J. Open Innov. Technol. Mark. Complex., Volume 7, Issue 2 (June 2021) – 58 articles

Transfer and diffusion of knowledge and technology is a key condition for the development of innovation. In practice, they take place at the interface between science and business, which makes the level of innovation and development of a given economy depend on the effectiveness and efficiency of universities and other scientific units co-creating the national innovation network. With this important circumstance in mind, this article presents an assessment of the operations of selected research institutes in Poland in 2014–2019 in the context of pro-efficiency statutory changes aimed at making the commercialization of research and development results more effective. The multiple case study used in the article includes five units operating in the field of environmental protection (two) and energy (three)—sectors relevant to the transformation of the national energy sector. The research analyzes the sources of funding of the institutes’ operations, their profitability and the financial effectiveness of their scientific and research staff. The results of the research indicate the adaptability of the surveyed institutes to the new rules of financing and the possibility of their wider than previously opening to business relations, as well as at least partial independence from budget financing. This is a valuable observation from the perspective of shaping innovation policy and the principles of operation of the national innovation system in developing economies. Full article

Open innovation, understood as a strategy for business competitiveness, has experienced growing relevance, even in traditional economic sectors, such as agri-food. This article focuses on the trends and challenges of open innovation applied to the agri-food field, based on two approaches, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and a structured survey, answered mainly by micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). For the SLR, the Scopus bibliographic database was chosen. Documents were filtered by type, novelty, and impact factor of the journal (based on the Scimago Rank). The final selection included 50 articles that were deeply analyzed. In addition, the survey was applied to 57 agri-food companies from the department of Nariño (Colombia), establishing a diagnosis of the extent of openness of their collaborative barriers and innovation capacities. The review’s results revealed a marked European dominance in this research field. Product co-creation, eco-innovation, and bioeconomy are main fields of interest and application of open innovation. The challenges identified are related to intellectual property rights and effective communication between stakeholders. The survey was successful in establishing a statistically significant correlation between innovation performance and collaboration with external partners. As a conclusion, an open innovation approach can provide dynamism and cohesion in agri-food systems. Full article

The transition from a semi-digital to digital society depends on the nature of work with information, and the speed and quality of digitalization largely depend on Generation Z. The purpose of the article is to identify and evaluate Gen Z’s views in Russia and Slovakia on the search and assessment of information in a semi-digital society. The empirical research methods are a questionnaire survey, in-depth interviews, and a focus group. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were conducted remotely. The study reveals that the views of the Slovak and Russian Generation Z are similar in terms of searching and speeding up the acquisition of information and especially in the high assessment of their capabilities in information search and low confidence in advertising campaigns. The Slovak Gen Z is informationally mature and, at the same time, Internet-dependent. A difference in the perception of AI in Russian and Slovak Gen Z is identified. The results can be used to improve youth policies and provide information to society in the transition to fully digital life. Full article

The primary objective of this research is to investigate the role of strategic human resource management practices in developing resilient organizational behavior. This research aims to test the mediating function of individual resilient behavior between strategic human resources management practices and resilient organizational behavior. Data was collected from 780 managerial level employees working in small and medium Chinese enterprises in Hubei Province through a self-administrated questionnaire. The Smart partial least square structural equation modeling technique was used for data analysis. The analysis showed a significant positive relationship among SHRM practices, employee resilient behavior, and resilient organizational behavior. Results also show that employee resilient behavior partially mediates the relationship between SHRM practices and resilient organizational behavior. Individual resilient behavior is needed when an organization is in crisis, restructuring, transformation, turbulent, and unfavorable conditions. Without individual resilient behavior, it is difficult for an organization to be resilient. Therefore, strategic human resource management practices are essential to develop an employee’s resilience. This research contributed to the body of knowledge by bringing new concepts together. The main contribution was testing the role of individual resilient behavior between strategic human resource management practices and resilient organizational behavior. Full article

