Guest editorial: Innovative entrepreneurial behavior vs entrepreneurial activity in today's business environment

Contributors

The first paper, by Dianne H.B. Welsh, Orlando Llanos-Contreras, and Melany Rebeca Hebles, investigates the case of Hacienda Los Lingues, the oldest family business in the Americas and the 20th oldest family firm in the world. Currently, the owners are the 17th-generation Claro-Lyon family, with the 19th generation getting involved in the family's entrepreneurial activities. Their paper explains the causal mechanism, supporting sustainable longevity through the last three generations. This explanatory single-case qualitative research based on critical realism was developed to find an explanation of why this family firm has been able to maintain its multigenerational longevity and how this occurred. Los Lingues' evolutionary strategy supported this family firm's sustainable longevity. This strategy was driven by transgenerational entrepreneurship under effectuation. This effectual logic emerged mainly from the richness of its historical resources embedded in this family firm's identity, the family's knowledge and social capital, and the family's priority for preserving socioemotional wealth. Previous studies have examined the role of family involvement in business and innovation capabilities supporting sustainable longevity. Research has also focused on the importance of socioemotional wealth as a motivational force that drives family firms' continuity. Their study extends that research by identifying specific mechanisms Los Lingues^© uses to preserve socioemotional wealth while efficiently leveraging available resources. Thus, they argue that successfully implementing a mechanism that efficiently balances the economic/strategic and non-economic/socioemotional values of firm assets is central in explaining why this family firm has been able to preserve its legacy. Lessons learned and implications for further research are discussed.

The second contribution, by Julia Anamaria Sisu, Andrei Constantin Tirnovanu, Cristina-Claudia Patriche, Marian Nastase and George Cristian Schin, offers a comprehensive analysis of how entrepreneurship education influences students' entrepreneurial intentions. Drawing from a rich pool of academic resources, it integrates insights from existing academic literature, providing an analytical perspective on the efficacy of educational interventions in nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset, an essential component for innovation-driven economic growth. Central to their study is the identification and examination of key factors within the educational context that contribute to fostering students' interest in entrepreneurial careers. Employing the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as a theoretical foundation, the research utilizes a mixed-method approach, integrating partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). This sophisticated methodological blend was meticulously selected for its ability to effectively capture both individual and systemic factors influencing entrepreneurial intentions. It offers a comprehensive view of the underlying mechanisms, providing a bridge between theoretical constructs and empirical observations. The role of academic environments is highlighted as being critically important in developing entrepreneurial skills. Their study points out the significance of innovative educational platforms and emphasizes the value of engaging with diverse disciplines and real-world business scenarios. Moreover, the study delves into the psychological aspects of entrepreneurial education, exploring how students' attitudes, motivations and perceptions are shaped by their educational experiences. The TPB's emphasis on attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control as key drivers of entrepreneurial intentions offers a deeper understanding of the psychological underpinnings of these educational impacts. The overview acknowledges limitations in terms of the generalizability of the findings. While the research offers substantial insights, it also opens up areas for further exploration, suggesting that future research could extend the scope of this study to explore the longitudinal impact of educational interventions on entrepreneurial intentions and their variations across different cultural and socio-economic contexts. In conclusion, their study marks a significant advancement in understanding the specific educational elements that effectively influence entrepreneurial intentions.

