No abstract

Business is dynamic and rapidly changing. Global markets were previously the playing field of multinational corporations (MNCs), while small and medium enterprises (SMEs) were local; however, the removal of imposed barriers and recent technological advances in manufacturing, transportation, and communications have indorsed SMEs and international entrepreneurs (IEs) global access. SMEs and IEs are increasingly fueling economic growth and innovation, and these trends are presenting both opportunities and challenges to both MNCs and SMEs in the global arena. This review systematically examines comparative SME and IE research, analyzing (after fine-tuning) 762 articles published in leading journals from 1992 to September 2018. Our bibliometric and systematic review classifies SME and IE research findings into three echelons: (i) subjects, (ii) theories, and (iii) methods.

Purpose – Female entrepreneurship is a growing segment in the context of developing countries and has the\ud potential to become a driving force for economic development. However, research suggests that females are\ud less inclined toward entrepreneurship when compared to their male counterparts. This fact is related to a\ud complex mix of causes such as the belief that entrepreneurship is a male domain, certain conditions within the\ud economic and social environment and a general lack of confidence with regards to succeeding in such\ud activities. Barriers to female entrepreneurship are prevalent in the patriarchal Arab world. The purpose of\ud this paper is to measure the perceptions of female Jordanian business students with regards to the\ud socio-cultural barriers to entrepreneurship. It also looks at the conduciveness of the education they are\ud receiving in terms of new venture creation.\ud Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 254 female business students from two universities in\ud Jordan was asked to evaluate various factors within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including the business\ud education they are currently receiving. A factor analysis has been performed to show which relevant elements\ud may prevent young women from engaging with entrepreneurial activities. A comparison of perceptions about\ud the educational system has also been presented to understand how a supportive educational environment\ud may affect the previous analysis.\ud Findings – The results indicated that a strong supportive education system to some extent may reduce the\ud perception of potential barriers for entrepreneurship but the overall impact can be limited. Conversely,\ud an educational system lacking a supportive environment and concrete initiatives can deeply affect and\ud worsen the fears of engaging in entrepreneurship amongst female students.\ud Originality/value – The role of women in the Arab world is quite marked and the reluctance of\ud women to take a more decisive engagement in entrepreneurship may be reinforced by conservative,\ud societal traditions. A supportive education system has the potential to act as a catalyst to encourage active\ud female participation in the entrepreneurial domain, thus helping to spur economic development in\ud the region

Purpose Effectively handling knowledge is crucial for any organization to survive and prosper in the turbulent environments of the modern era. Leadership is a central element for knowledge creation, acquisition, utilization and integration processes. Based on these considerations, this study aims to offer an overview of the evolution of the literature regarding the knowledge management-leadership relationship published over the past 20 years. Design/methodology/approach A bibliometric analysis coupled with a systematic literature review were performed over a data set of 488 peer-reviewed articles published from 1990 to 2018. Findings The authors discovered the existence of four well-polarized clusters with the following thematic focusses: human and relational aspects, systematic and performance aspects, contextual and contingent aspects and cultural and learning aspects. The authors then investigated each thematic cluster by reviewing the most relevant contributions within them. Research limitations/implications Based on the bibliometric analysis and the systematic literature review, the authors developed an interpretative framework aimed at uncovering several promising and little explored research areas, thus suggesting an agenda for future knowledge management-leadership research. Some steps of the paper selection process may have been biased by the interpretation of the researcher. The authors addressed this concern by performing a multiple human subject reading process whose reliability was confirmed by a Krippendorf’s alpha coefficient value >0.80. Originality/value To the best knowledge, this is the first study to map, systematize and discuss the literature concerned to the topic of the knowledge management-leadership relationship.

The objective of this article is to provide a systematic review of the literature addressing internationalisation of firms from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Design/methodology/approach: This article presents an inter-disciplinary systematic review of literature about the internationalisation of firms from CEE. Findings: Three different clusters of research were identified. In the "Internationalisation Processes" cluster, containing many comparative studies, the focus is on specific approaches adopted by local firms in the process of internationalisation. One of the leitmotivs is the dichotomy between hostile home-country factors that create the need for internationalisation and market-seeking motives that guide the search for international expansion. The "Internationalisation Variables" cluster aims to explain the reasons of success or failure of internationalisation processes and strategies; this cluster focuses on possible facilitating or hindering aspects experienced by CEE firms and one often-cited element is the firm's network. Finally, the "Internationalisation Outcomes" cluster assumes a reverse approach when compared to the other two clusters. Indeed, the internationalisation phenomenon can also be 3 also studied in terms of its effect on the firm; the elements sought in these types of studies are both potential benefits and risks associated with internationalisation in CEE countries. Especially tThe latter category in particular gives rise to interesting questions for future research. Originality/value: Given that large, developed economies tend to receive much academic interest, and that smaller transitional economies are not always adequately represented in the scientific discussion, this article contributes to the literature on internationalisation.

Female entrepreneurship in developing countries is a growing body of research that tries to address the main challenges faced in such a context. The aim of this paper is to shed some light on the real opportunities for female entrepreneurs in terms of support for their start-ups. A lack of studies with this specific focus may detach the pertinent literature from real business practice and the true conditions faced by women during the start-up process. We grounded our analysis in Jordan, a country that has received little attention, despite the fact that it has one of the liveliest entrepreneurial contexts in the Middle East. A sample of 28 institutions operating in Jordan that offer support for entrepreneurial activities were examined. This is followed by a discussion of the main implications of the initiatives dedicated to female entrepreneurs.

Due to increased competitive pressure, modern organizations tend to rely on knowledge and its exploitation to sustain a long-term advantage. This calls for a precise understanding of knowledge management (KM) processes and, specifically, how knowledge is created, shared/transferred, acquired, stored/retrieved, and applied throughout an organizational system. However, since the beginning of the new millennium, such KM processes have been deeply affected and molded by the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, also called Industry 4.0, which involves the interconnectedness of machines and their ability to learn and share data autonomously. For this reason, the present study investigates the intellectual structure and trends of KM in Industry 4.0. Bibliometric analysis and a systematic literature review are conducted on a total of 90 relevant articles. The results reveal 6 clusters of keywords, subsequently explored via a systematic literature review to identify potential stream of this emergent field and future research avenues capable of producing meaningful advances in managerial knowledge of Industry 4.0 and its consequences.

Recent theories on cognitive science have stressed the significance of moral intuition as a counter to and complementary part of moral reasoning in decision making. Thus, the aim of this paper is to create an integrated framework that can account for both intuitive and reflective cognitive processes, in order to explore the antecedents of ethical decision making. To do that, we build on Scholasticism, an important medieval school of thought from which descends the main pillars of the modern Catholic social doctrine. Particularly, the focus will be on the scholastic concept of synderesis, which is an innate human faculty that constantly inclines decision makers toward universal moral principles. Managerial implications are discussed, stressing how a rediscovery of decision makers' intuitive moral judgments could be relevant in the reflective thinking practice of managers' ethical reasoning, thus saving them from rational insensitivity to ethical dilemmas.