Opportunity Seeking Research Articles

Female and Migrant Entrepreneurship in SOS Children’s Villages in the Lambayeque Region, Peru

This quantitative research analyzes the entrepreneurial competencies of in-migrant women in the Children’s Village of the Lambayeque Region. With a sample of 79 women, 39 Peruvian and 40 Venezuelan, online surveys and observation forms were operated for 18 months (2021–2022). Using a Likert scale of 55 questions and nine dimensions, competencies such as opportunity seeking, risk anticipation, persistence, self-exertion, and more were assessed. Data were analyzed using correlations, ANOVA, logistic regression, and principal component analysis (PCA). The results revealed significant differences between nationalities, with Venezuelan women having higher competencies. The study identified two principal components that explain 57.663% of the total variance, representing initiative and quality, as well as control and responsibility. These findings suggest the need for specific training programs to strengthen the entrepreneurial competencies of these women. The inductive methodology and quantitative analysis provided a clear vision of entrepreneurial competencies, contributing to the improvement of support and training programs.

Sizing a Renewable-Based Microgrid to Supply an Electric Vehicle Charging Station: A Design and Modelling Approach

In this paper, an optimisation framework is presented for planning a stand-alone microgrid for supplying EV charging (EVC) stations as a design and modelling approach for the FEVER (future electric vehicle energy networks supporting renewables) project. The main problem of the microgrid capacity sizing is making a compromise between the planning cost and providing the EV charging load with a renewable generation-based system. Hence, obtaining the optimal capacity for the microgrid components in order to acquire the desired level of reliability at minimum cost can be challenging. The proposed planning scheme specifies the size of the renewable generation and battery energy storage systems not only to maintain the generation–load balance but also to minimise the capital cost (CAPEX) and operational expenditures (OPEX). To study the impact of renewable generation and EV charging uncertainties, the information gap decision theory (IGDT) is used to include risk-averse (RA) and opportunity-seeking (OS) strategies in the planning optimisation framework. The simulations indicate that the planning scheme can acquire the global optimal solution for the capacity of each element and for a certain level of reliability or obtain the global optimal level of reliability in addition to the capacities to maximise the net present value (NPV) of the system. The total planning cost changes in the range of GBP 79,773 to GBP 131,428 when the expected energy not supplied (EENS) changes in the interval of 10 to 1%. The optimiser plans PV generation systems in the interval of 50 to 63 kW and battery energy storage system in the interval of 130 to 280 kWh and with trivial capacities of wind turbine generation. The results also show that by increasing the total cost according to an uncertainty budget, the uncertainties caused by EV charging load and PV generation can be managed according to a robustness radius. Furthermore, by adopting an opportunity-seeking strategy, the total planning cost can be decreased proportional to the variations in these uncertain parameters within an opportuneness radius.

Information management in social media to promote engagement and physical activity behavior

Social media can be an effective tool to foster values and lifestyles such as physical activity. However, it is still largely unknown what type of social media information helps to promote physical activity practices. This research aims to (1) identify the combination of variables that explain social media engagement in physical activity (SME-PA) and its relationship with physical activity behavior and (2) determine what type of social media content posted on social media could be most effective in promoting physical activity behaviors. Using a quasi-experimental and an experimental study, the findings showed that the conditions of high levels of information availability, social ties, trust in social media information, and opportunity seeking were present and combined in three of the four solutions (77% of the cases). SME-PA was correlated with the intention to improve physical fitness, and the physical shape, the type of benefit associated with physical activity practice and the gender of the person in the photo practicing physical activity were found to be relevant variables for improving the physical activity-related behavior of social media users. Finally, several implications are proposed to improve the administration of social media content for SME-PA.

