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The literature that studies firms' internationalisation has become very extensive and fragmented, taking different approaches and contributing across diverse facets of internationalisation. Therefore, there is a need to analyse and systematise those issues that received increasing attention in the international business field. Accordingly, this study aims to develop a systematic literature review on the internalisation process. We correspondingly make resources to the Web of Science database and analyse a total of 270 articles, spanning the period from 1996 to 2022, to identify the core issues and contributions made by the existing literature. The results enable the categorisation of the extant research into five main areas: (i) successful internationalisation, (ii) internationalisation strategies, (iii) failure and resilience, (iv) drivers and stimuli, and (v) barriers and obstacles. This structuring then established the grounds for grasping the gaps existing in the literature and to propose future research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease-19 pandemic has forced universities worldwide to develop stronger crisis responses in order to support the surrounding communities more effectively. These solutions are based on collaborations between higher education institutions and industries that facilitate knowledge co-creation. Historically, universities have been knowledgeintensive institutions capable of producing additional findings through research. Currently, these organisations' most important contributions to national economies are related to universities' development of fresh knowledge and technical expertise. In parallel, all industries' business environments have become extremely dynamic, which requires companies to focus on new solutions, rapid development and cost efficiency. To cope with these pressures, industries have been forced to search for new partners, so university-industry collaboration (UIC) has become a key resource for managers seeking to promote innovation and technological development. This study explored the relationship between research and innovation based on smart specialisation strategies and UIC, including the roles of university-industry (U-I) joint research and academics' motivations for interacting with industries. Based on data collected from 841 Portuguese and Spanish researchers, the results reveal that smart specialisation policies' effects on UIC are driven by U-I joint research development and university faculty members' motivations for co-operating with industry professionals. The findings indicate that U-I research activities and universities' incentives to collaborate with industries fully convert smart specialisation strategies' effects into higher levels of U-I knowledge transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current competitive environment forces organizations to innovate since their innovation capabilities are currently considered as a source of competitive advantages. Thus, the organizations best prepared to respond to these adversities will be able to enhance their capabilities, and also achieving sustainable growth. Consequently, organizations need people to develop innovative activities and, under these circumstances, both innovative behavior and entrepreneurial skills have been recognized as a benefit to organizational functioning. This study sought to use quantitative analysis to (1) explore how innovative behavior of entrepreneurs of the agri-food sector is influenced by the previous training in the area, gender and their entrepreneurial skills, (2) study how innovative behavior, the entrepreneurial skills, and previous training in the area influences innovation outputs, (3) investigate how innovative behavior of entrepreneurs, previous training in the area and entrepreneurial skills influences performance, as well as (4) the influence of gender in previous training in the area and in entrepreneurial skills. Data were collected through questionnaires applied online and on paper. The final sample consists of 153 entrepreneurs from the agri-food sector of the region of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro and data analysis was performed using SmartPLS 3.0 software. The results indicate that entrepreneurial skills positively impact innovative behavior, performance, and innovation outputs. Regarding innovative behavior, it has a positive influence on innovation outputs. Therefore, the results confirmed that education in management revealed a positive significant impact on performance and gender influences innovative behavior, entrepreneurial skills as well as education in management. This study’s findings contribute to a deeper and more detailed understanding of entrepreneurs' innovative behavior since most of the existing studies assume employees as unit of analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study thus sought to fill a gap in the research on the relationship between environmental benefits and innovation in the healthcare sector. The conceptual model proposes to analyse the dimensions of environmental benefits on innovation in healthcare sector. The literature points out that the promotion of strategies based on innovation creates value for the customer (user) and is rewarded in a highly competitive market. Existing financial constraints may limit the effectiveness of innovation in healthcare and may result in a resistance to change by health professionals. As health is now considered a priority area of intervention, it’s critical that organizations understand how they affect the environment and take responsibility for their environment. These should be guided by sustainability as it is fundamental for the development of innovation in the organizational sphere. Our analysis used variables included in the Community Innovation Survey – CIS 2014 database, to perform multivariate statistical tests. The results indicate that environmental benefits have a positive impact on innovation in healthcare in Portugal. This study’s results contribute to validating the importance of investment in environmental benefits as a means to understand trends and to plan and define innovation strategies that contribute to healthcare organizational performance and customer’s satisfaction. Cooperation relationships foster an environment conducive to the socialization and complementarity of knowledge essential to sustainable innovation. Sustainability measures aimed at reducing waste, water, energy, and costs have a strong impact on health organizations, as they can achieve a financial return on their investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to use qualitative analysis to explore the role that female entrepreneurs' knowledge plays in footwear firms' coopetition and innovation, as well as these strategies' effects on internationalisation in this industry. Data were collected from entrepreneurial women holding more than 50% of the capital - and with active participation in the management - of footwear firms operating in the international market. The interview transcripts were subjected to content analysis using NVivo software. The results indicate that creative processes, including knowledge creation, have an impact on these firms' innovation and coopetition. In addition, innovation has a positive impact on the businesses' internationalisation. Thus, firms that promote knowledge creation and acquisition and implement coopetition strategies can innovate and increase their internationalisation. This study's findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the role played by each female entrepreneur's acquired knowledge and training in the footwear industry's definition of internationalisation and innovation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to analyse the impact of the creation, acquisition and transfer of knowledge on innovation in the healthcare sector. The innovation process relies heavily on knowledge (Gloet and Terziovski, 2004), especially tacit knowledge (Leonard and Sensiper, 1998), whereby new and important knowledge is created and converted into products, services and processes (Choy et al., 2006), thereby transforming general knowledge into specific knowledge. According to Nonaka (1994), knowledge is considered one of the main requirements for innovations leading to competitiveness. Thus, investment in the development of innovative products and services related both to medical equipment and management is a key element of growth in the healthcare sector. Porter and Teisberg (2006) point out that the promotion of strategies based on innovation generates real value for clients (i.e. users) and that this is quite highly rewarded in extremely competitive markets. The cited authors also argue that, although technological innovation in healthcare is often viewed with suspicion and its adoption blocked by financial constraints, innovation is a crucial part of healthcare development. The present analysis was conducted based on variables included in the Community Innovation Survey 2014 database, to which multivariate statistical tests were applied. The data were analysed with IBM's SPSS Statistics 24 software. The results reveal that knowledge processes have a positive impact on innovation in Portugal's healthcare sector. More specifically, knowledge acquisition has an impact on technological and non-technological innovation and knowledge transfer affects marketing innovation. Thus, healthcare organisations mainly promote knowledge creation and acquisition processes that have a higher impact on non-technological innovation. This study's findings contribute to validating the importance of investing in knowledge as a way to understand trends, as well as planning and defining innovation strategies that contribute to healthcare organisations' performance and customer satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With secondary data obtained from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, Global Competitiveness Index and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development databases for 27 European countries and 13 non-European countries, this study aims to understand which factors of entrepreneurship and innovation, through the quadruple helix model, influence economic development. For the data treatment, SPSS software was used to perform a set of tests that led to the results obtained. The results show that the Society dimension presents statistically significant differences, with a higher average for non-European countries, and the other dimensions did not present statistically significant differences. It is hoped that this research may contribute to existing scientific literature, helping to clarify the image of entrepreneurship and innovation in economic development, as well as a mean to help define policies and strategies that foster innovation and entrepreneurship, with a view to a sustained increase in the level of economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The informal sector plays an important role in developing economies and peripheral rural regions, particularly in areas near borders. Businesses in the informal economy are flexible, adapting quickly to changing market demand and supply situations. This sector also generates employment, helps diversify economic activities, provides raw materials to local producers and helps alleviate poverty. Informal businesses are attractive to workers and companies worldwide because these firms typically require relatively little capital, offer greater independence and flexibility and provide opportunities for economic independence and better wages, as well as the most important advantage of evading regulations and taxation. Many entrepreneurs select the informal sector purely as a result of structural disadvantages arising from these individuals' gender, income, education, class, ethnicity or religion. Self-employed workers are considered by experts more likely to operate in the informal economy when these workers live in peripheral rural regions. The present study thus sought to identify the motivations of informal micro-enterprises and their role in the development of a rural border region in Portugal, analysing the perspective of micro-entrepreneurs, customers and local government. Qualitative data analysis was carried out on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 9 informal entrepreneurs from 3 different sectors (i.e. agro-food, agriculture and handicrafts) and 8 regular clients in a northern border region of Portugal. The content analysis of interviews was done with QSR International's NVivo Version 11 software. The results suggest that more than 75% of the informal entrepreneurs interviewed are innovative and independent and that they are passionate about their enterprises. They do not want to formalise their business because they do not see any advantage in doing so. In addition, customers and local government officials see these businesses as boosting economic development in their region. