Suchergebnisse

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to advance the argument for the transformative potential of e‐mentoring support to women entrepreneurs, presenting an e‐mentoring intervention to rural women entrepreneurs in Greece.Design/methodology/approachA six stage e‐mentoring process is practiced through a project supporting rural women entrepreneurs, based on mentees' and mentors' reactions. Their expressed degree of satisfaction with regard to the e‐mentoring relationship, achievement of personal goals, as well as their desire to continue the relationship are served as useful indicators. Questionnaires are used during three times (pre and post the e‐mentoring relationship, i.e. before, just after its end and six months later) to obtain information from mentees' and mentors' groups.FindingsThe features of the quality of the e‐mentoring relationship such as mentors'/mentees' characteristics, frequency of contacts, and e‐services are judged to be satisfactory by both mentors and mentees. Mentees perceive that they sufficiently achieved their personal goals, emphasizing the successful role modeling that their mentors provide. Mentors gain publicity and the broadening of their connections.Practical implicationsThe survey results could offer substantial assistance to decision makers concerning designing and implementing e‐mentoring processes supporting female entrepreneurship.Originality/valueDespite the explosion of online mentoring opportunities, few academic articles and little empirical evidence have addressed e‐mentoring support to women entrepreneurs. The present paper attempts to add research results and suggests a framework of e‐mentoring process discussing both mentors' and mentees' reactions.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate whether predicting factors of conventional ventures' performance are appropriate in interpreting the creative industries context. Moreover, this paper introduces a way to measure venture performance in creative industries.Design/methodology/approachA structured questionnaire was used to address this research objectives, based mainly on scales tested in previous studies. Data were collected from a sample of 371 female entrepreneurs of creative industries. A hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the research hypotheses.FindingsIn congruence with the hypotheses, the findings demonstrated that venture performance in creative industries can be predicted by factors that affect conventional venture performance. Creative personality and professional network ties are regarded according to the empirical analysis presented in this paper as the factors with the highest impact.Research limitations/implicationsData were pulled from female entrepreneurs in Greece, especially from the two biggest cities Athens and Thessaloniki. Consequently, it was precarious to fulfill the condition of generalizability. Additionally, a snowball sampling method was used, because of the absence of creative industries firms' directory in Greece.Originality/valueBased on authors' knowledge and review, no prior study has examined predictors' effect on creative industries venture performance.

Successful entrepreneurial activities are a function of human venture and environmental conditions, since the key to improving entrepreneurial perceptions and attitudes within society and within Higher Education (HE) institutions lies in education. The purpose of this paper is to address issues surrounding entrepreneurial education in HE in Greece, and describes the delivery and evaluation of two programs. The programs were offered by a public university and a public technological & educational institute designed to create opportunities for learning entrepreneurial capacities, in order to develop a framework for the design and implementation of such activities. Research results, concerning (i) the programs' concept and (ii) the degree that the programs influence the students' knowledge, skills and attitudes towards the undertaking of entrepreneurial activities, provide useful information for academicians, educators, educational managers and policy makers, concerning the design of similar programs. The methodology used brings in the description of each program's structure (in terms of its formation, development, implementation and evaluation) and the evaluation of its effectiveness, based on a pre- and post-analysis of students' perceptions from each institution. Data were collected from 904 students, with both business and scientific-technological studies background. The analysis of data provides useful conclusions in relation to (i) the design of entrepreneurial education, (i.e. emphasis should be placed on the networking with the business world, the laboratory assistance, the mentoring process, the participants' scientific background) and (ii) the accomplishment of the two programs' objectives in "developing potential entrepreneurs", which seems to be moderately positive.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to appraise rural women entrepreneurs, running co‐operatives in Greece. The paper seeks to examine the effects of training support on their entrepreneurial skills and attitudes, co‐operatives' viability and growth prospects, and work‐family balance.Design/methodology/approachAn evaluation research was conducted in which 104 rural women members of co‐operatives, who had participated in a specific training program contributed. Anonymous questionnaires were used to collect data on participants' perceptions of the effects of the training intervention. