Search Results (30)

This study explores sustainable rural tourism entrepreneurship within the Urlaub am Bauernhof (UaB) cooperative network in Austria, offering an integrated model that unites financial, social, environmental, institutional, and marketing dimensions. Employing exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) on data from 393 farm-based accommodation stakeholders, this research identifies sustainable entrepreneurship as comprising six interconnected dimensions: Economic Resilience and Diversification, Sociocultural Integration, Environmental and Regional Commitment, Market Visibility and Strategic Communication, Quality Assurance and Institutional Support, and Perceived Value and Branding. This multidimensional and hierarchically structured framework reflects the complex yet coherent nature of sustainability-driven entrepreneurship in cooperative tourism networks. The findings confirm the multidimensional nature of sustainable entrepreneurship and support the hypothesized structural relationships. The UaB network is presented as a transferable model that demonstrates how cooperative frameworks can enhance sustainability, regional identity, and rural revitalization, offering valuable insights and practical guidance for rural regions in the Western Balkans, where economic challenges, depopulation, and underdeveloped tourism infrastructure prevail. By illustrating a successful cooperative approach rooted in sustainability and regional identity, this study contributes to policy-making aimed at fostering resilient, culturally rich, and environmentally responsible rural tourism entrepreneurship in transitioning contexts. Full article

This study investigates how new R&D institutions mediate policy–market disjunctures to foster integrated innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems. Employing a longitudinal case analysis (2013–2023) of the Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JITRI), we delineate a three-phase evolutionary process: (1) an initial government-dominated phase, stimulating foundational capability development through contract R&D; (2) a subsequent marketization phase, enabling systemic resource integration via co-creation centers and global networks; and (3) a culminating synergy phase, where policy–market alignment facilitates ecosystem optimization through crowdsourced R&D and cross-domain collaboration. Three core mechanisms underpin this adaptation: policy–market coupling (providing external momentum), endogenous capability development (absorption to innovation), and dynamic resource orchestration (acquisition to optimization). JITRI’s hybrid governance model demonstrates that stage-contingent interventions—specifically, policy anchoring in early stages followed by market-responsive resource allocation—effectively transmute inherent tensions into productive synergies. These findings yield implementable frameworks for structuring innovative ecosystems and underscore the necessity for comparative studies to establish broader theoretical generalizability. Full article

The high-quality development of the fishery economy (HQDF) is crucial to ensuring the sustainable supply of aquatic products. This study first conducts a theoretical analysis of the potential impacts of the digital economy (DE) on the HQDF and explores the underlying mechanisms. By using provincial panel data of China from 2011 to 2022, comprehensive indicator systems are constructed to measure the development levels of the DE and the HQDF. A two-way fixed effects model is employed to empirically examine the impact of the DE on the HQDF, with a focus on the mediating roles of technological innovation and entrepreneurial activity. The findings reveal that the DE significantly and positively drives the fishery economy towards high-quality development, and these results remain robust across various robustness tests and endogeneity treatments. Additionally, the transmission mechanisms of technological innovation and entrepreneurial activity enhancement are empirically validated. The impact of the digital economy exhibits regional heterogeneity. This study provides a scientific basis for achieving high-quality and sustainable development in the fishery sector, suggesting that fostering the digital economy, technological innovation, and entrepreneurship should be prioritized in policy interventions. Full article

Environmental degradation poses a significant global challenge which necessitates innovative strategies to achieve sustainability. This study investigates the impact of technological innovation (TCN), higher education (EDU), green finance (GRF), globalization (GLI), and entrepreneurship (ENT) on environmental quality (EQ) in G20 countries. The study uses panel data from 2000 to 2020 to investigate relationships between study variables. Among the various diagnostic tests conducted, the Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) confirms that multicollinearity is not present. Furthermore, the cross-sectional dependence (CSD) test identifies cross-sectional interdependence among the study variables. Moreover, the slope homogeneity (SL) test indicates heterogeneity in the data. For the stationarity check, the Cross-Sectional Augmented Im–Pesaran–Shin (CIPS) test indicates mixed results. Finally, the study uses the Cross-Sectionally Augmented Autoregressive Distributed Lag (CS-ARDL) and the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) for the long- and short-run analysis of variables. The outcomes of CS-ARDL indicate that GLI has a significant negative impact on EQ, hence causing deterioration in G20 economies. On the other hand, TCN, EDU, GRF, and ENT show positive and significant impacts on EQ, therefore enhancing environmental outcomes. Additionally, the Dumitrescu–Hurlin causality test reveals bidirectional causality, which highlights the interconnected relationship between TCN and ENT with EQ. However, GRF, EDU, and GLI demonstrate unidirectional causality with EQ. The takeaway of the study focuses on the importance of policies in promoting green innovation, resource efficiency, and sustainable practices to advance environmental quality within G20 economies. Full article