Is there any type of relationship between the academic productivity of business researchers and their social networking activity? What does this mean in terms of open innovation? With these objectives, in this paper we have focused on the Technology Acceptance Model and the concept of performativity, filling the gap that exists in the current scientific literature. At the empirical level, we carried out a review of 211 articles from the Web of Science (SSCI), obtaining a total set of 12,939 data points. Our statistical model has showed a clear symbiotic relationship between productivity in Google Scholar and presence in ResearchGate. Furthermore, researchers with a greater presence on LinkedIn or Twitter have low Google Scholar or Web of Science h-indices. We concluded that there is currently a dissociation between academic and professional online networks, something that does not help the applicability of research in business and society, the enduring aim of any search for knowledge. Information Science can play an important role in helping to bridge the gap between academia and the real world. Furthermore, in order to contribute to enhancing the role of universities in open innovation practices, it is essential to design and implement new tools such as online communities that stimulate interaction and facilitate network effects. Full article

This study is designed to test an empirical investigation of the environmental turbulence and fear in predicting entrepreneurial improvisation in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan. This research aims to analyze whether the emotional response of fear drives the decision-makers of SMEs towards the use of improvisation strategy in a turbulent environment in an uncertain business world or not. The target population for this study includes owners, managers, and directors of SMEs listed in the Chambers of Commerce of capital cities of Pakistan. Data were collected through a quantitative survey from 433 respondents by using the cluster sampling technique. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses of the study and conduct path analysis. The findings of this study reveal that environmental turbulence leads the decision-makers towards the use of improvisation strategy by managing their emotions of fear rather than sticking to the plans in SMEs in Pakistan. Moreover, the emotional response of fear in entrepreneurs mediates the relationship between environmental turbulence and entrepreneurial improvisation in SMEs in Pakistan. This study contributes to the field of SMEs by suggesting that entrepreneurs can compete in the frequently changing business world through improvisation. This study helps the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) to understand the importance of entrepreneurial improvisation during uncertainties in the complex business environment, which leads the organization towards innovation. Full article

It is important that SMEs are able to prioritize business quality by identifying business requirements based on customer requirements. This strategy is able to help SMEs generate innovation in the form of improved business quality activities to meet customer requirements. This approach uses the “quality function deployment (QFD)” method to identify the priority business requirements and improvement actions to generate business quality. As a result, we managed to identify five priority variable business requirements (BReqs) based on seven variable customer requirements (CReqs) with the lowest satisfaction score. We proposed some improvement actions in perspective quality based on five priority business requirements. Moreover, the final quality matrix of business quality improvement priority generally makes it easier for users to read and find out which variables need to be improved. This research also presents a solution so that users can perform business actions effectively and efficiently in allocating their resources. Full article

This research aims to substantiate the impact of using open innovation (OI) in the energy sector in readiness to implement artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and their effectiveness. The empirical method was proposed to determine the readiness level of OI for the implementation of AI technologies by comparing Russian and French energy companies. Readiness level indicators of companies for AI implementation using the Fibonacci sequence, Student’s t-test, and the method of fuzzy sets were empirically determined. The integrated readiness indicator for AI implementation by companies was calculated using the method of fuzzy sets and expressed through variance, allowing for these significant factors. Russian companies are at a low level of developmental readiness to implement AI, which is in contrast to companies operating in a developed market where the determining factor is the AI technology cost. The example of the innovative business model “Energy-as-a-Service” shows the synergistic effects of OI use and AI technology introduction. This paper is novel because it seeks to contribute to the current debate in the literature, justifying the position that energy companies that have in the past actively applied the concept of open innovation in business, are the most competitive and most efficient in implementing AI technologies. Full article

Firm–employee relationships are a prerequisite for customer–firm relationships and, consequently, to organizational success. The development of such relationships can be particularly challenging for retailers because of the complexity of the service component inherent to the environment in which they usually operate. For this reason, organizations need to align employee behaviors with the corporate brand promise so that they can perform a more active role as brand ambassadors. This issue becomes even more complex for organizations with a presence in foreign markets. This study focuses on how the adoption of in-role branding behavior by front-line employees (FLEs) can be influenced by the level of commitment FLEs display towards the corporate brand and how commitment is consequently influenced by corporate brand identity and corporate brand identity FLES’ perception of their role within the organization. The object of the study was the employees of Falabella, a multinational retailer based in Chile with a strong presence in the Colombian market. Results obtained demonstrate that brand commitment positively and significantly impacts FLE brand-oriented behavior in the retail context examined. More specifically, brand identity and role clarity positively impact brand commitment, leading to a positive impact on FLE brand behavior and job satisfaction. The results of this study offer valuable insight for scholars and practitioners regarding employee brand behavior’s engendering process within a retail environment in an emerging market. Full article

