Abstract
Being political entrepreneurship an issue that has received a high distinction in literature, its empirical evidence is scarce largely derived from limitations of operationalizing the concept. In this article we operationalize local political entrepreneurship considering three main dimensions: 1) fundraising, 2) the possession and/or construction of infrastructure to support business and social activities, and 3) the supply of support activities and services required for activities business and social. Based on information gathered from 108 Portuguese municipalities, we quantified the overall political entrepreneurship and in the three dimensions mentioned presenting a ranking of municipalities and the corresponding NUTS III regions. Additionally, through the estimation of econometric specifications, we conclude that the local political entrepreneurship has a positive and significant but indirect impact, through the human capital of employed population, on the creation of new businesses, particularly the knowledge-intensive ones. In other words, the impact of entrepreneurial actions by the local political authorities is much higher the greater the proportion of the employed population with higher education in the region. On this basis, it is not enough that local authorities are 'entrepreneurial'; in addition to the public actions of fundraising, construction of infrastructures and promotion of activities for business promotion, one needs to ensure that the region is endowed with an adequate level of absorptive capacity, i.e., investment in human capital and R&D activities.

Abstract
Interest in the characterization and evolution of science has sparked a vast amount of literature. The manner in which this field of knowledge is depicted is highly diversified, giving rise to different styles of reporting the history of science. Not with standing the relevance of the subject for a broader understanding of how knowledge is produced, certified and appropriated, a simple and informative framework is missing. Proposing a simple categorization of the methods for assessing the evolution of science, our study highlights the changing process of scientific traditions, portraying the evolution of science as shifting towards hybrid and quantitative methodologies, namely those based on bibliometric techniques, as they arguably rely less on the judgments and perceptions of researchers, and have a higher degree of certainty. © EuroJournals Publishing, Inc. 2012.

Abstract
The transistor is an electronic component that revolutionized the world of electronics, enabling the development and improvement of various systems and products in this area over the years. The paper transistor resulted from research conducted by a team coordinated by Elvira Fortunato. It is an ultra-small (nano) transistor, which is paper-based, a cheap and easily accessible material. This article intends, first, to determine the innovation model behind the paper transistor and, second, based on a survey of a sample of Portuguese firms in industries inclined to adopting the transistor, to understand its level of implementation and assess the determinants that may be influencing this process. A review of relevant literature and an interview with Elvira Fortunato, the key researcher, support the conclusion that the innovation model in question is the interactive one. In fact, since the project began, significant interaction took place between research institutions and industry, which continued throughout the development process. In the second phase of our work, a group of firms was surveyed, selected on the basis of the relevance of the technology on the activities they conduct. Only one firm from the five respondents said they knew of the paper transistor. The answers collected also indicated that there are three main determinants which explain why firms have failed to adopt this transistor: the expected profit, the existence of networks between firms and universities, and information. Thus, we conclude that there is a significant need for increased interaction between universities and firms, so as to promote a broader understanding of the stakeholders' needs, with the development of innovations in universities and research institutes based on adaptation to the business context.

Abstract
The literature on FDI entry modes and corruption tends to convey the idea that corruption leads to a choice between low equity modes, i.e. joint ventures with local partners, and non-equity modes, namely exports and contracting, in order to avoid contact with corrupt state officials. Recently, some studies have argued that despite corruption, linguistic and historical ties between home and host countries lead MNCs to prefer high-equity modes. Focusing on a rather unexplored setting, the African countries, most specifically the Portuguese-speaking ones (PALOP - Paises Africanos de LIngua Oficial Portuguesa), which include countries where levels of corruption are very high (e.g., Guinea-Bissau and Angola), high (e. g., Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe), and intermediate (e.g., Cape Verde), maintaining also close linguistic and historical ties with Portugal, we found that the FDI entry mode is associated with the less corrupt markets. Thus, our results do not support the recent contention that cultural and historical links are likely to perform a mediating role, by fostering foreign direct investment, in supporting African countries to overcome the dismal growth some have been facing in the last few decades. On the contrary, our findings highlight the pressing need for these countries to combat corruption if higher economic growth via FDI attraction is envisioned.

Abstract
When taking a broader view, ‘leanness’ can be conceptualized in terms of a quest for structural flexibility involving restructuring, downsizing and outsourcing. Looking for efficiency, quality and profitability gains, healthcare organizations adopt outsourcing solutions in the attempt of “doing more with less” seeking for benefits such as cost reduction, risk mitigation, adapting to quick changes without compromising internal resources (value mapping and value chain reconstruction) but also taking big risks as loss of control and flexibility. In order to understand how healthcare organizations find the best value equation combining internal and external resources, a case study on a start-up Long-term Care unit with innovative format, great levels of customization and following an outsourcing strategy, was carried out. The main conclusion, among others, is that in ambitious start-ups, when the speed of entrance is a conditioning factor, trade-offs between cost and quality gains (leanness) and between cost and time gains (agility) can be combined through outsourcing strategies in a so called “leagile” paradigm. This study contributes for a wider understanding of the “leagile” concept associated to an outsourcing strategy as a way of coping with market and services volatility, uncertainty and complexity, hyper competition and market share/sped of entrance goals. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012.

Abstract
This article seeks to investigate outsourcing decisions in supply chain management of healthcare organizations, namely the motives and constraints behind the decision, the selection criteria for activities to be outsourced to third parties, the type of possible agreements, and the impact of this decision on the organization per se. A case study of the start-up phase of a Longterm Care unit with an innovative approach and high levels of customization was conducted to understand the outsourcing process in a start-up context (not in the standard context of organizational change) and a risk evaluation matrix was created for outsourcing activities in order to define and implement a performance monitoring process. This study seeks to understand how to evaluate and assess the risks of an outsourcing strategy and proposes a monitoring model using risk management tools. It was shown that the risk management approach can be a solution for monitoring outsourcing in the organizational start-up phase. Conclusions concerning dissatisfaction with the results of outsourcing strategies adopted are also presented.