Entrepreneurship in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has long been shaped by institutional instability, political volatility, and repeated shocks. This paper synthesizes findings from 42 studies to examine how entrepreneurs in this region navigate uncertainty. The systematic coding process revealed recurring themes, including institutional fragility, political involvement, responses to external shocks, digital innovation, migrant and cultural entrepreneurship, long-term reforms, and regional development. Evidence shows that entrepreneurs in CEE rely less on formal institutions and more on trust-based networks, pragmatic approaches to innovation, and practices rooted in identity. Events such as pandemics and the Ukraine war have exposed existing vulnerabilities, but also highlighted the adaptive strategies, including increased digital engagement and refugee entrepreneurship. Overall, entrepreneurship serves as both a coping mechanism amid crises and a catalyst for transformation in transitional economies. Based on these insights, the paper proposes strategies for institutional reforms, digital skills enhancement, and inclusive support systems.

ABSTRACT This study investigates the mediating role of innovation types in the relationship between green entrepreneurial orientation (GEO) and different aspects of business performance within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data from 250 SMEs. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. The results show that GEO is related to different dimensions of SMEs’ performance, with innovation types as partial mediators. This study represents a more holistic understanding of the GEO–performance link through potential mediators contributing to resource orchestration theory in the context of green entrepreneurship. SMEs should consider integrating GEO with diverse innovation efforts to enhance their performance.

A theoretical perspective on grandiose narcissism suggests four forms of it (sanctity, admiration, heroism, rivalry) and states that these forms conduce to different ways of thinking and acting. Guided by this perspective, we examined in a multinational and multicultural study (61 countries; N = 15,039) how narcissism forms are linked to cognitions and behaviors prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As expected, differences in cognitions and behaviors across narcissism forms emerged. For example, higher narcissistic rivalry predicted lower likelihood of enactment of COVID-19 prevention behaviors, but higher narcissistic sanctity predicted higher likelihood of enactment of COVID-19 prevention behaviors. Further, whereas the heroism, admiration, and rivalry narcissism forms acted in a typically antisocial manner, with high narcissism predicting greater endorsement of unfounded health beliefs, the sanctity form acted in a prosocial manner, with higher narcissism being linked to lower endorsement of unfounded COVID-19 health beliefs. Thus, the findings (a) support the idea of four narcissism forms acting differently, and (b) show that these differences reflect a double-edged sword, sometimes linking to an anti-social orientation, and sometimes linking to a pro-social orientation.

This study investigates the role that demographic factors (country of origin, age, gender, and education) play in green purchase intentions (GPIs) among consumers in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). It is based on primary, quantitative, cross-sectional data collected using the questionnaire. The final sample included 680 consumers from the three countries. Hypotheses are tested using the independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA. Results of the study show that age, gender, and education are not significant differentiators in GPI, while partial support was found regarding the role of country of origin. The study points out the relevance of GPIs and indicates the theoretical and practical implications. It enriches the scarce literature on green consumer behavior in the Middle East region and presents future research suggestions for its further development.