https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/15196 2026-04-05T04:05:02Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/101808 Title: Entrepreneurial motivation : a study of female entrepreneurs in Malta Abstract: Female entrepreneurship is a growing phenomenon and there is evidence that more women are pursuing an entrepreneurial career. However, the literature on female entrepreneurship in Malta is still scarce. The purpose of this study was to provide a better understanding of female entrepreneurs in Malta and what motivates them to pursue entrepreneurship as a career option. A conceptual model by Shane et al. (2012) was identified as a suitable framework to guide this study. This model identifies general entrepreneurial motivations, task-specific entrepreneurial motivations, environmental conditions, and cognitive factors as having an influence on entrepreneurial motivation. In-depth semi-structured interviews with 10 female entrepreneurs based in Malta were conducted in order to explore their entrepreneurial motivations on the basis of this model. The results of this study generally support this model. They indicate that female entrepreneurs in Malta are mainly motivated by what Shane et al. (2012) label as general entrepreneurial motivations, namely need for achievement, desire for independence, passion, drive, vision, and locus of control. The findings also showed that Shane et al.’s (2012) task-specific entrepreneurial motivators, namely goal setting and self-efficacy, together with the cognitive factors of knowledge, skills and abilities, are also important factors for facilitating the entrepreneurship process. With regards to environmental conditions, banks in Malta were found to act as a barrier to female entrepreneurship. An interesting finding that was not predicted by Shane et al. (2012) is that work-life balance played an important role in female entrepreneurship. From an academic point of view, this study adds to existing literature in female entrepreneurship which is still limited, especially in Malta. Furthermore, it contributes to the literature on entrepreneurial motivation as it is the first to empirically address Shane et al.’s (2012) conceptual model. In terms of practical contributions, this study might be useful for entrepreneurship training programmes. Furthermore, the findings might be beneficial to government agencies for implementing policies which provide a business environment that supports and encourages female entrepreneurship. Description: M. CI(Melit.) 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/101805 Title: The University of Malta in 2030 : a strategic foresight exercise Abstract: This research aims to determine the impact and usefulness of foresight as a strategic thinking tool and is expected to contribute to policy, practice and strategy for the University of Malta specifically, and for higher education institutions in general. The foresight activity, the generation of future scenarios, and strategy formulation specifically for the University of Malta in 2030 are investigated and explored. The research raises the following main research questions: Which are the most desirable scenarios for the University of Malta in 2030? Using foresight methodologies, how can a strategy be developed to arrive at the future scenarios? The planning and execution of interviews with fourteen expert stakeholders and an additional focus group with seven participants are described. The decreasing number of Maltese students enrolling at the University of Malta, insufficient funds for research and administration, and lack of outreach, emerge as prime findings from this research. Six key themes are discussed as key factors in the development of the University of Malta. Foresight methodologies were utilised to develop three future scenarios for the University of Malta and to build up an understanding of how it could survive any future disruptive waves. As a result of this research, these three scenarios depict the University of Malta as a third generation university, as a privatised university, and as an elite research university. Moreover, this research developed generic strategies to arrive at possible scenarios for the University of Malta in the year 2030. This research merged strategic thinking, foresight and scenario generation. These methods are necessary for the future of the University of Malta.3 Description: M. CI(Melit.) 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/15765 Title: Towards a conceptualization of creativity : understanding the development of a standard definition Abstract: Background: Runco and Jaeger (2012) refer to the standard definition as: “The definition of creativity is bipartite: Creativity requires both originality and effectiveness” (p 92), however although it would seem that reference to a standard definition exists, its recognition and acceptance cannot be assumed. The debates within the field regarding the nature of creativity, how it should be defined, and its criteria have grown in number and complexity as the varying conceptualizations of creativity threaten the stability of the field. The aim of this dissertation is to reveal that multiple conceptualizations of creativity coexist and that as such how we choose to conceive of creativity, and the domination of one conceptualization over another, influences how we will define it. Choice of definition, in turn, has implications to both the field and to society. Method: To understand the position of the standard definition within the field, how it developed, and its relationship to past and present conceptualizations of creativity, concept analysis was conducted. Forty-six articles were chosen from the Creativity Research Journal from 2005-2015 and another 17 articles from 1950-1965. Data was extracted based on the relevant research questions through a process of inductive qualitative content analysis and complied into concept models based on Nuopponnen’s (2010b) Basic Concept Model. Results and Discussion: Although a standard definition of creativity is generally acknowledged by most researchers there does not seem to be a widespread acceptance making its role in unifying the field improbable. The reason for this, as discovered through a review of the development of the standard definition and drawn from the results of the comparison of the conceptual analyses of both past and present articles, is due to the increasing amount and contradictory variations in how we conceive of creativity. This suggests that maintaining a view of creativity in keeping with the standard definition may result in too narrow a focus with implications not only on the development of the field but to creativity’s relevance and use in society. Description: M.A.CREATIVITY&INNOVATION 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/15764 Title: Exploring influential factors on creative advertising : gaining insight from a practitioner’s point of view Abstract: The overall objective of this dissertation is to examine the various factors that influence advertising practitioners’ creative output. The importance of creativity within several contexts has been emphasised by several researchers. However, despite consumers being exposed to an increasing amount of adverts on a daily basis (Smith & Yang, 2004; Smith, MacKenzie, Yang, Buchholz & Darley, 2007), the advertising field lacks extensive creativity research. Therefore, this study merged creativity and advertising as main topics of research. A revised version of Amabile’s componential model of creativity has been adopted as a major theoretical framework. This highlights internal and external components to the individual that influence his/her creativity. Furthermore, for an increasingly operational approach, creative advertising must be defined. Therefore, a revised version of the Creative Product Semantic Differential Scale (CPSS) was also adopted, as it illustrates the major attributes belonging to creative products, in this case, adverts. Five in-depth interviews with advertising practitioners working within local advertising agencies were conducted as the primary data collection method. The two frameworks discussed above were incorporated within. Each participating practitioner selected two adverts he/she worked on. One exemplified higher creativity, and another lower creativity from their perspective. They then rated them against the CPSS individually. This shed light on the defining factors of creative advertising from the professional’s perspective. Through the selection of the two adverts, the practitioners could discuss the factors belonging to the componential model that were influential on their creative output by referring to specific contexts, thereby directly tackling the main research goal. As a follow-up to the interviews, a focus group with seven independent reviewers was conducted. The participants rated the adverts selected by the practitioners against the CPSS, as well as discussed reasons for their ratings, in an attempt to validate results gathered during the initial data collection phase. The findings of this study provide details on the defining factors belonging to advertising creativity, whilst shedding light on the internal and external factors to the advertising practitioner that hinder or enable his/her creative output. Therefore, through this study, professionals in the field will gain an understanding on factors that influence a practitioner’s advertising creative output. Description: M.A.CREATIVITY&INNOVATION 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z