Business Commons^™

Developing The Nonprofit Theatre: Building A Foundation For The Emerging Theatre Company, Kelsey Mcmillan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper aims to guide entrepreneurial theatre artists in beginning a nonprofit theatre arts venture. It will provide an in-depth analysis of the foundations required to begin a nonprofit theatre organization and analyze the need for expanding upon traditional structures and styles. Incorporating evidence and research from relevant literature, coursework, and market data as well as analysis of a strategic plan for The Common Theatre Company, this paper finds that non-profit theatre companies can be positively served by developing unique products and services and a nontraditional governance model as an extension of the foundational needs of a nonprofit organization. The …

Finding The Silver Lining: The Role Of Affect And Adversity In Entrepreneurial Venturing., Lauren A. Zettel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Motivated goal pursuit is a foundational concept in entrepreneurial venturing. Entrepreneurs set goals for their ventures, and their persistence in pursuing these goals ultimately impacts the success of their venture. Many of the explanations of motivation in goal pursuit have focused on the benefits of steady progress and positive emotions. However, entrepreneurs inevitably face adversity and setbacks which, in turn, beget negative emotions. It is yet unclear what role adversity and the ensuing negative emotions may have in motivating entrepreneurs. In order to extend our theoretical understanding of affect and adversity in entrepreneurial venturing, this dissertation draws on the existing …

The Corporate Venture Dyad: A Study Of The Impact Of Cultural Distance On Venture Performance., Tommie R. Welcher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Even though corporate ventures (CVs) provide many benefits to established corporations, they continue to fail at a high rate. Whereas research supports that a corporation can gain a parenting advantage over its competitors (Campbell et al., 1995), there is no evidence to support that starting more CVs leads to more successful CVs. Parenting advantage theory postulates that if a corporation with a parenting advantage starts a venture then that venture will be more successful than if any of their competitors had started the same venture (Campbell et al., 1995). CVs are typified by dynamism and innovation, but established corporations have …

Differences In Opportunity Evaluation Between Corporate And Independent Entrepreneurs., Alireza Aghaey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Opportunity evaluation is a critical step in the process of entrepreneurship and is the main precursor to entrepreneurial action. This is true for both corporate entrepreneurs and independent entrepreneurs. However, these two groups may evaluate entrepreneurial opportunities in different ways because they operate in different contexts and have different decision-making schemas. In my dissertation, I use an “entrepreneurial cognition” perspective to explore such differences. By using two major theoretical lenses – i.e. resource availability and tolerance for uncertainty – and employing a conjoint experimental design, I compare and contrast decision policies of corporate and independent entrepreneurs captured in real time. …

An Actor's Process In Bridging The Gap Between First-Generation And Multi-Generational African-American Identities., Mutiyat Ade-Salu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reflects my process assimilating into the role of Chelle in the production of Detroit '67 at the University of Louisville. Although there have been instances of actors crossing lines of gender, nationality, race, and even sexuality, to perform roles in contemporary theatre, discussion about generational differences is almost non-existent. Through historical research, first-hand interviews, and conventional acting methods, I explore the world of my role, searching for spirituality, authenticity, and identity. Additionally, I explain my use of The WAY Method ®, a process I began creating in 2014 to help actors be clear with who they are before …

Web Analytics: Best Practices For An Organization’S Successful Performance; A Preliminary Analysis, Salma Dahbi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research presents an exploratory study concerning organizations’ best practices of Web analytics for a successful performance and the factors influencing the companies’ successful adoption of Web analytics.

A qualitative research methodology was used engaging a comprehension of Web analytics adoption using the Diffusion of Innovation theory (Rogers, 1995) and the theory building approach (Eisenhardt, 1989). Interviews with five companies from different industries were conducted.

Findings suggest that for a successful performance, companies should consider:

• Data for better decision making.

• Web analytics barriers

• Selecting the right KPIs and metrics based on the company’s goals.

