Search Results (42)

In the context of the explosive growth of the digital economy, how inter-organizational connectivity affects corporate ambidextrous innovation has emerged as a pressing issue in the current digital economy. Based on the perspectives of the innovation ecosystem and digital coupling, this paper explores the inner mechanism of this issue through structural modeling by using the data of China’s high-tech enterprise alliance cooperation from 2015 to 2022. It is found in the empirical study that the local efficiency and reach rate of the digital innovation ecosystem have an inverted U-shaped relationship with exploratory innovation, and the local efficiency and reach rate of the digital innovation ecosystem have a negative effect on firm exploitative innovation. In addition, the level of firms’ digital transformation mediates the relationship between the local efficiency, reach rate, and ambidextrous innovation. The level of market development plays a moderating role in the relationship between the local efficiency, reach rate, and ambidextrous innovation. The findings provide a theoretical basis for the digital innovation ecosystem to realize the role of a “resource pool” through structural connections, which in turn provides important guidance for the digital transformation and innovation development of high-tech enterprises. Full article

The innovation behavior of family firms has long been a focal point in both academic research and practical applications. Based on the socioemotional wealth theory, this study aims to empirically analyze the differences in exploratory innovation between family and non-family firms while exploring how internal and external environmental factors, namely overperformance duration and industrial competition, moderate this relationship. We conducted an empirical analysis using data from manufacturing firms listed on China’s A-share market from 2009 to 2018. The results indicate that family firms exhibited a lower propensity for exploratory innovation compared to that of non-family firms. Furthermore, the negative relationship between family firms and exploratory innovation was more pronounced in relaxed internal environments characterized by overperformance duration, while this negative relationship was alleviated in urgent external environments marked by intense industrial competition. This study contributes a fresh perspective to the literature on family firm innovation and provides valuable insights for policymakers and family firm managers seeking to enhance innovation competitiveness. Full article

The brewing sector is under increasing pressure to implement sustainable practices, particularly by integrating agro-industrial waste into its value chains. This study explores the potential of mango (Mangifera indica L.) residues as functional and sustainable ingredients within Brazil’s craft beer industry. A qualitative and exploratory methodology was employed, based on a literature review and political, economic, social, and technological (PEST) and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analyses, to assess both the external and internal factors influencing the reuse of mango waste. The results highlight the environmental advantages and opportunities for value creation, especially in alignment with circular economy principles. Moreover, growing consumer interest in innovative and sustainable products presents an opportunity for market differentiation. Nonetheless, barriers such as limited infrastructure, cost-related challenges, regulatory constraints, and logistical limitations remain. By bridging sustainability, innovation, and waste minimization, this research offers strategic insights for stakeholders aiming to develop more resilient and responsible production chains. The valorization of mango waste contributes meaningfully to the Sustainable Development Goals—particularly SDGs 8, 9, and 12. Full article

The adoption of Information Technologies in organizations is a crucial decision for growth, productivity, competitiveness, and even survival in an increasingly competitive market. It highlights the growing importance of automation solutions such as Robotic Process Automation to achieve or maintain competitiveness. Although there is research on Robotic Process Automation, most of it focuses on technology, and what it can provide, rather than on the effective contribution to the better performance of organizations, which depends on adoption and use. This work studies the propensity to the adoption and usage of Robotic Process Automation. As a basis for the conceptual model of this research, the Diffusion of Innovation and Technology Organization Environment theoretical models were used in order to evaluate the propensity for adoption and use of Robotic Process Automation from an organizational perspective. This research uses mixed methods. Initially, in the exploratory phase, interviews were carried out to complement the information collected in the literature with a view to developing a model for assessing the propensity to use Robotic Process Automation, and, subsequently, hypotheses were made based on the existing literature and combined with the exploratory phase results; in addition, data from surveys collected from 141 organizations were utilized to evaluate the suggested model, as well as the underlying hypotheses. The findings suggest that it is in the technological context that the antecedents prove to be significant in the propensity for the adoption and use of Robotic Process Automation, namely Compatibility and Relative Advantage. The implications of these findings are discussed from a practical and research perspective. Full article

