Research

29 pages, 459 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Factors as a Basic Driver of the Digitalization of the Business Models of Railway Companies

by Marek Jabłoński and Adam Jabłoński

Sustainability 2019, 11(12), 3367; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11123367 - 18 Jun 2019

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4006

The aim of the paper is to present the results of research into the assessment of social factors resulting from the digitalization of railway companies’ business models and building, by means of the AHP method, a ranking of the significance of these criteria [...] Read more.

The aim of the paper is to present the results of research into the assessment of social factors resulting from the digitalization of railway companies’ business models and building, by means of the AHP method, a ranking of the significance of these criteria in the process of their digital transformation. The results focused on identifying the components of the business models of railway companies that are most affected by social factors and the creation of such factors. Railway companies do not operate within the business environment alone. In the context of processes, they form one common technical and service ecosystem. Digitalization should increase opportunities to create positive social effects which influence the quality of services provided and the safety of rail traffic as well as the increased efficiency of business models. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Young Companies–Contemporary Trends and Challenges)

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17 pages, 544 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mutual Support, Role Breadth Self-Efficacy, and Sustainable Job Performance of Workers in Young Firms

by Sarah Cheah, Shiyu li and Yuen-Ping Ho

Sustainability 2019, 11(12), 3333; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11123333 - 17 Jun 2019

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4191

Abstract

Coworking space has flourished in the past decade. Unlike traditional shared services organizations, coworking spaces put a much greater emphasis on ‘sharing’. Members not only can share the physical office space, but also the virtual social spaces created by the coworking space operators [...] Read more.

Coworking space has flourished in the past decade. Unlike traditional shared services organizations, coworking spaces put a much greater emphasis on ‘sharing’. Members not only can share the physical office space, but also the virtual social spaces created by the coworking space operators managing the office. As coworking spaces provide a community to foster the culture of sharing, which gives rise to social interactions and thus knowledge and idea exchange, entrepreneurs favor such coworking spaces to achieve a higher level of job performance among their workers. Although it is generally accepted that a worker’s job performance varies over time within a job, there have been limited studies on within-person performance sustainability and its comparison with between-person sustainability. We sampled 101 workers of young firms operating in six coworking spaces in Singapore who completed daily surveys twice a day across ten consecutive workdays. By treating participants as the first level and daily observations as the second level, our study develops a dual-path model to explain how daily mutual support influences daily job performance. Our results indicated that daily mutual support is positively related to sustainable job performance after controlling for sleep quality, job requirements and workload stress. Within-person sustainability in mutual support was found to account for part of within-person variance in job performance. We established that mutual support not only predicts job performance, but also varies across workdays. As the collaboration of team members depends on cooperation rather than competition, mutual support is considered essential for team work and thus employees’ job performance. Our study also demonstrated the importance of role breadth self-efficacy as a moderator in the link between mutual support and sustainable job performance. Role breadth self-efficacy refers to the extent to which people feel confident that they are able to carry out a broader and more proactive role, beyond traditional prescribed technical requirements. The results revealed an enhancing moderation effect, where increasing the role breath self-efficacy would enhance the effect of the mutual support predictor on sustainable job performance of workers in young firms operating in the coworking space. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Young Companies–Contemporary Trends and Challenges)

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18 pages, 1025 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coworking and Sustainable Business Model Innovation in Young Firms

by Sarah Cheah and Yuen-Ping Ho

Sustainability 2019, 11(10), 2959; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11102959 - 24 May 2019

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 8613

Abstract

In larger cities, we see a rising trend of more people working outside their traditional offices, and engaging in a practice called co-working by sharing office space. The public policy makers of innovation-driven economies, on the other hand, have been availing co-working spaces [...] Read more.

In larger cities, we see a rising trend of more people working outside their traditional offices, and engaging in a practice called co-working by sharing office space. The public policy makers of innovation-driven economies, on the other hand, have been availing co-working spaces and related support to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. Despite the growing significance of this area, there has been limited research on the link between coworking and innovation among young firms. This research examines the relationship between coworking space and innovation, particularly business model innovation (BMI) for sustainable performance. Based on an empirical study of 258 young tenant firms operating in 13 coworking spaces in Singapore, we establish that the space creativity of coworking spaces is positively related to the BMI outcome of tenant firms. Tenant firms’ opportunity recognition and exploitation (ORE) process positively mediates the relationship between the space creativity of coworking spaces and the BMI outcome of tenant firms. While the social climate of the coworking space is found to have no direct effect on the BMI outcome of tenant firms, tenant firms’ ORE process positively mediates the relationship between the social climate of coworking spaces and the sustainable BMI outcome of tenant firms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Young Companies–Contemporary Trends and Challenges)

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19 pages, 1266 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Surviving through Incubation Based on Entrepreneurship-Specific Human Capital Development: The Moderating Role of Tenants’ Network Involvement

by Li Zhang, Ping Gao, Yongtao Zhou, Yuchuan Zhang and Junhua Wang

Sustainability 2019, 11(10), 2866; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11102866 - 20 May 2019

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2838

Abstract

Drawing upon human capital theory and the co-production view of business support processes, this paper investigates the moderating effects of network involvement on entrepreneurship-specific human capital (ESHC) that determines the tenants’ survival in an incubator. Longitudinal data between 2006 and 2009 of 71 [...] Read more.