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of entrepreneurs' motivations to avoid legalising their micro-businesses and clients' perception of these enterprises. The results imply that researchers need to examine how national and local government policymakers can create laws that stimulate micro-entrepreneurs' transition from the informal to formal economy, including further dissemination of the benefits of formalising micro-businesses, especially in rural border regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, opportunities arise from changes in the environments in which individuals operate. These changes create an imbalance, which these individuals can exploit. Recognising these opportunities may create positive and favourable circumstances that lead to entrepreneurial actions. Given the importance of opportunity recognition as a direct antecedent - or entrepreneurial skills and training in management as mediators - of individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO), this study sought to identify and explore the possible relationships between opportunity recognition, management training and entrepreneurial skills. These can act as potential antecedents of women's IEO. The research focused on women entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs in northern Portugal in a quantitative and empirical study whose methodology consisted of the collection of primary data through a survey distributed to women in that region. After structural equation modelling was applied, the results suggested that recognition of opportunities influences IEO. This influence is expressed both directly and indirectly through training in management and entrepreneurial skills. Women's self-perceptions of having the necessary skills and training is an important factor in determining entrepreneurial participation. These findings led to the conclusion that policies promoting training for community members, in general, need to be rethought and policies need to emphasise training in management that enhances entrepreneurial skills, thereby increasing the proliferation of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship education and training should be promoted from basic education onwards in order to develop entrepreneurial skills from an early age. This is already a recommendation of the European Union. However, most southern European countries still do not focus on the implementation of entrepreneurship education in the early years of education, and only a few pilot projects have been developed with no further follow-up. Prior to this study, the relationships between opportunity recognition, management training and entrepreneurial skills have never been studied in relation to women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In global economy the firms' competitiveness is provided by valorisation of intellectual capital and by efficient management of knowledge resources. Strategic knowledge management and innovation become key tools for this purpose. Taking into account the importance of this subject, both in academic and professional terms, this paper aims to explore and analyse the literature published in ISI Web of Science. Besides the specific objectives are: a) to describe how literature is organized in terms of publications, authors and sources (journals); b) to identify main terms and definitions used; c) to discuss how this literature presents challenges (opportunities and difficulties) to strategic knowledge management and innovation. The articles identified related to the strategic knowledge management were submitted to a bibliometric analysis using VOSViewer software. The systematic literature review performed shows the use of knowledge is as decisive as its possession, and the inefficient use of this resource has opportunity costs that may be irrecoverable. In addition, the results obtained include three clusters: cluster 1 - Knowledge and Competitiveness, that explains the positive, far-reaching implications that knowledge allows for organizations, as well as its ability to improve competitiveness and thereby create value for the company; cluster 2 - Knowledge and innovation management, that refers to knowledge as promoter of innovation in general and value added in particular; and, finally, cluster 3 - Intellectual Capital, where emphasis is given to how knowledge management influences productivity and becomes relevant to the success of any organization. Based on the results found, this article identifies research paths that can be explored in order to give greater consistency and substantively increase theoretical and empirical knowledge in this area. By studying the citation profile of the Strategic Knowledge Management papers, we intend further to contribute to a better understanding of the flow of scientific production and practices in this stimulating area of research since de beginning of the XXI century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intellectual capital is changing into a momentous issue for a firm's long-term profit and performance within the knowledge-based economy as a lot of corporations determine their core competence as invisible assets instead of visible assets. Following the work of (Bontis, 1998) intellectual capital is defined as encompassing (a) human capital, (b) structural capital, and (c) relational capital. This study expects: (1) testing which dimension is the most influential in terms of Organisational Strategy based on theirs top managers' judgement; (2) determine if the "best" Portuguese firms are investing in Intellectual Capital in order to improve their organisational performance. Firms were chosen from a top of 1000 Portuguese firms, from diverse industries (trading, service, finance, and technology). The originality of the study remains on (1) the introduction of Organisational Strategy as a mediator variable and (2) this study was based on the best Portuguese firms according to an index of the 1000 top Portuguese firms in 2014. Findings revealed that, top Portuguese managers do acknowledge the importance of Intellectual Capital. Besides, the findings confirm that all IC components have a significant positive relationship with firms' Organisational Strategy. These results follow prior studies as Bontis (1998) (Edvinsson & Malone, 1997). Some limitations can be presented, (1) the number of respondents which confines the conclusions achieved, (2) the questionnaires were answered only by one manager of the managers team may skew the results. In terms of practical implications we can underline that managers should always endeavour to find a viable intellectual capital mix or blend that can add value to the firm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the current scenario of marketplace instability and uncertainty, the way companies conduct and manage their