Asynchronicities of growth: a process extension to the Uppsala model of internationalisation

We contend that the Uppsala internationalisation process (IP) Model offers the basis, yet unrealised, for a process theory of growth of the internationalising firm. From the Model’s origins, particularly in Penrosean theory, we develop this potential by offering a theory extension that explicates the organisational changes within the firm required to sustain international growth. This repositioning distinguishes us from previous attempts to amend, supplant or extend the IP Model. In developing the theory extension, we specify how we remain faithful to the IP Model’s behavioural assumption ground. We provide a model of the internationalising firm that posits non-linear growth paths. This is due to the challenges of synchronising the external opportunity seeking of the firm as it expands internationally with the internal capacity building required to realise these opportunities. Introducing to the IB field this asynchronicity problem, an absence of temporal concurrence, we show its potential in explaining organisational changes and discontinuities in the internationalising firm’s development as it seeks to grow. By extending the IP Model to offer a theory of growth of the internationalising firm, we provide the basis for further process scholarship on this topic that addresses contemporary concerns and developments.

The central role of social exclusion when representing ethnic minorities and its association with intergroup attitudes

ABSTRACT A mixed-methods approach was used to analyze the social representations of four ethnic minorities in southern Spain. Following a between-subjects design, Spanish participants (n = 532) were assigned to evaluate either Romanian Roma, Spanish Roma, Moroccan, or Romanian non-Roma people, with a free-association task and scales of stereotypes, emotions, and behavioral tendencies. Results showed that Romanian Roma was the most devalued target, eliciting the worst representation and attitudes. The content analysis revealed that participants described minorities mainly in terms of social exclusion, culture, appearance, personality, opportunity seeking, stigmatization, and personalization/equality, with social exclusion being a key category associated with worst attitudes.

Transforming informal communication in the urgent shift to teleworking: a case study in Japan

IntroductionWhile informal communication is essential for employee performance and wellbeing, it is difficult to maintain in telework settings. This issue has recently been becoming more prominent worldwide, especially because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Nevertheless, how employees managed their informal communication in the sudden shift to teleworking is still understudied. This study fills this research gap by clarifying how an organization's employees improvised informal communication during the urgent shift to teleworking.MethodsAn exploratory case study of a large construction firm in Japan was conducted, focusing on how employees improvised informal communication during teleworking in response to COVID-19. The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 employees and applied a qualitative thematic analysis to the collected data.ResultsFour informal communication strategies (structured informality, casual tech, implicit communication, and face-to-face opportunity seeking) that were improvised amid the sudden shift to teleworking caused by COVID-19 were identified.DiscussionThe findings can inform concrete means for the effective and dynamic transition of informal communication to teleworking settings during emergencies, thus contributing to informal communication studies as well as the promotion of resilient business operations and employee wellbeing in response to future crises.

Effect of Competitive Aggressiveness On Performance of Star Rated Hotels in North Rift Region, Kenya

When customers are delivered a service that is merely ‘acceptable’, their heads will be easily turned if a better provider comes along. Therefore, hotels should constantly be competitively aggressive in order to sustain their customers delight for their profits to thrive and attain high performance. This is because competitive aggressiveness has an effect on firm performance. However, there are limited studies conducted on the effect of competitive aggressiveness on the performance of star rated hotels in the context of developing countries. In this regard, this study was designed to assess the effect of competitive aggressiveness on performance of star rated hotels in North Rift Region, Kenya. The study was grounded on stakeholders’ theory. This study relied on positivism philosophy and explanatory research design based on samples drawn from across the star rated hotels in North Rift Region. The target population was 575 hotel employees. Data was collected by use of self-administered structured questionnaire and was analyzed by use of both descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS version 25. The findings showed that competitive aggressiveness significantly affects performance of star rated hotels. Competitively aggressive star rated hotels are more likely to improve their competitive positions, market share, and increase their performance if they transform themselves and evolve with the times. Basing on the stakeholder theory, for competitive aggressiveness the hotels have to be incarnate of forward looking and opportunity seeking strategies in anticipation of future trends and demands of the stakeholders to capitalize on their performance.

