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Purpose: This is one of the first empirical studies aimed at analyzing the interrelation between creative partnerships (CPs), absorptive (AC), knowledge application (KA) capacities and innovation performance in food companies. Design/methodology/approach: We tested this on a sample of 112 Italian medium-sized food firms that established CPs through a partial least square (PLS) structural equation model (SEM) approach. Findings: Results are in favor of an important role of CPs in the innovation process of food firms analyzed only if combined with the development of the two internal capacities investigated (AC and KA). Research limitations/implications: Implications are provided in order to stimulate new and more forms of collaboration between CIs and food firms as well as more empirical studies on this topic. Originality/value: Few studies in food companies keep into account the role of internal capacities that firms have to build with the aim of acquiring external knowledge through partnerships, in particular in the specific context of CPs. These specific kinds of partnerships are becoming increasingly important because they provide key nonoverlapping knowledge and propose new creative methods, ways and answers that differentiate the innovation process of food firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to assess the influence of new market trends and the emergence of the sustainability concept on the mission statements and goals of MSMEs (micro, small and medium-sized enterprises) operating in selected European countries according to the size of the company. The authors base the discussion on the results of their own research conducted among MSMEs operating in six European countries: Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Poland, Russia and Croatia. A quantitative approach was employed to gather data. Rich data were generated via interviews with CEOs or CMOs of MSMEs operating in the selected countries. The results were developed through qualitative analysis. The findings indicate that micro and small enterprises, unlike medium-sized enterprises, do not perceive adherence to the concept of sustainable development in their business operations as a very important challenge of the modern market. The research also showed that the most dynamic increase as regards the importance of socio-ecological objectives was recorded in the case of medium-sized enterprises. Unfortunately, neither micro, nor small, nor medium-sized enterprises include sustainability in their mission statements. This shows that the activities undertaken in this respect by the analysed entities are conducted at the operational rather than the strategic level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A changing and not always rewarding geopolitical reality forces major players of world economy to integrate sustainable principles and social responsibility in corporate and state strategy. These processes lead to a diverse institutionalization level of the overall social responsibility, particularly within politically and financially different systems of emerging markets economies. Some very clear examples of such systems are Russia and China where strategy of economic and social development is presumably based on principles of sustainable development. The balance of socio-economic and political systems requires a complex mechanism grounded on absolutely diverse historical, mental and other peculiarities. We argue that the game theory methodology, and the Nash bargaining solution in particular, provides a solution for the key concepts. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]