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis and intercorellations were employed in analysing the data.FindingsThe data illustrate that participants perceived benefits in terms of skill improvements, i.e. identification and capturing of business opportunities, effective co‐operation and flexibility in decision making and more positive attitudes towards entrepreneurship. In addition, perceptions related to the development and growth prospects of the co‐operative and to work‐family balance have also been positively affected.Practical implicationsThe effectiveness of an entrepreneurship program can be enhanced when it is designed to meet the real needs of the organization and thus is more focused. Training needs analysis prior to intervention is a prerequisite. Moreover, achieving work‐family balance can also be seen as an aspect of a co‐operative's performance that can be improved through training.Originality/valueThis paper enriches research on the effect of entrepreneurship training programs for rural women co‐operative members.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of perceived external prestige on organizational identification in the context of a Greek public organization and to address the moderating role of gender in the relationship between perceived external prestige and organizational identification.Design/methodology/approachData were obtained from a sample of 159 employees working in Citizens Service Centers. Analysis was conducted using moderated hierarchical regression analysis.FindingsPerceived external prestige is positively related with organizational identification (β=0.33, p<0.001). The influence of the interaction of perceived external prestige and gender on organizational identification is also supported (β=−0.29, p<0.05). In particular, the effect of perceived external prestige on organizational identification was stronger for men.Research limitations/implicationsThere is limited inference to other private and public organizations because data are based on one public organization. The cross‐sectional analysis of the data cannot directly assess causality.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine the moderating role of gender in the relationship between perceived external prestige and organizational identification.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of perceived external prestige (PEP) on organizational identification in the context of a Greek public organization and to address the moderating role of gender in the relationship between PEP and organizational identification.Design/methodology/approachData were obtained from a sample of 159 employees working in Citizens Service Centers. Analysis was conducted using moderated hierarchical regression analysis.FindingsPEP is positively related with organizational identification (β=0.33, p<0.001). The influence of the interaction of PEP and gender on organizational identification is also supported (β=−0.29 p<0.05). In particular, the effect of PEP on organizational identification was stronger for men.Research limitations/implicationsLimited inference to other private and public organizations because data are based on one public organization. The cross‐sectional analysis of the data cannot directly assess causality.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine the moderating role of gender in the relationship between PEP and organizational identification.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to address entrepreneurial programs offered by Greek higher education institutions (HEIs) to 1639 students in different scientific disciplines at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) and Technical Educational Institution of Thessaloniki (TEITh). The programs were analyzed and it was revealed that there were differences in participation rates, attitudes towards entrepreneurship education and perceptions about required skills between the two genders.Design/methodology/approachDuring the developmental phase of the particular entrepreneurship program, an evaluation stage had been predicted, whereby student participants (344 females and 370 males AUTh students and 410 females and 515 males TEITh students) would anonymously fill out questionnaires upon completion of the program, regarding male as opposed to female attitudes and perceptions.FindingsThere are higher enrollment rates of males than females. Regarding attitudes towards participation in entrepreneurial educational programs, females demonstrate a stronger interest in acquiring knowledge, developing skills, facing career competition and networking with local business, to a significantly higher degree than their male counterparts. In addition, females rank all skills as of higher significance in successful entrepreneurial activity, assigning lower value only to communication skills, compared to men. The opposite holds for males, who ranked communication skills as of greatest importance among all other skills.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper provides insight into gender differences regarding male and female involvement in entrepreneurial education and as to their "pre‐entrepreneurial" profile and characteristics. It therefore sharpens understanding as to the way in which entrepreneurship education can encourage female participation within the entrepreneurial arena in future.Practical implicationsFactors that male and female students consider to be most important in issues of entrepreneurship education are identified, providing a framework for the effective design, quality and delivery of such programs.Originality/valueThe present paper constitutes one of the first to examine factors accounting for male and female student participation in entrepreneurship education programs offered by HEIs in the Greek context. The value derived aids the development of curricula tailored to gender distinctive needs and demands.