• Web analytics …

Local Food Policy & Consumer Food Cooperatives: Evolutionary Case Studies, Afton Hupper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Darwin’s theory of natural selection has played a central role in the development of the biological sciences, but evolution can also explain change in human culture. Institutions, mechanisms that govern behavior and social order, are important subjects of cultural evolution. Institutions can help stabilize cooperation, defined as behavior that benefits others, often at a personal cost. Cooperation is important for solving social dilemmas, scenarios in which the interests of the individual conflict with those of the group. A number of mechanisms by which institutions evolve to support cooperation have been identified, yet theoretical models of institutional change have rarely been …

Schumpeter Revisited : Faster Better Cheaper As Grounds For Entrepreneurial Success And A Path To An Ipo., Charles Raymond Olsavsky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current entrepreneurship research focuses on two types of entrepreneurial firms: (1) the firms that develop innovative novel products or services arising from technological innovation; and (2) the firms that develop innovative novel products or services arising from recognition of an opportunity in existing conditions, no type of change required. A third type of business founder has been largely ignored in the modern entrepreneurship research - - the founder who enters a competitive market with no novel product or service that he or she invented. I refer to this founder in a competitive market as a performance entrepreneur. This dissertation …

Innovate Within Product Lines Or Outside Of Them? An Ethnographic Study Of Corporate Innovation In A Corporate Venture Makerspace., Cole Joseph Crider

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organizational forms firms use for innovating include R&D departments, corporate venturing, and open innovation. This dissertation examines a new form for corporate innovation—the corporate venture makerspace. Makerspaces are “shared production facilities,” and scholars suggest they are environments in which to create; yet few firms have adopted them as a means to innovate. This dissertation is an ethnographic study in which I examine why a large corporation with active R&D centers and limited resources also has a corporate venture makerspace as a secondary innovation mechanism when both organizations serve the same overarching function: explorative learning activities intended to generate innovative …

Balancing Exploration, Exploitation, And Efficiency : A Framework Of Entrepreneurial Learning., Shaun Paul Digan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Entrepreneurial learning (EL), defined as “learning in the entrepreneurial process through which individuals acquire new knowledge, either vicariously or from direct experience, which has the potential to change the range of entrepreneurial actions”, is a key construct in the pursuit and development of entrepreneurial opportunities. However, the field of entrepreneurship has yet to produce a theory of learning explaining under what conditions individuals engage in differing types of entrepreneurial learning. Further, the limited research within this line of inquiry is diverse and disconnected. In this research, I attempt to advance the literature on organizational and entrepreneurial learning through the examination …

Diversification And Its Implications For South Dakota Farmers’ Identity As Farmers: Wind Farm Diversification As A Case Study, Abdelrahim Abulbasher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies have been conducted in the last three decades to examine the impact of the ongoing economic changes that encourage farmers to adopt nonconventional practices (such as crop diversification, on-farm recreation, and wind farming) to diversify their income. Limited research, however, has been conducted to examine the impact of on farm diversification practices on farmers’ identity as farmers (growers of food, feed, and fiber) including their role, self-conception, and family history/legacy. Using social identity and socio-ecological systems theories, this study seeks to understand how farmers construct their identity, the symbolic meanings they attach to their daily practices, and the influence …

The Influence Of High-Performance Work Systems And Intangible Strategic Resources On The Entrepreneurial Orientation-Firm Performance Relationship., Shankar Naskar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The entrepreneurship literature indicates that entrepreneurially oriented firms perform better and grow faster than firms that are conservatively oriented. Firms with an entrepreneurial orientation (EO) jointly exhibit risk-taking, innovative and proactive behaviors. The EO-firm performance relationship is a well-established one. However, scholars have bemoaned the lack of focus on internal organizational factors that may influence or affect the nature of the relationship. My dissertation uses the framework of the resource-based theory of the firm to argue that the influence of EO on performance is contingent on the resources and the internal organizing context (organizing capability) of a firm. The resource-based …

Looking At Innovation Dialogically: Teaching Communication And (Social) Change In The Innovation Engineering Program At The University Of Maine, Mark J. Congdon Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions face two concurrent demands: preparing students for the job-market, while also developing informed and engaged citizens (Frey & Palmer, 2014; Gould, 2003). How universities reconcile these demands varies. The Innovation Engineering program (IE) at the University of Maine strives to both, “change the world by enabling innovation” (concern for social issues) and educate entrepreneurs (students) whose innovations reach markets quicker and at a decreased risk (capitalist orientation) (Hall, 2013; Kelly, 2014). The program uses a systems approach to innovation by teaching tools and methods for creating, communicating, and commercializing meaningfully unique ideas. Processes and contexts are important …

Identifying Critical Risk Factors In The Decision-Making Process Of Angel Investors And Venture Capitalists: A Delphi Research Study, Shawn A. Carson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Entrepreneurs perceive and manage risk differently than investors (Palich & Bagby, 1995). As a result, entrepreneurs may underestimate the extent to which their ventures are perceived to be risky by a potential investor. Consequently, the entrepreneur is left with making assumptions that could be detrimental in obtaining the necessary capital to launch and grow the business. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a common set of perceived critical risk factors among a group of experienced investors that would cause them to reject a deal out of hand.

