MAGHREB MASHREK INTERNATIONAL

The impact of education innovation on entrepreneurship among Algerian university students

Salim CHORFI — 2023-11-01

The article aims to shed light on the significance of entrepreneurial training and the role of opportunity perception among Algerian university
students after significant reforms in the higher education sector and implementing an innovation process recognizing the widely accepted notion
that entrepreneurship is a crucial driver of economic development. We examine the impact of entrepreneurial training and opportunity perception
on a sample of 228 students from Tlemcen University using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework and employing the Partial Least Squares
(PLS) method and the SMARTPLS v3 tool. The results indicate a positive and significant impact of entrepreneurship education and training on the
sample. Specifically, subjective norms and self-efficacy directly and indirectly influence the students’ entrepreneurial intentions. However, contrary to
expectations, the perception of opportunity did not significantly affect the sample. It also highlights the need for further exploration and innovation
in managerial education.

Financing of R&D by the manufacturing industry and patent production in three MENA countries

Safa BENAZZOUZ — 2023-11-01

Patents represent one of the most important indicators of the innovation process. The challenge of this study is to identify the factors favoring the
filing of patents by the industry during the analysis of the cases of three countries in the MENA region, namely Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt, during
the period 2012-2021. This would involve analyzing the effects of R&D funding by industry through indicators such as the number of publications, R&D funding by industry and university-business collaboration, before being able to deduce by a multiple regression on panel data the results of the nature of the relationship between these determinants and patent filings by residents of these three countries. The results obtained made it possible to conclude that collaboration at the level of indexed publications, carried out jointly by universities and companies, has a major impact on the production of patents for the cases of Morocco and Tunisia. As for the Egyptian case, the results showed that the financing of research activities by industry has a positive and strong effect on the number of patents filed.

Digital transformation of the Moroccan economy: a performance comparative approach

Houda MAHBOUB — 2023-11-01

As part of digital transformation, several States are investing in information and communication technologies (ICT), and more generally in digital
technology, to improve inclusion and therefore development. However, the return on this investment is not always assessed in order to learn from it and
improve decision-making. This study contributes to fill the gap by analysing the degree of maturity of Morocco’s digital transformation through a longitudinal
analysis of statistics and indicators measuring digitalization, such as the ICT Development Index and the Global Innovation Index. A literature
review on digital transformation is followed by an analysis of the Moroccan digital context, while comparing it with the achievements of certain MENA
countries, such as Tunisia, Egypt and Iran. This comparative and exploratory study focusing on the analysis of indicators of digitalization maturity,
synthesized by the level of accessibility, connectivity, facilities and barriers to digital transformation, help to better understand the digital situation in
the countries analysed, to enrich the data and to inform decision-making in investment in this area. However, despite the improvements made in
terms of digitalization by Morocco and the other countries in the sample, achievements are not yet satisfactory.

Job status and fintech use in MENA countries prior and during the pandemic: does youth age matter?

Imène BERGUIGA — 2023-11-01

The effective use of financial digital services (Fintech) constitutes as a mean of Financial inclusion for young. We analyse the determinants of this
use prior and during the COVID-19 pandemic for two youth age groups (15-24 and 25-34 years) of five MENA countries (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon,
Tunisia and Palestine). Our samples are drawn from the Global Findex Database in 2014, 2017 and 2021. A probit regression model with interaction
variables estimates the relationship between job status (wage employment and self-employment) and Fintech use according to age groups. We check
the robustness of estimates upon youth age groups. The main results identify similar determinants of Fintech use for each youth age groups,
which are however distinct by survey period. The use of fintech depend on the same factors, requiring a higher level of education, a large income
and being an employee. During the pandemic, youths increased their use of fintech, which became a substitute, whereas fintech shrinked the age
gap regarding financial inclusion. Age influences the relationship between job status and fintech use positively before the pandemic but negatively
during the pandemic if entrepreneurs are very young.

The role of organisational learning in promoting innovation: a systematic review

Zouhir ADILE — 2023-11-01

In the knowledge economy framework, there is a widely accepted belief that organisational learning capabilities play a significant role in influencing
innovation within dynamic environments. This study explores the research on the interplay between organisational learning and innovation. Our
research question is as follows: How does organisational learning impact the promotion of innovation within companies? Employing a systematic
review methodology aligned with PRISMA guidelines, we examine a sample of 90 articles spanning the years 1978 to 2023, sourced from four databases.
Findings emphasize that organisations with a learning culture are more likely to catalyze innovation. This research contributes to a nuanced understanding
of the intricate connection between organisational learning and innovation.