New product development (NPD) is essential for large, as well as small and medium, enterprises (SMEs). Despite its importance for the economy, challenges remain in the NPD in SMEs. Product success is related with the NPD process, so it is important for SMEs to be able to design their NPD process. This paper aims to identify SME’s NPD research topics, the characteristics of the NPD process in SMEs, and important aspects to be considered for NPD process design. The literature review is done with the analysis of 99 selected academic articles from Scopus and ScienceDirect. Content analysis, bibliographic analysis, and clustering method (based on Pearson’s correlation coefficient) are used to conduct the identification. Less-formal processes, informal strategic planning, limited resources, need technology support, and lack of capabilities in certain fields are some of the characteristics of SME’s NPD. Collaborative product development, competitive advantage, information and communication technology (ICT), concurrent engineering, quality function deployment, and continuous improvement are important keywords based on previous research in SME’s NPD. Design activities in NPD, collaboration and source of innovation, and process modelling, tools, and techniques appear to be important aspects related with the SME’s NPD process. Full article

Acceleration programs can have an effect on business advancement prospects by offering access to mentors and information, capacity building, connections and networks with corporates and startups, all of which contribute to increasing the chances of entrepreneurial success. This study explores the effectiveness of an acceleration program, implemented in the cross-border region of Greece–Albania, where there are limited similar business support initiatives. The survey conducted among participants in the acceleration program aimed at identifying key elements that can contribute to shaping entrepreneurial potential in the cross-border region offering preliminary insight to policy makers in designing relevant business support measures. There is common consensus among both cross-border populations that the acceleration program has helped them develop their business ideas. The study reveals the different types of business weaknesses the acceleration program helped to address in the two populations and key criteria perceived to be contributing to business development. However, acceleration programs effectiveness is affected not only by criteria internal to business and the markets but also by the entrepreneurial ecosystem conditions pertaining. In this respect, business acceleration program designs should be tailored to address particularities in the entrepreneurial environment so as to be effective and contribute to business growth. Full article

In this paper, we attempt to explore the extent to which the hard won development gains over the last several years could be reversed due to the unfolding COVID-19 global pandemic, how we can reboot the global response to accelerate the SDGs in times of uncertainties, and most importantly how to turn the recovery into an opportunity to build back better and more resilient economies. To do so, we examine the case of blockchain as one of the emerging innovative work-streams in development practices that could lead the way forward and pave the path for new developmental narratives as we all navigate the uncharted territories of the new digital age. This paper provides useful insights about the underlying dynamics underpinning the adoption of blockchain backed-solutions for sustainable development, and it showcases some of the promising use-cases being developed through trial-and-error experiments by its early adopters. The paper offers a deep dive into a burgeoning development practice in search of disrupting business-as-usual to solve increasingly complex development challenges by mainstreaming innovations such as blockchain-enabled solutions to rethink the ways in which development solutions are being delivered across the SDG spectrum. This work points to the significant potential of blockchain technology as a game changer in solving some of the most pressing issues hindering the global recovery post Covid-19 to transition towards greener and more inclusive economies. Nevertheless, we also stress that the hype-cycle behind the “let’s blockchain it” trend does not mean that blockchain-backed solutions are necessarily superior to other alternatives which might be less costly and less technical in nature. Development practitioners prototyping and implementing blockchain-based solutions for sustainable development can utilize these insights and discussions to make informed decisions in their journey to harness the disruptive potential of blockchain alone or in tandem with other emerging technologies in the new world of business as unusual. Full article

The emergence of the Internet as a commercialization method has offered organizations many opportunities. However, when buyers want to execute a transaction online, a certain distrust typically accompanies the need to provide personal data. To address this problem, assurance seals have been designed for use on websites. Different guarantee logos certify compliance with buyer protection laws and offer transparency in the commercial process. Thus, assurance seals displayed on the websites of sellers that adhere to a specific trust system allow consumers to choose among entities that have publicly committed to best business practices. We researched 130 sellers in Europe and Latin America that adhere to assurance seals in order to determine the influence of such seals. Our research shows that the use of trust seals increases Internet sales for more than 66% of these companies, improves their corporate image, enhances the number of potential buyers who visit their websites, and generally captures consumers’ attention. Full article

