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This paper aims to propose and test a corporate entrepreneurship strategy (CES) model in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with international activity located in Andalusia (Spain) – a peripheral region with high levels of inequality in the European Union (EU).

A quantitative analysis has been carried out with data from 101 SMEs to contrast and analyze the proposed CES model. The sample data were obtained through questionnaire-guided interviews with chief executive officers. Data processing has been done using partial least squares-path modeling, a variance-based technique for structural equation modeling.

The results of this study show the positive effect of environmental conditions on the development of CES actions in Andalusian SMEs (Spain) and the positive influence of CES on the results of SMEs’ international activity. In turn, environmental conditions do not directly affect the international activity.

Although previous works address the relationship between corporate entrepreneurship (CE) and international enterprise activity, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is original in testing a CES model (including CE and the entrepreneurial strategic vision) in SMEs in a region that has one of the lowest levels of development in the EU. The results have important implications for SMEs and policymakers and could be extrapolated to other emerging economies.

Rectangular conductors play an important role in planar transmission line structures, multiconductor transmission lines, in power transmission and distribution systems, LCL filters, transformers, industrial busbars, MEMs devices, among many others. The precise determination of the inductance of such conductors is necessary for their design and optimization, but no explicit solution for the AC resistance and internal inductances per-unit length of a linear conductor with a rectangular cross-section has been found, so numerical methods must be used. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the use of a novel numerical technique, the proper generalized decomposition (PGD), for the calculation of DC and AC internal inductances of rectangular conductors.

The PGD approach is used to obtain numerically the internal inductance of a conductor with circular cross-section and with rectangular cross-section, both under DC and AC conditions, using a separated representation of the magnetic vector potential in a 2D domain. The results are compared with the analytical and approximate expressions available in the technical literature, with an excellent concordance.

The PGD uses simple one-dimensional meshes, one per dimension, so the use of computational resources is very low, and the simulation speed is very high. Besides, the application of the PGD to conductors with rectangular cross-section is particularly advantageous, because rectangular shapes can be represented with a very few number of independent terms, which makes the code very simple and compact. Finally, a key advantage of the PGD is that some parameters of the numerical model can be considered as additional dimensions. In this paper, the frequency has been considered as an additional dimension, and the internal inductance of a rectangular conductor has been computed for the whole range of frequencies desired using a single numerical simulation.

The proposed approach may be applied to the optimization of electrical conductors used in power systems, to solve EMC problems, to the evaluation of partial inductances of wires, etc. Nevertheless, it cannot be applied, as presented in this work, to 3D complex shapes, as, for example, an arrangement of layers of helically stranded wires.

The PGD is a promising new numerical procedure that has been applied successfully in different fields. In this paper, this novel technique is applied to find the DC and AC internal inductance of a conductor with rectangular cross-section, using very dense and large one-dimensional meshes. The proposed method requires very limited memory resources, is very fast, can be programmed using a very simple code, and gives the value of the AC inductance for a complete range of frequencies in a single simulation. The proposed approach can be extended to arbitrary conductor shapes and complex multiconductor lines to further exploit the advantages of the PGD.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which the five European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model enablers, as the latent factor “enabler excellence,” are associated with business performance, taking into consideration the mediating role of innovation in this relationship.

The analysis followed in order to investigate the relations among the various constructs of the proposed model includes an initial exploratory factor analysis, followed by confirmatory factor analysis and finally structural equation modeling.

According to the study findings, “enabler excellence” and innovation performance directly contribute to business performance. Moreover, this paper concludes that innovation performance partially mediates the effect of excellence enablers on business performance.

This study does not separate between radical and incremental innovation; thus, it would be very interesting to explore this issue in future research. Moreover, it might be useful for researchers to reassess the proposed relationships examining the mediating role of organizational culture.

This study offers clear implications for managers, proving that they should give higher emphasis on quality management (QM) and the four dimensions of innovation in order to achieve increased performance.

Based on the multidimensional structure of the EFQM model, this empirical study determines the contribution of QM to business performance taking into consideration the role of innovation performance as a mediator in this relationship.