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Entrepreneur Collaboration, Social Entrepreneurship, and Open Innovation from a Sustainability Perspective

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2023) | Viewed by 12630

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Dr. Jason Jolley

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Guest Editor

Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
Interests: economic development; economic impact analysis; rural entrepreneurship
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue has the aim of collecting a broad selection of papers on the topics of entrepreneurial collaboration, social entrepreneurship, and/or open innovation from a sustainability perspective in both the developed and developing world. While all papers addressing the application of one or more of these issues from a sustainability perspective will be considered, the following types of papers are strongly encouraged:

Case studies exploring the role of entrepreneurial collaboration, social entrepreneurship, and/or open innovation in:
- Supporting local and regional transitions from coal to renewable energy;
- Mitigating employment, tax base, and income loss associated with the transition to renewable energy sources;
- Mitigating negative social and environmental externalities;
- Creating sustainable communities, particularly those in areas impacted by a legacy of coal mining, coal-fired power plants, etc.;
- Encouraging the creation and expansion of sustainable enterprises;
- Pursuing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals at the local, subnational, or national level.
Economic- or policy-oriented analyses examining the effectiveness of these approaches to achieve sustainable outcomes.
Theoretical and applied papers exploring the current or prospective role of open innovation by public, private, and nonprofit actors in addressing climate change mitigation. Such papers might focus on:
- The role of crowdfunding in transitioning to more sustainable development practices;
- The development/expansion of open data systems to inform financial institutions of the climate change implications and risks of lending practices;
- The role of open innovation and information sharing in improving green purchasing among public and private actors, among other topics.
Entrepreneurial and social entrepreneurial ecosystems oriented toward sustainable development.

Dr. Jason Jolley
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainable entrepreneurship
social entrepreneurship
social enterprise
open innovation
climate entrepreneurship
circular economy entrepreneurship

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 985 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Business Environment, Attitudes and Entrepreneurial Intentions as Antecedents of Entrepreneurial Inclination among University Students

by Maira Rafaela Vargas-Martínez, Joselina Caridad Tavarez-De Henríquez, Nirda de Jesús Colón-Flores and Cándida María Domínguez-Valerio

Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12280; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612280 - 11 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1457

Abstract

Entrepreneurship education has become increasingly relevant. For some years now, the business environment for starting a new company in the Dominican Republic has been considered very propitious. This has caused many universities to incorporate training in entrepreneurship into their study plans. This study aims to analyse whether the cognitive and affective components, the country’s business environment, university training in entrepreneurship and attitudes towards entrepreneurship are antecedents of the entrepreneurial intention of university students. It also seeks to investigate the relationship between entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial behaviour of students. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from a sample of 523 students who had taken courses on entrepreneurship. The data have been analysed through the SPSS and Smart-PLS programs. The results of this research highlight the importance of the affective component and attitudes towards entrepreneurship in the formation of students’ entrepreneurial intentions. This reinforces the importance of cultivating positive attitudes through educational interventions. It is also worth noting the influence of students’ entrepreneurial intentions on entrepreneurial inclinations. Finally, it is worth highlighting the high predictive power of the entrepreneurial intentions variable and more specifically the attitudes towards entrepreneurship variable as responsible for 35.38% of the variability of entrepreneurial intentions. These results contribute to the understanding of the factors that drive entrepreneurial intentions among university students and provide a foundation for future research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entrepreneur Collaboration, Social Entrepreneurship, and Open Innovation from a Sustainability Perspective)

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18 pages, 1584 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rural Sustainable Prosperity: Social Enterprise Ecosystems as a Framework for Sustainable Rural Development

by Allison L. Ricket, G. Jason Jolley, Faith Beale Knutsen and Sarah C. Davis

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11339; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411339 - 20 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1708

Abstract

The fourth wave of economic development has ushered in social enterprises (SEs) that have the potential to contribute to sustainable development goals (SDGs) in rural regions that have not prospered under the economic development strategies of the past. This study examines three SEs that have emerged at different times in Appalachian Ohio, a region recognized as a rural area recovering from the environmental and health consequences of extractive industries and poverty over the last century. The social entrepreneurial ecosystem (SEE) in this region has begun to thrive recently, rendering now a crucial time to evaluate the conditions that have led to success. Using qualitative methods, three cases were coded to identify whether present-day SEs in rural Appalachia (1) realize values for natural resource stewardship and community wellness in addition to economic profits (a triple bottom line), (2) attract external funds that are retained in the local economy, and (3) align with SDGs. Evidence of these qualities in SEs manifested in different ways across the three cases. Stage two coding revealed findings that (1) the university acted as a catalyzing agent and (2) collective action by generational families was foundational for the social capital that kick-started each case. As the natural capital recovers in the region, opportunities for the SEE to nurture new enterprises aligned with the triple bottom line will increase SDGs. The SEE of Appalachian Ohio offers a model for sustainable development in dispersed rural locations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entrepreneur Collaboration, Social Entrepreneurship, and Open Innovation from a Sustainability Perspective)

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14 pages, 1064 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Open Innovation in Agribusiness: Barriers and Challenges in the Transition to Agriculture 4.0

by Francisco Tardelli da Silva, Ismael Cristofer Baierle, Ricardo Gonçalves de Faria Correa, Miguel Afonso Sellitto, Fernanda Araujo Pimentel Peres and Liane Mahlmann Kipper

