Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Regional Development

A special issue of Administrative Sciences (ISSN 2076-3387). This special issue belongs to the section "International Entrepreneurship".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 12418

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Center for Innovation and Research in Business Sciences and Information Systems (CIICESI), School of Management and Technology, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, 4610-156 Felgueiras, Portugal
Interests: social innovation; sustainability; circular economy; logistics

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Guest Editor
ALGORITMI Research Center, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Interests: energy; renewable engery; sustainable energy;sustainability; energy planning; environmental performance indicators
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last decades, regional well-being has become a common concern for multiple countries worldwide. Regional development (RD) allows countries to better balance inequalities between regions by providing communities with the means to prosper. RD is a broad term and concept, but it ultimately encapsulates a general effort to reduce regional disparities by supporting economic activities (employment and generating wealth) in various regions. By this definition, RD is the effort to develop countries in a socioeconomic context. In the current literature, a vast number of papers have been published on this topic. Nonetheless, the link between RD, innovation, and entrepreneurship persists as a gap in scholarship.

Having in mind this gap, as well as ongoing economic globalization, social and entrepreneurship initiatives are increasingly important organizations in transforming organizations and managing the development of strategic management technology in the region's economy. These topics can be seen as an instrument for RD, providing ways to boost regional development in different locations.

In this Special Issue, departing from the idea of linking entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives towards regional development we aim to bring together these approaches and contributions from scholars working on different but related topics, to provide a holistic view of how the link between those can contribute to regional development.

The research gathered in this Special Issue will bring new insights into the social and economic benefits of using entrepreneurship and social innovation initiatives to support RD.

Dr. Wellington Alves
Dr. Jorge Cunha
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • social innovation
  • regional development
  • entrepreneurship

