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Investment in early-stage ventures entails significant risk and uncertainty; for this reason, most investment pitches do not result in investments. Whereas the literature in entrepreneurial financing indicates that investors rely on their gut feelings, it remains unclear which entrepreneur attributes factor into this type of intuitive judgment. This study presents a holistic model of entrepreneur attributes as they relate to inventors’ evaluation of funding potential. The model is divided into three categories: entrepreneur–investor relational attributes, entrepreneur motivational attributes, and venture performance-influence attributes. The model is then tested on real-time pitch competitions, by analysing data from technology start-up entrepreneurs, psychologist evaluators, and investors. The model is grounded in dual-processing theory and signalling theory. It is hypothesised that investors base their evaluations on their intuitive judgment of the entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs’ competence, coachability, passion, preparedness, and leadership are shown to be associated with investors’ evaluations of funding potential.

We explore the effects of various receiver coil dimensions and configurations on power transfer efficiency and cost of operation, using advanced simulation tools. We demonstrate that the spatial distribution of the magnetic field leads to a non-monotonic dependence of the coupling coefficient on coil size. Thus, an optimal coil size, where the coupling coefficient peaks, should be regarded a crucial design parameter which affects the entire system performances. The incorporation of our findings into a multi-objective optimization algorithm is also discussed.

This study examined coping with stress from an organizational perspective by positing a relationship between Psychological Capital (PsyCap) and coping strategies (defined as change, accepting, or withdrawal). It was hypothesized that coping strategies would mediate the relationship between PsyCap and people’s well-being and performance. Questionnaire findings from a five hundred and fifty four employees showed a significant relationship between PsyCap and coping. Coping strategy in terms of change partially mediated the relationship between PsyCap and the outcomes of well-being and performance. Coping strategy in terms of withdrawal partially mediated the relationship between PsyCap and performance. PsyCap was found to have a strong, positive, and direct correlation with well-being and performance. Well-being was not found to associate significantly with performance. These findings suggest that the central variable in the model is not coping but PsyCap. PsyCap appears to have a strong, direct, and significant effect on the dependent variables. The theoretical implications are examined and future research avenues suggested.

PurposeThe paper's aim is to examine how the relationships between career commitment, organizational commitment and intentions to leave, an indicator of worker well‐being, were moderated by ease of movement and sector affiliation.Design/methodology/approachThe sample consisted of 340 knowledge workers (107 low‐tech, 233 high‐tech), that anonymously filled in a structured questionnaire, that included measures of organizational commitment, career commitment, perceived ease of movement, sector affiliation and intention to leave.FindingsAnalysis of the questionnaires showed that organizational commitment, unlike career commitment, is related to intentions to leave regardless of other personal or structural considerations. By contrast, ease of movement and sector affiliation moderated the relationship between career commitment and intentions to leave.Practical implicationsUnderstanding the differences between career commitment and organizational commitment, employers, especially in the high‐tech sector, should advance employees’ organizational commitment.Originality/valueThe intention to leave one's present place of work is a widespread phenomenon, particularly among knowledge workers. Although organizational commitment as an antecedent variable appears in many turnover intention models, career commitment has been investigated much less frequently. The current study attempts to fill this gap.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) engagement on employee motivation, job satisfaction and organizational identification as well as employee citizenship in voluntary community activities.Design/methodology/approachEmployees (n=224) of a major airline carrier participated in the study based on a 54‐item questionnaire, containing four different sets of items related to volunteering, motivation, job satisfaction and organizational identification. The employee sample consisted of two sub‐samples drawn randomly from the company pool of employees, differentiating between active participants in the company's CSR programs (APs) and non participants (NAPs).FindingsSignificant differences were found between APs and NAPs on organizational identification and motivation, but not for job satisfaction. In addition, positive significant correlations between organizational identification, volunteering, job satisfaction, and motivation were obtained. These results are interpreted within the broader context that ties social identity theory (SIT) and organizational identification increase.Practical implicationsThe paper contributes to the understanding of the interrelations between CSR and other organizational behavior constructs. Practitioners can learn from this study how to increase job satisfaction and organizational identification. Both are extremely important for an organization's sustainability.Originality/valueThis is a first attempt to investigate the relationship between CSR, organizational identification and motivation, comparing two groups from the same organization. The paper discusses the questions: “Are there potential gains at the intra‐organizational level in terms of enhanced motivation and organizational attitudes on the part of employees?” and “Does volunteering or active participation in CSR yield greater benefits for involved employees in terms of their motivation, job satisfaction and identification?”.

