1,721,065 research outputs found
Constrained gazelles. High potentials in West Africa’s informal economy
Get PDFThe informal sector is typically characterised as being very heterogeneous and possibly composed of two clearly distinct segments, sometimes called the lower and upper tier. However, empirical evidence shows that even among lower tier entrepreneurs profitability can be quite high. We combine these findings and develop an innovative approach to identify what we call ‘constrained gazelles’, next to the well-known survivalists in the lower tier and growth-oriented top-performers in the upper tier. Our sample of informal entrepreneurs in seven West-African countries allows to link the relative size of these three groups to the structural and macroeconomic environment in these countries
Frugal innovation: Some theoretical observations from innovation-economic and social-entrepreneurial perspectives
No full textThis chapter’s aims to link frugal innovation (FI) to some theoretical notions. First, it presents a brief overview of what FI is in order to identify characteristics that can be linked to theoretical notions. Second it links the concept of FI to 1) existing theoretical notions on profit-induced innovators and how these contribute to economic development and transformation, and 2) a conceptual way of thinking based on social entrepreneurs and their motives and opportunities to overcome resource constraint by designing and developing frugal innovation. Two takeaways on furthering theoretical attempts to understand frugal innovations are presented. The first one is working out of Comprehensive Schumpeterian models where dynamic patterns of polycentric innovation networks can be examined thoroughly. The second way is working further on the role of (networks of) social entrepreneurs as frugal innovators and providing them a broader validity.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Economics of Technology and Innovatio
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Alleviating energy poverty in developing countries through utilization of diaspora finances in renewable energy projects
No full textUnlike the rapid advancement in accessing electricity in the past two decades, there are huge numbers of people all over the world who suffer from energy poverty. Most of these people live in remote areas and sparse populations. The consensual solution for this problem is off-grid electrification based on the potential of renewable energies but there is a financial scarcity to support this initiative. It seems that diaspora finances and especially remittances will be an opportunity for developing countries to overcome this impasse since remittances is the most stable and everincreasing financial flow from developed to developing countries. In this research, I try to test the viability of this idea by investigating some cases of previous or ongoing projects that make the connection between diaspora finances and renewable energy in Haiti, Bolivia, and the African continent by solar companies. I find that diaspora finances can play an important role in different levels of finance generating electricity from clean energy resources but it is not possible to be the main financial resource of these projects and is more effective in the blended finance method. The other important matters for making a success story are related to building trust with diaspora communities on the push side of these initiatives and having a robust distribution network in the target community on the pull side. These requirements make partnerships with local stakeholders an inevitable element of these projects in an interactive business model
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Women’s Visions/ Imaginaries: Futuring energy for Mexico City’s public markets
No full textIn this PhD thesis, the author considers that mobilizing a single future limits the possibilities of transforming energy systems, as it excludes multiple voices and visions. The thesis begins as an interrogation of the role of socio-technical imaginaries and visions of energy and becomes a creative and playful exploration of plural and diverse futures, based on alternative imaginaries
Exploring State-anchored District: The Case of Iron and Steel Industry in Ciudad Guayana, VenezuelaExploring State-anchored District: The Case of Iron and Steel Industry in Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela
No full textIndustrial districts and their developmental features have been of the interest of many scholars. Most of the literature refers to the traditional Marshallian or Italianate district where inter-firm negotiation with co-operation is assessed within a production system characterized by a geographical and sectorial concentration of private- small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Such production systems are less likely to observe in developing countries where can play an important role in promoting and sustaining industrial districts. This academic endeavour claims that ownership structure matters for industrial district analysis. The findings suggest that under state ownership, the state tends to induce initial competitive advantages whereas under private ownership tends to emerge voluntary co-operation
Motivation makes differences in entrepreneurs: A study of poultry farmers in Busia County, Kenya
Get PDFThe aim of the research is to study how motivation effects differentiation
of entrepreneurs. This research started by doubting the simplification of
entrepreneurs by dividing into two or three categories: survival and growth oriented
entrepreneurs as well as constrained gazelles. Adapting entrepreneurial
process (Shane et al. 2003), it focused on influence of motivation of entrepreneurs
over entrepreneurial process. Motivation was regarded as passion and
differentiated from motives. The field research was conducted in Busia Country,
Western Kenya, through interviewing 40 poultry farmers.
The findings from the research were as follows. Firstly, the relationship
between entrepreneurial motivation and performance of the farmers were not
clear. Secondly, the motives to start poultry keeping were income generation,
securing food and security reasons. Thirdly, it also successfully unveiled that
motivation was obtained through CABE interventions even after having been
engaged in the activity. Finally, this paper found that motives exist no matter
what entrepreneurial activities they operate while entrepreneurial activities matter
for motivation in a way that entrepreneurs need to see possibilities to
achieve motives.
This paper also argued the differences among entrepreneurs in terms of
motivation. They were named as Constrained Geese, Taking-Off Survivalists,
Great Survivalists, Upper Survivalists and Lower Survivalists. Each group has
features but significantly Constrained Geese had new ideas on poultry production
with well-arranged environment for poultry keeping and Taking-Off Survivalists
were ready to go for the next step by arranging the environment for
poultry keeping. Great survivalists were still interested in other activities for
achieving their motives, they were aware of opportunities of poultry keeping in
order to obtain their motives. It should be mentioned that these groups were
simply named for convenience and there were more degrees within each stage.
Following these findings above, it turned out that motivation influences
differentiation of entrepreneurs by making entrepreneurs engage in the activity.
The more motivated, the more committed and invested. As entrepreneurial
process goes, they are more likely to be involved in activities no matter what
the motives are. The perception would give a new perspective to the argument
on entrepreneurs in the development.
This research would contribute to the argument on entrepreneurs by
casting degrees of the farmers. By acknowledging these degrees, we might be
able to understand what are entrepreneurs and their features correctly thus better
interventions would be implemented by following the differences among
entrepreneurs
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