Strategi Pengembangan Bisnis PT. Pintar Pemenang Asia Untuk Memperluas Jaringan Platform Pendidikan Di Indonesia Melalui Pendekatan Opportunity Seeking Dan Advantage Seeking: Suatu Kajian Pengabdian Masyarakat

This community service is carried out by the Business Development Intern division which aims to review the business development strategy of PT. Pintar Pemenang Asia in expanding the education platform network in Indonesia through an opportunity seeking and advantage seeking approach. In developing an educational platform, it is important to understand stakeholder needs, analyze market potential, develop relevant features and content, improve accessibility, and provide training and guidance to users. The results of the community service carried out by the Business Development Intern division show that PT. Pintar Pemenang Asia has an important role in providing an educational platform in Indonesia. Opportunity seeking and advantage seeking approaches help companies identify potential business opportunities and take advantage of their advantages.

Exploring the Moderating Role of Gender in the Relationship between Personality Traits and Entrepreneurial Competencies

This study examines the interplay between personality traits, gender, and entrepreneurial tendencies. Drawing from the framework of the Big Five personality traits (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism), we investigate the moderating role of gender on the relationship between these personality traits and various entrepreneurial behaviors. The sample consists of 500 individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, who completed self-report measures assessing their personality traits and entrepreneurial tendencies.
 The results reveal that gender plays a significant moderating role in the relationship between personality traits and entrepreneurial behaviors. Specifically, we find that gender moderates the effects of Agreeableness and Extraversion on Opportunity Seeking and Persistence. Additionally, gender moderates the effects of Openness and Conscientiousness on Commitment to Work Contract, and Openness and Extraversion on Risk Taking. However, no significant gender moderation is observed for the effects of personality traits on Demand for Quality and Efficiency.
 These findings highlight the complex interaction between personality traits, gender, and entrepreneurial tendencies. Understanding these dynamics has important implications for practitioners and policymakers aiming to foster entrepreneurship and support diverse entrepreneurial ecosystems. By acknowledging the differential impact of personality traits on entrepreneurial behaviors based on gender, tailored interventions and training programs can be developed to empower individuals, irrespective of their gender, in their pursuit of entrepreneurial success.
 Overall, this research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on the multidimensional nature of entrepreneurship, emphasizing the need to consider gender as an important factor influencing the relationship between personality traits and entrepreneurial behaviors.

EXAMINING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCE OF BSBA STUDENTS ACROSS VARIOUS BUSINESS SCHOOLS IN LUCENA IN THE 2021-2022 ACADEMIC YEAR

The study aimed to investigate the personal entrepreneurial competencies of BSBA students across various business schools in Lucena City. Specifically, the study analyzed ten competencies that are considered essential for successful entrepreneurship. The schools involved in the study include AMA-Lucena, Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation, MaryHill College, Sacred Heart College, Calayan Educational Foundation, St. Anne College Lucena, City College of Lucena, ABE International Business, STI College, Quezon Center for Research and Studies. To assess the personal entrepreneurial competencies of the students, the study used a questionnaire consisting of 55 questions and statements adapted from Management Systems International and McBer and Company. The research methodology employed in this study is the descriptive cross-sectional design, which allowed for the collection of direct responses from the participants. To effectively analyze and interpret the data, the study utilized descriptive statistics such as frequency distributions, percentages, and measures of variability. The results of the study revealed that the top three mean scores for personal entrepreneurial competencies of BSBA students are opportunity seeking, persistence, and systematic planning and monitoring, which are their strengths. However, they should improve their competencies in the connection factor, demand for quality, and self-confidence as their weaknesses. Based on the findings, the study recommends that effective entrepreneurship education should focus on all three of these elements and create opportunities for experiential learning, mentoring, and networking. This way, students can enhance their entrepreneurial skills and be better prepared for successful entrepreneurship in the future.

