Skip to content
Log in
Sponsored Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, Global Edition Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, Global Edition

Similar papers

Review Open access Jul 2026

Bridging the Cultural Divide: A Comparative Analysis of Hungarian and South Korean Business Cultures

In recent years, South Korea has emerged as one of Hungary’s preeminent capital investors, driven by the strategic framework of the "Eastern Opening" policy and robust bilateral trade agreements. While macroeconomic data indicates a rapidly growing investment partnership, foreign enterprises frequently encounter significant operational difficulties due to cultural expectations, practices, and behavioural norms at every stage of business engagement. The primary objective of this study is to analyse the cultural similarities and disparities between both countries. By examining these nuances, the paper aims to facilitate efficient and effective collaboration among business professionals from both nations. Based on a comprehensive review of academic literature, both cultures are analysed and compared through established value dimensions. The theoretical framework integrates Hall’s concepts of context, time, and proxemics; Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner’s seven-dimension model; and Lewis’s LMR (linear-active, multi-active, reactive) typology. The findings reveal that while both nations exhibit high-context communication characteristics, South Korea operates within a rigid hierarchical, face-saving protocol heavily influenced by Confucian values. Hungary demonstrates a hybrid nature, blending relationship-driven polychronic flexibility with universalist and achievement-oriented standards in modern business contexts. According to the Lewis model, Hungary is positioned between the linear-active and multi-active poles, whereas South Korea aligns closely with the reactive pole. To translate massive Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows into long-term success, Hungarian business actors must develop specific cultural intelligence. Success in bilateral cooperation relies heavily on mastering indirect communication, respecting strict age-and-rank corporate hierarchies, and investing substantial time in relationship-oriented pre-negotiations.

Tünde Csapóné Riskó, T. Wiwczaroski · 0 citations
Case report Open access 2025

DNA of Social Economy Enterprises in Belgium

This paper is the result of a collective and participatory reflection by a working group of twenty actors from the social economy ecosystem in French-speaking Belgium, including academics, federations, social economy enterprises (SEEs), networks, Walloon public administration, and field practitioners. Coordinated by the Centre for Social Economy at HEC ULiège (CES) and supported by W.ALTER (public funding body for SE projects), this initiative is part of ESCAP, a collective project aiming at co-constructing knowledge and tools by partnering academic research and practical experience. In response to the emergence of new entrepreneurial models (mission-driven companies, impact enterprises, etc.) and increasing market pressures, this document offers an inclusive and practice-based definition of the "DNA" of SEEs. It identifies six cumulative and cross-cutting practices implemented by all SEEs, regardless of their legal form, sector, or size. These practices — co-constructed and debated collectively — distinguish SEEs from other organizational forms. Rooted in the Walloon context while drawing comparisons with other Belgian and international regulatory frameworks, this work seeks to clarify the boundaries of SEEs, enhance their recognition, and support their development in an evolving ecosystem.

C. Moreau, Maïté Bielen, Jacques Debry et al. · 0 citations
Open access Jul 2026

“It’s all about the money!”: Challenges and tensions in the institutionalization of a community-based collective

The Protetoras da Leste collective is a social mobilization network made up of more than 200 women from the eastern periphery of São Paulo. The group operates by transforming women’s networks of care and solidarity into a driving force for territorial change, providing support, facilitating access to rights, and offering assistance in times of crisis, such as the recurrent floods that affect the territory where they live. Created during the Covid-19 pandemic to address its impacts on vulnerable families, the collective gained strength and legitimacy through its community-based actions. Its success led a local civil society organization to support and foster new initiatives developed by the group. With financial and institutional backing, the collective expanded its scope of action and established its own headquarters. As the group transitions from an organic support network to a more formalized structure, it faces the challenge of professionalizing its management and accessing public funding opportunities without losing active grassroots participation, while dealing with technical bureaucracy and the emotional burden placed on its leadership. The case thus explores the tensions and challenges involved in the collective’s institutionalization process.