The growing global interest in edible insects as a sustainable protein source has positioned them as a promising solution to food security challenges. In Mexico, entomophagy is deeply embedded in cultural traditions, particularly in Oaxaca, where grasshoppers, leafcutter ants, and red agave worms form an integral part of the region’s intangible heritage. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of global research on edible insects (2009–2023) using Scopus and tools such as VOSviewer and Bibliometrix to analyze 218 publications. The analysis highlighted research trends, influential authors, and key themes, including nutrition, biosafety, and sustainability. To complement the bibliometric study, an exploratory analysis of edible insect commercialization in Oaxaca was conducted, focusing on virtual platforms and local markets. The findings reveal consistent global growth in edible insect research, with Mexico contributing six publications between 2020 and 2023. Despite advancements in safety standards and regulatory frameworks globally, Mexico still lacks formal sanitary controls and regulations for insect-based products. Nevertheless, its diverse commercialization efforts and rich cultural heritage, particularly in Oaxaca, showcase its potential to bridge tradition and innovation. This study highlights the urgent need for regulatory frameworks and research capacity to ensure safety, preserve cultural identity, and sustainably expand Mexico’s edible insect market. Full article

The world’s economy is experiencing important changes brought on by diverse factors, namely technological advancements, the appearance and diffusion of personal computers, high-speed telecommunications, and the Internet. These technological changes have influenced the corporate environment, with recent decades denominated as the information economy, the digital economy, the economy of knowledge, a risk society, and the age of quality and innovation. To designate the key concept of the new economic era as “intellectual capital” implies a classification and evaluation effort in order to proceed with its generalization. In today’s world, the study of a model capable of adding explanatory diversity to intellectual capital is very relevant. We observed a true panoply of concepts in the analyzed models based on a literature review. The conceptual evolution during recent decades has motivated many investigations in this field, resulting from the phenomenon of globalization, growing technological innovation, and the observation of significant disparities between the market value and the accounting value of companies. This article describes an investigation carried out, presenting an explicative model of intellectual capital based on four distinct patterns, which are the aggregating factors of the existing conceptual diversity. We present the identification of a model with two axes, x (the type of knowledge, from tacit to explicit) and y (the capital of knowledge, from human to structural), which represents the conceptual diversity mirrored in four quadrants resulting from the research carried out with an initial exploratory study and two following studies with 45 and 72 specialists. In this article we analyze the Martins model, which proves to be essential for systematizing and mapping the dimensions that intellectual capital includes. This model can be used to identify the different aspects of intellectual capital in an organization and thus contribute to its understanding, optimization and good management. Full article

Digitalization has forced emerging market (EM) firms operating in resource-constrained environments to adopt market-driven strategies, particularly frugal innovation, to provide affordable, optimized processes and high-value solutions. However, understanding the mechanisms behind developing frugal innovation capability (FIC) at the firm level in diverse EMs remains limited. From the perspective of the resource-based view, this study added to the existing body of knowledge by exploring how strategic orientation (entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and market orientation (MO)) and organizational ambidexterity (OA) impact the development of FIC in EMs. To empirically validate our theoretical predictions, this study used a cross-sectional survey to collect data from 386 valid respondents from Tanzanian manufacturing firms. The results demonstrate that both EO and MO have a strong and positive relationship with OA and the development of FIC in EMs. In addition, OA partially mediates the relationship of both EO and MO with the development of FIC. Furthermore, our results indicate that MO exerts a more significant impact on the development of FIC than EO in EMs. Managers of manufacturing firms in EMs can use these findings to review their strategic decisions and their exploitative and exploratory approaches to enhance supply chains, develop cost-effective technologies, and produce affordable offerings that cater to the preferences of price-conscious consumers in the digital age. Full article