Sustainability 2023, 15(11), 8562; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118562 - 25 May 2023

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3096

Abstract

Industry 4.0 digital technologies in agribusiness will enable traditional farming systems to migrate to Agriculture 4.0. Open innovation emerges as an enabler for implementing these technologies and increased sector competitiveness. However, there are still doubts and questions about how technologies and open innovation relate to and will drive Agriculture 4.0. This study identified which digital technologies of Industry 4.0 have more adherence to agribusiness, what the barriers and facilitators for using these technologies are, and how open innovation can increase the competitiveness of agribusiness. The results show that of the Industry 4.0 technologies related to agribusiness, the Internet of Things (IoT) is the most prominent. The main barriers are the users’ need for more knowledge and advanced skills, which evidences the need for investment in training operators. Among the facilitators stand the pre-existence of several technologies, which bring with them already defined basic structures, control of the technology, and communication between systems. To overcome the barriers and enhance the migration to Agriculture 4.0, developing devices, tools, systems, software, and machines is essential. More stakeholders, managers, and practitioners may share such opportunities for innovation in agribusiness through the concept of Open Innovation. To benefit from it, facilitators, managers, and practitioners of agribusiness should search for alternatives for their problems with engineering solutions providers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entrepreneur Collaboration, Social Entrepreneurship, and Open Innovation from a Sustainability Perspective)

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16 pages, 439 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Demographic Factors and Prior Entrepreneurial Exposure in Shaping the Entrepreneurial Intentions of Young Adults: The Case of Croatia

by Ljiljana Najev Cacija, Marina Lovrincevic and Ivana Bilic

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5151; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065151 - 14 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1331

Abstract

This research was designed in order to investigate the role of important individual and situational factors in shaping entrepreneurial intentions of young adults in the Republic of Croatia. For that purpose, a survey was conducted on the sample of 257 young adults using a questionnaire. In order to test the proposed hypotheses stating that there are statistically significant differences in young adults’ entrepreneurial intentions regarding demographic factors (gender, age, and level of education), prior entrepreneurial exposure, and the perception of prior entrepreneurial exposure, a statistical analysis was performed using the Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Overall, the results give partial support for the hypothesis regarding demographic factors and prior entrepreneurial exposure and full support for the hypothesis regarding the perception of prior entrepreneurial exposure. Additionally, CHAID method classification was applied in order to fully grasp the relationship between entrepreneurial intentions and the analyzed factors, and the results clearly indicate that the perception of prior entrepreneurial exposure can be seen as a single best predictor of entrepreneurial intentions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entrepreneur Collaboration, Social Entrepreneurship, and Open Innovation from a Sustainability Perspective)

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18 pages, 292 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Innovation of Family-Owned Enterprises and Government Subsidies: From A Policy-Oriented Perspective

by Kai Zhao and Wanshu Wu

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13331; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013331 - 17 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1471

Abstract

This paper investigates the influence effects of government subsidies on the innovation of family-owned enterprises in China through a panel data model and Heckman two-stage model, and explores the possible influence mechanisms of government subsidies on different innovation behaviors of family-owned enterprises through a mediation analysis method. It is found that government subsidies play a significant role in promoting innovation input, innovation quantity and innovation quality of family-owned enterprises. From the perspective of innovation quality, government subsidies are more beneficial to family-owned enterprises without “two jobs in one” or “2nd generation succession”. Compared with family-owned enterprises that have completed intergenerational inheritance, government subsidies are more conducive to enhancing the innovation quantity of family-owned enterprises that have not achieved “2nd generation succession”. We find also that government subsidies can indirectly improve the innovation quality of family-owned enterprises by increasing the proportion of state-owned shares and easing the financing constraints. By organically integrating two relatively independent research fields (effectiveness of government subsidy and innovation of family businesses), this paper opens up a new way of thinking for exploring the sustainability of family businesses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entrepreneur Collaboration, Social Entrepreneurship, and Open Innovation from a Sustainability Perspective)

12 pages, 959 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Strategic Entrepreneurship Mindset, Strategic Entrepreneurship Leadership, and Entrepreneurial Value Creation of SMEs in East Java, Indonesia: A Strategic Entrepreneurship Perspective

by Florentina Anif Farida, Yustinus Budi Hermanto, Ardianus Laurens Paulus and Herdina Tyas Leylasari

Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 10321; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610321 - 19 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2700

Abstract

This study investigates theories from the strategic entrepreneurship literature related to strategic entrepreneurship mindset, strategic entrepreneurship leadership, and entrepreneurial value creation. A sample of 85 SMEs was taken from the SME sector in East Java, Indonesia, using a non-probability sampling method with a purposive sampling technique. The data collection process was a survey with questionnaires distributed directly to the SME owners. The data analysis was carried out using a structural equation measurement model (PLS-SEM) and included outer model analysis, inner model analysis, mediation testing, and hypothesis testing. This study contributes to the strategic entrepreneurship leadership variable, which is a mediating variable. The study confirms this theory for SMEs to provide broader scientific ideas related to strategic entrepreneurship theory. The small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that were looked at can create entrepreneurial value through benefits and added value for individuals, organizations, and the social environment. This can contribute to progress and sustainability, which will help the economy in Indonesia and give decision-makers more information. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entrepreneur Collaboration, Social Entrepreneurship, and Open Innovation from a Sustainability Perspective)

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