intellectual capital is crucial. Numerous studies have highlighted the role of intellectual capital as a key driver of organisational performance due to its importance as an asset in the value creation process, yet few have analysed the relationships between internal communication, intellectual capital and job satisfaction. Considering the relevance of knowledge management and intellectual capital in the service sector, namely in the banking system (Curado 2008; Starbuck 2002), this study aims to assess the structure of intellectual capital in a Brazilian Credit Union, and how it relates to internal communication and job satisfaction. To accomplish this objective, a structural model, based on Longo and Mura (2011), was developed and tested on a sample of 109 employees from a particular branch of the union. Results confirm the three-dimensionality of the Intellectual Capital construct and that job satisfaction, as well as internal communication, are constructs separate from intellectual capital and should not be confused. In fact, internal communication may be considered as an antecedent of intellectual capital, whereas job satisfaction is a consequence. Furthermore, results suggest that intellectual capital plays a mediation role in the relationship between internal communication and job satisfaction. Nevertheless, the framework presented in this paper is not without limitations. Firstly, the sample size and the fact that it is a case study requires caution regarding extrapolation of conclusions. A second limitation has to do with the measurement of Relational Capital, as items employed have shown to be problematic in terms of convergent validity. Nevertheless, this study holds great potential for the strategic management of human resources in banking, in particular credit unions, which is a prime concern for bank administrations, bank branch collaborators, and society at large. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to model the interrelationships between internal communication, intellectual capital and job satisfaction in a credit union, an organisation with particular structural and strategic features resulting from its external customers being members and owners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years knowledge management (KM) has become a major focus of attention among academics, politicians, policy-makers and other stakeholders involved in the sphere of strategic management. The recent work of Choi et al. (2008), López-Nicólas and Meroño-Cerdán (2011), Jiménez-Jiménez and Sanz-Valle (2011) provides comprehensive and perceptive contextualizations of the key issues surrounding the potential implications of knowledge management for innovation and performance in the organizations. Few empirical studies have examined the interface between strategic management, innovation and performance, and none, to our knowledge, has been applied to the footwear industry. The choice of this sector is justified by the growth of production and exports in a period of financial crisis (7.6% in 2013) and the fact that 132 countries are currently importing Portuguese-made footwear, exports of which now constituting 96% of the industry's output. The present study aims to extend research into the importance of knowledge management's contribution to business strategy, thereby shedding light on whether improvements in the former can directly or indirectly enhance organizational performance, via increases in innovation in the footwear industry. This article focuses on the first phase of a study in which we opted for a qualitative methodology, applying semi-structured interviews to the CEOs of three companies and three academic specialists in this area, with a view to evaluating the relation between strategic knowledge management (above all, aspects related to codification and personalisation) and their consequences for innovation and for the firms' (financial and non-financial) performance. Our analysis of the interviews suggests that knowledge management strategies (codification and personalisation) have a positive effect on innovation and organizational performance, both directly and indirectly, thereby identifying a series of potentially interesting hypotheses that can be tested using a more quantitative research model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To stay ahead of their competitors, firms need to create and develop proactive strategies that emphasize factors that differentiate them from others in their sector. In this sense and given the current scenario of marketplace instability and uncertainty, the way firms develop and manage their intellectual capital (IC) is crucial. Firms can be distinguished from their rivals in terms of their ability to identify, invest in and manage their IC – in other words the knowledge over which they exercise control or influence – an intangible asset that is not as easily quantifiable or replicable as other assets. In today's globalized and highly competitive world, the only way to compete with producers benefiting from low production costs is to invest in people, and this requires organizations to believe in the creative ability, emotional intelligence and adaptability of their staff and collaborators. Human resources with appropriate skills, motivation and commitment are the key to increased competitiveness because only they have the capacity to create products and services with greater value for the consumer and thereby generate better performance by the organization. Numerous studies have highlighted the role of IC as a key driver of organizational performance due to its centrality as an asset in the value creation process (Chen, Shih and Yang, 2009; Kang and Snell, 2009; Campisini and Costa, 2008). However, few studies have demonstrated the relationship that may be developed between various aspects of IC and the satisfaction felt by the staff involved (Longo and Mura, 2011). Employee satisfaction (in general) and promotion opportunities expressing organizational recognition of staff contributions (in particular) provide a stimulus to greater committed to the organization's interests and thereby enhance productivity, effectiveness and efficiency. Clearly, since human resources (HR) constitute the only asset that, strictly speaking, the organization does not own, and that the time and money it spends on training can easily be wasted if staff turnover is high, it is crucial for 21st century organizations of all types to attract, develop and above all retain qualified, committed and satisfied staff. Our focus on Credit Cooperatives (CC) is explained by their emergence as a significant