The paper aims to analyze the environmental aspects of innovation activity undertaken by companies and, in particular, to assess sustainable business leaders’ propensity to generate eco-innovation. The research described in the paper was descriptive and, to some extent, diagnostic. It was based on a non-random sample and was conducted—using the Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) method—in 2019 among 54 of the most eco-innovative Polish companies. The results of the research indicate that they are more likely to generate radical rather than incremental changes. Moreover, the most eco-innovative companies are those developing technologies for biodiversity protection. The results further indicate that companies with more than 50 employees have a higher propensity to develop incremental and radical eco-innovation than smaller firms with relatively fewer resources. Finally, this study shows that adopting an open innovation strategy strengthens the propensity to generate eco-innovation, especially radical ones. Moreover, developing such changes is dominated by the adoption of strategic and operational forward supply chain collaboration, involving the absorption of knowledge and information streaming directly from the market. The results can provide a frame for developing new business models incorporating collaboration in eco-innovation activities, especially in the situation of a post-pandemic recovery of the economy. Full article

To investigate how museums will change after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and to seek opinions on how well they can secure sustainable competitiveness, this study conducted 15 in-depth interviews using snowball sampling. The interviewees consisted of: an artists’ group, a museum-related group, and a users’ group. Our findings revealed that museums are working hard to gain competitiveness in the face of COVID-19, for which they changed their existing business models to a great extent. One of the most significant changes they introduced, was considering their users as internal, rather than external, stakeholders. For promoting museum products, encouraging users to participate makes them strong supporters who are more active across online platforms and engage and motivate new users, thereby configuring the network effects. The study concludes that this innovative trend will contribute to museums’ sustainable competitiveness during the pandemic as well as in the post-pandemic era. Full article

Culture is the most critical thing when driving innovation. This paper aims to discuss the counter-hegemony of Drama Gong against modern entertainment arts today with the dynamics of openness innovation. The research method used is qualitative and uses triangulation analysis. Basic qualitative data were obtained by examining two stories of Drama Gong, namely: (1) Angling Dharma (the 1980s) and (2) Jayaprana (2020). Data were collected through observation, document review, and interviews with artists and art observers of the Drama Gong culture of Bali. Qualitative descriptive analysis was carried out by applying the theory of semiotics and the theory of symbolic interaction. The results showed that to maintain its existence since the 1980s Drama Gong performance art has been revitalized as a form of counter-hegemony to today’s modern entertainment arts. The counter-hegemony concerns three things, namely: (1) the innovation of Drama Gong performance art, (2) the application of new technology to support the packaging and performance of the Drama Gong, and (3) efforts to maintain the function of the Drama Gong as a way to teach Balinese culture. Full article

Traffic congestion and air pollution continue to be serious concerns, especially in large cities, and going forward, this is not sustainable. Urban transport around the world is facing challenges, such as air pollution and inefficient use of resources, that often inhibit economic development. Simply building more roads cannot address such challenges. There is a need to integrate the urban infrastructure through smart connectivity. Smart mobility, as a vital cornerstone of a smart city, will potentially reduce traffic jams, commuting times, and road crashes and create an opportunity for passengers to customize their journeys. In fact, planning smart mobility solutions is among the top challenges for large cities around the world. It involves a set of deliberate actions backed by sophisticated technologies. The different elements and dimensions that characterize smart mobility are investigated to depict the overall picture surrounding the smart mobility domain. Additionally, the trends, opportunities, and threats inherent to smart mobility are addressed. There are four segments of smart mobility that are highlighted in this paper: intelligent transport systems, open data, big data analytics, and citizen engagement. These segments are all inter-related and play a crucial role in the successful implementation of smart mobility. Full article

