Current Issue

Designing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems for a Greener Future: A Systematic Review of Stakeholder Coordination, Policy Instruments, and Institutional Practices with Insights for Oman

Abstract

As environmental priorities reshape global development agendas, sustainable entrepreneurship is increasingly seen as a strategic pathway to innovation, employment, and ecological resilience. Qualitative content analysis of 53 peer-reviewed articles and institutional reports published between 2013 and 2024 is applied in the study to investigate how entrepreneurial ecosystems are structured to enable green innovation. The analysis looks for patterns across geographical settings to synthesize prominent themes related to stakeholder coordination, policy levers, institutional support, and regional adaptation. This study is guided by the following research questions: (1) What design features characterize successful sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems across global contexts? (2) How are stakeholder coordination, policy instruments, and institutional support structured to enable green entrepreneurship? (3) How can these global insights be adapted to Oman’s unique socio-economic and policy landscape under Vision 2040? Findings underscore the roles played by multi-actor governance, fiscal and regulatory levers, and academia-industry partnerships in enabling sustainability-driven entrepreneurship. For emerging economies such as Oman—where Vision 2040 demands economic diversification and environmental sustainability—ecosystem-level interventions are particularly important. The study formulates a conceptual framework capturing global lessons for local strategies in catalyzing cleantech, agri-innovation, and circular economy startups. The framework offers actionable advice to policymakers, educators, incubators, and investors in embedding sustainability in entrepreneurial ecosystems, with implications for SDG and national transformation strategy alignment. KEYWORDS: Sustainable Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Qualitative Content Analysis, Green Innovation, Policy Instruments, Institutional Support, Multi-Stakeholder Governance, Vision 2040 (Oman), Cleantech, Circular Economy, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS)

Fundamental Impacts of Blockchain Technology on Entrepreneurial Management: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis

Abstract

Blockchain technology has rapidly evolved from its origins as a decentralized ledger for cryptocurrency into a powerful technological infrastructure that promises to revolutionize diverse industries. Characterized by immutability, transparency, and decentralization, blockchain enables secure peer-to-peer transactions without intermediaries, creating new possibilities for value creation, organizational design, and market structure (Casino et al., 2019; Xu et al., 2019). In the entrepreneurial context, these features present substantial opportunities for innovation, disintermediation, and improved trust between stakeholders, particularly in ecosystems where information asymmetry and high transaction costs have traditionally hindered efficiency (Iansiti & Lakhani, 2017; Risius & Spohrer, 2017). The increasing interest in digital entrepreneurship, coupled with the demand for more resilient and adaptable business models, has made the adoption of blockchain particularly appealing to startups and innovation-driven enterprises. Blockchain platforms, smart contracts, and tokenization mechanisms are not only disrupting traditional business processes but also enabling the emergence of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and new modes of entrepreneurial governance (Chen et al., 2020; Frizzo-Barker et al., 2020). However, despite these potentials, there remains limited synthesis in the literature regarding the overarching implications of blockchain on entrepreneurial management practices. KEYWORDS: Blockchain, Entrepreneurial Management, Business Model Innovation, Governance, Decentralized Ecosystem

Digital Readiness of Cooperatives in Surigao del Norte

Abstract

This study assessed the extent of information technology (IT) use and the level of digital readiness of medium and large cooperatives in Surigao del Norte, Philippines. Using a descriptive–correlational design, data were collected from 116 respondents, composed of 17 cooperative managers and 99 staff, through a validated researcher-made questionnaire. Results revealed that most respondents were female (59.48%), aged 30–34 years (28.45%), and bachelor’s degree holders (84.48%). The majority of the cooperatives were large (55.56%), multipurpose (94.44%), and allocated 5–10% of total resources to IT budgets (44.44%). IT tools such as online communication platforms, operating systems with security features, and customer relationship management systems were highly and extensively used. In terms of digital readiness, cooperatives were highly ready in areas such as security investments, remote working, digital transformation investments, digital adaptation, digital acceleration, digital core, and digital innovation, but only moderately ready in cloud migration. Statistical tests showed significant differences in IT use and digital readiness when grouped by gender, education, cooperative type, size, and IT budget. Correlation analysis indicated strong positive relationships between exogenous and endogenous latent variables (r = 0.72, p < 0.01), and between IT use and overall digital readiness (r = 0.68, p < 0.01). These findings underscore the need for cooperatives to sustain digital capacity through a Long-range Enhanced Technological Utilization Plan (LETUP), focusing on infrastructure investment, capacity building, policy strengthening, and continuous monitoring. Keywords: Digital Readiness; Information Technology; Exogenous Latent Variables; Endogenous Latent Variables; Cooperatives; Surigao Del Norte

Entrepreneurial Intention and Competencies Among Senior High School Students in Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur

Abstract

This study examined the entrepreneurial intention and competencies of senior high school students in Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur. A total of 300 Grade 12 respondents were selected through stratified random sampling from public secondary schools representing the ABM, STEM, HUMSS, and TVL strands, with equal distribution of male and female students. A descriptive–correlational design was employed, and data were gathered through a validated survey questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were used to determine the levels of entrepreneurial intention and competencies, while Pearson’s correlation, independent samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA were employed for inferential analysis at the 0.05 level of significance. Results showed that entrepreneurial intention was generally high (M = 3.90, SD = 0.42), with role models (M = 4.18) and curriculum (M = 3.96) exerting the strongest influence, and family background rated moderate (M = 3.57). Entrepreneurial competencies were also high overall (M = 3.89, SD = 0.47), with opportunity (M = 4.18), commitment (M = 4.12), and conceptual skills (M = 4.05) rated highest, while relationship (M = 3.55) and organizing (M = 3.60) were rated moderate. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between entrepreneurial intention and competencies (r = 0.62, p < 0.001), confirming that higher intention is associated with stronger entrepreneurial skills. Significant differences were found in both intention (p = 0.012) and competencies (p = 0.021) when grouped by gender, and in both variables when grouped by strand (p < 0.001), but not by age. The findings conclude that entrepreneurial readiness among Bayugan City students is strongly shaped by curriculum and role models, while gaps in relationship and organizing skills highlight areas for improvement in the K–12 program.