Role of entrepreneurial resilience in SMEs to promote marketing and entrepreneurship amid Covid19 challenges

PurposeResilient firms are more likely to survive crisis. This paper aims to investigate the resilient behavior displayed by small and medium enterprise (SME) owners in the pandemic context and the sequence of antecedents leading to resilient behavior.Design/methodology/approachSeven SME owners, from different business sectors, were interviewed twice in 8 months, to assess their actions and underlying entrepreneurial resilience. A model was developed depicting the sequence of activities leading to entrepreneurial resiliency behavior. The study was conducted in the capital city of Odisha, an eastern Indian state.FindingsThe results indicate that entrepreneurial resiliency is manifested in various forms where the SME owners engage in bricolage. Resiliency has an inevitable time dimension, where SME owners estimate the period for which adversity is likely to persist. They focus on alternative action to demonstrate resiliency. It was also learnt that revenue management during a crisis requires entrepreneurial marketing with innovativeness, opportunity seeking and value creation to improve resiliency.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is important for policymakers who can strengthen resiliency through the support and provision of adequate information to SME owners. Educators can use the model for discussion and pedagogy. Finally, SME owners can evaluate their response behaviors to a crisis and draw insights.Originality/valueThe approach of the study was longitudinal and qualitative. This study contributes to the literature gap on resiliency in the context of emerging markets and SMEs.

ChatGPT: the future of discharge summaries?

ChatGPT: the future of discharge summaries?

Personal Entrepreneurial Competencies of Dairy Buffalo Entrepreneurs in Nueva Ecija, Phillipines

This study aims to describe the profile of the dairy buffalo entrepreneurs and analyze their entrepreneurial traits, with the end view of improving these traits. The respondents were 170 dairy buffalo entrepreneurs from assisted cooperatives and associations of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Descriptive statistical tools (i.e., frequency counts, means and range and ranks) were used to analyze and interpret the data. Data were processed and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science version 20. Based on the results, the respondents were found to have a moderate score for persuasion and networking, but found to be strong in opportunity seeking, persistence, commitment to work contract, demand for quality and efficiency, risk-taking, goal setting and information seeking, systematic planning and monitoring and self-confidence. It is recommended that PCC should focus on enhancing the competency on persuasion and networking among dairy buffalo entrepreneurs through trainings and seminars.

Modeling Collaborative Behaviors in Energy Ecosystems

The notions of a collaborative virtual power plant ecosystem (CVPP-E) and a cognitive household digital twin (CHDT) have been proposed as contributions to the efficient organization and management of households within renewable energy communities (RECs). CHDTs can be modeled as software agents that are designed to possess some cognitive capabilities, enabling them to make autonomous decisions on behalf of their human owners based on the value system of their physical twin. Due to their cognitive and decision-making capabilities, these agents can exhibit some behavioral attributes, such as engaging in diverse collaborative actions aimed at achieving some common goals. These behavioral attributes can be directed to the promotion of sustainable energy consumption in the ecosystem. Along this line, this work demonstrates various collaborative practices that include: (1) collaborative roles played by the CVPP manager such as (a) opportunity seeking and goal formulation, (b) goal proposition/invitation to form a coalition or virtual organization, and (c) formation and dissolution of coalitions; and (2) collaborative roles played by CHDTs which include (a) acceptance or decline of an invitation based on (i) delegation/non-delegation and (ii) value system compatibility/non-compatibility, and (b) the sharing of common resources. This study adopts a simulation technique that involves the integration of multiple simulation methods such as system dynamics, agent-based, and discrete event simulation techniques in a single simulation environment. The outcome of this study confirms the potential of adding cognitive capabilities to CHDTs and further shows that these agents could exhibit certain collaborative attributes, enabling them to become suitable as rational decision-making agents in households.