Many private higher educational institutions (PHEI) are facing poor profitability, increased short term debts with under-resourced cash flow and insufficient funds that could lead to financial distress. To address the issues of ever-changing business environments and to deliver value propositions, PHEI should focus on their intangible assets to increase their capabilities to achieve frugal open innovation. The objective of this paper is to investigate the challenges faced by private universities from the practitioners’ points of view and offer a practical solution. This paper also attempts to identify whether there is a need for any changes in business model or operations required by private universities to sustain their competitive advantage in the current environment. This study is exploratory in nature due to scarcity of past literature on frugal open innovation in PHEI context. Interviews were conducted with experienced practitioners to elicit their experience managing challenges in PHEI. As a result, this paper sheds light on the ability of PHEI to formalize, capture, and leverage its intangible assets rather than only investing and managing tangible assets in order to achieve frugal open innovation. Frugal open innovation is the enabler for PHEI to focus on core functions, create closer integration with industry, local and international communities and promote greater efficiency in operations. This paper is novel because it seeks to contribute to the current debate in the literature, positioning frugal open innovation (FOI) within the sphere of intellectual capital research, through exploring the effect of intellectual capital on frugal innovation is mediated through the information technology capability. The result indicates that sales and operating planning (S&OP) can be panacea for the five main challenges faced by PHEI includes structural challenges, operational challenges, financial challenges, social challenges and technological challenges. We conclude that there is a role for intellectual capital to achieve FOI by influencing IT capabilities, thus warrants more research to fill this research gap. Full article

The possibility of drone usage for food delivery is met with enthusiasm by businesses as it promises instantaneous benefits such as reduced costs, improved customer satisfaction, and reduced environmental imprint. The objective of this paper is to explore consumer attitude and intention towards adopting a disruptive technology such as drone food delivery in the Indian context through motivated consumer innovativeness (MCI), green image, and perceived risk. We analyzed the questionnaire survey data collected from 310 respondents using structural equation modeling—partial least squares method. Functionally motivated consumer innovativeness and cognitively motivated consumer innovativeness were found to be significant positive predictors of consumer attitude and intention. Perceived privacy risk was found to have a significant negative influence on attitude. Green image had a significant positive effect on attitude towards drone usage. Other components of MCI namely, hedonic and social as well as performance and delivery risk did not show a significance influence. This study, to our knowledge, is first of its kind in India, a populous country with an established and booming economy, where the enabling and impeding antecedents of drone food delivery usage intention is simultaneously studied. The findings of this research will mainly benefit food delivery companies in framing successful drone food delivery strategies. Full article

The suspension of tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an almost complete halt in the activities of the tourism industry. This paper attempts to assess the ability to use the potential of health tourism enterprises in counteracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic and to propose a sustainable transformation of the business model of the health tourism enterprise, taking into account the determinants of sustainable tourism and health crises. The author presents the results of research conducted in March 2021 among 19 managers of the largest spa enterprises in Poland. The managers’ experiences from the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic indicate that sanatoriums and other health tourism facilities, during periods of health and humanitarian crises, can successfully play a preventive and relieving role for healthcare facilities by implementing post-COVID treatment, conducting vaccinations, organizing isolators for people in quarantine, and even treating patients who do not have symptoms but require hospitalization. The transformation of the business model of these companies, in the form of a sustainable SusHT-CANVAS+ business model, is proposed and the mentioned critical activities are positioned in the model in the form of sustainable value. Full article

Augmented reality (AR) technology is a computer-generated object that allows users to enrich the experience of products virtually with graphics, images, etc. Due to a lack of studies in developing countries like Malaysia, more studies are necessary to understand the pressing factors of diffusing AR technology for the flourishing retail industry. This research aimed to explore the factors affecting the adoption of AR technology in the retail sector through an extension of the technology acceptance model (TAM). The conceptual model was developed based on additional open-innovation-related constructs to the existing TAM constructs. To test the model, data were collected from 233 retail stores in Malaysia using a structured questionnaire survey. The PLS-based structural equation modeling technique was used to analyze the data. The empirical results confirmed that, except for external support and trading partner pressure, other factors, including perceived usefulness, attitude, competitive pressure, customer pressure, perceived cost, and technological knowledge have significant influences on the intention to use AR technology in retail stores. The attitude mediates the relationship between perceived usefulness and behavioral intention and the relationship between self-efficacy and behavioral intention. As operating cost was a critical factor, managers are advised to deliver various packages of after-sales services and free installation charges to curb expenses. This study improved TAM by offering a comprehensive model with cognitive and open innovation factors and provided suggestions for retail stores when they attempt to adopt AR technology to develop an open business model. Full article

