Search

This study delves into the intricate relationship between customers' willingness to co‐create (WCC) and the required level of co‐creation (LCC) for effective service innovation adoption. In response to recent findings suggesting a "co‐creation sweet spot," beyond which additional co‐creation activities have detrimental effects, this research aims to provide both theoretical and empirical insights into this phenomenon. Unlike previous investigations focusing on either the willingness to co‐create or the level of co‐creation at a particular point in time and overlooking potential interactions, our study considers their interactions over time, acknowledging that revenue for most digital services is generated through ongoing customer usage. Utilizing longitudinal data from 352 participants across four waves and employing structural equation modeling, our analysis reveals a nuanced pattern. Customers' willingness to co‐create predominantly shapes usage intention in the pre‐adoption stage, while the level of co‐creation becomes a critical driver for continuous usage in the post‐adoption stages. Further analysis using response surface analysis with polynomial regression confirms a specific matching logic: customers with low (high) willingness to co‐create expect a low (high) level of co‐creation from a service innovation. From a theoretical perspective, our findings contribute to bridging the research gap concerning an optimal co‐creation level, offering insights into psychological processes underlying the co‐creation sweet spot. Furthermore, we also shed light on temporal aspects of the interplay between willingness to co‐create and the level of co‐creation, offering a more holistic perspective on their joint influence on adoption behavior. From a managerial perspective, our study challenges the traditional assumption that more co‐creation naturally leads to better outcomes. It emphasizes the significance of tailoring the level of co‐creation in digital service innovations based on customers' intrinsic willingness. This strategic customization aligns with the evolving landscape of digital service innovation, offering practical insights for managers striving to optimize their co‐creation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate whether the development of regional disparities in entrepreneurship and innovation in Germany can be traced back to Roman rule 2000 years ago. We find a lasting positive Roman effect on the level and quality of entrepreneurship and innovation. This effect might be due to the imprint of local hard factors, such as interregional social and economic exchange, particularly emerging from the integration into the Roman Empire. This effect remains robust when a number of other significant historical developments are taken into account. We hope that these results stimulate a scholarly debate on the probably underestimated importance of ancient roots of economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student entrepreneurship can take the form of solo or team efforts. While a positive and supportive university context is likely to increase entrepreneurial activities in general, it is unclear whether this effect is equally strong on both forms of entrepreneurship and for all types of students. Focusing on students embedded in universities, we study the entrepreneurial climate of universities and its combined effects with gender and entrepreneurship education on solo and team entrepreneurship. Drawing from organizational theory and team formation literature, we hypothesize that a positive entrepreneurial climate stimulates both, solo and team entrepreneurship. Yet, we argue that this effect is contingent on individuals' intrinsic preferences for independence or growth which may differ by gender and entrepreneurship course participation. We test our hypotheses by means of a multilevel and longitudinal research design, using a large international dataset on student entrepreneurs (GUESSS). We find that a positive entrepreneurial climate indeed fosters solo and team startups of students, with gender and entrepreneurship education having an interactive effect. Our results suggest that a positive climate leads to more solo startups of women and more team startups of men. We contribute to a better understanding of student entrepreneurship and, specifically, the formation of solo and team startups. Our results elucidate the hitherto overlooked person-context dynamics and help explain why a supportive university context can unintentionally widen the gender gap in team startups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested the drivers of spinoffs' (that is, new firms started by ex-employees of incumbent firms) alliance network size through the lens of imprinting theory, using a large longitudinal sample of 145 newly founded spinoffs and 3,405 strategic alliances from 2001 to 2014 in the alliance-intensive mining industry. Our results revealed that whereas parent firms' network positions in terms of size and centrality leave an influential early imprinting effect on spinoffs' alliance network size, initial partners' network position leaves an effect through path-dependent forces. Further, our analysis revealed that the parent's network characteristics can influence the choice of initial partner. We discuss implications for alliance network emergence, spinoffs, and imprinting theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]