The implementation of circular economy (CE) practices is considered a key driver towards sustainable development of firms. Earlier studies point to the general strategic approach of market orientation as an antecedent to CE practice implementation.Still, insights are limited as the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. Based on a sample of 121 German small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), we empirically examine how the strategic approach of closed-loop orientation mediates the relationship between market orientation and the implementation of three types of CE practices. Using structural equation modelling, we find that while market orientation is positively related to all three types of CE practices, closed-loop orientation mediates these relationships for only two. Our study extends CE literature by suggesting that market orientation is translated into closed-loop orientation to spur CE practice implementation. We also offer a differentiated understanding of CE practice implementation in the context of German SMEs.

This study draws on the notion of entrepreneurial orientation-as-experimentation to investigate the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and firm failure. For the context of newly public firms after their initial public offering, we hypothesize that EO reduces firm failure particularly in specific configurations of EO, working capital efficiency, and technological turbulence. In a sample of 2578 firms that went public between 1997 and 2018, we find support for this configurational perspective. We contribute to the entrepreneurship literature by showing that the relationship between EO and firm failure needs to be understood in the context of organizational and environmental factors.

Strong irradiation of NaCl crystals results in a formation of sodium colloids which exhibit metallic properties. In consequence, besides the 23 Na line of NaCl a second well-separated 23 Na line occurs in the NMR spectrum caused by the Knight shift of the conduction electrons. We present Knight shift and nuclear spin relaxation mea surements performed on the "metallic" 23 Na line in e "-irradiated NaCl single-crystals between about 4 and 390 K. Evaluation of the data leads to detailed information on the electronic properties, atomic self-diffusion, and melting behavior of the colloids. The results are discussed in view of corresponding data obtained in bulk sodium.

Summary Unemployed job seekers experience stress which impedes their job search. Research suggests that psychological capital is a key resource which enables job seekers to cope with their stress. Yet it is still unclear how they acquire this key resource. During job search, job seekers engage in task‐oriented, infrequent interactions with counselors in employment agencies and establish formal ties. We explore these largely neglected formal ties and draw on conservation of resources theory and the crossover model to show that psychological capital crosses over from counselors to job seekers. We examine 209 dyads collected from two sources—counselors and job seekers—in an employment agency in Germany. Our hierarchical linear modeling results support the crossover of psychological capital within formal ties: Our results indicate that counselors' psychological capital impacts job seekers' psychological capital, which in turn lowers their stress. This relationship is mediated by job seekers' perception of counselors' social support. This study advances research on job loss and the crossover model as it explains the transfer of key resources within an institutional context characterized by formal ties, and it reveals social support as underlying mechanism. The practical implication is that counselors serve as enablers transferring key resources to job seekers.

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