The determinants of innovation output in empirical literature were extensively investigated by considering diverse sets of variables. Still, the impact of economic policy uncertainty on innovation output is yet to unleash. To mitigate the existing research gap, the study investigated the association between EPU and innovation output, considering a panel of 22 countries over 1997–2018. The study employed a dynamic panel quantile regression and system-GMM specification causality test for discovering elasticity and directional association both in the long-run and the short-run. Study findings disclosed negative statistically significant effects running from EPU to innovation output except innovation measured by R&D. Moreover, institutional quality and FDI exposed positive and statistically significant association with innovation output. In terms of directional causality, unidirectional causality running from EPU and FDI to innovation output was established, whereas bidirectional causality was established between institutional quality and innovation output. Full article

The main objective of the present research is to identify the knowledge flows responsible for promoting the innovation capacity of Portuguese companies. Specifically, we intend to identify which variables influence Portuguese innovation capacity from a macro and micro perspective, so that we can establish possible ways to promote open innovation (OI) in Portugal since Portuguese companies have little maturity in terms of open innovation when compared to companies in other countries of the European Union. To achieve this goal, the methodological design used consisted of two phases. In the first phase, a literature review was conducted to identify the main variables associated with innovation performance. After identifying the most influential variables in the literature, in a second phase, data were collected through three distinct databases, namely Pordata, the Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority, and SABI. To identify the most influential variables in the Portuguese innovation capacity, the multivariate multiple regression technique based on the ordinary least square (OLS) method was applied. The results of the present research bring empirical evidence that researchers dedicated to R&D from non-profit institutions (i.e., inbound OI) and researchers from firms (i.e., outbound OI) exert a significant influence on innovation capacity so the development of an optimal strategy for the strengthening of open innovation by Portuguese firms should take into account the use and combination of these two specific knowledge flows. In this sense, the originality of this research lies in the fact that it is the first attempt to understand the possible implications of the determinants of innovation capacity on open innovation, from an exploratory study concerning the flows of knowledge. Full article

This study set out to uncover brand positioning configurations by presenting state-of-the-art brand management literature and applying a novel, mixed-methods approach to examine the under-researched wine industry transformation towards open innovation in branding. German winery brands were analyzed using a multimethod approach leaning on a novel netnographic methodology and multiple sources. The sample included 572 wineries from all 13 German wine regions with website text data and online review text data from each winery. The study identified nine prime words used to describe both brand identity as well as wine brand image. It revealed word–price clusters of brand identity and image. The results offer insights into communication and pricing opportunities for wine brand identity as well as image, thereby contributing to open brand innovation. Full article

Society recognizes the need to progress towards equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of political and economic decision-making for women and requires that companies work to reach that goal. Nevertheless, leadership education should begin in the educational stages. This research presents a collaborative model of leadership education for high-potential female undergraduate students carried out at the university level between 2017 and 2020, with 75 students. To be successful at improving student leadership skills, self-esteem, self-confidence, and personal inner transformation, this women’s leadership development program was based on four lines of innovation: (a) attracting external stakeholders to develop training jointly; (b) making an open program with multidisciplinary students in social sciences and STEM subjects tailored to the professional environment; (c) measuring the learning with all the participants: trainers, directors, managers, program staff and students, using a 360-degree evaluation; and (d) designing an ongoing research process to incorporate improvements from multiple stakeholder perspectives. A multi-source program assessment was used. The results not only show a positive impact on the students’ acquisition of leadership skills but also, on the increase in self-confidence and ambition. The study provides a pioneering model for women’s leadership education that could be used in other similar programs. Full article

University–industry collaborations create socioeconomic impacts for the areas where they are undertaken. Although these collaborations have recognized importance and a high potential to generate economic and social benefits, there is no consensus in the literature on a consolidated conceptual model for assessing their socioeconomic impacts. Given this scenario, this study reviews 94 studies on the socioeconomic impact of university–industry collaborations using a context–intervention–mechanism–outcomes configuration. The impacts identified in the systematic literature review are classified into: (1) economic, (2) social, and (3) financial. The systematic literature review also indicates that the impact of collaborations can change the context and enhance the mechanisms of technology transfer. From a theoretical viewpoint, this work contributes to the structuring of a conceptual model for assessing the socioeconomic impacts of university–industry collaborations. In addition, the results have contributions for management in each strand of the triple helix: they may be useful to guide universities and companies on how to assess the socioeconomic impacts of each collaboration, direct public agents in the evaluation of results of investments, and support the development of policies for innovation and technology management. Full article