Drawing upon human capital theory and the co-production view of business support processes, this paper investigates the moderating effects of network involvement on entrepreneurship-specific human capital (ESHC) that determines the tenants’ survival in an incubator. Longitudinal data between 2006 and 2009 of 71 ventures located in an incubator in China have been collected and analyzed. The research confirms that network involvement strengthens the influence of entrepreneurial experience on tenants’ successful graduation, but does not impact the relationship between entrepreneurial family background and tenants’ graduation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Young Companies–Contemporary Trends and Challenges)

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17 pages, 883 KiB

Open AccessArticle

What Are the Features of Successful Medical Device Start-Ups? Evidence from KOREA

by Munjae Lee, Sewon Park and Kyu-Sung Lee

Sustainability 2019, 11(7), 1948; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11071948 - 02 Apr 2019

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6695

Abstract

This study analyzes the factors determining the success of medical device start-ups, focusing on the healthcare sector as the starting point of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The government is also working to establish a business model to revitalize medical device start-ups as a [...] Read more.

This study analyzes the factors determining the success of medical device start-ups, focusing on the healthcare sector as the starting point of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The government is also working to establish a business model to revitalize medical device start-ups as a new driving force for the economy. Accordingly, such start-ups based on innovative technologies have been actively developed, but it seems that there is a limit to growth. We employed an analytical hierarchy process to derive an activation strategy for medical device start-ups. A survey was administered to experts in such start-ups, including medical device companies and venture capital firms, prospective start-up entrepreneurs, medical device developers, and professors. A total of 18 responses were obtained for analysis. The results revealed the following priorities for the success of medical device start-ups: technical skills, marketability, entrepreneurial capacity, and funding. In addition, medical device and venture capital firms were divided into separate groups and compared and analyzed. Technical skills are considered a priority for those in the medical industry. However, entrepreneurial skills are a priority for venture capitalists. Based on these results, we suggest measures for the success of medical device start-ups. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Young Companies–Contemporary Trends and Challenges)

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28 pages, 668 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Socially Responsible Human Resource Management as a Concept of Fostering Sustainable Organization-Building: Experiences of Young Polish Companies

by Edyta Bombiak and Anna Marciniuk-Kluska

Sustainability 2019, 11(4), 1044; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041044 - 17 Feb 2019

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 6820

Abstract

There has been increased interest over recent years in socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) oriented at developing good relations with employees as a function fostering sustainable organization-building. This is a consequence of our awareness of the fact that employees and personnel processes [...] Read more.

There has been increased interest over recent years in socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) oriented at developing good relations with employees as a function fostering sustainable organization-building. This is a consequence of our awareness of the fact that employees and personnel processes play a vital role in translating the policy of sustainable development into practice. The objective of this research has been to diagnose the activity of young Polish enterprises in the area of SRHRM as an important corporate social responsibility (CSR) component and to assess relations between SRHRM practices and the sustainable development of organizations. The studies conducted on a representative sample of 150 entities demonstrate both the scope of SRHRM practical implementation and the fields which have disparity in this respect. It has been determined that SRHRM practices are quite frequently adopted by young Polish enterprises. Research has shown that there is a correlation between the assessment of the relationship of SRHRM practices with the sustainable development of organizations and their practical implementation. It has been established that the higher the assessment of the strength of the relations of a given practice, the more often it is implemented in the enterprises studied. Simultaneously, the research has demonstrated a low level of maturity with respect to SRHRM implementation, as evidenced by the adoption of basic practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Young Companies–Contemporary Trends and Challenges)

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42 pages, 1567 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Value Migration to the Sustainable Business Models of Digital Economy Companies on the Capital Market

by Marek Jabłoński

Sustainability 2018, 10(9), 3113; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093113 - 31 Aug 2018

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 7686

Abstract

The topic of a sustainable business model is currently the subject of much scientific research that covers a wide range of topics, from terminological aspects to aspects related to the impact of sustainability factors on company development. So far, however, the topic of [...] Read more.

