Over the course of countless miles and numerous days, we will mine the golden wisdom hidden within our pilgrimage experience. "Everyone has taken a pilgrimage," says author Gil Stafford "Some pilgrimages are intentional: I walked across Ireland. Some are unintentional: I walked my mother through the final days of her life. Life is a pilgrimage. But, do we walk intentionally, embracing the transformational process?" Stafford begins Wisdom Walking with the idea that life is a pilgrimage and uses this to guide readers on their own pilgrimage towards wisdom. He layers onto that idea the notion that on our pilgrimages of life we can be gaining wisdom about our lives. Stafford then adds the Jungian typology for gaining wisdom and tells all of this through stories of his own and others' pilgrimages in a very readable fashion. Life is a pilgrimage; make yours one that leads to greater wisdom!
Modern church leaders need to cultivate innovative and creative leadership skills, as they navigate today’s post-Christian world, and as their congregations look to them for insight and guidance. Gil Stafford takes a fresh look at this vital need, drawing upon his experience as a college coach, university president, and parish priest, and interweaving them with ancient spiritual practices found within the discipline of spiritual direction. Personal anecdotes help the reader envision their own life-transforming pilgrimage, as they develop into the type of adaptive leader that churches need in today’s rapidly changing world. This book challenges church leaders to foster sacred safe space, holy listening, silence, and wisdom storytelling, in order to create a discerning church community. These techniques of spiritual direction can be applied to every aspect of the church, from small group studies to conducting parish business. Gradually the leader will be able to delegate some of his responsibilities to the congregation, liberating them to be leaders, and rescuing him from trying to be all things to all people.
“Beautiful, generative, loving, and deep: this may be the wisest Tarot book ever written. Gil Stafford finds the folly of the Cross in the journey of the Fool, and reminds us that ‘Life is a pilgrimage on the path of wisdom’s way.’” —Lisa Freinkel Tishman, author of Mindful Tarot This book is a portal for those interested in the Bible and curious about the Tarot, for both those who might read the Bible daily as well as those who know very little about it but are not averse to it. The first two chapters provide background that place the two mystical texts in conversation with each other. The vast and complex mythos of the Bible with its complex characters, actors, symbols, stories, and parables, are the backstory of the magnificent creatures of the Tarot’s inner psychic world. A book for spiritual explorers, reading the Bible and the Tarot hand-in-hand can expand the imagination. It explores how to read the Tarot and the Bible to provoke the unconscious, the dream world, and expand the imagination. By the final chapter, readers are able to connect the mysteries of the Bible with the psychological magic of the Tarot.
From French Physiocrat theories of the blood-like circulation of wealth to Adam Smith's "invisible hand" of the market, the body has played a crucial role in Western perceptions of the economic. In Renaissance culture, however, the dominant bodily metaphors for national wealth and economy were derived from the relatively new language of infectious disease. Whereas traditional Galenic medicine had understood illness as a state of imbalance within the body, early modern writers increasingly reimagined disease as an invasive foreign agent. The rapid rise of global trade in the sixteenth century, and the resulting migrations of people, money, and commodities across national borders, contributed to this growing pathologization of the foreign; conversely, the new trade-inflected vocabularies of disease helped writers to represent the contours of national and global economies. Grounded in scrupulous analyses of cultural and economic history, Sick Economies: Drama, Mercantilism, and Disease in Shakespeare's England teases out the double helix of the pathological and the economic in two seemingly disparate spheres of early modern textual production: drama and mercantilist writing. Of particular interest to this study are the ways English playwrights, such as Shakespeare, Jonson, Heywood, Massinger, and Middleton, and mercantilists, such as Malynes, Milles, Misselden, and Mun, rooted their conceptions of national economy in the language of disease. Some of these diseases—syphilis, taint, canker, plague, hepatitis—have subsequently lost their economic connotations; others—most notably consumption—remain integral to the modern economic lexicon but have by and large shed their pathological senses. Breaking new ground by analyzing English mercantilism primarily as a discursive rather than an ideological or economic system, Sick Economies provides a compelling history of how, even in our own time, defenses of transnational economy have paradoxically pathologized the foreign. In the process, Jonathan Gil Harris argues that what we now regard as the discrete sphere of the economic cannot be disentangled from seemingly unrelated domains of Renaissance culture, especially medicine and the theater.
?The Singer?s Drummer? chronicles the music and times of Harold Jones, a world class musician whose career spans the last five decades of jazz and big band swing music. This book highlights Jones? career as he evolved into the drummer of choice for some of our most popular vocal legends. But it is about much more than that. It also gives us an entertaining insight into life on the road and is filled with Harold?s insightful, sometimes humorous, anecdotes and musings about the famous sidemen, legendary jazz musicians and vocal headliners he has known; featuring more than 100 photos of his renowned friends. Read ?The Singer?s Drummer? and learn why Paul Winter called Harold the ?Michael Jordan of young jazz drummers in Chicago.? Read why Harold became acknowledged as ?Count Basie?s favorite drummer.? And why Tony Bennett says ?This book is a knockout! I am happy that someone is finally putting together a history of what really happens on the road!?
