Pia Ulvenblad

The role of entrepreneurship education and start-up experience for handling communication and liability of newness

Purpose – The aim of this study is to test the assumption that ability to handle communication and iability of newness (LoN) is enhanced by academic entrepreneurship education and/or previous start ...

The challenge of communication (ChoC) : Communicative skills in the start-up phase of a business

Abstract Entrepreneurs in newly started businesses need to think of communication in a strategic way since they lack a “track record” and suffer from liability of newness. The aim of this paper is to capture entrepreneurs’ communicative skills using a framework of leadership theories focused on the dimensions (i) other-orientation, (ii) openness and (iii) adaptation. The data is collected through structural observations “shadowing” five entrepreneurs in Sweden. The findings show that the entrepreneurs are both oriented toward others and open to input from them. They often adapt to the situation and act in accordance with the co-actor’s interest. However, they also withhold their standpoint when they find it necessary. The entrepreneurs with high-growth orientation were those that showed the most frequent other-oriented and opened behaviour during the observations. They were also adaptive in their communication with different counterparts.

Business model innovation in the agri-food sector: a literature review

Purpose – Because the business model (BM) is a fairly new concept, research is lacking on business model innovation (BMI) in certain industry sectors. One such sector is the agri-food sector. Using a systematic literature review (SLR) of peer-reviewed journal articles published from 1990 to 2014, the purpose of this paper is to examine the where, when, and how of the use of BMs and BMI in the agri-food sector. Design/methodology/approach – A web-based search was conducted to identify peer-reviewed journal articles that contained a combination of “BM” or “BMI” with agriculture-related and food-related terms (e.g. “agri-food sector”). After winnowing out irrelevant and duplicate articles, 505 articles were chosen for analysis. Findings – Using categories, the paper analyses various data about the selected articles. The categories include research settings, units of analysis, methodologies, and theories. Based on this analysis, the paper finds that these agri-food sector articles are primarily qualitative, e...

Academic entrepreneurship – the structure of incubator management and best practice reported on Swedish business incubators' websites

The aim of this paper is to describe the extent and content of information regarding incubator management structure, selection, support and network mediation on Swedish incubators websites and analyse connections between different incubator management structure and the content of incubator best practice. The data is based on information reported on 44 incubator websites in Sweden processed within the SPSS system. The findings show that incubators with more male representation in board and coach/advisor personnel report a more active part in business support including network mediation.

A leadership development programme for agricultural entrepreneurs in Sweden

ABSTRACT Purpose: This article describes the five-phase process of a leadership development programme conducted with agricultural entrepreneurs who own and manage dairy farms in Sweden. The programme primarily focused on leadership of employees and on self-leadership. The article’s purpose is to present a template for leadership development programmes that can be used in the agricultural sector and in other industry sectors as well. Design/Methodology: The empirical data come from interviews with agricultural entrepreneurs, agricultural advisors and authors of a book on leadership in its various forms. Observations were also conducted of the instruction in the leadership development programme. Findings: First, agricultural entrepreneurs (and possibly entrepreneurs in other sectors) benefit from leadership development programmes in which the concept and practice of self-leadership are emphasized. Second, such programmes are more valuable to participants if other actors (e.g. academics and advisors) are participants. Third, coaches are useful as support for the programmes’ participants. Practical Implications: An implication of this study is the finding that working with the knowledge transfer and dissemination to advisors and entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector can enhance leadership competences in the industry. Role transformation (e.g. advisor to coach) can also enhance the transfer of such leadership competences. Theoretical implications: An implication for theory is to include a self-leadership module in leadership theories about learning leadership in development programmes. Originality/Value: Knowledge transfer and dissemination through leadership development programmes for agricultural advisors and entrepreneurs can have a beneficial effect on industry leadership and management. In addition to the traditional leadership skills that many leadership development programmes teach, such programmes also need to emphasize self-leadership.

Hang Together – Or Hang Separately – Challenges for Entrepreneurs and Policymakers in the Swedish Agri-Food Value Chain

In this paper we describe and analyze how different actors along the agri-food value chain (producers, processors, wholesale, retail, restaurant/meal and consumers) perceive challenges. The study is conducted in the county of Halland, situated in the southwest of Sweden. Halland – and Sweden – is categorized by high production costs and by strict laws regarding animal welfare, food production and food safety. The empirical data has been gathered through 20 semi-structured interviews conducted with actors along the agri-food value chain; four primary producers, five processors, four wholesale firms, two retail firms, four restaurants/meal services and one consumer organization. The interviews, which lasted 30-60 minutes, were recorded, transcribed and analyzed through content analysis. The findings, in terms of identified challenges in the agri-food value chain are; (i) collaboration between companies, (ii) distribution and logistics, (iii) marketing, (iv) lack of skilled staff, (v) earning needs of the entrepreneurs/managers, (vi) sustainability, (vii) the consumer perspective, (viii) publicly funded development projects and (ix) public procurement. Actors in the agri-food chain need to cooperate with other-orientation and win-win perspectives. Public organizations and public policy should be oriented towards supporting the weak links of the agri-food chain; above all logistics and marketing/brand creation. Further research ought to focus on how the changed perceptions and demands of incoming consumers will influence the cooperation in the agri-food value chain.

Business Model Innovation in the Agri-food Sector

The purpose of this article is to deepen our understanding of what we know about business model innovation in the agri-food sector, both from a theoretical as well as a practical perspective. The methodological approach used in the paper is built on interviews, focus groups and observations of agricultural entrepreneurs and agricultural advisors in the agriculture sector and a review of over 500 peer-reviewed research papers for the period 1990-2014. The findings of the study indicate that entrepreneurs within the agri-food sector ought to shift focus from only a producer perspective to also include an entrepreneurial perspective, e.g. to focus on business model innovation. Based on this knowledge the authors present implications for research and practice. The research field is young and broad, but developing, and in need of stronger theoretical foundations. This article is based on a combination of a systematic literature review of a new emerging field as well as empirical in-depth interviews, focus groups and observations.