The topic of a sustainable business model is currently the subject of much scientific research that covers a wide range of topics, from terminological aspects to aspects related to the impact of sustainability factors on company development. So far, however, the topic of sustainability in business models operating in electronic markets has only been studied to some extent. This article covers broad research into the value migration to sustainable business models of companies operating in the digital economy on the capital market. The aim of the article is to present key results of research into value migration to sustainable business models of companies operating in the digital economy on the capital market. The relevant literature on the trends in the application of the sustainability concept in the digital economy, the attributes of business models, and the interpretation of value within the concept of business models is also reviewed. The results obtained are ambiguous. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Young Companies–Contemporary Trends and Challenges)

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22 pages, 626 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Human Resource Management as a Tool for the Sustainable Development of Enterprises: Polish Young Company Experience

by Edyta Bombiak and Anna Marciniuk-Kluska

Sustainability 2018, 10(6), 1739; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061739 - 25 May 2018

Cited by 161 | Viewed by 18377

Abstract

The growing role of sustainable development and, above all, its ecological aspect, in the development of modern company competitive edge leads to the popularization of the question of incorporating environmental practices into the area of human resource policy, referred to as Green HRM. [...] Read more.

The growing role of sustainable development and, above all, its ecological aspect, in the development of modern company competitive edge leads to the popularization of the question of incorporating environmental practices into the area of human resource policy, referred to as Green HRM. The objective of the research was to identify pro-environmental HR practices embraced by young Polish enterprises and to prioritize them in accordance with their effect on company sustainable development. To attain these goals, a survey was conducted among a random, representative population of 150 young enterprises. The study revealed that the Green HRM concept in the Polish reality is relatively. However, there is a strong positive correlation between the evaluation of the impact of individual activities within Green HRM on sustainable company development and their practical implementation. Research demonstrated that the higher the evaluation of the impact of a given activity, the more frequent its implementation in the studied companies. This allowed the formulation of the following conclusion: in order to increase the scope of the implementation of the Green HRM concept in Polish young enterprises, it is necessary to raise awareness and disseminate knowledge concerning the impact Green HRM can have on sustainable development in organizations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Young Companies–Contemporary Trends and Challenges)

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1673 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Value Creation Mechanism of Social Enterprises in Manufacturing Industry: Empirical Evidence from Korea

by Hosung Son, Joosung Lee and Yanghon Chung

Sustainability 2018, 10(1), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10010046 - 25 Dec 2017

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 5245

Abstract

A variety of social enterprises (SEs) have recently emerged in many different countries in an effort to resolve diverse social problems. However, the value creation mechanism of SEs has not yet been disclosed. The purpose of this study is to reveal the value [...] Read more.

A variety of social enterprises (SEs) have recently emerged in many different countries in an effort to resolve diverse social problems. However, the value creation mechanism of SEs has not yet been disclosed. The purpose of this study is to reveal the value creation mechanism of SEs in manufacturing industry. To do so, we verify the role of social entrepreneurship and examine the effects of product innovation attributes and social capital on social value creation and financial performance by using structural equation modelling. Then, we conduct interviews with six experts in SE fields. According to the results of empirical study, the social entrepreneurship works as an antecedent of product innovation and social capital in SEs and the degrees of products’ simplicity, usability and standardization positively affect the social value creation of SEs. In addition, the social value creation works as a complete mediator between the product innovation of SEs and their financial performance. The interviews suggest policy implications for successful social value creation and sustainability of SEs. This research contributes towards further studies on innovation of SEs and provides social entrepreneurs with guidelines in planning their innovation strategy or developing their products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Young Companies–Contemporary Trends and Challenges)

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240 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Directions for Social Enterprise from an Efficiency Perspective

by Pyoungsoo Lee and Yong Won Seo

Sustainability 2017, 9(10), 1914; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9101914 - 23 Oct 2017

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3936

Abstract

Social enterprise is recognized as an alternative for sustainable development, as it balances social aspects with economic prosperity. Evaluating social enterprises is very important for both the enterprises themselves and the government, since grants from the government or institutions highly depend on their [...] Read more.

Social enterprise is recognized as an alternative for sustainable development, as it balances social aspects with economic prosperity. Evaluating social enterprises is very important for both the enterprises themselves and the government, since grants from the government or institutions highly depend on their performance. While relatively significant attention is paid to the social value that these enterprises create, there is a lack of interest in assessing the operational performance directly linked to the sustainable operation of social enterprises. Therefore, this research analyzes the performance of social enterprises from the efficiency perspective, incorporating both operational (economic) and social performance measures. To this end, we apply data envelopment analysis to assess the performance of social enterprises when considering the dual-role factor—the grants. To facilitate clarity for readers, a dataset of Korean social enterprises is used. Through this analysis, we show that the grants can be used for performance evaluation in different ways for each enterprise. Furthermore, an industry-specific analysis provides more realistic and feasible benchmarking information to which inefficient social enterprises should refer. We expect that these findings will complement existing methods of social enterprise evaluation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Young Companies–Contemporary Trends and Challenges)

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