alternative to large financial corporations - especially private banks. CCs are able to offer specific and attractive benefits to their members and can play a key role in stimulating socioeconomic development at the territorial level (Araújo and Silva, 2011; Seguí-Mas and Izquierdo, 2010). The aims of the research reported on here were (1) to identify which aspects of IC most influence employee satisfaction in the financial institutions analyzed and (2) to specify the type of influence these dimensions have on staff satisfaction. Data were collected using a questionnaire based on Bontis (1998) applied to all employees of a CC in north-eastern Brazil. After processing the data using SPSS 21.0, it was found that (1) Human Capital is not an unidimensional concept and was further subdivided into training and participation; and (2) only structural and relational dimensions of IC affected respondents' satisfaction positively. By making known to organizational leaders and managers that there exists a link – albeit indirect – between IC and organizational performance may encourage them to invest more in an intangible asset that has the intrinsic ability to create sustainable flows of value for both client and organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study reported on here contributes to the literature on female entrepreneurship that has emerged from the 1980s onwards. This theme is gradually becoming a major focus of attention among academics, politicians, policy-makers and other stakeholders involved in the sphere of entrepreneurship. The recent work of Carter and Shaw (2006) and Holmquist and Carter (2009) provide comprehensive and perceptive contextualisation of the key issues surrounding female entrepreneurship. Despite the fact that more recent studies of female entrepreneurship have helped to identify the factors motivating women to establish their own firms and those determining their entrepreneurial success, few analysts have attached importance to the businesswoman's profile and the influence that urban versus rural contexts may have on start-up decisions and subsequent business performance and success measures. The present study attempts to fill a part of this lacuna by focusing simultaneously on these important but under-researched dimensions. This study aims to characterize and relate the profile, motivations, success measures and environment of the entrepreneurial women. Data was gathered using a questionnaire survey of urban and rural women entrepreneurs in Portugal. In order to validate the theoretical model linking the effect of psychological and cognitive factors (profile) and their self-reported motivations propensity to establish their own firms with their success measures and to the urban/rural nature of the business environment, structural equation models (SEM) with AMOS 20.0 were employed. The study suggests that the motives compelling women to become entrepreneurs in rural contexts is distinct from those underpinning the decisions of urban women i.e. that there exists a correlation between motivation, success measures and business environment that in turn positively influences a woman's decision to establish her own firm. It also suggests that there is a correlation between cognitive factors and motivation and between these and success measures. The women entrepreneurial profile directly and indirectly influences the success measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the current scenario of marketplace instability and uncertainty, entrepreneurship gets posited as the "holy grail" for the majority of economies with a correspondingly greater value placed on entrepreneurial behaviour. Within this context, models based on entrepreneurial intention have been identified as an approach capable to predicting such behaviour. Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), this study seeks to approach entrepreneurial intention and the factors preceding the founding of entrepreneurial intention among Portuguesesecondary students both studying general academic and specific professional programs and thereby establish causal relationships between psychological, demographic and behavioural factors. The methodology used was the collection of primary information through a questionnaire survey, administered to students of general and vocational courses in secondary school. In order to determine the causal relationships among different constructs, IBM AMOS 19 structural equation models (SEM) were employed. The results enable us to conclude that the entrepreneurial intention (EI) of secondary school students is influenced by such demographic, psychological and behavioural factors. Furthermore, no relationship between education and entrepreneurship was established and highlight the need for policymakers to consider the integration of entrepreneurship education in the curriculum at the secondary level. In addition, attention should be given to teacher training, that aspect, in our opinion, would be key to the effectiveness of these reforms. Finally, we can say that while it is important to educate about entrepreneurship, is more fundamentaleducation for entrepreneurship, creating an enterprising school culture. The thesis that entrepreneurship can be nurtured and developed through education has been gaining importance within and beyond academia. The number of investigations dedicated to study the influence of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intentions is considerable and its conclusions are hard to ignore. However, the relationship between these two variables is not yet clearly established, particularly in students who attend secondary school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurial activities in the knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) sector have attracted growing levels of research interest, due to the added value that they endow on the economy. The research aims to analyse the entrepreneurial dimension to KIBS through the identification of those factors determining the choice of location between rural and urban areas and also to identify the regional factors driving and inhibiting this choice of location. The findings reveal economic conditions and local infrastructures, access to technologically superior knowledge, and local characteristics as main factors determining the choice of KIBS location. This paper adds to the understanding towards advancing academic studies on the location and KIBS entrepreneurship ongoing in rural areas as well as the framework for entrepreneurial support policies targeting such areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]