This study aims to analyse the reasons why entrepreneurs choose to use collaborative financing through the Raize platform to finance their companies or projects through peer-to-peer crowdfunding (loans). This study is pertinent because it deals with an innovative, differentiated topic that presents itself as a possible disruptive form of financing and an alternative to traditional bank financing. Its use and significant take-up and the rapid and continuous growth of users on this type of crowdfunding platform is a strong sign of the need to better understand and study this phenomenon, its benefits, weaknesses, gaps and future mutations. Based on a comprehensive literature review and sound research methods such as exploratory qualitative multiple-case analysis, the aim is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the reasons why entrepreneurs and businesses choose crowdfunding through the Raize platform as a financing alternative. The aims of this study are to understand how financial accessibility, trust in the investor community, ease of use of the platform, competitiveness of fees and preference for crowdfunding over bank financing influence entrepreneurs’ decision to fund themselves through the Raize platform. The results reveal that entrepreneurs opt for the Raize platform due to a combination of factors. These reasons, clearly highlighted, provide a deeper understanding of entrepreneurs’ decision making in relation to financing their projects through crowdfunding. This study not only contributes to the literature on crowdfunding and entrepreneurship, but also offers practical pointers for entrepreneurs looking to obtain funding through a new financing system that is offered through the Raize platform, as it continues to support innovation and business growth in Portugal. Such funding contributes to and enhances the sustainability of companies in terms of their funding profile and attractive positioning in the market. Full article

A global trend regarding the “platformization” of the internet has been, for years, emerging roughly across all traditional industries. It is reflected in the proliferation of digital platforms (DPs) based on the creation of new activities or the online expansion of offers traditionally available only physically (e.g., boutiques, supermarkets). Thus, digital platforms are a new springboard of development opportunities for all businesses, and Africa, with demographic (more than 1.2 billion customers), economic (middle-class boom), and technological (internet and smartphone penetration) dynamism, represents a huge potential market for the DP industry. This exploratory research is based on a qualitative approach applied to the case of Senegalese DPs. From its finding, we have a mapping of DPs and a classifying typology of the types of actors involved, according to their specialization and their paradigmatic orientation. New insights into how DP organizations and the firms within them operate and create value are proposed as well as a new conceptual framework for the articulation of DPs, specifically those particularly adapted to the African context. This work opens avenues for future research linked to the scale of the new challenges related to marketing and managerial issues and the new business models that have recently been developed by innovative local actors (TukkiJamm, ShopMeWay, etc.). Full article

China’s coastal area is an important node, carrying the connection between internal and external circulation. It is of great significance to explore the spatial and temporal evolution of economic dual circulation coordinated development and its driving factors. In this paper, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) evaluation model based on the Criteria Importance Though Intercriteria Correlation and entropy (CRITIC-entropy) weight method, coupling coordination model, standard deviation ellipse and exploratory spatial data analysis were used to analyze the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of economic dual circulation coordinated development of China’s coastal area. In addition, the geographical detector was employed to identify its driving factors. The results showed that: (1) The development level of internal and external economic circulation in China’s coastal area was mainly stable and rising in a fluctuating manner, and the level of internal circulation was higher than that of external circulation. The overall coupling coordination degree of economic dual circulation exhibited a positive trend. (2) There was regional heterogeneity and spatial correlation in the coupling coordination degree of economic dual circulation in the coastal area of China, and the spatial distribution pattern showed the characteristic of being “strong in the internal and weak in the external”. (3) The coordinated development of economic dual circulation was driven by multiple factors. Regional technological innovation capability, per capita income level, circulation development level, marketization process, digitization level and financial development level were the core driving forces. Based on the findings of this paper, a series of policy recommendations for improving the coordination development between internal and external economic circulation was proposed. Full article

Digital transformation (DT) has become the new normal. Research has focused on the effect of the overall level of DT in enterprises. However, the effects of DT across different dimensions remain unclear. This study divided DT into technology- (TDT) and market-based digital transformation (MDT). It examined the effects on corporate sustainability and how ambidextrous innovation affects the relationship between both types and corporate sustainability. This study used the two-way fixed-effects model and the two-stage least squares method to study A-share listed companies in China from 2013 to 2021. The results showed that both TDT and MDT had positive effects on corporate sustainability. The higher the levels of exploratory and exploitative innovation in enterprises, the stronger the contribution of both types of DT to corporate sustainability. The findings validate the research on DT in line with the resource-based view, enrich the literature on and expand the boundary conditions of DT applications across various dimensions, and offer useful insights for practitioners. Full article