Where Dreams May Come was the winner of the 2018 Charles J. Goodwin Award of Merit, awarded by the Society for Classical Studies. In this book, Gil H. Renberg examines the ancient religious phenomenon of “incubation", the ritual of sleeping at a divinity’s sanctuary in order to obtain a prophetic or therapeutic dream. Most prominently associated with the Panhellenic healing god Asklepios, incubation was also practiced at the cult sites of numerous other divinities throughout the Greek world, but it is first known from ancient Near Eastern sources and was established in Pharaonic Egypt by the time of the Macedonian conquest; later, Christian worship came to include similar practices. Renberg’s exhaustive study represents the first attempt to collect and analyze the evidence for incubation from Sumerian to Byzantine and Merovingian times, thus making an important contribution to religious history. This set consists of two books.
Let's go for walk. A very long walk. A journey down the pilgrim's path. Traipsing through the forest of life. Climbing over the mountains of adversity. Enduring the climate of challenge. Over the course of countless miles and numerous days, we will mine the golden wisdom hidden within our pilgrimage experience.
Grapes (Vitis spp.) are economically the most important fruit species in the world. Over the last decades many scientific advances have led to understand more deeply key physiological, biochemical, and molecular aspects of grape berry maturation. However, our knowledge on how grapevines respond to environmental stimuli and deal with biotic and abiotic stresses is still fragmented. Thus, this area of research is wide open for new scientific and technological advancements. Particularly, in the context of climate change, viticulture will have to adapt to higher temperatures, light intensity and atmospheric CO2 concentration, while water availability is expected to decrease in many viticultural regions, which poses new challenges to scientists and producers. With Grapevine in a Changing Environment, readers will benefit from a comprehensive and updated coverage on the intricate grapevine defense mechanisms against biotic and abiotic stress and on the new generation techniques that may be ultimately used to implement appropriate strategies aimed at the production and selection of more adapted genotypes. The book also provides valuable references in this research area and original data from several laboratories worldwide. Written by 63 international experts on grapevine ecophysiology, biochemistry and molecular biology, the book is a reference for a wide audience with different backgrounds, from plant physiologists, biochemists and graduate and post-graduate students, to viticulturists and enologists.
Business consulting, knowledge absorptive capacity, and innovativeness: A triangular model for micro and small enterprises in Poland Abstract PURPOSE: This paper proposes a triangular relationship between business consulting, knowledge absorptive capacity, and innovativeness. The role of knowledge absorptive capacity in stimulating the impact of business consulting on innovativeness is studied. METHODOLOGY: An empirical study is conducted using the CATI method, and it is based on data concerning 382 Polish micro and small enterprises. Qualitative variables reflecting using business consulting, knowledge absorptive capacity and innovativeness are defined. The multivariate discrete choice model taking into account relationships among these constructs, is proposed and its parameters are estimated. FINDINGS: The results of the empirical research indicate that business consulting in Poland and similar countries may help firms implement innovative solutions. Knowledge absorptive capacity stimulates innovativeness and has a positive impact on the relationship between using business consulting and improvement in innovativeness. Though the frequency of using business consulting is an important factor in improving innovativeness, cooperation between a consultant and a manager matters more. IMPLICATIONS: Results of the empirical research indicate that cooperation between a consultant and a manager may help reduce differences of opinion and internal conflicts. A higher propensity to cooperate may significantly improve the functioning of an enterprise. Business consulting has an indirect and direct effect on innovativeness. It has a positive impact on knowledge absorptive capacity, while better knowledge stimulates innovativeness. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: An original triangular model of the relationship between business consulting, knowledge absorptive capacity, and innovativeness is proposed. Advanced econometric methods are used in order to find complex relationships between using business consulting, knowledge absorptive capacity, and improvement in innovativeness. Moreover, results of the estimation of the parameters of the econometric model provide interesting recommendations for policies supporting the development of business consulting in the Polish economy. Keywords: business consulting, knowledge absorptive capacity, innovativeness, multivariate discrete choice model, development support policy, econometric model, economy Sustainable development and entrepreneurship in emerging countries: Are sustainable development and entrepreneurship reciprocally reinforcing? Abstract PURPOSE: Entrepreneurship seen as an engine for economic development is especially desirable for emerging countries to support rapid growth. Moreover, entrepreneurs can support social transformation in favor of more sustainable products and services. Sustainable orientation of entrepreneurship contributes to sustainable development goals and prevents environmental deprivation. However, the sustainable development agenda can also influence entrepreneurship. METHODOLOGY: The conducted bibliometric analysis confirmed the growing interest among scholars in the correlation of entrepreneurship to sustainability in the last years. Furthermore, panel regression (static model) was used to explore the variables on entrepreneurship influencing the sustainable development goal (SDG) index in emerging countries, and Levin, Lin and Chu (LLC), W-Stat – IPS, ADF-Fisher Chi-Square, and PP-Fisher Chi-Square tests were applied to analyze the variables stationarity. In order to examine the existence of structural breaks, the robustness was checked on single cross-section units and on the whole panel dataset. In addition, the Hausmann test was used to select between random and fixed effects, and heteroskedasticity of residues, autocorrelation of residues and dependence of residues between the panels were conducted. Data was analyzed through Eviews 13. FINDINGS: This paper investigates the relationship between sustainability and entrepreneurship in emerging countries. It discusses the impact of sustainable development on entrepreneurship and the influence of entrepreneurship on sustainable development. IMPLICATIONS: The study results can be used by governments and policymakers to plan their strategies and policies concerning entrepreneurship and implementation of sustainable development goals. They should promote entrepreneurial activity and control the negative environmental impact of enterprises simultaneously. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: The research addresses the gap in the literature concerning the relationship between sustainable development and sustainable entrepreneurship. The paper examines the reciprocal relationship between sustainable development and entrepreneurship with an emphasis on emerging countries. Keywords: entrepreneurship, sustainability, sustainable development, sustainable entrepreneurship, emerging countries, entrepreneurs Is Team Entrepreneurial Orientation important in generating creative business ideas? The moderating role of team-perceived heterogeneity and the individual creative mindset Abstract PURPOSE: The study aims to unveil if Team Entrepreneurial Orientation (TEO) facilitates identification of creative market opportunities understood as novelty and quality business ideas. Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) has rarely been measured at a team level and few studies have attempted to examine the relationship between EO and actual creative outcomes. The proposed research model searches for new patterns that can foster creativity of entrepreneurial teams. In addition, the research adds the moderating effect of perceived team heterogeneity and individual creative mindset (Growth-Creative and Fixed-Creative Mindsets) as contingency variables to improve the understanding under which circumstances the entrepreneurial teams generate creative business ideas. METHODOLOGY: The research sample comprises entrepreneurial teams from the Mondragon Team Academy in the Basque Country, Spain. The survey data were collected after the entrepreneurial teams performed idea generation. The applied experiment of idea generation of entrepreneurial teams has not been generated for the purpose of the study but it formed part of the natural processes of the selected sample of teams. The novelty and quality of business ideas were evaluated by experts in the field. The data relationships were analyzed through partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). FINDINGS: Entrepreneurial Orientation of teams leads to product-market entries but not necessarily to novel product-market entries. Entrepreneurially oriented teams have a greater tendency to generate quality and slightly modified existing business ideas rather than to generate novel market opportunities. The applied moderators present different interaction results with the studied relationships. Specifically, individuals with a Fixed-Creative Mindset in a team have an antagonistic interaction on the TEO-Quality relationship. Team-Perceived Heterogeneity and Growth-Creative Mindset of individuals have no effect on either the TEO-Quality or the TEO-Novelty link. IMPLICATIONS: The research demonstrates the importance of contextualization of the nature of creativity in EO as a crucial antecedent of market innovations. Our study adds to the literature and practice by providing evidence that EO at a team level (TEO) plays a critical role in exploring product-market entries, given that TEO facilitates Quality outcomes only. Entrepreneurially oriented teams do not easily achieve Novel outcomes that allow them to enter new markets. Individuals with Fixed Creative Mindset in a team should be avoided as they block the relationship between Team Entrepreneurial Orientation and Quality. Likewise, our study supports the validity of Entrepreneurial Orientation at a team level, which can lead to more suitable practical implications for a team and its creativity management if applied. It could help in developing appropriate team formation and team management practices. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: The study proposes rare and unique EO analysis at a team level and at young companies’ level (start-up). The study contributes to the original and overlooked in the literature conceptualization of EO within Schumpeter’s perspective of “creative destruction” in entrepreneurial activities. The examined theoretical foundations of EO led to clearer antecedents of behavioural effects of entrepreneurial teams towards product-market entries. The study initiates, identifies and calls for new further research lines to contribute to a greater and contingent understanding of how entrepreneurial teams generate creative business ideas, especially, novel business ideas, which are necessary for “creative destruction”, the EO construct itself and overall economic development. Keywords: entrepreneurship, creativity, team, entrepreneurial orientation, creative outcomes. Subjective norms and entrepreneurial intention: A moderated-serial mediation model Abstract PURPOSE: This study aims to clarify the effect mechanism of subjective norms on entrepreneurial intention. The results of how subjective norms contribute to forming start-up intention are inconsistent and unclear, which is notable in previous research. By integrating the theory of planned behavior and the theory of self-efficacy, we investigate whether entrepreneurial self-efficacy and attitude toward entrepreneurship serially mediate the relationship between subjective norms and intention to start a business. In addition, this study examines the moderate role of entrepreneurial education on the serial indirect effect of subjective norms on entrepreneurial intention via entrepreneurial self-efficacy and attitude toward entrepreneurship. METHODOLOGY: This study utilized a sample of 958 master’s students in Vietnam to investigate a moderated-serial mediation model of subjective norms on entrepreneurial intention. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was carried out to check the reliability and validity of the scales. Then, the SPSS PROCESS macro developed by Hayes was employed to test the research model. Specifically, Model 6 was used to examine the serial indirect effect of subjective norms on start-up intention and Model 84 was implemented to investigate the moderate effect of entrepreneurial education. FINDINGS: The results of this study found that entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial attitude significantly mediate subjective norms’ effect on entrepreneurial intention. Especially, the results reveal that the serial mediation effect of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and attitude toward entrepreneurship was significant and entrepreneurial self-efficacy and attitude toward entrepreneurship played a fully mediating role in the relationship between subjective norms and start-up intention. In addition, this study found that the serial mediation effect of subjective norms on start-up intention via entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial attitude was negatively moderated by entrepreneurial education. IMPLICATIONS: The results of this study further clarify the relationship between subjective norms and entrepreneurial intention and the role of entrepreneurial education, therefore, contributing to narrowing the notable gap between this relationship. Besides, our study provides several implications for governments and policymakers to promote the intention to start a business. The finding of our study indicates that subjective norms are an important factor in promoting entrepreneurial intention. Therefore, policymakers should take some actions to promote entrepreneurial culture, such as strengthening propaganda activities to promote the image of successful entrepreneurs, praising businesses and entrepreneurs who contribute to society, and giving evidence of their contribution to the development of the country. Promoting an entrepreneurial culture may increase peer group pressure on potential entrepreneurs, thus enhancing the intention to start a business. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: This study expects to contribute to a better understanding of the effect mechanism of subjective norms on entrepreneurial intention and explain the role of entrepreneurial education in this relationship. This study explores the mediating role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial attitude in the relationship between subjective norms and the intention to start a business. Additionally, this study demonstrates that entrepreneurial education weakens the serial mediation model of subjective norms on the intention to start a business. Keywords: subjective norm, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, attitude toward entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial intention, entrepreneurial education, the theory of planned behavior, the theory of self-efficacy, moderated-serial mediation model An overview of the empirical research on entrepreneurial alertness using a systematic literature review method Abstract PURPOSE: In the last two decades, the concept of entrepreneurial alertness (EA) has been considered a key element in investigating how individuals recognize entrepreneurial opportunities. Consequently, research on entrepreneurial alertness has grown considerably, attracting researchers’ attention from not only the field of entrepreneurship, but also other academic disciplines through which this concept has been studied from a variety of perspectives. Therefore, it is time to document researchers’ cumulative knowledge on entrepreneurial alertness. The present study aims to provide a comprehensive qualitative review and evaluation of the empirical entrepreneurial alertness research. METHODOLOGY: Based on a multi-step approach used in previous studies, which guarantees a systematic, transparent, and replicable literature review, this study identified a final sample of 84 articles published in scientific journals between 2005 and 2021 that empirically tested the concept of EA. The publications were sourced from the Web of Science database. Their analysis involved the evolution of published articles, the journals that have published the most articles, the countries where the research was undertaken, the measurement scales that have been used, and the research models in which entrepreneurial alertness has been hypothesized and examined through empirical research. FINDINGS: The results show that empirical research on entrepreneurial alertness grew significantly from 2016 to 2021, during which period almost 11 articles per year were published. Seven of the journals that published the articles contributed 28 percent of the total publications. Also, the results confirm that most of the empirical research on alertness has been carried out in developing economies, from which China stands out with 14 publications, representing 16 percent of the total. Additionally, the results confirm the growing consensus regarding the conceptualization and measurement of entrepreneurial alertness. Finally, the review resulted in the identification of five broad research models in which EA has been hypothesized and examined through empirical research: antecedents, consequences, mediation, moderation, and moderated mediation. The model examining the consequences or outcomes of entrepreneurial alertness has received the most attention, with 59 articles in this context. IMPLICATIONS FOR THEORY AND PRACTICE: The identification of concepts and the type of relationship they have with entrepreneurial alertness help evaluate the advances of empirical research as well as the areas of opportunity. In this way, future studies can strengthen research and thus advance the general knowledge of alertness. The most studied topics are also a reflection of the contribution of entrepreneurial alertness toward practice, both at the individual and organizational levels. In addition, researchers interested in entrepreneurial alertness are encouraged to consider the progress made in the measurement of this aspect, which offers alternatives for investigation. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: Based on the review of the literature, this study organizes the empirical research of entrepreneurial alertness in different research models, which provide important insights into its process. Moreover, this study uncovers potential areas to be addressed and thereby contributes to the study of entrepreneurial alertness. Keywords: entrepreneurial alertness, systematic literature review, entrepreneurial opportunity, research models, opportunity recognition, alertness, entrepreneurship The linkage between economic literacy and students’ intention of starting business: The mediating role of entrepreneurial alertness Abstract PURPOSE: Enhancing the number of entrepreneurs is a major study to combat economic and social problems. Psychological factors considered as effective stimulants for entrepreneurial behavior have attracted many researchers in the last decade. The purpose of this research attempts to examine how the influence of economic literacy can promote the intention of starting a new business among students and explore the role of entrepreneurial alertness in mediating this relationship. METHODOLOGY: The research adopted a quantitative approach in which hypotheses were statistically estimated using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) based on survey data using a self-administered questionnaire (n=450) from several universities in Indonesia. FINDINGS: The analysis indicates that economic literacy has a significant effect on students’ entrepreneurial alertness and intention to start a new business. Indeed, entrepreneurial alertness can mediate the relationship between economic literacy and the intention of starting a new business. However, among entrepreneurial alertness dimensions, scanning and search failed in determining the students’ intention of starting a new business. IMPLICATIONS: The result of this research can provide insight into the literature on the entrepreneurship theme and policymakers concerned with delivering new business creation. Besides, educational institutions can consider the matter of economic literacy to be part of their curricula in order to foster the students’ intention of starting a business. In addition, economic literacy also needs to be associated with examples relevant to entrepreneurial activities, especially in production, distribution, and online marketing. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: The interesting findings of this paper serve as a reminder that entrepreneurial alertness is one of the predictor variables and mediators for raising the students’ intention. This implies that entrepreneurial alertness can be enhanced by economic literacy, as well as how they need to be used to improve course curriculum and the teaching pedagogy. Furthermore, educational institutions could provide business internship programs and entrepreneurship incubators to raise the students’ intention of starting business. Keywords: economic literacy, entrepreneurial alertness, intention, starting business
This book contains twenty-two papers presented at the International Conference in Combinatorics, held in Jerusalem in May 1993. The papers describe some of the latest developments in algebraic combinatorics, enumeration, graph and hypergraph theory, combinatorial geometry, and geometry of polytopes and arrangements. The papers are accessible to specialists as well as nonspecialists.