This study examines the effect of China’s Pilot Policy for Migrant Workers Returning Home for Entrepreneurship on High-Quality Agricultural Development (HQAD) at the county level. Despite extensive research on return migration and rural development, few studies have focused on how such entrepreneurship policies affect HQAD. We analyze county-level panel data from 2014 to 2021 using a difference-in-differences (DID) approach to assess the policy’s effectiveness and its regional variations across China. We further validate our findings through robustness tests, including parallel trend tests, placebo tests, and propensity score matching combined with difference-in-differences analysis (PSM–DID). The results indicate that the pilot policy significantly enhances HQAD (β = 0.216, p < 0.001), with more pronounced effects in the Eastern region (β = 0.401, p < 0.001) than in the Central region (β = 0.312, p < 0.001), and no significant effects in the Western region. Additionally, our analysis shows that population agglomeration (β = 0.306, p < 0.001) and technological innovation (β = 2.970, p < 0.001) positively moderate the policy’s impact, whereas e-commerce development (β = −0.257, p < 0.001) has a negative moderating effect. These insights highlight that the success of return entrepreneurship policies is heavily dependent on regional characteristics and supportive development factors, offering crucial implications for refining policies in rural development strategies. Full article

Against the backdrop of a global economic slowdown, this study examines the impact of the digital intelligence economy on regional high-quality development across 30 Chinese provinces from 2008 to 2022, considering the moderating role of economic policy uncertainty. Using the entropy method to construct composite indicators for the digital intelligence economy and high-quality development, this study applies benchmark regression, mediation analysis, moderation analysis, spatial Durbin models and threshold models. The results show that the digital intelligence economy significantly promotes regional high-quality development through increased innovation investment, enhanced innovation capabilities and entrepreneurship. However, this impact is non-linear: while it initially hinders high-quality development in less developed regions, it becomes beneficial as the economy matures. Economic policy uncertainty negatively moderates this relationship, especially in the more developed eastern regions. Additionally, the digital intelligence economy exhibits positive spatial spillover effects, driving high-quality development in the neighboring areas. The study concludes that policymakers should prioritize digital infrastructure, stabilize economic policies to reduce uncertainty, and promote interregional collaboration to leverage spillover benefits, and tailored strategies are essential to bridge development gaps. This study fills the gap in understanding the interactive effects of the digital intelligence economy and economic policy uncertainty on regional development. Full article

Entrepreneurship support is undoubtedly necessary but often fails to meet expectations. To investigate the reasons behind this, a sequential exploratory methodology, with both qualitative and quantitative data, was used in this research. Within the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (EE) paradigm, a conceptual model linking the macro environment, support system, support received, and entrepreneurship performance was developed based on qualitative data from 56 entrepreneurs’ responses and three in-depth interviews in Study 1. Then empirical data from a survey of 244 entrepreneurs was used to validate the model in Study 2. The findings identified two reasons for the ineffectiveness of entrepreneurship policies. One is the constraint imposed by the macro environment, which presents significant challenges for improvement, and the other arises from the policies themselves, which are improvable and require targeted attention. The research reminds policymakers to consider not only the quantity of support but also its quality. Our study refines the EE Microfoundation theory, particularly the causal and mediating mechanisms linking entrepreneurs to their EE. Full article

The inclusive and environmentally sustainable transformation of economic growth is a crucial indicator for the high-quality development of urban areas. In this perspective, this paper explores the connection between digital inclusive finance and inclusive green growth in 270 Chinese cities from 2011 to 2021. The study used a panel dataset, individual fixed-effects models, and multiple mediation models to analyze the results. The study findings reveal that digital inclusive finance effectively stimulates regional inclusive green growth and enhances positive transmission mainly by improving green technology innovation, increasing entrepreneurship levels, and promoting industrial structure upgrading, of which environmental-friendly technology innovation channels constitute the main contributor. The effects of regions, administrative hierarchy of cities, financial marketization, policy support, and environmental regulation are analyzed in heterogeneity analysis. To ensure the robustness of baseline results, this study utilized two-stage least squares (2-SLS) and difference in difference (DID) approaches. Moreover, this study offers valuable insights into the environmental implications of digital financial inclusion in emerging economies. Full article

