Administrative Sciences — Open Access Journal

This study presents an analysis of the entrepreneurial competences of second- and fourth-year undergraduate students at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), under the framework of the Entrepreneurial Teachers Network, an ongoing project at this institution. The analysis of a sample of 1874 students identified three profiles of competences of students at the UCLM. The first profile is related to competences in performing and resolving activities, the second is related to risk aversion and uncertainty management and the third is associated with the capacity for teamwork. Furthermore, it was found that the competences related to implementing and performing activities significantly influence job creation as they exhibit a positive relationship with the intention of creating a company in the first three years after graduation. Emotion-related competences also exhibit a significant effect on entrepreneurial intention, although this association is negative. Finally, relation-based competences were found to have no impact on entrepreneurial intention. Full article

During the period between 2008–2013, the internal market in Spain was characterized by economic crisis, the contraction of the demand experienced in a turbulent business environment, and strong competition among companies. This situation forced many of these companies to work abroad. One of the success factors for Spanish engineering companies abroad has been effective risk management, which avoids compromising the company’s objectives, market share, or survival. This article examines the importance of risk management in the success of Spanish engineering consulting firms in the international construction market. Ten executives of Spanish engineering companies with international experience were interviewed, analyzing the importance of risk management for them in the success of internationalization compared with other success factors. The results show that the size of the companies interviewed has no influence on the importance that they gave to risk management, but international experience does relate to the assessment of risk identification and management as a success factor. In addition, companies considered risk management a key factor for optimizing their performance in foreign markets. Full article

Many researchers have highlighted the importance of strategy maps for improving organizational performance and providing an entire organization with a cognitive representation of its strategic objectives. However, arguing that strategy maps do not assign weight to each perspective, other researchers have generated weighted strategy maps and used various optimization models to highlight the most important perspective. In this study, I argue that organizations should understand all the causal links in a strategy map and explore paths toward improvement rather than focusing on just one perspective. To that end, I analyse all the causal relationships in the strategy map developed for a major postal service in Saudi Arabia and identify two principal mediating relationships: (1) the relationship between the learning and growth perspective and the customer perspective as mediated by the internal business process perspective and (2) the relationship between the internal business process perspective and the financial performance perspective as mediated through the customer perspective. Full article

In this research, the concept of Duration with a new application in project management has been defined. The Duration of each project provides the project manager with a combined measure containing concepts of return, cost and time of the project. Further in this article, the changes in project return, based on different assumptions such as discount rate, have been examined. To examine the effect of the changes in these factors, the Monte Carlo simulation has been used. The relationship between these factors is nonlinear which reflects the great importance of investment on appropriate risk management systems. The data from a set of construction projects have been used in order to verify the results of this study. Similar relationships can be expected to exist in other industries as well. Full article

Multi-actor governance, in which a broad mix of actors collaborates to deal with complex societal problems, requires a leadership approach that can take into account the dynamic interdependencies between the involved actors. A relational approach to leadership, focusing on processes and practices, is more adequate for that purpose than approaches focusing on individuals and positions. Complexity leadership theory offers such a relational approach to leadership within organizations. In this article, we use complexity leadership theory to capture the emergent leadership processes between organizations. We focus on the characteristics of the informal relations between representatives of different organizations that enable dealing with the often-conflicting goals and values in multi-actor governance. The case of a landfill mining initiative for sustainable materials governance is used as an illustration to clarify the main concepts and arguments. Full article

Various pieces of information and knowledge turn into “know-how” simply by their application in the market. This applies to all spheres of activities. It is therefore important to know and understand the requirements of customers already in the stage of making a product, and to confront these with the possibilities of a producer. In this article we are exploring the possibilities of a better understanding of the requirements of customers and stakeholders in the process of the creation of products in educational services. In particular, we examined seven general requirements: practice orientation, ethical orientation, research orientation, quality resources, innovation orientation, skills orientation, and quality staff. We use the Kano model on a pilot sample of respondents at an institution of higher education. Our results showed that “practice orientation” and “quality resources” are the most stable requirements, while “quality staff” is the least stable. The most linear requirement (the same effect on satisfaction and dissatisfaction) is “innovation orientation”. “Research orientation” belongs to attractive requirements and we also found that in the case of “ethical orientation” there are weak relations between positive and negative responses in our survey. The “skills orientation” proved to be too general, and our research shows that it could be indifferent. It is therefore advisable to specify the investigated skills when investigating requirements on educational services. The main contribution based on the proposed research procedures is an effective linking of customers and producers already from the beginning of constructing a value chain. Investing in sophisticated management approaches when modelling products and processes can thus become a significant source of the competitive advantage of an educational institution. At the same time, it is a contribution to better placing of its graduates in the labor market. Full article

This study establishes the relationship among three concepts (attachment, love, and engagement) that have attracted the interest of both practitioners and researchers lately. Based on the consumer–brand relationship literature, a theoretical model is proposed. Using data obtained from a survey to 320 consumers from Madrid (Spain), the results show that only two constructs actually exist: attachment and active engagement, with love being part of attachment (passion) or engagement (long-term relationship). Thus, emotional attachment must be based on emotions that generate captivation. This admiration activates engagement, turning the consumer into the best brand promoter. Full article