Expatriation-enhanced competencies: A multiple case study of technology-based entrepreneurs Abstract PURPOSE: Facing the research gap of entrepreneurial learning by self-expatriated technology-based entrepreneurs, the purpose of this research is to explore those entrepreneurs’ beliefs and experiences across expatriation to identify the enhancement of their competencies. METHODOLOGY: Within a qualitative and exploratory multiple case theory-building approach, data was collected from twelve technology entrepreneurs from Brazil, Mexico, Germany, and Israel that went to the following destination countries: Spain, United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Ireland, Turkey, and the Netherlands. With interview data as the primary source, the data analysis rests on a qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS: Data allows structuring techpreneurs’ experience of expatriation along the following steps: (a) arrival in the destination country and initial process of socialization, (b) engaging in activities to get familiar with the culture of the destination country, (c) the gradual comprehensive understanding of the new context, and (d) comparisons between the home and destination country. Expatriation had an evident impact on the technology-based entrepreneurs that materializes in three groups of competencies: entrepreneurial competencies, knowledge and innovative competencies, and international competencies. Entrepreneurial competencies relate to relational and behavioral skills and the learning of doing business in different contexts. Concerning knowledge and innovative competencies, creativity, learning new techniques and international innovation environment stand at the fore. Finally, international competencies relate to the acceptance of different cultures (multicultural learning and perception of cultural differences), developing a sense of an international community and an international innovation culture. IMPLICATIONS: This study evidenced the influence of expatriation experiences on the training of skills of technology-based entrepreneurs, in a specific approach to entrepreneurial, innovative, and intercultural competencies. The research portrays self-expatriation as an opportunity for technology-based entrepreneurs to develop different competencies being helpful to innovate, to manage business and to operate in international markets. Universities and innovators may recognize their discretion to develop programs for people like former students who want to self-expatriate. In the same vein, government can design policy to attract self-expatriate in innovations hubs, considering that local inhabitants can benefit from the cultural exchange. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: This study contributes to better understanding the influence of self-expatriation experiences on the development of skills of technology-based entrepreneurs. Compared to previous studies, it advances research through providing a wider range of learning from expatriation experiences beyond the effect of internationalization on market knowledge and cultural aspects. Furthermore, this study focuses the process, not the results of self-expatriation to understand entrepreneurs’ learning. Keywords: technology-based entrepreneurs, innovation, entrepreneurs, skills, competencies, expatriation A phenomenological exploration of technology start-up failure in Sri Lanka PURPOSE: The main purpose of this qualitative study was to explore tech start-up failures in Sri Lanka to emerge themes that explain the critical factors that are impacting failures of Sri Lankan tech start-ups and also to identify recommendations that could help evade those factors. The paper also presents the finding to enrich tech entrepreneurs to build their strategies with an understanding of factors that leads to failure and to make well-educated decisions. METHODOLOGY: The study is based on a qualitative research approach that helps to present findings in a theoretical way. A phenomenological analysis has been used to identify, understand, and analyze the phenomena of tech start-up failures. Twelve start-up leaders participated in this study and shared their lived experiences of tech start-up failures in Sri Lanka. Interviews were conducted with them based on twelve interview questions and twelve core themes emerged based on the participants’ lived experiences. In analyzing data, the modified Van Kaam approach was used, utilizing a seven-step framework that considers the structural and textual aspects of experiences, as well as the perceptual characteristics of the phenomenon. FINDINGS: The themes answered the key research question of the study: What are the critical factors that are impacting on failures of tech start-ups in Sri Lanka? The cause of tech start-up failures according to the current study varied including, financial uncertainty, no market research, no product–market fit, paranoid behaviors of innovators, lack of timely response to changing conditions, and location of the venture. IMPLICATIONS: The paper concisely presents twelve critical reasons for tech start-up failures. The results of the research will enable Sri Lankan tech start-ups to identify key factors of failure for the growth of their surviving strategies. Identifying secret obstacles in the industry helps entrepreneurs prepare for pitfalls and provides guidelines for policymakers to make informed choices when implementing national policies. More importantly, it has been discovered that the major areas that require more attention are leadership, funding, marketing, and innovation. Finally, four groups of recommendations have been discussed under financing, market research, leadership, and inventors. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: The comparison of the current study themes with the findings of related studies is inconclusive because the literature on tech start-up failures in other countries and in Sri Lanka is minimal. Some of the themes align with the findings of research conducted in other countries, although there were some themes that were explored uniquely. Keywords: entrepreneurship, tech entrepreneur, start-up failure, critical success factors, software start-up, survival strategies, technology start-up Going green to keep talent: Exploring the relationship between sustainable business practices and turnover intention PURPOSE: This study explores the association between sustainable business practices (SBP) and turnover intention (TI) to understand the role of sustainability initiatives in influencing employee retention and organizational commitment. METHODOLOGY: The present study conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement. From an initial selection of 326 articles, a rigorous double-blind screening process identified 31 key papers for in-depth analysis. FINDINGS: The systematic review provides compelling evidence that SBP have a robust positive association with employee outcomes, especially in reducing TI. This relationship is notably mediated by job satisfaction and organizational commitment and moderated by psychological safety and ethical leadership elements. Further, key gaps were discerned, including the necessity to explore the varied impact of SBP across industries, the enduring effects of SBP on TI, the influence of cultural and contextual facets, and the urgency for methodological advancements in cross-cultural research. In response to these gaps, four hypotheses were conceptualized to provide deeper insights into the complex interplay between SBP, TI, and overarching cultural/contextual variables. IMPLICATIONS: Theoretically, this research adds to the existing literature by empirically validating the relationship between SBP and TI, highlighting critical mediators and moderators, and suggesting avenues for future research. Incorporating the identified gaps and proposed hypotheses provides a structured direction for subsequent investigations. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating SBP into organizational strategies to promote sustainability while enhancing workforce well-being and retention. Organizations can align with sustainability goals and boost employee satisfaction by focusing on organizational commitment, open communication, and leadership grounded in ethical and sustainable principles. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: This research provides a comprehensive overview of the interplay between SBP and TI, integrating insights from various studies. By emphasizing understudied mediators and moderators, identifying research gaps, and outlining derived hypotheses, the study sets the stage for future inquiries. Its practical recommendations are essential for organizations that balance sustainability goals with workforce stability, benefiting organizational performance and employee satisfaction. Keywords: sustainable business practices, turnover intention, TI, job satisfaction, employee engagement, organizational commitment, employee involvement, employee empowerment, systematic literature review, PRISMA, future research directions, hypotheses, research gaps, green HRM What are the real motivations and experiences of silver entrepreneurs? Empirical evidence from Poland PURPOSE: Along with demographic changes, it is increasingly frequent that many mature people resign from their full-time jobs and decide to start their own businesses at a later age. Entrepreneurial activity among this group of so-called silver entrepreneurs can be caused by many motives, but these factors usually remain unknown to current employers or do not constitute a valid reason for understanding and keeping a mature person in the workplace. The purpose of this paper is to present new scientific results concerning entrepreneurial motivations, both internal and external, and the previous experiences of silver entrepreneurs from Eastern Europe based on an example from Poland. METHODOLOGY: We analyzed a unique sample of 1,003 owners of micro and small enterprises from Poland. The sample included only people over fifty. Our empirical study used a survey to explore the motivations and experiences of silver entrepreneurs that influenced their decision to start a business later in life. We linked attitude toward the behavior with motivation and utilized the “pull” and “push” factors. We utilized logistic regression to determine the factors related to starting a business above fifty. We also used the ordinary least square regression to determine the relationship between the explanatory variables and the age of starting a business by the respondents. FINDINGS: We found that the main “pull” factor positively influencing the start of business activity by silver entrepreneurs is the fulfillment of dreams as a broadly understood need for self-realization. However, the “push” factors (such as the occurrence of ageism in the workplace, as well as the loss of employment and lack of other opportunities on the labor market) significantly reduced the probability of starting a company at the age of over fifty. On the basis of the positive impact of a “pull” factor, it can be concluded that entrepreneurial activity at a later age is the result of opportunity-based entrepreneurship. Due to the negative impact of the job-loss factor, people made redundant started their business activity at an earlier age, before the age of fifty. Regarding external entrepreneurial motivations, the support received from family is the most important factor related to the individual’s environment affecting starting a business by silver entrepreneurs. However, the support from friends and the support from government bodies were not significant factors influencing starting a business at a later age.IMPLICATIONS: Findings from our study have implications for both employers and groups who support entrepreneurship. First, from the point of view of employers, the occurrence of ageism in the previous workplace could have resulted in resignation from full-time employment at an earlier age and a faster start of business activity. It is surprising that negative behavior towards older employees may also be associated with resignation from work by younger people. From the point of view of government bodies and other stakeholder groups related to the development of entrepreneurship, it is interesting that the support received from government bodies in conducting business activities was statistically insignificant for each group of respondents. This suggests the need to identify effective support and to design a comprehensive strategy for the development of silver entrepreneurship. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: The vast majority of previous studies used secondary data or focused mainly on Western Europe, in particular the United Kingdom, Finland, and France. Our contribution is to provide empirical evidence about the silver entrepreneurs from Eastern Europe, especially Poland. Our research included individuals who actually run their own businesses, opposite to previous studies that take into account people who are just considering starting a business. This is particularly important in relation to research on the entrepreneurial intentions of mature people to undertake entrepreneurial activities at a later age, and the real motivations of silver entrepreneurs. Keywords: silver entrepreneurs, ageing, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial motivations, push/pull factors Team members’ direct participation in decision-making processes and the quality of decisions PURPOSE: Do teams manage to reach better decisions than those made by individuals? Numerous studies have delivered inconclusive results. Meanwhile, participation in decision-making can take various forms and is not limited to consensus group decisions, and the influence of the various forms of participation on the quality of decisions has been less frequently examined. The aim of the research was to determine the effect on decision quality of changing the form of direct participation in the decision-making process in the case of complex, multi-stage problems. METHODOLOGY: The article presents the results of a long-term experiment in which 598 teams of 2,673 people took part. The participants were asked to solve a decision problem using three decision-making styles: autocratic, consultative, and group. The participants played the role of members of a newly established project team that must plan its own work. The task concerned a problem that requires the analysis of a number of dependencies between sub-problems, in contrast to eureka-type problems. The decision problem was new to the participants, making it impossible to apply known solutions; a creative approach was therefore required. The decision was then compared with the optimal solution established by experts. Decision quality was based on the deviation of the proposed solution from the optimal solution. FINDINGS: The results of the experiment confirm the significant synergistic potential of increasing direct participation in decision-making for complex, multi-stage problems. A significant proportion of teams made better decisions as a result of increasing direct participation – replacing autocratic decisions with consultative and group decisions. The quality of consultative decisions was roughly in the middle of autocratic and group decisions. By using group decision-making, teams made better decisions than the average individual decision and came closer to the decision quality achieved by the best team members. This effect was universal, observed both in the strongest and weakest teams. It should be remembered that, while group decision-making has the potential for synergy, it is not always achieved. Group decision-making markedly reduced the risk of making highly misguided decisions, and it can be reasoned that direct participation protects against serious mistakes more than it guarantees the best possible results. IMPLICATIONS: Team leaders should be familiar with different decision-making styles, their advantages and disadvantages, and the scope of their application. This research suggests that increasing team members’ participation to a consultative role and even better, a full participatory role, increases the quality of the decision. With the growing complexity of organizations that have to deal with accelerating change, technology development and increased competition, creating structures that can flexibly respond to the challenges of the environment requires the participation of team members at all managerial levels. The use of consultative and group decision-making styles for complex and multi-stage problems supports this process. The group decision-making style can bring better quality, but it has its limitations and it is not always possible to use it. It requires a team of highly competent people who identify themselves with the interests of the organization. Otherwise, the consultative form will bring better results. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: For the first time, an empirical study analyses the case of consultative decision-making, in which the team leader consults the individual opinions independently to finally come up with a final “team” decision. This approach is widely used by team leaders and managers in the field. This study shows that this approach constitutes an improvement over the individual (autocratic) one but still falls short of the group decision-making approach. Finally, this study which has been done with the largest number of participant teams (598 teams, 2,673 individuals), professionally active post-graduate students and over a 24-year period allows a sound statistical confirmation of the proposed decision quality improvement when moving from individual to consultative and group decision-making styles. Keywords: participation in decision-making (PDM), decision quality, consultative decision-making, group decision-making Bankers' job stress, job performance, and job commitment trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic PURPOSE: The global COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted multiple sectors across industries and regions, including medical services, financial institutions, and others. The escalating global pandemic in both emerging and developed nations has resulted in the implementation of stringent lockdown measures and unparalleled disruptions to economic activities. Consequently, individuals have become accustomed to relying on banking operations as a routine aspect of their lives, regardless of the circumstances. Learning how bankers engage with customers in response to the given circumstances would be intriguing. Hence, the study aimed to unearth the relationship between bankers’ job stress, job performance, and job commitment, as well as the stress-based job performance and its impact on job commitment during the second to third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in an emerging market. METHODOLOGY: A number of 287 data (response rate 71.75 percent) were collected by online platforms due to the COVID-19 pandemic through the simple random sampling technique. The exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were run to test the proposed research framework with the help of MS Excel 2007, SPSS 22.0, and AMOS 23.0. FINDINGS: The findings showed that bankers’ work-related stress has a positive impact on job performance but no relationship with job commitment; acute stress has a negative impact on job commitment but no significant relationship with job performance; and stress-based job performance has a significant positive impact on job commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic. IMPLICATIONS: The outcomes of this study provide value to the field of behavioral science by introducing the phenomena of COVID-19 in the context of bankers and emerging economies. The demographic variables and the revealed relationships of bankers’ job stress, job performance, and job commitment trajectories would help policymakers rethink stress management practices and policy building in the bank job and the long-term relationship building with their existing employees. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: The novelty of the research is the COVID-19 phenomenon and an emerging economy’s bankers’ context. Keywords: work-related stress, acute stress, job performance, job commitment, bankers, COVID-19 pandemic Entrepreneurship education for women through project-based flipped learning: The impact of innovativeness and risk-taking on course satisfaction PURPOSE: The primary aim of this research is to explore the correlation between learners’ characteristics and the perceived value and satisfaction associated with Project-Based Flipped Learning (PBFL) methodologies. A secondary objective involves investigating how these PBFL methodologies can be employed to enhance the quality of entrepreneurship education for women. METHODOLOGY: During the first semester of 2018, a total of 80 students enrolled in the Communication Society class were engaged in a longitudinal study, involving bi-weekly online surveys prior to the semester’s conclusion. The survey instruments utilized Likert-scale measurements, with a 5-point scoring system. The data acquired was subsequently analyzed using structural equation modeling, which facilitated the examination of both the pre- and post-change scores and the structural properties of their relationships with overall course satisfaction. In terms of statistical evaluation, the study employed Generalized Structured Component Analysis (GSCA), a powerful component-based SEM technique, thus ensuring a robust and academically rigorous interpretation of the data. FINDINGS: Our research sought to understand the effects of learners’ characteristics, specifically innovativeness and risk-taking, on course satisfaction in Project-Based Flipped Learning (PBFL). We found that female learners’ innovativeness positively influenced their perception of the project’s entertainment and educational value, which in turn increased preference for PBFL and course satisfaction. Interestingly, risk-taking did not significantly influence perceived project value, which provides insights into the role of personality traits in learning outcomes. IMPLICATIONS: Our study invigorates entrepreneurship education theory by highlighting the key role of learner innovativeness in PBFL course satisfaction, urging a nuanced examination of personality traits in educational contexts. Further, we question the established importance of risk-taking, necessitating a critical reassessment in this domain. These pivotal theoretical contributions challenge prevailing assumptions, enrich scholarly discourse, and open new avenues for research. On the practical side, our findings emphasize the imperative of fostering innovativeness in women’s entrepreneurship education. These insights underscore the need for a strategically tailored, creative learning environment, with the potential to enhance learner engagement and satisfaction significantly. In sum, our research generates transformative theoretical insights and provides actionable strategies for improving the practice of entrepreneurship education. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: Our research presents a novel approach to fostering women entrepreneurs in the media sector through PBFL. This unique focus on the intersection of gender, media entrepreneurship, and PBFL distinguishes our study from existing literature. Furthermore, our findings offer educators invaluable guidance for enhancing female entrepreneurship education, thereby enriching the pedagogical landscape of this domain. Keywords: entrepreneurship education, women entrepreneurship, project-based flipped learning, innovativeness, risk-taking, course satisfaction
An excellent 90-year history book, edited by former National Press Club president, John Cosgrove, which depicts the rich heritage that has established the National Press Club as the leading news organization in the world. Founded in 1908, the National Press Club has served as host to hundreds of world leaders and celebrities. Hundreds of historic photos from the NPC archives highlight this book. Read about visits from Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Other guest speakers have included Lech Walesa, Elizabeth Taylor, Muhamed Ali, and many more!
