Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

A Formative Evaluation Of The Bloomington-Normal Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, Emily Rego

Capstone Projects – Politics and Government

This study serves as a formative evaluation of the Bloomington-Normal-McLean County, IL region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, which the development thereof is a tactical strategy outlined in the recently created Bloomington-Normal economic development plan (also known as BN Advantage). An entrepreneurial ecosystem is a network comprising of entrepreneurs, supporting organizations and entities such as investors, governments, universities and various other organizations with a focus on economic development. Vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems strengthen local entrepreneurial capacity, which then spurs economic development through job creation and growth, economic diversity and increasing a region’s competitive advantage. The methodology of this study involved combining qualitative and quantitative …

A Handbook For Inventors And Innovators: Technology Commercialization At The University Of Nebraska–Lincoln

NUtech Ventures: Publications

OVERVIEW: Director’s Message * Commercialization * Technology Transfer Process * Benefits * Resources

SPONSORED RESEARCH: Process * Bayh-Dole Act * Funding Resources

INVENTION DISCLOSURE: Who * What * When * Why

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: Patent * Other Forms of Intellectual Property * Criteria * Barriers to Patenting * Life of a Patent * University Ownership

COMMERCIALIZATION: Licenses and Licensing Process

NUtech Ventures’ mission is to commercialize technologies generated from the research and creative activities of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Namely, NUtech Ventures seeks to facilitate the transfer of innovations from the “lab to the marketplace” for the benefit of society. This …

Inquiring Into Entrepreneurial Orientation: Making Progress, One Step At A Time, Vishal K. Gupta, Dev K. Dutta

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

As we think through the four papers that comprise this special issue, we cannot help but be elated at the progress made by "entrepreneurial orientation" (EO) scholarship over the past few decades. Indeed, it seems safe to contend that EO defies the description of entrepreneurship research as a “hodgepodge” (Shane & Venkataraman, 2000), and instead serves as a good example of how a cumulative body of knowledge should develop in organizational science.

An Examination Of Job Opportunities, Candidates, And Salaries In The Field Of Entrepreneurship, Todd A. Finkle

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

This article examines whether the field of entrepreneurship is becoming increasingly institutionalized by examining market trends, AACSB jobs, and salaries. The findings indicate that the field is becoming increasingly institutionalized through market trends. During 2014/15, there were 471 advertised positions and 163 candidates in Schools of Business and Management. The number of tenure track positions (261) was significantly higher than the number of tenure track candidates (161) for a ratio of 1.62. This is the highest ratio of tenure track positions to candidates since 2005/06 (2.1). Out of the 261 tenure track positions, 174 were at AACSB institutions.The ratio of …

Examining Affective And Cognitive Discourse At The Time Of Ipo: Effects On Underpricing And The Moderating Role Of Entrepreneurial Orientation, William Wales, Fariss-Terry Mousa

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

This study presents evidence concerning the effects of affective and cognitive rhetoric on the underpricing of firms at the time of their initial public offering. It is suggested that firms that use less affective, and more cognitively oriented discourse in their IPO prospectus will experience better underpricing outcomes. We examine these assertions using a sample of young high-tech IPO firms where investors rely on prospectuses as accurate and informative firm communications. Results from a robust five-year time span observe initial support for the hypothesized effects. Moreover, the signaling of a higher degree of entrepreneurial orientation in the firm prospectus is …

Youtube Money: The Impact Of Brand Management On Online Video Companies, Samantha Perry

Honors Program Theses

Many YouTube channels today operate not only as miniature media outlets, but as fully functional media companies operating independently through advertising revenue. The top creators of content on YouTube bring in millions of dollars of revenue each year. This thesis seeks to answer the question of how content creators can harness the power of brand management strategy in order to maximize revenue and grow their audiences over time. I overview current trends among content creators industry-wide, and then focus on a group of channels to analyze their brand management habits on- and off-line. I then examine data from brands’ videos …

Influential Factors In Encouraging Or Dissuading Orlando Businesses To Seek Leed Certification, Katrina M. Zdanowicz