Social innovation: relationships with social and human capitals, entrepreneurial competencies and growth of social enterprises in a developing country context

PurposeThis study aims to examine capital and competency variables – human capital, social capital and personal entrepreneurial competencies – in relation to social innovation development and growth of social enterprises in a developing country with an emerging social enterprise sector: Thailand.Design/methodology/approachA hypothetical-deductive approach was adopted and a quantitative survey by questionnaire was applied to collect data from owners/top management of 103 social enterprises in Thailand. The data were used to test hypotheses and further analysed using partial least squares technique.FindingsThe results revealed that there were positive direct and indirect (mediating) relationships between human capital, social capital, personal entrepreneurial competencies and social innovation development and growth of Thai social enterprises. Skills and training were key determinants of human capital, whereas social interaction, trust, social identification and shared knowledge were key determinants of social capital which affected social innovation development. Goal orientation, information seeking, opportunity seeking, persuasion and self-confidence were key determinants of entrepreneurial competencies that also affected social innovation development. This study ultimately revealed the mediating effects of social innovation development on the relationships between capital and competency variables and the growth of social enterprises.Originality/valueThis study fills the research gap, from the theoretical perspective, by identifying capital and competency variables as well as their additional determinants that are divergent from previous literature, which can potentially influence the social innovation development of social enterprises, and where only limited research is evidenced. From an empirical perspective, this study attempts to investigate the associations between these variables and growth indicators in the context of social enterprises in a developing nation, where its sector is in its infancy. This study further helps to clarify the existence of the direct and indirect (mediating) effects of social innovation development in the context of the economic and social accomplishments of social enterprises.

Experiential Learning: Interventions and Implications for Enabling Learning in Uncertain Environments

In the years preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, surveys of top US business schools revealed an increasing trend in adoption and provision of experiential learning courses, particularly as part of MBA programs. Experiential learning within management education, refers to the application of business concepts, ideas, and theories in solving real-world problems, through the use of real-world learning projects. According to business school surveys conducted during 2020, COVID-19 brought with it a reversal of this trend, with a sudden lowering of reliance on experiential learning offerings and an increased emphasis on flipped classrooms. Schools that opted to continue with experiential programs did so amidst an environment of ongoing uncertainty. Program educators had to shift the paradigm in which they operated, revising and re-creating structure in the absence of predictability, and stimulating learning motivation in the absence of traditional learning spaces. This research draws attention to how management educators have grappled with supporting students and their learning under such uncertain conditions and considers the theoretical and practical implications for experiential learning theory. Findings from this empirical study, which includes graduate student and educator interviews, point to a greatly increased focus on planned and enhanced educator interventions. The results reveal that experiential learning during times of uncertainty fosters both resource-seeking and learning-opportunity seeking behaviors among students. Keywords: Experiential learning, Interventions, Resource-seeking, Learning- opportunity seeking

The Role of Self-Monitoring and Motivation on Discretionary Advice: Evidence From a Field Study

Despite the pivotal role that self-monitoring plays in a multitude of social exchange situations and the preference of high self-monitors to look good in the eyes of others, relatively little is known about the role of self-monitoring on discretionary advice tie formation. This paper addresses tie formation choices relative to one’s opportunity seeking triggers. Based on the embeddedness literature and self-monitoring theory we develop and empirically test two hypotheses on the interrelation between self-monitoring (trait), motivation (trigger) and discretionary advice seeking (action). Drawing on data collected at a global pharmaceutical company, and based on a quantitative analysis using dyad-level regression models with multiway clustered observations, our findings suggest high self-monitors preferentially reach out to dissimilar others in advice seeking. We find intrinsic motivation to mitigate this effect amongst high self-monitors such that enjoyability positively stimulates self-monitoring ability. Extrinsic motivation, in turn, moderates the positive effect of self-monitoring on the formation of new ties such that external rewards positively stimulate self-monitoring sensitivity. Our findings nuance the notion that high self-monitors are more likely to engage in advice seeking activity than low self-monitors, suggesting one’s motivational preference to moderate this relation as trigger towards actual action. We conclude with discussing the implications of these findings for the study of social exchange processes in an intra-organizational and innovation aspiring context.

