David Urbano

Socio-cultural factors and entrepreneurial activity An overview

Scholars who study entrepreneurship have lent great value by exploring the factors that explain how entrepreneurs create new businesses and thus, how societies and economies grow and prosper. Although there has considerable research based on psychological and economic approaches to entrepreneurship, the influence of socio-cultural factors on enterprise development remains under studied. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to integrate, from a theoretical perspective, the socio-cultural factors and entrepreneurial activity. In this sense, the article points out that the institutional approach could be an apt framework to develop future research analyzing the socio-cultural factors that influence the decisions to create new businesses. Also, a brief overview of the content of each of the papers included in this special issue is presented.

Regional variations in entrepreneurial cognitions: Start-up intentions of university students in Spain

Empirical research has recently paid considerable attention to the role of environmental factors in explaining regional variations in entrepreneurial activity. However, cognitive models have not usually included these factors in their analyses. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to identify some of the environmental cognitive elements that may explain regional differences in start-up intentions. Thus, an entrepreneurial intention model is developed, theoretically based on the planned behaviour approach, institutional economic theory and social capital theory. The empirical analysis is carried out using structural equation techniques over a sample of 549 final year university students from two Spanish regions (Catalonia and Andalusia). Results confirm that valuation of entrepreneurship in each region helps explain regional differences in entrepreneurial intentions. As expected, social valuation of the entrepreneur was higher in the more developed region (Catalonia), positively affecting perceived subjective norms and behavioural control. In Andalusia, the influence of perceived valuation of the entrepreneur in the closer environment was more important, affecting attitude towards the behaviour and subjective norms. These results explain some of the differences in the pool of potential entrepreneurs in each region. They also justify the need by public-policy decision-makers to promote more positive entrepreneurial values in relatively backward regions.

Entrepreneurial Universities Socioeconomic Impacts of Academic Entrepreneurship in a European Region

In the knowledge economy, academic entrepreneurship occurs at the boundaries of different scientific and professional backgrounds, creating a need for support mechanisms to transcend those limits. The entrepreneurial university is seen as an important catalyst for regional economic and social development, particularly because it generates and exploits knowledge as entrepreneurial opportunities. However, evidence about this phenomenon is fragmented and disorganized. By adopting institutional economics, resource-based view, and endogenous growth approaches, this study provides a better understanding of the socioeconomic impacts of the entrepreneurial university. Using the case study methodology, the study presents the experience of entrepreneurial universities in a European Region (Catalonia, Spain). It describes some practical implications that could stimulate the entrepreneurial activity of universities and thus foster their contribution to the development of the modern knowledge economy.

Analyzing Social Entrepreneurship from an Institutional Perspective: Evidence from Spain

Abstract In recent years, social entrepreneurship (SE) has been regarded as an important source of social, economic and environmental wealth, and many scholars are focusing their inquiries on this emerging area. Little is known, however, concerning the environmental factors that affect this entrepreneurial phenomenon. In this research, we analyze how these factors affect both the emergence and implementation of SE in the highly entrepreneurial Spanish region of Catalonia, using institutional economics as the main conceptual framework. We also apply an inductive theory, building an empirical approach to conducting a multiple-case study in order to develop theoretical propositions that enhance our understanding of the phenomenon.

Environmental Conditions and Entrepreneurial Activity: A Regional Comparison in Spain

Purpose – The main objective of this paper is to analyse the influence of environmental factors on entrepreneurship at the Spanish regional level, using institutional economics as the theoretical framework for the research. Additionally, this work aims to emphasize how environmental conditions have different effects according to the gender of entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach – Regional panel data (19 Spanish regions and the 2006-2009 period) from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), specifically from the Spanish National Expert Survey (NES) for environmental conditions and the GEM Adult Population Survey (APS) for entrepreneurial activity were analysed within a fixed effects model with panel corrected standard errors. Findings – The main findings of the study indicate that both informal (cultural and social norms, perception of opportunities to start-up and entrepreneur social image) and formal factors (intellectual property rights) influence entrepreneurship, but the informal are more determinant than the formal. Concerning the gender issues, informal and formal institutions are also determinant, but female entrepreneurship is significantly associated with the womens support to start-up, whereas primary and higher education are associated only with male entrepreneurial activity. Research limitations/implications – The results of the research should be interpreted carefully, because the availability of data constrained the analysis to a time period that is not reflective of the economic cycle; on the contrary, the data correspond to a period of recession, and thus the results cannot be generalized. Also, the study could extend the analysed period and compare the obtained results with international data, considering the global number of participant countries in the GEM Project. Originality/value – The study provides a methodology to analyse the environmental factors for new firm creation at a regional level, combining GEM data and institutional economics.