This research demonstrates that penny-wise acumen in costonomics can lead to significant financial gains, transforming costs into entrepreneurial gold for enterprises. The study aims to explore how effective financial management, through the application of cost management factors, can convert costs into entrepreneurial opportunities and drive long-term business sustainability. The research utilized exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA), along with reliability analysis (Cronbach’s alpha), employing SPSS and AMOS software to examine the relationships between critical cost management factors. The findings reveal strong correlations among these factors, each playing a vital role in optimizing cost efficiency and enhancing business performance. Cost Management Effectiveness (CME) emphasizes clear cost structures, supplier evaluations, and overall cost control. Strategic Cost Management (SCM) focuses on identifying cost drivers and benchmarking against industry standards to uncover cost reduction opportunities. Cost Optimization Mastery (COM) involves monitoring production costs and assessing cost quality to ensure financial stability, while Cost Management Policy (CMP) stresses the importance of robust policies and employee engagement in controlling costs. Lastly, Cost Management Vigilance (CMV) highlights the need for the active monitoring of variable and overhead costs to maintain financial discipline. This research underscores that businesses in the manufacturing, hospitality, and commercial sectors can successfully leverage these cost management practices to foster competitive entrepreneurship and sustainable growth. Future studies should explore the role of emerging technologies in cost management to uncover new strategies for profitability and sustainability. Full article

The main objective of this article is to analyze the effect of a group of predictors on entrepreneurial intention from the perspective of emotional competencies. To achieve this aim, a sample of 996 students belonging to ten public and seven private universities was selected, with each university having been granted high-quality accreditation by the Colombian Ministry of Education. The theoretical approach was based on Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and the empirical analysis was based on structural equation models. Eight hypotheses were tested, with entrepreneurial intention as the dependent variable and emotional competencies, subjective norms, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and entrepreneurial attitude as independent variables. The information was obtained by applying a questionnaire with a Likert scale to students of subjects related to entrepreneurship. From the findings of the study, it is concluded that in the two ecosystems analyzed (public and private), emotional competencies (EC) have neither a direct influence on entrepreneurial intention (EI) nor an indirect one since no significant influence is observed between emotional competencies and entrepreneurial attitude; however, a direct and positive effect was recorded between the self-efficacy and entrepreneurial attitude constructs on entrepreneurial intention. In addition, it is observed that subjective norms (SN) do not directly affect EI, but they do influence it indirectly, being mediated by entrepreneurial attitude and self-efficacy. The contribution of this study is focused on obtaining a better understanding of the entrepreneurial intentions of university students in Colombia, which will make it possible to foster strategies for the generation of youth employment and public policies to promote various entrepreneurial initiatives. This could be based on government regulations adopted in the last decade, which are still under development, and the broad participation of university students and research groups of higher education institutions. Furthermore, given the dearth of research examining the impact of emotional competencies on the entrepreneurial intentions of young Colombian university students, this study aims to bridge the existing knowledge gap, thereby contributing to the development of a more robust body of literature that can inform the design and implementation of educational strategies and public policies aimed at fostering entrepreneurship within the university ecosystems of this country. Full article

In the new round of global technological revolution and industrial transformation, artificial intelligence (AI) provides an opportunity to foster urban inclusive green growth (IGG). On the basis of scientifically measuring the IGG level and AI development level of Chinese cities from 2010 to 2022, this paper systematically explores the impact and internal mechanism of AI on IGG. This study finds that AI development significantly promotes urban IGG, and this conclusion still holds after a series of robustness and endogeneity tests. The effect of AI on IGG will exhibit heterogeneity because of differences in urban characteristics such as government financial support, information infrastructure development, and innovation and entrepreneurship vitality. Mechanism test reveals that AI development fosters urban IGG through digital technology innovation and industrial structure optimization. Furthermore, AI development has a positive spatial spillover effect on IGG in neighboring cities. This study provides valuable theoretical insights and policy ideas for planning in emerging economies to promote high-quality economic development and ecological civilization through the application of AI technology. Full article

