education within higher education. Entrepreneurship education delivered within higher education needs to meet the needs of students, higher education institutions and stakeholders. This chapter theorises and espouses how underpinning entrepreneurship education with a humanistic philosophy can help meet these needs and support students and society's development. Humanism can be combined with other underpinning philosophies of education to support the development of essential entrepreneurial competencies and learning in relation to individuals' own interests and contexts. Through interaction between students and their community, students can develop networks, value-orientated skills, make integrative judgements and gain an understanding of the importance of compassion within entrepreneurship. Through such engagement and interaction, students can follow their interests, in a liberating learning environment which supports self-actualisation.
Entrepreneurial Finance, Innovation and Development: A Research Companion, 2021
The Western Balkans are former communist countries which have made the transition to capitalist e... more The Western Balkans are former communist countries which have made the transition to capitalist economies. As part of this they continue to develop their entrepreneurial ecosystems to support private business and innovation. The region overall has a relatively high level of entrepreneurship which has led the Western Balkans to be labelled as the next frontier of start-ups in Europe. However, previous research has identified that challenges in obtaining finance, the need for high collateral, high interest rates and banks' inexperience of lending to start-ups has been a constraining factor in the region. Such a scenario provides potential for crowdfunding to be a useful tool to support the financing of entrepreneurship in the region. In the light of such potential, this chapter reviews the business and entrepreneurship data in the region and explores the limitations within the current crowdfunding ecosystem in the region to espouse how the Western Balkans can utilize crowdfunding to continue and sustain economic development by supporting the financing of entrepreneurial startups. This book chapter posits that whilst crowdfunding could provide valuable support to start-ups in the regions, the platforms operating in the region and the ecosystem is currently underdeveloped.
Professional Practice in Learning and Development: How to Design and Deliver Plans for the Workplace, 2016
In this chapter, you will build on last chapter’s understanding of the requirements of a being a ... more In this chapter, you will build on last chapter’s understanding of the requirements of a being a professional as well as the identification and development of key competencies in your practice. This chapter introduces you to a number of concepts and issues that have occurred in the external environment in stimulating your thinking about the context in which L&D operates in and that shapes its success. Understanding the role that external factors have on the organization and in turn L&D professionals is crucial in an increasingly interconnected, global world. This chapter looks outward to understand how the outside world affects what is happening inside your organization. What external elements cause change within your organization? What are the main sources of these external forces? Why does an organization need to pay special attention to its context? Organizations that ignore the external world do so at their own peril. Understanding the external environment means L&D can not only react to changing business needs, but can also prepare for them and mitigate their impact on the organization. In fact, in some cases, L&D practitioners may be able to leverage upon these trends and take advantage of opportunities that arise.
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Papers by Robin Bell
Employability is an established research theme in Western literature, however, in developing economies the concept remains unclear and under researched. This study addresses this lacuna by exploring how Sri Lankan higher education administrators conceptualise employability and which capitals they perceive as needing development to achieve employability.
Design/methodology/approach
The research utilised semi-structured interviews with an expert panel, responsible for leading the development of the employment agenda within Sri Lankan higher education. The purposive sample included four Sri Lankan Vice Chancellors, representing leadership at 27% of the country’s publicly funded universities and the higher education funding commission. The qualitative data collected was thematically analysed to identify how employability was conceptualised and the perceived employability skills and capitals required.
Findings
The findings demonstrated that employability was conceptualised as requiring transferable skills and job specific occupational skills. This view of employability represents a narrow definition with an emphasis on skill development rather than longer term capability building. The results show the applicability of Bourdieu’s (1977) capitals in the Sri Lankan higher education context, with cultural and social capital and proficiency in the English language critical to meeting employability objectives.
Originality
This research addresses the shortage of research about the concept and requirements of employability in developing countries. Most employability studies have drawn on samples from students, lecturers, and employers, whilst this study considers the phenomenon from the perspectives of strategic administrators in higher education who guide the employability agenda in practice. These insights are important in informing policy makers to calibrate a more balanced approach by incorporating employability into the Sri Lankan higher education curriculum and sector strategy.
Employability is an established research theme in Western literature, however, in developing economies the concept remains unclear and under researched. This study addresses this lacuna by exploring how Sri Lankan higher education administrators conceptualise employability and which capitals they perceive as needing development to achieve employability.
Design/methodology/approach
The research utilised semi-structured interviews with an expert panel, responsible for leading the development of the employment agenda within Sri Lankan higher education. The purposive sample included four Sri Lankan Vice Chancellors, representing leadership at 27% of the country’s publicly funded universities and the higher education funding commission. The qualitative data collected was thematically analysed to identify how employability was conceptualised and the perceived employability skills and capitals required.
Findings
The findings demonstrated that employability was conceptualised as requiring transferable skills and job specific occupational skills. This view of employability represents a narrow definition with an emphasis on skill development rather than longer term capability building. The results show the applicability of Bourdieu’s (1977) capitals in the Sri Lankan higher education context, with cultural and social capital and proficiency in the English language critical to meeting employability objectives.
Originality
This research addresses the shortage of research about the concept and requirements of employability in developing countries. Most employability studies have drawn on samples from students, lecturers, and employers, whilst this study considers the phenomenon from the perspectives of strategic administrators in higher education who guide the employability agenda in practice. These insights are important in informing policy makers to calibrate a more balanced approach by incorporating employability into the Sri Lankan higher education curriculum and sector strategy.