Socio-Cultural Factors and Transnational Entrepreneurship: A Multiple Case Study in Spain

This article addresses theoretical and empirical issues concerning the emergent field of transnational entrepreneurship. We discuss issues regarding the antecedents of transnational entrepreneurship focusing specifically on the socio-cultural factors affecting this phenomenon in the Spanish context. Entrepreneurship, ethnic and transnational entrepreneurship literature is combined with institutional approach to explain what and how different socio-cultural factors influence the emergence and development of transnational entrepreneurship in Catalonia (in the north-east of Spain). We do this by looking at four case studies of transnational entrepreneurs with different ethnicity (Ecuadorian, Latin American; Moroccan, North African; Chinese, Asian; and Romanian, Eastern European). Important differences between socio-cultural factors that affect the emergence of transnational entrepreneurship (role models, immigrants’ entrepreneurial attitudes) and those that facilitate the development of transnational entrepreneurial activities (transnational networks and immigrants’ perceptions of the culture and opportunities of the host society) are found.

Employee‐organization relationship in collective entrepreneurship: an overview

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to add new theoretical insights on the employee‐organization relationship (EOR) in the context of corporate entrepreneurship (CE), specifically in collective entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a brief overview of the content of each of the articles included in this special issue.Findings – In the last decades, the study of the EOR has become an integral part of the literature as an approach aimed to provide the theoretical foundations to understanding the employee and employer perspectives to the exchange. Also, the greater complex environment and the higher level of innovativeness have pushed firms to become more entrepreneurial in order to identify new opportunities for sustained superior performance. In this context, emerges CE and involves not only formal activities to enhance product innovation, risk taking and a proactive response to environmental forces, but also organizational learning, driven by collaboration, and commitment. S...

Networks and corporate entrepreneurship: A comparative case study on family business in Catalonia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse in‐depth collaboration as a process that emerges from interactions among individuals in order to develop entrepreneurial actions within established family firms. The research is contextualized in the metal sector in Catalonia (Spain), using institutional economics as a theoretical framework of reference.Design/methodology/approach – Methodologically, the paper adopt an exploratory perspective and employs a qualitative approach. In particular, a multiple case‐study is used to gain deep insights into a contemporary and complex issue within its real‐life context, and two case studies are purposefully selected in order to be able to conduct cross‐case comparisons.Findings – In the early formation phase of collective entrepreneurship, there are similarities reflecting the networks status of both cases. In contrast, there are some variations concerning the development of collective entrepreneurship within the businesses which affect the type of corporate entrepr...

Determinants of female entrepreneurship in Spain: an institutional approach

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the factors that influence female entrepreneurship in Spain, using institutional economics as the theoretical framework. The empirical research uses Spanish regional-level panel data (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and National Statistics Institute of Spain) covering the period 2003–2010. The main findings indicate that informal factors (recognition of entrepreneurial career and female networks) are more relevant for female entrepreneurship than formal factors (education, family context and differential of income level). The research contributes both theoretically (advancing knowledge with respect to environmental factors that affect female entrepreneurship), and practically (for the design of support policies and educational programmes to foster female entrepreneurial activity).

Support policy for the tourism business: a comparative case study in Spain

It is now well known that service industries, and especially the tourism sector, significantly contribute to economic and social development in the European Union. Intrinsic to the growth of the tourism industry has been the public interventions that, directly or indirectly, have facilitated the development of this sector. In this context, this paper aims to contribute to the knowledge on the design and implementation process of support policies for tourism businesses in Spain, using institutional economics as the theoretical framework. Based on a comparative case study, the article shows that despite the relevance of the legal system, the most important factors for the promotion of the tourism business are the socio-cultural ones.