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the institutional and tax environment for businesses in 21 countries of the European Union (EU), using a multi-criteria analysis and, in particular, the PROMETHEE II method, based on thirteen evaluation criteria and the ranking of the European economies. Through the research, the importance of factors related to the efficiency of the tax administration, the tax capacity of the country, the growth rate of the economy, the quality of institutions, the level of corruption, the tax burden, the time of tax compliance and the political stability of the country is studied, in the formation of an attractive environment for the development of entrepreneurship in the EU economies. Moreover, the results of the analysis revealed the existence of significant fiscal and institutional differences between the EU economies under investigation, regarding the development of entrepreneurship. These differences are due to the size of the economy, the institutions, the history, the economic crises of each country and a wide range of dissimilar policy recommendations, which reflect asymmetric policy responses. The study concludes by offering theoretical and political recommendations to improve the institutional and fiscal environment in EU economies so that entrepreneurship can play an important role in improving the economic and social situation of a country. Full article

The southeast Asian new immigrants face significant barriers in employment due to language and cultural differences, making it challenging for them to find jobs. Consequently, many southeast Asian immigrants have turned to entrepreneurship as a means to achieve economic independence and contribute to their family’s income. This study adopts entrepreneurial marketing (EM) as a theoretical lens and utilizes a process research methodology, based on sequentially ordered events, to explore the entrepreneurial journey of immigrant micro and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Employing purposive sampling, twenty-two southeast Asian immigrant entrepreneurs were selected for in-depth interviews to ensure data quality through multiple data collection methods. The research developed a dynamic adjustment model and management mechanisms for the entrepreneurial marketing of immigrant micro and SMEs. These findings not only bridge theoretical gaps in immigrant entrepreneurship strategy but also deepen the academic understanding of the dynamism in entrepreneurial marketing. Practically, the outcomes assist immigrant micro and small business entrepreneurs in developing operational strategies and serve as a reference for governmental units in crafting immigrant policies. Full article

The current European agri-food and forestry (AFF) systems are perceived to be moving too slowly towards more sustainable agriculture, forestry, food and bio-based value chains. The European Green Deal and Farm to Fork (FtF) Strategy stress the importance of the sustainable transition of food systems that emphasize resilience and justice along food chains. In this direction, education and training (ET) are given a major role, constituting one of the pillars of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) framework. This study aims to propose an extended version of the AKIS framework to focus on the transition of policies concerning the ET pillar and to use this framework as a conceptual background with which to identify strategies for the improvement of ET policies in the AFF sectors. Data collection was undertaken through a round of workshops, and the data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. The results revealed that the need for a high-quality educational policy and the need to enhance collaboration, entrepreneurship and innovative learning methods were among the most important for the sector, where urgent changes in pace and an approach in ET are necessary for the entire value chain, from farm to fork. These results emphasize that pivoting the transition of ET systems toward achieving the Green Deal, FtF and new CAP objectives requires the development of policies that support student-centered and interdisciplinary education, while also being flexible and supported by non-formal and lifelong learning approaches. Full article

Background: The Industry 5.0 emerges as a new paradigm for the industry by considering sustainability, human-centered approaches, organizational resilience, and interaction between humans and machines as its core values. This new trend for the future of the industry is referred to as neoindustrialization. Due to being a topic in development, there is still no precise consensus on its definition, which prompted the current study to comprehensively investigate and analyze the existing literature on Industry 5.0. Methods: The method employed was a scoping review, examining publications from various databases and academic journals, including those specific to the Brazilian context. Results: The results indicate a transition towards an industry that meets societal demands and respects planetary boundaries, aspects that were overlooked by Industry 4.0. Conclusions: In this new scenario, the industry reassumes its leadership by combining technology with new strategies and organizational models. Furthermore, it undergoes organizational changes to align its structure, operations, human resources, and new practices, aiming to meet the demands of society and all stakeholders involved. To achieve this, it is necessary to create an environment conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship, promoting the development of qualified human capital, investments in research and development, and strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors. A successful neoindustrialization policy will generate high-quality jobs and foster economic growth. Industry 5.0 is the paradigm that will prevail in the 21st century. It is not a matter of speculation; it is an inseparable and inevitable reality. Otherwise, the industry will be relegated to a secondary role in the process of digital and social transformation. Full article