Organizational attention is an underdeveloped construct that can account for a variety of organizational phenomena. Attention is the means by which individuals select and process a limited amount of input from the enormous amount of internal and environmental inputs bombarding the senses, memories and other cognitive processes. This article develops a coherent theory of organizational attention, drawing on Cornelissenșs domain-interactive metaphor model. Topics that form the building blocks of individual attention research, including selective and divided attention, automatic versus controlled processes, attention and memory, attention and learning, are examined in terms of their applicability to the organizational context.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose and test a model that uses “organizational attention” as an explanatory factor of knowledge transfer, and apply it to firms pursuing a replication strategy – like McDonalds or Starbucks.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from three coffee chains, empirical findings that operationalize and illustrate their different attention profiles are presented, and differences in their replication outcomes are demonstrated. The paper concludes with some qualitative analyses of the linkages between attention and replication success.FindingsEach chain has a different attention profile, reflected in varying attention to knowledge sources and domains. These profiles are found to be consistent with each three outcome measures of each chain's replication strategy – namely uniformity, accuracy, and distinctiveness.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper extends prior understanding of the knowledge based view of the firm, organization, learning, cognitive limits, attention, and templates into an explanatory model of the process of knowledge flows, selection, and effectiveness in implementing replication strategies in service firms.Originality/valueThe proposed model is a pioneering examination of the influence of organizational attention on exploiting knowledge as a strategic resource; and specifically on three indications of the success of the replication strategy, namely accuracy, uniformity, and distinctiveness.

This study assessed the role of individualism and collectivism in the shaping of personal values of Canadians, Israelis, and Palestinians. Based on Sagie and Elizur’s (1996) multifaceted approach, we distinguished personal values that are individual centered (i.e., associated with one’s home, family, or work) from collective-centered values (i.e., associated with the religion, sports, or politics). The magnitude of the difference between both value types differs according to cultural orientation. As compared with Palestinians, we predicted that Canadians and Israelis would rank individual-centered values higher and collective-centered values lower. Data obtained from samples of Palestinians, Israelis, and Canadians supported this hypothesis.

The replication strategy – sometimes called the ‘McDonald's strategy’ – requires efficient transfer of massive amounts of knowledge to be successful. While it is generally agreed that knowledge is a crucial organisational resource, less is understood about how an organisation may use its knowledge for strategic success. We propose a model that uses ‘organisational attention’ as an explanatory factor of knowledge transfer and exploitation in chain-store organisations implementing a replication strategy. The proposed model examines the influence of organisational attention on exploiting knowledge as a strategic resource; and specifically on three indications of the success of the replication strategy, namely accuracy, uniformity, and distinctiveness. These three variables help us understand the nature of templates and the processes involved in transferring the explicit and tacit knowledge contained therein. Based on the model we then develop several research propositions, and conclude with some thoughts on ...

PurposeThis study attempts to analyze the structure of work commitment by delineating and classifying the content areas that constitute the conceptual space of the work commitment domain.Design/methodology/approachBuilding on the work commitment literature, the present study considers the identified forms of work commitment, but goes beyond these forms to explore a basic conceptual structure of the domain.FindingsThe findings indicated that multiple commitment measures provide more comprehensive information concerning individuals' work commitment than a single general measure. Specifically, facet analysis provides an important tool for researchers to understand the structure of work commitment.Originality/valueThe multifaceted approach employed in this study enabled the designing and empirical testing of a structural definitional framework of work commitment, which despite growing interest, lacks such a definition. Only two of the three possible facets were examined. Future research may use the complete definitional framework in order to systematically develop an empirical tool that will represent all three facets and their elements.

Not much is known about “reluctant entrepreneurs,” who instigate new ventures out of necessity rather than out of choice. In this paper we study the extent to which various aspects of the entrepren...