The governance of public sector infrastructure projects became an important topic of interest in the project, program, and portfolio management literature during the last decade. Today, it is becoming a central focus for policymakers seeking to ensure success in selecting, designing, and implementing government-sponsored programs of multi-projects. Due to the multiple underlying risks and complexities, the governance of infrastructure programs constitutes a critical element in strategic planning in developing countries. This paper has analyzed the infrastructure development program in Gilgit-Baltistan (Northern Pakistan), and revealed major shortcomings in the areas of decision-making, stakeholder management, and role ambiguity. Approaches to remedy these shortcomings have, thus, been proposed. Full article

Customer loyalty is a topic of great interest for marketing scholars due to its importance in gaining sustainable competitive advantages and financial outcomes. Literature is prolific of works regarding customer loyalty and brand management. In order to improve the quantity and quality of research publications, research themes mapping of published studies is required. The aim of this paper is to provide scholars with a systematization and mapping of the contributions on this topic to develop an effective research road map for future research. A bibliometric analysis and a mapping study have been conducted on 337 publications on customer loyalty and brand management from 2000 to 2018. The results present the most cited works on the topic, an evaluation map showing the most frequent and cited words and six clusters of words based on their co-occurrence. From the analysis of the clusters, the most relevant research findings, trends, and issues emerge, suggesting interesting theoretical and practical implications. Full article

“Green Buildings” are essential in being responsive to the challenges of climate change and global warming while inhibiting natural resources degradation. This demand requires specific attention to increase the adoption of green-certified buildings within the construction industry. Innovative tools and techniques are needed to meet global challenges and strategies set for Sustainable Development Goals of 2030 agenda. This paper provides an intensive review of the evolution of green buildings from a sustainable development perspective which investigates the current global adoption of green buildings. Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and Selective Critical Literature Review Analysis (SCLRA) methodologies were adopted focusing on the content analysis to develop more in-depth knowledge. The scope of this study enlightens the sustainable development goals and initiatives. This paper highlighted that there is still inadequate adoption of green buildings and their rating tools on a significant basis in developing countries. This research adds a method towards the better understanding of green buildings and current scenarios that shall be considered for future research. Full article

Corporate political activity (CPA) has been recognized as bearing a significant impact on financial performance (FP). Nevertheless, there has been a lack of considerable research to date. The results of the research regarding the relationship between CPA and FP have been contradictory and this has necessitated further investigation of this relationship. Nonetheless, rather than examining the relationship between CPA and FP, research scholars have revealed that a contingency perspective must be employed for revealing the conditions and the context which enhance the relationship between these two constructs. This study offers a quite distinctive viewpoint with respect to the link between CPA and FP as regards the corporate reputation perspective. For this reason, the study obtained data from the Fortune list of top 100 World Most Admired Companies (WMAC) for the period of 2007 and 2016. This data was utilized to examine the relationship between CPA and FP using the dynamic panel data system GMM (Generalized Method of Moments) estimator. This study finds virtually no support for the hypothesis that lobbying and PACs (political action committees) represent an investment in political capital. Instead, CPA is symptomatic of agency problems within firms. This study also argues that corporate reputation moderates the effect of CPA on the FP and the analysis supports the argument. Our results are particularly useful in light of the reputable corporation, which is greatly to likely increase the use of corporate funds for political contributions. Full article

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the factors that influence the purchase intentions of Generation Y students towards the fast food industry in Nilai, Malaysia. Nowadays, purchase intentions are an important aspect of organizational long-term success in the fast food industry. In addition, purchase intentions are the critical element in competing with other competitive environments; hence, it is important for the fast food industry to pay a significant attention to this matter. The present study was conducted to identify the key determinants that impact the purchase intention of Generation Y students towards the fast food industry in Nilai, Malaysia. Employing the quantitative method in this study, a total of 313 questionnaires were distributed with the response rate of 91%. Another purpose of this study was to provide important insights to Nilai fast food restaurants in understanding the purchase intentions of customers. Therefore, the leaders and managers of Nilai local fast food restaurants can enhance customers’ experience, solve their problems, and ultimately obtain high quality business by understanding the key factors of purchase intentions in fast food industry. Full article

This article presents algorithms for solving a special case of the vehicle routing problem (VRP). We define our proposed problem of a special VRP case as a combination of two hard problems: the generalized assignment and the vehicle routing problem. The different evolution (DE) algorithm is used to solve the problem. The recombination process of the original DE is modified by adding two more sets of vectors—best vector and random vector—and using two other sets—target vector and trial vector. The linear probability formula is proposed to potentially use one out of the four sets of vectors. This is called the modified DE (MDE) algorithm. Two local searches are integrated into the MDE algorithm: exchange and insert. These procedures create a DE and MDE that use (1) no local search techniques, (2) two local search techniques, (3) only the exchange procedure, and (4) only the insert procedure. This generates four DE algorithms and four MDE algorithms. The proposed methods are tested with 15 tested instances and one case study. The current procedure is compared with all proposed heuristics. The computational result shows that, in the case study, the best DE algorithm (DE-4) has a 1.6% better solution than that of the current practice, whereas the MDE algorithm is 8.2% better. The MDE algorithm that uses the same local search as the DE algorithms generates a maximum 5.814% better solution than that of the DE algorithms. Full article

