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1 – 10 of 22Afsaneh Bagheri, Morteza Akbari and Armin Artang
This paper explored the ways through which entrepreneurial leadership practices of chief executive officers (CEOs) enhance their employees' innovation at workplace in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explored the ways through which entrepreneurial leadership practices of chief executive officers (CEOs) enhance their employees' innovation at workplace in knowledge-based firms. Building on social cognitive theory and resource-based view of firms, this paper argues that entrepreneurial leadership fosters employees' innovation work behavior by enhancing their individual and team creativity self-efficacy.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample was selected from knowledge-based firms in Iran using the simple random sampling method. Two mediation models were tested using data from 41 CEOs and 207 employees in two separate phases.
Findings
The analysis supported that CEOs' entrepreneurial leadership improves their employees' innovation work behavior through enhancing their individual and team creativity self-efficacy.
Originality/value
The research contributes motivational and enabling mechanisms at both individual and team levels that entrepreneurial leaders use to improve employees' innovation work behavior in the context of knowledge-based firms. The findings may assist managers and business leaders in effectively leading innovation process.
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Morteza Akbari, Maryam Khodayari, Armin Khaleghi, Mozhgan Danesh and Hamid Padash
This study aims to explore the evolutionary trajectories of technological innovation using 1,361 documents to determine the most cited documents, influential authors, prominent…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the evolutionary trajectories of technological innovation using 1,361 documents to determine the most cited documents, influential authors, prominent journals and leading countries in the field of technological innovation research.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the intellectual structure of technological innovation literature was studied using bibliometric co-occurrence and co-citation analyses. The authors focused on the 1,361 documents in this research stream published between 1961 and 2019.
Findings
The findings show that researchers do not appropriately draw on theoretical perspectives external to the field to study different dimensions of technological innovation. This study reveals six distinct areas within the literature: sources of innovation, environmental innovation and technological innovation, investment, economic growth of countries, technological innovation systems for sustainable development, innovation system, research and development and competitiveness.
Originality/value
This study investigates the foundations of the conception, themes and research communities within the technological innovation domain. This paper found strong evidence that technological innovation is one of the keys to the research area in innovation studies.
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Zahra Fozouni Ardekani, Morteza Akbari, Giovanni Pino, Miguel Ángel Zúñiga and Hossein Azadi
This study investigates consumers' willingness to adopt genetically modified foods (GM) and the role of innovation and behavioral determinants.
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates consumers' willingness to adopt genetically modified foods (GM) and the role of innovation and behavioral determinants.
Design/methodology/approach
A new integrated model that expands the Health Belief Model (HBM) into the Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) was developed and examined. A total of 241 consumers were selected from the capital of Iran, Tehran, through a multistage random sampling. The data were analyzed using SEM-PLS modeling.
Findings
The extended HBM model was able to predict about 84% of the variance changes in consumers' willingness to adopt GM foods. The effects of net benefit and perceived compatibility on the willingness were also significant. In addition, the mediating effect of compatibility on the relationship between net benefit/self-efficacy and willingness to adopt GM foods was also significant.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature by developing the HBM into the IDT to assess consumers' willingness to adopt GM foods.
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Morteza Akbari, Afsaneh Bagheri, Saheb Imani and Mohammad Asadnezhad
The crucial importance of innovation leadership for high technology small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) has been suggested in the literature. However, few studies empirically…
Abstract
Purpose
The crucial importance of innovation leadership for high technology small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) has been suggested in the literature. However, few studies empirically examined the impact of leadership style on innovation work behavior (IWB) of employees in the context of SMEs. Furthermore, our knowledge is limited about how leaders of high technology SMEs influence the IWB of their employees. The present study explores the effect of entrepreneurial leadership on IWB of employees and introduces creative self-efficacy and support for innovation as the mechanisms through which the leaders encourage their employees' IWB in information and communications technology (ICT) SMEs in Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample was selected from high technology ICT SMEs using the simple random sampling method and included 175 CEOs and owner-managers of the businesses. We used validated questionnaires to test the hypothesized relationships between entrepreneurial leadership, IWB, creative self-efficacy and support for innovation.
Findings
The findings show that entrepreneurial leadership has a significant and positive impact on IWB of employees in ICT SMEs. Furthermore, employees’ creative self-efficacy and leaders’ support for innovation mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and IWB. Implications of the results and suggestions for developing IWB among the employees of high technology SMEs are suggested.
