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This article examines the influence of both individual and organizational moral identity centrality on prosocial behaviors. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the centrality of these two offer a substitute effect on these behavioral outcomes. Validated measures of organizational moral identity centrality and unethical prosocial behavior are introduced. Data were collected via two separate samples, University Greek Life organization members (n = 499) and restaurant workers (n = 137). Regression results supporting that individuals who claim centrality of moral identity and see their organizations to also embrace the centrality are more likely to engage in citizenship behaviors and less likely to commit unethical prosocial acts. Furthermore, results support that both forms of centrality of moral identity were substitutes in terms of affecting these two outcomes. Research that contributes to understanding how individuals within an organization consciously choose to act on behalf of the organization even when these very actions conflict with generally accepted morals of right and wrong within their society is valuable to academics and practitioners alike. This study contributes to this body of knowledge. Despite extensive attention to topics of ethics and identity, previous studies have largely overlooked the impact of an organizational moral identity. Our results provide a framework for understanding the role of moral identity and the prediction of organizational citizenship and unethical prosocial behaviors.

The purpose of this paper is to apply the theory of guided preparation to investigate the relative impact of outside counseling assistance and entrepreneurship courses on new venture creation and performance. To attain a sample of nascent entrepreneurs who had been impacted by entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial counseling, 256 individuals who received counseling from the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center in 1996 or 1998 were surveyed. The authors ran a logistic regression model using venture start-up as the categorical dependent variable to investigate whether entrepreneurial education and counseling had an influence on the creation of new ventures. To test whether entrepreneurial education or counseling had a long-term impact on the growth of new ventures, hierarchical regression analyses were run using employment in 2003 as the dependent variable. Various control variables were used for both sets of analyses. Findings indicate that counseling has a significant impact on venture performance but entrepreneurship courses do not. In contrast, entrepreneurship courses are related to venture creation while counseling is not. Consistent with theory, the results suggest that counseling programs allow entrepreneurs to develop context-specific tacit knowledge about their ventures and are best delivered immediately prior to venture start-up. Entrepreneurship courses appear to indirectly influence new venture performance by increasing the odds of start up. This comparative test of the theory of guided preparation contributes to the understanding of the effects of education and counseling on the creation and long-term performance of new ventures, informing how the delivery of such programs can be improved.

Young, nascent firms face substantial challenges associated with their ability to capture knowledge from their respective competitive environments and use that knowledge to successfully develop and/or restructure their business models. The present work theorizes that stakeholder knowledge acquisition frequency--defined as the extent to which a venture engages with its customers and stakeholders to gather and/or share information about products/services--causally predicts business model adaptations within nascent firms. To test this proposition, the current study employs a Latent Growth Curve (LGC) model with 138 observations from a 24-week longitudinal sample of nascent firms. Results indicate a quadratic relationship between knowledge acquisition frequency and business model adaptation, meaning that as nascent firms engage with stakeholders, the more (or less) the firms business models change as a result. Results support the causal relationship between knowledge acquisition frequency and business model adaptation and demonstrates the influence of stakeholder knowledge acquisition frequency as an antecedent to business model adaptation for nascent firms.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between learning orientation (LO), entrepreneurial orientation (EO), and firm growth in small- and medium-sized firms (SMEs). The authors theoretically argue for a mediation effect of EO on the relationship between LO and growth. The study considered how companies that value learning enact actions to affect firm outcomes. This is particularly important for small firms that may not be capable of withstanding significant shocks in the marketplace. Design/methodology/approach – The research design employed the survey method for data gathering and resulted in 105 completed responses from CEOs/presidents of SMEs. To examine the construct validity of the measurement dimensions the authors used a multistage process. Additionally, the authors employed a competing models analytic design to determine the presence and strength of mediating effects of the EO construct. Findings – The findings empirically demonstrate the notion that firm cultural values embodied in a LO and translated into action behaviors by an EO is positively related to SME growth and adaptation. The research also supports the notion that learning is an important element in opportunity recognition insofar as opportunity recognition is entrepreneurial or reflecting an EO. SMEs that are open to learning may identify opportunities to exploit through an EO that facilitates growth. In the face of dynamic external environments and competitive conditions SMEs are well served by being more creative and entrepreneurial. Research limitations/implications – The design of the study is limited by single source, key respondents in SMEs, and has the potential for common method bias even though the authors tested for this effect successfully. Originality/value – The study contributes to the literature by examining how learning and an orientation toward entrepreneurial behavior affect the growth of firms. These findings will be of value to both scholars and entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurial initiatives addressing pressing social and environmental challenges have become an important domain of scholarly inquiry. Prosocial ventures, arising from the intersection of market-based and social welfare logics, encounter significant obstacles in securing resources. Social impact accelerators (SIAs) are short-term, cohort-based programs that partially mitigate these challenges by providing seed funding, mentoring, and peer networks that reinforce ventures’ value propositions. Admission into SIAs is therefore a critical determinant of subsequent venture success. Despite the expansion of accelerator research, limited attention has been devoted to SIAs. This study employs signaling theory, complemented by pecking-order and static trade-off theories, to conceptualize selection and admission decisions.

