Desislava Ivanova Yordanova

• Doctor of Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Management
• Professor (Full) at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"

As digitalization reshapes business landscapes, this paper shines a spotlight on the crucial yet often overlooked human factor. Focusing on SMEs, the research positions talent management practices as the key link between digital strategy and outstanding performance outcomes. Drawing from socio-technical theory and dynamic capabilities, the study un...

An increasing number of universities worldwide offer entrepreneurship education. However, there is a lack of research attention on the role of entrepreneurship education for the development of positive technopreneurial attitudes among STEM students. The present study iexamines the effects of entrepreneurial learning on technopreneurial attitudes am...

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make important contributions to sustainable economic growth, employment, poverty alleviation, local development, and human wellbeing in developed and developing countries [...]

Purpose This study aims to examine how entrepreneurship education influences intentions for starting a technology venture among science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students with particular attention to gender differences. This study builds on the model of entrepreneurial event and social role theory to assess the impact of entr...

Private entrepreneurial activity in Communist Bulgaria

Modern entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs in Bulgaria

Книгата представя историята на българското предприемачество през няколко периода: преди и след Освобождението, комунистическия режим, прехода и членството в ЕС. Тя съдържа оригинална интерпретация на добре познати и нови факти от гледна точка на съвременните разбирания за предприемачеството.

Technology entrepreneurship involves the creation of a new business whose products and services are based on the application of scientific or technological knowledge. Technology entrepreneurship may play an important role for economic development in the context of increasing globalization. Little research attention has been devoted to the anteceden...

Technology entrepreneurship may contribute significantly to economic development and innovation. Little research has investigated the role of the university in technology entrepreneurship among STEM (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) students. More research into the entrepreneurial intentions–behaviour link is needed. This paper aims...

There is a need for greater understanding of entrepreneurial learning in the context of entrepreneurial education. This study investigates the role of content and teaching methods used in entrepreneurship education for enhancing entrepreneurial learning in a sample of 254 Bulgarian students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math...

Entrepreneurship, innovation and technology are essential to the economic development of societies. Universities are increasingly involved in creating an internal favourable environment supporting entrepreneurship and innovation. In our work, we aimed to study the role of university for the development of technopreneurial intentions in a sample of...

The second volume of the collective monography of the Department of Business Administration: Theory and Practice in Bulgaria (Sofia, 2019) is in front of us. This is a promise of sustainable repeatability and tradition. The themes and problems are varied but unambiguously current and up-todate: research procedures on labor values (Tsvetan Davidkov,...

This study examines how digital technologies affect the international expansion of female‐led small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Digital technologies have the potential to democratize entrepreneurship by providing access to international market knowledge and facilitating interactions with customers and partners. Building on the original Pen...

This paper is an attempt to summarize/generalize various understandings, approaches, points of view for the entrepreneurhip education. Specific attention is given to new didactical developments and practices. The authors accept the thesis that entrepreneurship teaching and training requires a wealth of experience and a broad set of tools, as well a...

This article examines whether male- and female-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt different strategic directions when internationalising. We build on the notion of gendered socialisation and the resource-based view examining gender differences in international entry modes. We also analyse several contingencies in the relationship b...

It was acknowledged that institutional environment plays an important role for shaping entrepreneurial behavior in transition economies. The present study investigates the influence of entrepreneurs' perceptions of institutional environment on their entrepreneurial plans in a large representative sample from a transition economy. The findings revea...

Moderators of entrepreneurial orientation - performance relationship have not been sufficiently examined in the existing literature especially in countries operating in Central and Eastern Europe. The purpose of the present study is to explore internal and environmental moderators on entrepreneurial orientation - performance relationship in a sampl...

This study explores the moderating effects of the family business status on the relationships between the chief executive officer's characteristics and internationalisation in a sample of Bulgarian SMEs. Drawing upon the upper echelons theory and the resource-based view, the paper proposes a conceptual model and hypotheses positing that the effects...

This study explores the moderating effects of the family business status on the relationships between the chief executive officer's characteristics and internationalisation in a sample of Bulgarian SMEs. Drawing upon the upper echelons theory and the resource-based view, the paper proposes a conceptual model and hypotheses positing that the effects...

This book focuses on tourism sectors and models the latest trends in tourism activity while providing a new vision for contemporary tourism economy. Tourism is a sector confronting new challenges for advanced and developing economies. Despite global challenges, tourism continues to be a dynamic sector stimulating social and economic development. Mo...

The present study analyzes the cases of Alentejo Region (Portugal) and Bansko Region (Bulgaria) as tourism destinations and demonstrates that situations modelled as anti-commons are obstacles to individual entrepreneurial efforts of agents within the tourism destination as well as impediments for the expansion of the tourism destination as a whole....

There is a lack of understanding about differences between family and non-family businesses operating in the transition economies in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) because the available research has focused mainly on other contexts. The present research explores differences between family and non-family firms in a sample from a CEE country. The p...

This study explores the reasons for family SMEs' reluctance to go to foreign markets. It contributes to the fields of family business and international business by providing a conceptual model and hypotheses about organisational and owner-manager's characteristics which mediate the effect of the family business status on SME internationalisation. T...