Originality/value
The study makes important contributions to both entrepreneurial leadership and the innovation behavior literature and theory development specifically in high technology SMEs in the transitioning economy of Iran. The findings also contribute to the existing empirical studies on how entrepreneurial leadership affects IWB of employees by examining the mediating role of creative self-efficacy and support for innovation and in the settings of ICT high technology SMEs.
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Morteza Akbari, Maryam Mehrali, Nader SeyyedAmiri, Niloofar Rezaei and Afsaneh Pourjam
In the current era, businesses and customers are becoming increasingly concerned with social and environmental issues, and unlike the past, the main focus is not merely on…
Abstract
Purpose
In the current era, businesses and customers are becoming increasingly concerned with social and environmental issues, and unlike the past, the main focus is not merely on economic growth. As new customers are getting more informed and responsible toward their surroundings, it is necessary for enterprises to act responsibly to attract responsible customers. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on brand positioning and customer loyalty in travel agencies in Tehran, Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
Through quota sampling, 86 agencies are selected and a number of 200 customers of those travel agencies are surveyed by means of purposive sampling.
Findings
The result reveals that CSR has a significant effect on loyalty of customers and brand positioning. In addition, the results indicate that all hypotheses have significant effects except for the C-C identification on customer loyalty.
Practical implications
Tourism managers should bear in mind that performing CSR activities is not merely a cost burden but a viable strategy for creating competitive advantage. They should adapt their CSR activities to the industry environment.
Originality/value
The study provides important evidence about CSR and their role in brand positioning and customer loyalty in tourism industry. In addition, the study contributes to the literature by developing the link between CSR and brand positioning.
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Pouria Khosravi, Cameron Newton, Azadeh Rezvani, Reza Ghanbarzadeh and Morteza Akbari
Management innovation is one of the most vital practices underpinning economic growth and is considered to be one of the fundamental components of gaining a superior business…
Abstract
Purpose
Management innovation is one of the most vital practices underpinning economic growth and is considered to be one of the fundamental components of gaining a superior business position in market conditions that are continually fluctuating. Drawing upon neo-institutional theory as well as absorptive capacity, the current empirical study unpacks the relationships between external institutional forces (i.e. regulative, mimetic and normative pressures) and management innovation through investigating the role of absorptive capacity as a mediator.
Design/methodology/approach
The research model is tested using survey data from Australian organisations. The study used Partial Least Squares (PLS), a component-based structural equation modelling (SEM) method, in order to perform the data analysis.
Findings
The results confirm that the various dimensions of institutional forces have diverse influences on management innovation. The authors found mimetic and normative pressures have positive influences on realised and potential absorptive capacity of an organisation. In addition, realised absorptive capacity mediates the relations between institutional forces and management innovation.
Originality/value
Dissimilar to preceding studies, this research shows that organisations not only innovate to pursue higher performance but sometimes strive for legitimacy. In addition, the significant associations between absorptive capacity and management innovation and the mediation role clearly signify that institutional forces and absorptive capacity play significant roles in the adoption of management innovation.
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Mohammad Sadegh Baradaran, Jahangir Yadollahi Farsi, Seyed Reza Hejazi and Morteza Akbari
Technology entrepreneur' competence is one of the main domains of study in the field of technology entrepreneurship. In the dominant rationalistic view, competence is seen as…
Abstract
Purpose
Technology entrepreneur' competence is one of the main domains of study in the field of technology entrepreneurship. In the dominant rationalistic view, competence is seen as constituted by a set of components used in performing particular functions. This study aims to expand this field of study by using an interpretive view.
Design/methodology/approach
Phenomenology is proposed and explored as an interpretive methodology that is more compatible with technology entrepreneurship. The empirical material is based on interviews with 19 technology entrepreneurs who have established new technology-based firms in Iran.
Findings
Findings show that the nature of the technology entrepreneurship's competence is emergent, holistic and relational. Also, the entrepreneurs' perception of entrepreneurship specifies which competence's components they develop and what meaning these components take.
Originality/value
By examining how technology entrepreneurs experience competence in the context of business creation, this study moves beyond the lists or categories of competencies, and it contributes to a broader understanding of competence at technology entrepreneurship.