This study empirically examines the role knowledge integration plays in the successful development of noneconomic value creation within family firms. A general framework illustrating this process is presented by adapting literature from both the family firm literature and the knowledge-based view of the firm. Using a study of 158 family-owned businesses, this work analyzes how the path-dependent, idiosyncratic knowledge developed within families and their businesses is leveraged to successfully meet their noneconomic goals. Additionally, how transgenerational control intentions of the family unit and the type of knowledge being transferred moderate this relationship are examined. Implications and future research are proposed.

Through the lens of social identity theory, this article investigates the influence of the social variable of the family as a catalyst for beneficial outcomes via a stewardship orientation within the firm. The family firm provides a unique perspective in that it possesses a broader range of influential social groupings. However, multiple identifications may not associate with only positive outcomes, as conflict may arise when such identities compete. We contend that the leadership within a family firm can capitalize on the benefits associated with multiple identifications and reduce conflict in the family firm based upon members‟ perceptions of transformational leadership.

Young, nascent firms face substantial challenges associated with their ability to capture knowledge from their respective competitive environments and use that knowledge to successfully develop and/or restructure their business models. The present work theorizes that stakeholder knowledgae acquisition frequencyy—defined as the extent to which a venture engages with its customers and stakeholders to gather and/or share information about products/services—causally predicts business model adaptations within nascent firms. To test this proposition, the current study employs a Latent Growth Curve (LGC) model with 138 observations from a 24-week longitudinal sample of nascent firms. Results indicate a quadratic relationship between knowledge acquisition frequency and business model adaptation, meaning that as nascent firms engage with stakeholders, the more (or less) the firms business models change as a result. Results support the causal relationship between knowledge acquisition frequency and business model adaptation and demonstrates the influence of stakeholder knowledge acquisition frequency as an antecedent to business model adaptation for nascent firms.

Christopher Kirk and his colleagues have developed the first specific inhibitor of the immunoproteasome. They find that the immunoproteasome has a major role in regulating cytokine production, as well as antigen presentation, and their inhibitor has good efficacy in animal models of arthritis. The immunoproteasome, a distinct class of proteasome found predominantly in monocytes and lymphocytes, is known to shape the antigenic repertoire presented on class I major histocompatibility complexes (MHC-I). However, a specific role for the immunoproteasome in regulating other facets of immune responses has not been established. We describe here the characterization of PR-957, a selective inhibitor of low–molecular mass polypeptide-7 (LMP7, encoded by Psmb8 ), the chymotrypsin-like subunit of the immunoproteasome. PR-957 blocked presentation of LMP7-specific, MHC-I–restricted antigens in vitro and in vivo . Selective inhibition of LMP7 by PR-957 blocked production of interleukin-23 (IL-23) by activated monocytes and interferon-γ and IL-2 by T cells. In mouse models of rheumatoid arthritis, PR-957 treatment reversed signs of disease and resulted in reductions in cellular infiltration, cytokine production and autoantibody levels. These studies reveal a unique role for LMP7 in controlling pathogenic immune responses and provide a therapeutic rationale for targeting LMP7 in autoimmune disorders.