Towards a model of entrepreneurial behaviour: an evaluation of the history of Fabergé from 1842 to 2017

PurposeThis paper aims to discuss how over the past 180 years, a succession of largely unrelated entrepreneurs of differing capabilities have either created or recognised and exploited opportunities offered by this enduring company, their heritage and brand.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data was provided from discussions with Fabergé experts and the new owners of the brand. Extensive secondary data was also used and analysed.FindingsThe original Fabergé creations numbered some 200,000, but their creator is remembered best for 65 unique Imperial (and other) Eggs. Many pieces have survived, although the business disappeared in 1917. Since then, dealers and collectors have intervened symbiotically to protect the brand equity – supported by serendipitous popular cultural interventions – although a series of parallel entrepreneurial but parasitic interventions meant the brand and the original products became separated. This changed in 2007 with new owners acquiring the brand and resurrecting high-end jewellery production with a new business model. Their contemporary journey is both informed and shaped by Fabergé’s tumultuous past.Research limitations/implicationsReinforces that while a universal theory of entrepreneurship eludes us that these three key elements – opportunity, uncertainty and resources – help explain the related behaviour of a series of different intervening entrepreneurs. This framework is offered for wider use and testing.Practical implicationsAdvances the understanding of how entrepreneurs spot and enact opportunity.Originality/valueDevelops a model embracing parasitic and symbiotic interventions in the history of a brand, and a conceptual entrepreneurial model capturing three key elements that explain entrepreneurial behaviour. These being: opportunity seeking and exploitation, addressing uncertainty and deploying appropriate resources.

Essential competencies of entrepreneurs during the new normal in the province of abra, Philippines

The COVID-19 pandemic had a wide range of implications, including business closures and bankruptcies, to name a few. Entrepreneurs rely on a number of important entrepreneurial capabilities to survive a pandemic, and the study intended to solve this issue by investigating these competencies. An exploratory qualitative-narrative research design was employed in this study, along with a phenomenological approach, and included one focus group discussion with 12 participants and in-depth interviews with ten micro-enterprise owners in Bangued, Abra, the Philippines. According to the study's findings, experienced entrepreneurs' lived experiences highlighted how their entrepreneurial capabilities impacted their lives. In order to ensure the survival of their businesses, they believed in the effectiveness of goal setting, systematic planning and monitoring, independence and self-confidence, opportunity seeking, risk-taking, information seeking, the demand for efficiency and quality, adherence to work contracts, persuasion and networking, and perseverance. One of the study's implications is its impact on business sustainability, defense mechanisms, entrepreneurial competencies, creativity, back to the basics, and business practices, all of which resulted in the discharge of competencies deemed necessary weapons for pandemic survival of the entrepreneurss. In order to further confirm entrepreneurs' methods and lived experiences in Abra province, other researchers may investigate entrepreneurial initiatives in the manufacturing, service, and retail sectors, among others.

Opportunity Seeking Across Segregated Schools: Unintended Effects of Automatic Admission Policies on High School Segregation

Automatic admissions policies (AAPs, “percent plans”) redistribute college-going opportunities across segregated high schools to diversify college enrollments, increasing opportunities at predominantly minority high schools. If students “game” AAPs by attending schools with increased opportunities, AAPs could alter racial sorting across high schools. Comparative interrupted time series analyses provide evidence that Texas’s and California’s AAPs reduced Black–White segregation in highly segregated school districts. These effects were concentrated in sparsely populated areas in Texas, and they were modest in California, so it seems unlikely this significantly undermined AAPs’ ability to reduce racial disparities in college-going opportunities. It shows, however, that strategic responses to policies that redistribute opportunities in segregated contexts can create tension between segregation and inequality of opportunity.