The paper by Jerome Jerome L. Antonio, Alexander Lennart Schmidt, Dominik K. Kanbach and Natanya Meyer contributes to the entrepreneurial landscape marked by a continuous pursuit of disruptive innovation, with startups often relying on business-model innovation to enhance the attractiveness of their offerings to challenge established market players. Central to pursuing disruptive innovation is the value proposition, a critical element of the business model. However, there is insufficient understanding of the specific ways in which entrepreneurial ventures modify their value propositions to make their often inferior offerings more attractive. Addressing this gap, this paper aims to explore the value proposition of innovation activities employed by entrepreneurial ventures. To achieve this objective, the authors employed a flexible pattern-matching approach. Flexible pattern-matching is an emerging methodology for theory building that allows the research to be firmly grounded in existing theory while preserving the revelatory potential of inductive research. The sample consists of 21 semi-structured interviews with founders, CEOs and managers of startups in the global electric vehicle industry. To ensure the relevance of the gathered interview data, the authors purposefully selected interview partners from startups who aspire to disrupt incumbent market players by creating offerings with disruptive potential. Based on the interview data, the authors inductively developed a dynamic, integrated framework illustrating the key factors influencing value proposition innovation. Specifically, the empirical framework reveals two pivotal factors, namely determinants and tactics, which play a central role in shaping value proposition innovation activities. Guided by cognitive antecedents, development drivers, and realization capabilities, aspiring disruptors make strategic decisions regarding the scope, focus, and priorities of various configuration and support tactics. Through this dynamic interplay, aspiring disruptors aim to enable and safeguard the success of their value propositions in the face of market disruption. The systematic comparison of empirical and theoretical constructs revealed that value proposition innovation activities for disruptive innovation are largely unexplored, since most empirically derived constructs are new or specify existing theoretical constructs. The authors contribute to a theoretical understanding of value proposition innovation by showcasing how cognitive antecedents, development drivers, and realization capabilities determine the choice and deployment of value proposition innovation tactics, namely support levers and configuration opportunities. Therefore, the study contributes to a nuanced understanding of configuration determinants and tactics in the context of disrupting established market incumbents. The managerial implications of these findings extend beyond the boundaries of traditional disruptive innovation theory, offering valuable insights for both entrepreneurship research and practice. Specifically, entrepreneurs can understand and consciously shape their value proposition innovation activities.

The next paper, by Nirjhar Nigam and Khodor Shatila, represents a substantial research endeavor that delves deeply into the intricate web of factors that shape the entrepreneurial intentions of women in Lebanon. Anchored firmly in the TPB, their research harnesses a rich dataset derived from 350 Lebanese women entrepreneurs. Through the lens of structural equation modeling, it scrutinizes the intricate interplay among knowledge, networking, funding and dynamic capabilities in molding entrepreneurial intentions. Their paper addressed the challenges that faced women entrepreneurs in Lebanon. It spotlights three pivotal challenges: restricted access to knowledge, a dearth of networking opportunities and formidable hurdles in securing financial support. These challenges are by no means unique to Lebanon but manifest with distinct prominence within the Lebanese context. Recognizing the gravity of these impediments becomes a crucial step toward fostering effective women's entrepreneurship in the region. Among the noteworthy findings of this research, the spotlight falls on the indispensable role played by dynamic capabilities. These dynamic capabilities, in their essence, denote an organization's aptitude for adaptation and innovation in response to the ever-evolving circumstances of the entrepreneurial landscape. In the specific context of this study, dynamic capabilities emerge as a pivotal bridge. They enable women entrepreneurs to metamorphose the seemingly insurmountable obstacles they encounter into affirmative intentions to establish and nurture their entrepreneurial ventures. The practical significance of nurturing dynamic capabilities among women entrepreneurs is unmistakable, offering a potent means to surmount barriers effectively. This facet of the research extends our understanding of the intricate entrepreneurial ecosystem in Lebanon, with a keen focus on women entrepreneurs. It sheds illuminating light on the distinct challenges and opportunities that this ecosystem presents. The insights gleaned hold valuable implications for various stakeholders, ranging from policymakers shaping the landscape to organizations and academics keen on fostering and championing the cause of women's entrepreneurship in Lebanon. Perhaps one of the most far-reaching aspects of this research is the panorama it paints beyond the confines of Lebanon. It posits that the invaluable insights garnered concerning the pivotal role of dynamic capabilities are not bound by geographic constraints. Rather, they possess universal relevance, transcending boundaries and proving applicable in similar environments grappling with parallel challenges. This universal applicability underscores the potential for strategies aimed at nurturing dynamic capabilities to emerge as a cornerstone in the empowerment of women entrepreneurs, not only in Lebanon but across the global spectrum where such challenges persist.