The research on high-quality development of the manufacturing industry (HQDMI) in the Yellow River Basin is in the exploratory stage, and little literature has systematically analyzed its influencing factors. Based on the grounded theory, this paper makes an exploratory analysis of the influencing factors of the HQDMI in the Yellow River Basin. This study finds that the influencing factors of the HQDMI mainly include six aspects: innovation capability, organization construction, industry resources, institutional environment, industry collaboration, and market demand. By using the HQDMI’s endogenous and exogenous factors as the core, the realization mode of the HQDMI in the Yellow River basin is put forward, and the influencing factors and action model of the HQDMI in the Yellow River Basin are constructed. The findings have significant reference value for promoting the HQDMI in the Yellow River Basin and are helpful for improving the HQDMI research. Full article

With ownership estimates of up to 25%, Turkey is at the forefront of cryptocurrency adoption, rendering it an interesting example to study the proclaimed use cases of cryptocurrencies. Using exploratory factor analysis based on a sample of 715 Turkish cryptocurrency owners, we identified 3 different owner groups and their underlying motives. The first group (payment users) looks at cryptocurrency as an option for payments, thereby disregarding its speculative element, while the second group (crypto investors) can best be described as experienced investors holding cryptocurrency as part of their investment strategy. The third group (crypto traders) consists of risk-tolerant traders. Further analyses show that groups not only differentiate by demographics, income and education, but also by factors such as ideology, purchase intention and the use of domestic or foreign exchanges. The results contribute to the understanding of Turkish cryptocurrency owners, their intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and can be incorporated into the pending regulatory processes in the country. The findings suggest that cryptocurrencies have outgrown the use case of mere speculation in Turkey. Those in the group of Turkish payment users are identified as potential lead users whose current needs may represent common needs for crypto users in similar markets in the future. These findings motivate further research on the diffusion and usage patterns of cryptocurrency in emerging markets and innovation in general in the context of lead markets. Full article

Emerging digital technologies, with their great advantages in resource convergence, opportunity identification, supply-demand docking and knowledge sharing, are breaking and subverting traditional business concepts and providing a new impetus and opportunities for enterprise innovation activities. Therefore, it is valuable to explore how digital technology affects exploratory innovation to gain a sustainable competitive advantage in a dynamic and changing market environment. Based on data from Chinese A-share high-tech manufacturing listed companies from 2012 to 2020, this paper empirically tests the impact of digital technology on enterprise exploratory innovation by using a fixed effects negative binomial regression model and further explores the intermediate mechanism and boundary conditions between the two. The results show that digital technology has a significant positive impact on enterprise exploratory innovation, and that knowledge breadth plays a mediating role; high network centrality can effectively strengthen the positive impact of digital technology on enterprise knowledge breadth, thus promoting enterprise exploratory innovation. The conclusion enriches and expands the theoretical and empirical research on the driving effect of digital technology innovation, and provides strong practical guidance for encouraging enterprises to achieve exploratory innovation. Full article

Corporate innovation can be subdivided, according to its approach and novelty, into exploitative innovation and exploratory innovation, i.e., ambidextrous innovation. Defined as actions to promote financial inclusion through digital financial services, digital financial inclusion brings new opportunities for the implementation of corporate innovation projects and the improvement of corporation value. Based on the annual reports (2012–2020) released by 1604 listed SMEs in China and the index of digital financial inclusion from Peking University, this paper explores the way that digital financial inclusion affects the corporation value of SMEs, with some moderating factors such as the financial flexibility, corporate social responsibility and product market competition in ambidextrous innovation. The study shows, in SMEs: (1) digital financial inclusion has a significant positive impact on exploitative innovation, but has less effect on exploratory innovation with a time lag; (2) ambidextrous innovation plays a partial intermediary role in the effect of digital financial inclusion on corporation value; (3) financial flexibility of the enterprise positively moderates the relationship between digital financial inclusion and corporate value. In the short term, corporate social responsibility negatively moderates the relationship between digital financial inclusion and corporate value; however, in the long term, it does contribute to the growth of corporate value. (4) Product market competition positively moderates the relationship between digital financial inclusion and exploitative innovation, but does not positively moderate the relationship between digital financial inclusion and exploratory innovation. Full article