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 537 KiB  
Article
Unlocking the Factors That Motivate Social Entrepreneurs to Engage in Social Entrepreneurship Projects in Tanzania: A Qualitative Case Study
by Kalangari Rwehumbiza and Eunjung Hyun
Adm. Sci. 2024, 14(2), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14020031 - 2 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2779
Abstract
Social entrepreneurial ventures thrive on diverse motivations, evolving through stages. This research delved into the dynamic shifts in motivations guiding social entrepreneurs across projects and initiatives in Tanzania. Despite numerous attempts by scholars to study and theorize the motivations of social entrepreneurs, there [...] Read more.
Social entrepreneurial ventures thrive on diverse motivations, evolving through stages. This research delved into the dynamic shifts in motivations guiding social entrepreneurs across projects and initiatives in Tanzania. Despite numerous attempts by scholars to study and theorize the motivations of social entrepreneurs, there remains a significant gap in understanding the primary focus of social entrepreneurs’ involvement in various social entrepreneurship projects. This research aimed to address this knowledge gap by exploring the motivations that drive social entrepreneurs in Tanzania to engage in social entrepreneurship ventures. The study specifically investigated the CHEMA and Gongali Model cases. The respondents consisted of 20 social entrepreneurs, with 9 from CHEMA and 11 from the Gongali Model. The findings highlight the influence of personal experiences and backgrounds in establishing innovative social enterprises, emphasizing the importance of achieving successful outcomes. The study suggests that social entrepreneurs are motivated not only by their individual needs and goals but also by the satisfaction derived from witnessing the positive impact of their work on others. Successful entrepreneurship, the study argues, requires a focus on effecting changes at both the macro and micro levels. When the intended purpose of social entrepreneurs is achieved, it serves as a significant indicator of success. The report delves deeper into how these findings influence the overall infrastructure and mindset of social entrepreneurs in Tanzania. This research introduces a novel motivational model and connects it with critical success characteristics in social innovation projects, contributing to the advancement of social entrepreneurship research. Additionally, it proposes fundamental innovations in governance and operations within the field of social entrepreneurship. From the organizational context perspective, the findings contribute to a better understanding of the factors that contribute to the formation and growth of social enterprises in Tanzania. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Regional Development)
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17 pages, 329 KiB  
Article
Business and Regional Innovation Culture: An Overview of the Conceptualization of Innovation Culture
by Fotios Katimertzopoulos, Charis Vlados and Theodore Koutroukis
Adm. Sci. 2023, 13(11), 237; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13110237 - 3 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3792
Abstract
The primary aim of this paper is to identify key similarities and differences in the conceptualization of culture across the major theories of regional socioeconomic science, including economic, business, administrative, social, cultural and political dimensions acting at the regional and local scales. The [...] Read more.
The primary aim of this paper is to identify key similarities and differences in the conceptualization of culture across the major theories of regional socioeconomic science, including economic, business, administrative, social, cultural and political dimensions acting at the regional and local scales. The second goal is to present an overview of the knowledge base and third to cohesively examine and partially recreate the topic using the semi-systematic review method. The final objective of examining the aforementioned issues is to clarify the dynamic correlation in the structuring of business and innovation culture, as well as to identify the characteristics that contribute to the sustainable culture of business and regional innovation systems, including long-term sustainable development. The research shows that the coexistence and combination of innovative culture at the business and regional levels should be perceived as a dynamic and co-evolutionary process involving a variety of factors. Local organizations and institutes that foster entrepreneurship are among the elements that enhance the innovation culture; however, having all of the resources in isolation is insufficient for an efficient ecosystem. This study proposes the establishment of a framework that will enhance the growth of innovation, cultural evolution and regional ecosystem performance. The Institutes of Local Development and Innovation (ILDI) are a policy idea that might give effective micro–meso-level solutions for the region. These policy proposals will diagnose the regional business culture under the prism of strategy, technology, and management levels. The specific investigation attempted in this paper demonstrates that several converging fruitful paths have already been created in the relative international literature. These paths could be combined and deepened further by studying the close evolutionary interconnection between business and regional innovation culture as it emerges at a global scale in the present. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Regional Development)
15 pages, 870 KiB  
Article
Organizational Models of Alternative Food Networks within the Rural–Urban Interface
by Lucia Laginová, Michal Hrivnák and Jana Jarábková
Adm. Sci. 2023, 13(9), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13090193 - 22 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2591
Abstract
Alternative food networks (AFNs) represent local food systems and short supply chain networks alternative to global food systems. These networks are often developed within rural–urban interfaces and take various forms, due to the high propensity towards the innovative organization of the network. The [...] Read more.
Alternative food networks (AFNs) represent local food systems and short supply chain networks alternative to global food systems. These networks are often developed within rural–urban interfaces and take various forms, due to the high propensity towards the innovative organization of the network. The aim of our study is to map the currently applied, distinctive innovative organizational models of alternative food networks by identifying the organizational innovations of these networks in available case studies. Adopting the lens of organizational sociology and using space-filling visualization, the study compares various forms of localized and spatially extended AFNs. The results of our comparative analysis suggest that main aspects of AFNs’ differentiation are the models of network organization, applied coordination models, competences structures of the involved actors, nature of the intermediaries and their roles within the AFNs, and the level of customer engagement. Innovation processes within short food networks can be driven by the producer, intermediaries, and communities of consumers. We identified three types of AFNs defined with regard to the predominant direction of flows in the urban–rural interface: (1) AFNs localized within the borders of the city, (2) AFNs based on interconnecting the rural farmers located within rural settlements adjacent to the city and to the consumers in cities, and also (3) AFNs localized in peri-urban interfaces with distant customers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Regional Development)
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15 pages, 292 KiB  
Article
Digital Communication and the Crisis Management in Hotel Management: A Perspective in the Euroregion North of Portugal and Galicia (ERNPG)
by Diana Cardoso, Bruno Sousa, Dália Liberato, Pedro Liberato, Eunice Lopes, Francisco Gonçalves and Victor Figueira
Adm. Sci. 2023, 13(8), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13080191 - 21 Aug 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2289
Abstract
The current unprecedented globalization of the social economy, with worldwide mobility of people, products and services in an increasingly connected market and society, has promoted the rapid geographic spread of the coronavirus (i.e., crisis management) outbreak, negatively affecting tourists’ behavior and their well-being, [...] Read more.
The current unprecedented globalization of the social economy, with worldwide mobility of people, products and services in an increasingly connected market and society, has promoted the rapid geographic spread of the coronavirus (i.e., crisis management) outbreak, negatively affecting tourists’ behavior and their well-being, whether due to restrictions imposed by governments on international travel, or due to tourists’ fear of catching the disease. This manuscript aims to understand how digital communication has helped the tourism industry in general and the hotel context in particular to face the negative consequences caused by the new coronavirus pandemic. The development of the research followed a qualitative methodological approach, constituting an exploratory study, based on four semi-structured interviews with managers of hotel establishments, located in the Northern Region of Portugal and Galicia. As main conclusions, it is possible to highlight that digital communication and the use of social networks were fundamental tools for hotel establishments during the pandemic caused by COVID-19, especially during the confinement period, when establishments had to close, many of them completely. There were many changes brought about in the tourism industry in the Euroregion of Northern Portugal and Galicia (ERNPG), with an increase in domestic tourism, a decrease in the external market and a change in tourist profile and behavior, whether due to sanitary and public health issues that induced fear of travel, or by the measures imposed by the government that prevented such trips. According to the strategies implemented by the hotel establishments, the intensification of digital communication use and social networks stands out, since, for a long time, it consisted of the only connecting tool between the hotel and its customers and the initiatives of the Regional Entities and Turismo de Portugal (regional and national DMOs), through numerous training courses in the area of digital marketing and the implementation of hygiene, sustainable and safety measures in hotel establishments. Regarding the future of tourism, it is expected that it will recover in the coming years and approach the historical values of previous years, given the advance in vaccination against the disease and the tourist’s desire to travel. In the short term, strategies are expected from hotel establishments that include valuing the destination on digital marketing platforms through attracting qualified human resources and a commitment towards tourism sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Regional Development)
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