Historically, in most countries, the accounting profession has always been male-dominated. Liberal professions such as lawyers, engineers, architects and doctors share the common trait of conservatism. The accounting profession, which is also a liberal profession, is no exception. Starting from this premise, this work aims to provide, using a historical and institutional perspective, a picture of the past and current “journey” in the accountancy profession of women-chartered accountants and auditors in Italy and Romania. Drawing from the theoretical framework of gendered construction of the accounting profession, the paper points out issues affecting the presence, the degree of representativeness and the role (concerning the presence among the higher level of professional activities and governance positions) of women within the National Chartered Association and their continued under-representation in Italy and Romania. Findings contribute to providing insights useful to develop a future agenda and fill in the research gaps in this field. Full article

Drawing from the ontology of the lack (Laclau and Mouffe 1985), aesthetic theory (Adorno 1997); practice theory (Bourdieu 2002), art perception theory (Bourdieu 1968), and storytelling theory (Boje 2001), we discuss leadership multiplicities and post-truth era phenomena. We conceptualize leadership as a heterogeneous field with an evolving incomplete set of contested narratives, at different development stages, entertained by different players. In the continuous re-occupation of the lack exists tensions, contradictions and conflicts within and between players’ narratives. This situation generates a large variability that requires acknowledgement, promotion, and some management. We relate our discussion to education. We suggest ways to create unity within diversity and resolve some of these contradictions and tensions. The concept of parallax (Zizek 2006), which offers a new gaze, illustrates how to configure sets of related leadership narratives. Full article

Organizational performance development and financial slack have drawn extensive attention in management research. Recent studies have indicated that financial slack has a positive effect on innovation outcomes and organizational performance. However, some other studies have proposed adverse effects. This paper aimed to explore the causal linkages between employee creative self-efficacy, learning orientation, financial slack, innovation outcomes and organizational performance. It also examined the influence of innovation performance and creative self-efficacy as mediating variables in the connection between learning orientation and organizational performance. By doing so, we used a structural equation modelling (SEM) method to test the model using data from 267 small medium enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. The findings illustrated that SMEs had not utilized financial slack to invest in innovation activities and improve firm performance. Furthermore, the results indicated that learning orientation had both direct and indirect impacts on innovation and firm performance. It is worth noting that employee creative self-efficacy had a positive effect on innovation performance. The findings also verified a statistically significant association between innovation and organizational performance. Finally, the results provided some managerial implications to stimulate employees to work creatively and improve innovation outcomes for sustainable development. Full article

Moving marketing strategies, which are changed through digital channels, into the social media environment, has led to changes in customer preferences in the tourism sector and is affected by the comments made in social media. Despite the fact that numerous studies have examined the impact of online customer comments on purchasing behaviour, most of these studies have used descriptive statistics and have ignored the empirical estimations. This study is aimed at examining the influence of the criteria obtained by content analysis on the star ratings given to the hotels based on the comments about the hotel on the TripAdvisor site. In this context, Mediterranean region hotels, which hold an important place in the tourism sector of Turkey, have been viewed, and the 25 hotels with the highest number of comments on the TripAdvisor site were selected, and 9000 comments from these hotels as well as the topic of the study were analysed with panel data methodology. As a result of the analyses made, it was determined that the criteria of the location and the accessibility of the hotels, the food and beverage concept presented by the hotels, the quality of the personnel–service, the cleaning elements, and the entertainment–animation programs were influential on the star ratings given to the hotels. It was also found that the architectural structure of the hotels and the other customers’ recommendation criteria are less important than the star ratings given to the hotel when compared to other specified criteria. Full article

Recently, risk assessment has become one of the most challenging issues in the areas of construction and public-private partnerships (PPPs). To address risk assessment issues, various decision-making techniques have been proposed, each with its own specific disadvantages and advantages. This paper investigates step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA), complex proportional assessment (COPRAS), fuzzy analytic network process (FANP), fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (FTOPSIS), simple additive weighting (SAW) and evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS) in order to define how various multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) methods compare when used for risk assessment in PPP projects. For this study, 5 risk assessment criteria and 10 types of risk used in Iranian highway PPP projects were selected. Four suitability and applicability tests were used to measure agreement between the rankings derived from the MADM methods. Final results show that all techniques had approximately the same rankings of risk assessment, with the SWARA, COPRAS, and EDAS methods performing slightly better. The findings of this study will help the parties in PPP and construction projects to select the best risk assessment method. Full article