Honors Program Theses

Orlando, Florida, is home to 85 building projects that have received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and 74 projects that are in the process of seeking certification. Over 90 percent of these 159 buildings have been or are being rated by LEED commercial standards. This paper argues that while LEED has played a valuable role in encouraging environmentally sustainable design in the Orlando commercial sector and will continue to be a significant presence in sustainability discussions, local government legislation can assist the end-goals of LEED by promoting more localized initiatives. The benefits of LEED certification include …

Quantifying A Mining Investability Quotient To Mitigate Junior Mining Investment Risk, Jonathan Mickey Merguerian

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Uncertainty and risk are inherent features of investing in mineral exploration ventures. Investors rely on qualitative and quantitative analysis to evaluate risk of capital. The distinction between risk and uncertainty pertaining to mineral exploration is that risk is an opportunity for loss and uncertainty can be described as the range of probabilities that some condition may occur (Rose, 1987). Stakeholders rely on a combination of investment conferences, risk analysis equations, press releases, financial reports, and investment research to determine if an investment potential. J. M. Cozzolini developed a formula for Risk Adjusted Value (RAV) of an exploration venture. The study …

Women's Professional Sports: A Case Study On Practices That Could Increase Their Profitability, Danielle H. Mcardle

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Women’s professional sports leagues have often been considered a risky business endeavor. Critics cite low attendance, lack of sponsorships, lack of media rights deals, and numerous other reasons for why women’s professional sports leagues are not profitable. In analyzing the current landscape of women’s professional sport leagues, this paper uses a case study approach to develop a strategy that will highlight lessons learned from past women’s professional sports leagues, current professional sports leagues, sponsorship agreements, fans, social, digital, and mobile marketing strategies, and management practices to show how the business of women’s sports could be made into a more profitable …

Strategy/Enterprise Discourse Bounds In Business Talk., Brendan O'Rourke

Articles

Corporate strategy emerged as large non-owner managed firms became economically important (Knights and Morgan, 1991). Strategy became the substitute for the earlier enterprise discourse, which depended on the dominance, in entrepreneurial capitalism, of owner-managed firms. The discourses of strategy and enterprise developed as separate academic areas and as logics of two very different economic domains. From the late 1970s however, large organizations (Kanter, 1983:27) and governments have been urged to be more entrepreneurial (Klein et al., 2010; Osborne and Gaebler, 1993). Meanwhile, small firms were encouraged to be more strategic (Carr, 2000). This article looks at evidence from small …

The Bop Energy Challenge And Pro-Poor Responses: Strategic Entry Pathways For Entrepreneurs, Felix Motekah Tang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many large multinational energy company leaders lack strategies to successfully enter and thrive in bottom of the pyramid (BOP) markets. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies using a purposeful selection of 7 senior managers from a U. S. based global multinational energy leader with experience in BOP markets in the Republic of Cameroon. The BOP concept served as the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with senior managers, relevant websites, and government publications. Several themes emerged that were narrowed through categorical aggregation to identify strategies. Major themes included BOP readiness …

Preparing Employees For Entrepreneurship In Retirement: A Case Study, Samuel Omonowa Aikhuomogbe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Nigeria, 92% of retirees live in poverty because of insufficient preparation for entrepreneurship that could serve as an alternative income in retirement. Guided by the human capital theory, the purpose of this case study was to explore how 15 civil service employees in Grade Levels 15-17 at the public service attained small scale business information before retirement. All employees had knowledge, training, and experience in small-scale business operation. Fifteen employees participated in individual interviews and 5 participated in a focus group; data were also gathered from, employee training records, organizational policy documents on training, and public service documents regarding …

Strategies For Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises To Engage Third-Party Logistics Providers, Masoud Malakoti-Negad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) managers struggle to stay competitive. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies SME managers located in Canada use to engage third-party logistics (3PL) providers to improve their supply chains. Porter's value chain theory formed the conceptual framework for this study. Data collection included semistructured interviews with 3 managers from 3 different SMEs in the province of Ontario and a review of the documents related to the use of 3PL providers. Member checking was conducted to enhance credibility of interpretation of the data collected. Data analysis was used to identify key …