Everything you need to know to green your business and grow your profit. • The truth about what climate change means for your business • The truth about running lean and green • The truth about future proofing your business Simply the best thinking THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH This book reveals 52 PROVEN GREEN STRATEGIES and bite-size, easy-to-use techniques that get results. “This little book is inspiring in its range and practicality—not just for CEOs, but for every member of the enterprise…an exceptionally useful guide for ‘going green’ at any scale of enterprise.” CHIP CONLEY, CEO, Joie de Vivre Hospitality “In a world where green business advice is rampant, this is the one resource you need: a field guide that combines insight and inspiration with a solid, actionable path forward.” JOEL MAKOWER, Executive Editor, GreenBiz.com
Though they never led the league in double plays turned, and though at times they actively disliked one another, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance of the Chicago Cubs have for decades been called one of the greatest, most colorful and most memorable double-play combinations of all time. But their places in the Hall of Fame have been disputed by some who believe their reputation rests with a piece of Franklin P. Adams doggerel. This triple biography of Tinker, Evers, and Chance covers each man's career and life before and after baseball, giving special attention to their relationship on and off the field. The author also considers the trio's induction into the Hall of Fame in 1946 and examines the arguments made on both sides of the debate.
In his thinking and writing on Canadian art, curator and artist Gil McElroy has repeatedly encountered two elements: gravity and grace. Employing these two notions in a binary fashion-as ends of the aesthetic field-McElroy writes about art in terms that engage everything that surrounds us, exploring the words of such renowned Canadian artists as bpNichol, Dan Steeves, Susan Wood, Peter Dykhuis, Carl Zimmerman, Robin Peck, Gerald Ferguson, Dennis Gill and Christopher Pratt.
In this bestselling book, Gil Amelio outlines the innovations he introduced at National Semiconductor that guided the company from the brink of bankruptcy to its highest earnings in history in just three years. "A remarkable firsthand account".
Industry experts have long considered The Official Vintage Guitar Price Guide to be the most accurate, authoritative and detailed publication to tackle the seemingly indomitable task of placing values on thousands of vintage and recent-model guitars, amps, basses, effects pedals, mandolins, lapsteels and other fretted instruments. And the VG Price Guide is the only one to do it all in one book! Now in its 13th year, the new Guide offers more than ever. Authors Alan Greenwood and Gil Hembree have made their ultimate guide to values even more valuable, with more details on familiar favorites and backgrounds on nearly 800 brands. Plus, there are 700 photos showing all forms of vintage instruments, amps and effects. The Guide combines the most thorough research with an exceptionally user-friendly format that employs quick-find page headings, a comprehensive index, and a dealer directory that puts you just an e-mail or phone call away from guitar buyers and sellers in every region of the country. Also included is an in-depth look at the factors that drive the collectible instrument market, explaining the "hows and whys" in regard to the values of vintage and used equipment.
“Beautiful, generative, loving, and deep: this may be the wisest Tarot book ever written. Gil Stafford finds the folly of the Cross in the journey of the Fool, and reminds us that ‘Life is a pilgrimage on the path of wisdom’s way.’” —Lisa Freinkel Tishman, author of Mindful Tarot This book is a portal for those interested in the Bible and curious about the Tarot, for both those who might read the Bible daily as well as those who know very little about it but are not averse to it. The first two chapters provide background that place the two mystical texts in conversation with each other. The vast and complex mythos of the Bible with its complex characters, actors, symbols, stories, and parables, are the backstory of the magnificent creatures of the Tarot’s inner psychic world. A book for spiritual explorers, reading the Bible and the Tarot hand-in-hand can expand the imagination. It explores how to read the Tarot and the Bible to provoke the unconscious, the dream world, and expand the imagination. By the final chapter, readers are able to connect the mysteries of the Bible with the psychological magic of the Tarot.
This book challenges church leaders to foster sacred safe space, holy listening, silence, and wisdom storytelling in order to create a discerning church community. These techniques of spiritual direction can be applied to every aspect of the church, from small group studies to conducting parish business.
Contains new results on different aspects of Lie theory, including Lie superalgebras, quantum groups, crystal bases, representations of reductive groups in finite characteristic, and the geometric Langlands program
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