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) refers to companies' policies and actions aimed at achieving a positive impact on environment, consumers, employees or communities. It requires a set of duties self-regulating mechanisms and obligations, in relation to the society and to the communities in which the organization is operating. Corporate Social R...

Family businesses constitute an important part of the economies in Central and Eastern Europe. However, there is a lack of understanding about differences between family and non-family businesses in this context. This study investigates differences in management practices between Bulgarian family and non-family SMEs. To detect real rather than samp...

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasingly important to the competitiveness of enterprises and deals with companies' actions aiming a positive impact namely on environment, consumers, employees or communities. It requires a set of duties and obligations, in relation to the society and to the communities in which the organization is opera...

Although family businesses represent a significan t part of the Bulgarian economy, there are few research studies and statistical data on the characteristics and problems of this sector is also missing. This paper describes the history, economic importance, definition, characteristics, unique qualities an d challenges of succession in Bulgarian...

There are many studies in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility but the presentation of several cases in one study reveals some particular aspects to be considered and to be had in account when CSR is studied. There are developments on this matter showing that progressively an increasing number of companies are concerned about their performan...

The Bulgarian version of this paper can be found at http://ssrn.com/abstract=2290685 SMEs Analysis for the period 2012-2013 has been elaborated for the purposes and needs of the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA), which is responsible for the implementation of national policies in the area of small and medium-size ente...

The Bulgarian version of this paper can be found at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2290692The main goal of the analysis is to study the current state of the SME sector, the potential to develop the activities of the enterprises, as well as to estimate the effects of the SME competitiveness factors on their business performance in times of economic recov...

The increased contribution of entrepreneurs around the world necessitates the understanding of universal as well as culture-specific antecedents of entrepreneurial firm growth. Drawing upon the resource-based view and social cognitive theory, we theorize that entrepreneurial firm growth is shaped by both etic and emic forms of entrepreneurial readi...

Yordanova, D., Vladimirov, Z. and R. Simeonova-Ganeva (2012) ”Internationalisation of the SMEs in the Apparel Industry: evidence from Bulgaria”, FEBA YearBook, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, in print.

Purpose The research objective of the study is to investigate the gender effects on risk propensity, risk perception, and risk behaviour of entrepreneurs distinguishing between direct and indirect gender effects. The study seeks to address the gap in the knowledge of the link between risk taking, risk propensity, and risk perception in the context...

Most of the research on innovation in organizations has been conducted in Western countries and there is a lack of understanding of the innovative behaviour of firms operating in CEE. Therefore, the research objective of the present study is to examine the impact of entrepreneurs’ values on innovative behaviour in a sample of 200 Bulgarian organiza...

Despite the importance and potential role of entrepreneurship for economies in Central and Eastern Europe, little attention has been devoted to identifying which factors contribute to the entrepreneurship in the region. The purpose of the present study is twofold. First, there is a comparison of entrepreneurial orientation in Bulgarian family and n...

This work intends to show how two countries deal with aquaculture projects approval and the necessary procedures. Very often there are problems because there are many procedures to deal with in aquaculture. Bureaucracy gets evident what delays projects' approval and implementation. As a result, there are severe consequences when projects exploitati...

The studies in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility are very relevant to understand why companies are concerned with its implementation in the company. Besides, theoretical developments on this matter show that progressively companies are concerned about their performance on this subject and about reaching their objectives involving CSR. Cor...

Despite the increasing interest in researching female entrepreneurship, little is known about gender differences in pre-venture process and the variables that mediate the relationship between gender and entrepreneurial intentions. The purpose of this study is to provide a conceptual framework for understanding gender differences in entrepreneurial...

The Innovation.bg report provides a reliable annual assessment of the innovation potential of the Bulgarian economy and the conditions and opportunities for development of the Bulgarian innovation system. It makes recommendations for the improvement of public policy on innovation by drawing on the latest theoretical and empirical studies worldwide...

The aim of this paper is to examine similarities and differences between Bulgarian female and male entrepreneurs with regard to a number of personal characteristics, characteristics of their ventures, and characteristics of the environmental context, in which they operate. A sample of 501 companies (282 maleowned and 219 female-owned) with a single...

Innovation.BG 2008: Bulgarian Innovation Policy in European Union provides comprehensive assessment of the key performance indicators of the Bulgarian innovation system. The analysis is structured in five chapters: overall innovation index assessment, entrepreneurship and innovation networks, investments and financing of innovations, human capital...

This paper explores the relationship between the adoption of HRM practices in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and the characteristics of the firm and the person responsible for HRM. We propose a conceptual model based on the resource-based view, which is tested with quantitative data from 164 tourism’s SMEs in Catalonia (Spain). As predic...

Many of the newly established private enterprises in transition economies in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are owned and managed by women (Degtiar, 2000). However, there are limited research and knowledge on gender, management, and organization in CEE (Metcalfe and Afanassieva, 2005) and, particularly, on the performance of female-owned companie...

The discussion about CSR is very relevant to understand corporate conscience and citizenship and to discuss how a business is made in a sustainable way and how much it has in ascount responsible actions to do it. Corporations may have benefits of participating is CSR processes and in a long term the payback may be considerable. According to the 200...