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the role of the Islamic financial system in recovery post-COVID-19 and the way Fintech can be utilized to combat the economic reverberations created by COVID-19. The global financial crisis of 2008 has established the credentials of the Islamic financial system as a sustainable financial system which can save the long run interests of the average citizens around the world while adding value to the real economy. The basic ethical tenets available in the Islamic financial system make it more suited and readymade to fight the economic aftershocks of a pandemic like COVID-19. The basic principles of ethical Islamic finance have solid connections to financial stability and corporate social responsibility within the wide-reaching business context. With the emergence of Financial technology (Fintech) it has provided a missing impetus to the Islamic financial system to compete on equal ground with its conventional counterpart and prove its mettle. The study uses discourse analysis along with the content analysis to extract content and draw a conclusion. The findings of the study indicate that COVID-19 pandemic has provided the opportunity for the social and open innovation to grow and finance world have turned to open innovation to provide a speedy, timely, reliable, and sustainable solution to the world. The findings of the study provide significant implications for governments and policy makers in efficient application of Fintech and innovative Islamic financial services to fight the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article

The role of R&D (research and development) intensity on the effect of knowledge services on the business performance of firms has been discussed by using PLS-SEM and PLS-MGA methods. Research groups were divided into two groups, innovative and non-innovative. Respondents were classified into innovative firms if their R&D intensity was over 3% and vice versa. PLS-SEM and PLS-MGA results were compared for two groups and valuable insights were extracted. For innovative firms, knowledge services seemed to be verified and processed by the decision makers and utilized to achieve their business performance. On the other hand, a large number of non-innovative firms seemed to have a stronger tendency to utilize knowledge services directly for their business without sufficient verification by the decision makers. Full article

During such a complex crisis as the one experienced by humanity since the first quarter of 2020, it is necessary to develop tools that contribute to creating the corporate image for organizations that are currently interested in being identified as brands with high social and environmental commitment. Likewise, elements that contribute to building strong brands during a context that has changed consumption priorities are required. For this reason, this paper aims at adapting the dimension of socially responsible brand personality (SRBP), proposed by Mayorga (2017), taking the situation experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic as a new context. The objective of this research is to contribute to the management of corporate social responsibility (CSR) by providing, from a communicative perspective, a tool that optimizes the creation of a socially responsible image by the different stakeholders. The results allow us to conclude that there is a structural modification of the brand personality proposed by Mayorga, which can be presumed to be generated by the current environment, and which, therefore, can be established as a pillar of CSR management in the new normal, from a relational point of view. The findings clearly identify the virtue of integrity in brand personality, which is made up of two attributes, which, in turn, are made up of 17 traits that can identify a socially responsible brand. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced or even temporarily halted tourism worldwide. The lack of tourists has huge consequences not only for the tourism industry, but also for the tourism economy. Health tourism enterprises are also affected by this problem, but their situation is somewhat different from other tourism enterprises, as the relationship of these enterprises with the healthcare system provides an opportunity to continue operations, albeit in a different role than the tourism function. The diagnostic objective of this article is to assess the impact of the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus on the activities of tourism and medical tourism enterprises operating in spa destinations after 12 months of the pandemic situation. The cognitive objective, on the other hand, is to identify the roles that these companies play in reducing the impact of epidemic risks. The article presents the results of the research conducted in 19 tourism and medical companies, covering 115 sanatorium facilities, run in Polish health spas. The results indicate that although their economic situation is difficult, it is at the same time stable. Two reasons in particular stand out: (1) financial support from government anti-crisis programs; and (2) implementation of rapid organizational changes that enable the implementation of epidemiological prevention tasks, relieving the burden on infectious diseases hospitals by operating an isolation center, a vaccination center, or a quarantine facility for asymptomatic patients. This use of tourism infrastructure contributes to promoting it as open innovation in tourism. Full article