The contribution by Jeffrey Muldoon, Joshua S. Bendickson, Eric W. Liguori and Shelby Solomon emphasizes the importance of market and governmental interactions, as well as cultural factors, within ecosystems. An effective entrepreneurial ecosystem includes vital components like capital suppliers, skilled labor, competition, customers and a supportive entrepreneurial culture. Examples of successful ecosystems, such as Silicon Valley and Boston, highlight the significance of proximity to elite universities and the presence of human capital, which attract investors and foster competition and innovation. However, viewing ecosystems merely through market relationships oversimplifies their complexity. This paper proposes an alternative perspective that includes relational exchange, offering a more comprehensive view of these ecosystems. Incorporating relational exchange reveals the socio-cultural dynamics of ecosystems, the influence of regional cultural variations and the importance of understanding different exchange modalities. Entrepreneurial ecosystems encompass a union of political, economic and social elements promoting entrepreneurial activities. Models like Isenberg's and Spigel's detail these ecosystems' various dimensions, including policy, finance, culture, support, human capital and markets. Spigel's model further emphasizes the interplay of cultural, social and material attributes in forming ecosystems. Their paper also discusses the concept of relational exchange in ecosystems, based on Fiske's relational models, which classify exchanges into market pricing, equality matching, authority ranking and communal sharing. These models elucidate the diverse nature of exchanges in ecosystems, extending beyond simple market transactions. In conclusion, this research enhances our understanding of entrepreneurial ecosystems by integrating Fiske's relational model theory. It challenges the conventional market-centric view of these ecosystems, highlighting the complex interplay of relationships and resources. This comprehensive perspective is crucial for policymakers to foster environments conducive to innovation and economic growth. However, empirical studies are needed to further explore these relationships and understand how individual entrepreneurs perceive their ecosystem dynamics.

The last contribution, by Anne Yenching Liu, Maria Dolores Botella Carrubi and Cristina Blanco González-Tejero, investigates the reality of community group buying (CGB) leadership by exploring the influences of personality traits and technology acceptance on individuals' intentions to become CGB leaders. It acknowledges the evolving landscape of business driven by technological advancements and the growing significance of digital marketing and social media in shaping consumer behavior. The introduction sets the stage by highlighting the importance of understanding user satisfaction and motivations for business success, particularly in light of technological innovations and the emergence of digital communities. Their research first reviews different research on the decision-making processes of CGB leaders and underscores the necessity for collaboration and knowledge sharing among enterprises in today's dynamic business environment. It also explores the role of personality traits and technology acceptance in shaping entrepreneurial intentions and consumer behavior. Hypotheses are formulated based on the relationships between personality traits and perceptions of social media, as well as the direct association between personality traits and intentions to become CGB leaders. The research also examines how perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of social media influence individuals' intentions to become CGB leaders. It posits that individuals' perceptions of social media's ease of use and usefulness directly impact their intentions to engage in CGB leadership. Additionally, it suggests that technology acceptance of social media mediates the relationship between personality traits and intentions to become CGB leaders. Further hypotheses are formulated to explore the direct and mediated effects of social media on individuals' intentions to become CGB leaders. Their paper presents and analyzes the empirical findings derived from the research study. It examines the relationships between personality traits, technology acceptance and the intention to become a CGB leader, providing insights into the factors influencing individuals' decisions in this domain. The concluding sections offer a comprehensive exploration of the implications of the study's findings for businesses and researchers. It discusses the limitations of the study and suggests avenues for future research to deepen understanding in this area. This paper contributes to the literature on CGB leadership by shedding light on the psychological and technological factors influencing individuals' intentions to engage in this form of entrepreneurial activity, thereby enriching our understanding of contemporary business practices in the digital age.