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Morteza Akbari, Nader Seyyed Amiri, Saheb Imani, Niloofar Rezaeei and Pantea Foroudi
The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between transformational leadership (TL) and internal marketing which is underscored by the centrality of human…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between transformational leadership (TL) and internal marketing which is underscored by the centrality of human resources in satisfying employee’s needs and how internal marketing, as a moderator and mediator, can facilitate the effects of transformational leadership on social capital and employee loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
This study develops a model and a number of propositions based on preceding literature on transformational leadership and internal marketing on social capital and employee loyalty.
Findings
The model proposes that transformational leadership can play a vital role in codification of human resources variables such as internal marketing, which is founded upon the principle of paying greater attention to employees. Moreover, despite the research gap on the relationship between social capital and employee loyalty, it can be concluded that social capital can increase the level of employee loyalty to organization.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed model has a number of academic and managerial contributions. This study contributes the knowledge by examining the relationship between transformational leadership and internal marketing. Managerially, this study helps managers to emphasize the centrality of human resources in satisfying employees and increase their loyalty toward the company. In addition, guarantees management effectiveness and organizational success in reaching their intended goals.
Originality/value
Despite the growing acknowledgment the importance of transformational leadership as a process in which leaders and followers upgrade each other’s level of ethic and motivation. However, there are few studies on the role and importance of transformational leadership on developing and reinforcing the internal marketing.
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Niloofar Nobari, Ali Mobini Dehkordi, Morteza Akbari and Hamid Padash
Organizations need actionable knowledge to cope with environmental uncertainty, make effective decisions and develop innovation strategies. Since innovation evolves through…
Abstract
Purpose
Organizations need actionable knowledge to cope with environmental uncertainty, make effective decisions and develop innovation strategies. Since innovation evolves through generations, the present study aims to unravel and define innovation intelligence, considering this transformation, and discuss how environmental uncertainty is resolved in each one.
Design/methodology/approach
This article is a conceptual paper that employs a typology and model approach in its research design
Findings
Contexts are categorized into ordered and unordered (according to the Cynefin framework), in which intelligence with prediction and control approaches are applied for uncertainty management, respectively. Also, the three generations of innovation management, namely, technology push, market pull and a combination of these two (hybrid), intelligence benefit from a prediction approach, and in the networked (collaborative) generation, intelligence takes advantage of a control approach.
Research limitations/implications
The conceptual approach adopted in this research is limited to, and focused on, understanding intelligence, innovation intelligence and presenting preliminary insights into their relationship with uncertainty management.
Practical implications
This research guides decision-makers to adopt the appropriate intelligence approach to manage uncertainty during their innovation management process and illustrate it by the industry uncertainty matrix and COVID-19 pandemic situation.
Originality/value
This study proposes a typology of intelligence based on different knowledge pyramids. Also, it introduces innovation intelligence and its relation to knowledge management and environmental uncertainty management that has not yet been clearly addressed in the literature. Moreover, it determines the uncertainty management approaches for each variant of innovation intelligence.
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Mahsa Kamalipoor, Morteza Akbari, Seyed Reza Hejazi and Alireza Nazarian
COVID-19 has affected most business activities, including technology-based business. The higher the business vulnerability rating, the greater the impacts. After identifying three…
Abstract
Purpose
COVID-19 has affected most business activities, including technology-based business. The higher the business vulnerability rating, the greater the impacts. After identifying three dimensions of vulnerability (exposure, business sensitivity and response capacity), this study aims to determine the potential components and indicators of the vulnerability of technology-based businesses.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the indicator approach, a comprehensive vulnerability model was developed for assessing the vulnerability of the technology-based business against COVID-19.
Findings
In this study, COVID-19, as a biological threat and an exogenous shock, was considered the exposure dimension. Business characteristics, job characteristics, business owner-manager demographics, product and supplier characteristics were identified as the sensitivity dimension, while resources, human capital, technological capitals, social capitals, institutional capitals, infrastructures, management capacity and supply chain capabilities were defined as the adaptive business capability or response capacity. To determine vulnerability and response capacity against exogenous shocks and a pandemic crisis, the framework can act as a useful checklist for managers and owners of technology-based businesses.
Originality/value
Research on the COVID-19, especially in the technology-based business, is still at the emergent stage. This study is a pioneering effort to review the literature on business vulnerability and provide a framework to reduce business vulnerability using the indicator-based approach.
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