Inácio Dias de Andrade, Débora Cajé Yamamoto · 0 citations
Open access 2026

BEYOND DECLARATIONS: THE REALITY OF INCLUSIVE TRAINING IN POST-SOCIALIST EUROPE

In recent years, organizations operating across different sectors have been facing increasing demands for socially responsible business practices, which also implies the development of inclusive work environments. In an effort to adapt to these changes, many organizations are introducing diversity-oriented training programs. In this paper, research was based on empirical data and examines whether there are differences between private and public organizations in post-socialist countries regarding the implementation of diversity-oriented training. In addition, the analysis explores whether organizational size acts as a moderating factor in this relationship. Overall, the results indicate a low level of diversity training implementation in both sectors. However, performed non-parametric analysis indicates greater engagement and proactivity of organizations operating in the private sector, compared to organizations from the public sector, while the applied hierarchical linear regression showed that the size of the organization does not have a statistically significant moderating effect. The findings suggest that, in the context of developing inclusive and socially responsible human resource management practices, institutional logic is more important than organizational capacities. In addition to presenting the results of the empirical analysis, this paper also provides insights into how diversity-oriented training contributes to organizational adaptability and employee development.

Branka Zolak Poljašević, Simona Šarotar Žižek · 0 citations
Review Open access Jul 2026

Global kickoff: An empirical assessment of the international business opportunities created by Morocco's joint hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup

This study investigates the international business opportunities expected to emerge from Morocco's role as a joint host of the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. Mega sporting events have increasingly been recognized as platforms capable of reshaping the economic trajectory of host nations, particularly by attracting foreign direct investment, expanding tourism demand, and accelerating infrastructure modernization. Yet the extent to which these benefits materialize for emerging economies remains contested, and empirical evidence on stakeholder expectations in the North African context is limited. To address this gap, the study adopts a quantitative research design built around a structured survey of 57 respondents drawn from students, young professionals, and individuals engaged with international business and sport. The findings reveal a strongly optimistic outlook: respondents anticipate meaningful gains in foreign direct investment, infrastructure development, tourism expansion, and Morocco's global reputation, while also assigning high importance to environmental sustainability and inclusive growth for small and medium enterprises. At the same time, respondents' emphasis on governance, cost management, and long term planning signals an awareness that these benefits are not automatic. By grounding perceptual data in the broader mega event literature, the study offers an evidence based contribution to debates on how developing economies can convert global sporting spectacles into durable competitive advantage, and it provides practical guidance for policymakers and investors preparing for 2030.

B. Usman, Ilyas EL Mengad · 0 citations
Review Open access 2026

Two Decades of Cooperative Performance Research: Trends and Future Research Suggestions

Cooperatives occupy a distinctive position in the global economy: member-owned, member-controlled enterprises that must simultaneously satisfy market discipline and social purpose. Over the past twenty years, scholarly interest in how to define, measure, and explain cooperative performance has grown substantially, but the field remains fragmented across agricultural economics, management, finance, and the social economy literature. This paper synthesises that body of work through a PRISMA-guided review of systematic literature reviews (SLRs) and bibliometric studies on cooperative performance indexed in Scopus and Web of Science between 2006 and 2026. Thirteen candidate meta-studies were identified and screened, of which nine were retained for narrative synthesis. The review traces a shift from narrow, single-dimension financial and efficiency measures dominant in the mid-2000s toward multidimensional frameworks incorporating governance, member welfare, and since roughly 2018, environmental, social and governance (ESG) and sustainability performance. Methodologically, the field has moved from descriptive and case-based work toward panel-data econometrics, though qualitative and mixed-methods studies remain scarce. The review critically discusses persistent weaknesses endogeneity and self-selection bias, financial-indicator dominance, geographic and sectoral skew toward agricultural cooperatives in Europe and North America, and the absence of a consensus performance construct and offers recommendations for future research, practice, and policy.

Leviana Andrew, R. Z. Abidin, Norlin Nor et al. · 0 citations

We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads. See our Cookie Policy.