Service-Disabled Veteran Small Business Owners' Success Strategies, Calvin Lewis Russell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The federal government has been inconsistent in meeting the mandated contracting set-aside goals of 3% to aid service-disabled veteran small business owners. Guided by the general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore what strategies an owner and 2 senior managers of a small service-disabled veteran-owned business in the Washington, DC metropolitan used to obtain federal contracts. The owner and senior members represented those responsible for strategic vision, development of business opportunities, and the company acquisition process. Data were collected from semistructured face-to-face interviews and corporate documents. Member checking and transcript review were completed …

African American Entrepreneurial Sustainability, Edward Turner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans are among the fastest growing entrepreneurial minority group in the United States, but they continue to struggle with sustaining these new business ventures. Evidence suggests that African American business entrepreneurs experience an increased failure rate with a 4-year business survival rate of 39%. Reducing the failure rate would significantly add to the U.S. economy (an estimated $2.5 trillion) and create nearly 12 million more jobs. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies and behaviors of an award-winning African American entrepreneur in Miami Dade County who has remained in business over 20 years. The …

Small Business Survivability Beyond Five Years, Koyandome Freddy Koyagialo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States has a high failure rate of small businesses, with 30% of small business failing within the first 2 years. The objective of this case study was to explore strategies successful small business owners use to achieve profitability beyond 5 years. The purposive sample for this study included 4 owners of successful small businesses in Atlanta, Georgia, who have been in business for at least 5 years. The conceptual framework was built upon disruptive innovation and susceptibility theory. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and company documents. The analysis revealed 3 themes, market research, passion and determination, and …

Small Retail Business Owner Strategies Needed To Succeed Beyond 5 Years, Colonel Jaime Solis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses accounted for 99% of the firms in private industry, provided 38% of the goods and services sold in the United States, and hired 55% of the labor force each year between 2012 and 2015. From 1993 to 2013, small firms accounted for 63% of new work generated while more than 50% of U.S. small businesses failed inside of 5 years and at least 20% failed during the first year. The purpose of this multiunit case study was to explore the strategies small retail businesses used to achieve sustainability beyond 5 years in a purposefully selected county in Virginia. …

Success Strategies Saudi Entrepreneurs Used To Navigate Through Regulations In Jeddah, Farah Mehar Spencer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Saudi Arabian entrepreneurs face major difficulties with the country's complex regulatory system. Based on Schumpeter's theory of entrepreneurship, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to reveal the lived experiences of Saudi entrepreneurs in navigating regulatory procedures in Jeddah. Data were collected through prolonged, face-to-face phenomenological interviews with 22 Saudi businesspeople who started successful businesses. The van Kaam method and member checking helped validate the transcribed data, which were subsequently coded into 4 themes. Four themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) obstacles in regulatory processes, (b) lack of information, (c) cumbersome procedures and need for alternatives to stringent protocols, …

Friends Of The Children: Strategies For Scaling Impact, Jacen Greene, Nicki Yechin Lee, Eric Nelsen

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Friends of the Children, a nonprofit organization in Portland, Oregon, was founded in 1993 by retired entrepreneur Duncan Campbell to serve youth at the highest risk of teen parenting, incarceration, or dropping out of school. Each youth client was matched with a paid mentor from first grade through the end of high school. The costs of this intervention were high, but the outcomes were extremely impressive in each of the three risk areas. The total benefits to society of Friends of the Children’s intervention was estimated at $7 for every $1 spent on the program.

In the United States alone, …

A Techno-Economical Appraisal Of A Pv Domestic Plant On A Irish Dwelling, Roberto Sandano

Articles

A comprehensive study of a domestic PV installation is addressed in this paper. A series of economic results are presented for a domestic installation in Ireland.