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Prior research has underscored the important role of supplier integration in improving firms' performance. However, the process of supplier integration is not easy and the effects of supplier integration are complicated since the relationship between supplier and buyer is full of uncertainty. Using the lens of relational view, we theoretically posit two strategies of integrating suppliers, including information sharing and joint decision making, which can cope with the relationship uncertainties. Then we propose that information sharing and joint decision making are positively associated with time-based and functional-based performance separately. Furthermore, we develop hypotheses as to when the above positive relationship will be reduced by utilizing product complexity and competitive intensity as moderating factors. We test the hypotheses using a global survey dataset including 763 manufacturing firms in 22 countries. Results indicate the positive relationship between supplier integration and operational performance and the significant moderating roles of product complexity and competition intensity, except that product complexity does not have a significant moderation effect on the relationship between joint decision making and functional-based performance. This study makes theoretical contributions by exploring the strategies of supplier integration in terms of the relationship uncertainty and a relational view and examining the contingent factors of product complexity and competition intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has paid much attention to the determinant role of educational factors and personal factors on entrepreneurial intentions. However, evidence on how entrepreneurship education impacts entrepreneurial intention remains insufficient. To answer this question, drawing on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), we propose and test on three mediating effects (attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control towards entrepreneurship) through which entrepreneurship education is associated with entrepreneurial intention. Based on a sample of 201 university students in Hong Kong, we find that the positive relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention is significantly mediated by attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control towards entrepreneurship. Contributing to the general literature of entrepreneurship, this study helps us to better understand the mechanism through which one's entrepreneurship education may enhance his/her entrepreneurial intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing companies are increasingly turning to more intensively cooperating with their suppliers and customers in order to overcome the effects of ?°service paradox?±. The current servitization literature on supply chain cooperation mostly focuses on suppliers, with little attention given to customers. As an inseparable part of service, customers are a key component of the servitization strategy for manufacturing firms, and therefore, require more attention. Based on a survey of 931 manufacturing plants from 22 countries, this study examined the relationship between servitization and firm performance as well as the moderating effect of customer integration. We considered two distinct forms of servitization, the product- dominant ?®Services Support Products' (SSP) and the service-dominant ?®Services Support Customers' (SSC). Results show that SSC is positively related to firm performance, but the relationship between SSP and firm performance is insignificant. Furthermore, customer integration weakens the relationship between SSP and firm performance, and strengthens the relationship between SSC and firm performance. These results suggest that the distinct forms of servitization differentially affect performance and that customer integration moderates these effects differentially as well. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]