The research methodology chosen for this study was …

Understanding The Role Of Social Capital On Performance In Family Firms., Mahshid Jessri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One important form of social capital is family social capital, which is mainly the relationship among family members in family business. In this dissertation, we utilize two perspectives of innovativeness and network mobilization to study the relationship between family social capital and firm performance. In the first study, we examine family social capital as a multidimensional construct, and study the relationship between the three aspects of structural, cognitive, and relational family social capital. The relationship between relational social capital and performance is studied through the lens of network mobilization, and the model investigates how family firm identity alters this relationship, …

A Socioemotional Wealth Perspective On Innovativeness And Performance Of Family Businesses., Vasiliki Kosmidou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a theoretical and empirical examination of the relationships among socioemotional wealth, innovativeness, and performance in family firms. Building on the Behavioral Agency Theory’s predictions that socioemotional wealth of family firms may affect their strategic decision making both positively and negatively, this study theoretically develops and tests a research model that aims at understanding the nuanced influences of different socioemotional wealth dimensions on firm innovativeness and performance. Specifically, the study hypothesizes that a family’s socioemotional wealth affects the firm’s innovativeness and performance both negatively, in the case of internal socioemotional wealth and positively, in the case of external …

The Viability Of Profit-Loss Sharing Models To Finance Small And Medium Enterprises: The Case Of Saudi Arabia, Alhanoof Alghamdi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to explore the role of profit-loss sharing (PLS) models to alleviate access to finance for small and medium enterprises in Saudi Arabia, in the light of the stringent requirements of traditional financial institutions, to ensure the growth and development of the SME sector. A central question of this study is the extent to which Islamic banks can adopt profit-loss sharing modes to finance SMEs. The main results present the barriers preventing Islamic banks from the application of profit-loss sharing that increase incidence of agency problems for such institutions. High asymmetry of information and the nature of Islamic …

The Agricultural Growth And Malting Production Of Barley Grains In Northeast Tennessee And Southwest Virginia, Mark Evans Patton Mr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the history and production processes of beer and examines the components that contribute to its brewing. The narrative will provide a timeline of the processes that are required to create the product of beer beginning with the agricultural products and following the brewing processes that result in beer as the finished product. I will also examine the business of agriculture and grain processing and will provide some historical perspectives of grain, beer, and malting. I will also consider whether the growing, processing, and malting of grains in the East Tennessee and Southwest …

The Time Frames Of New Venture Teams., Jason D’Mello

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The central research question in this dissertation is: how do an individual’s perceptions of time impact a new venture team? Specifically, the study examined whether or not temporal depth relates to how reactive entrepreneurs may be to the environmental changes and threats that they face in their new venture team. I interviewed two cofounders from 40 new venture teams. The results suggest that cofounders in the same new venture team have very different perceptions of time. Their agreement, or congruence of temporal depth (future, past, and total) impacts their new venture team’s perception regarding environmental hostility. This relationship is negatively …

An Investigation Of The Centrality Of Competing Institutional Logics For Social Enterprises., Tae Jun Bae

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social enterprises have recently been recognized as organizations located in the field where two competing institutional logics co-exist preeminently. My dissertation attempts to examine the conditions under which the centrality of competing institutional logics, referring to the degree to which two competing institutional logics are both important to organizational functioning, is higher or lower in social enterprises. Using hand-collected data from the survey of 190 social enterprises in South Korea, this dissertation not only presents a validated and reliable measure for the centrality of competing logics, but also identifies the factors associated with variation in a social enterprise’s centrality of …

A Discourse On Entrepreneurial Identity : Three Essays., Krishna P. Poudel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation provides theoretical insights on individual level entrepreneurial identity in three inter-related essays, drawing on multiple theories and disciplines. In the first essay, I advance a dual-process model of identity development, contributing to the debates in the broad identity literature. I articulate that the intrinsic prospection of identity is another fundamental process of identity formation, besides the social construction of identity, the prevalent notion in the literature. I propose a comprehensive conceptual framework of entrepreneurial identity. On the basis of this conceptual framework, I explain that there are within-group and between-group variations in the entrepreneurial identity of different types …

How Do Individual Factors Influence Moral Decision Making In Entrepreneurship? : The Role Of Self-Construal, Temporal Construal And Moral Identity., Shanshan Qian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Some entrepreneurs are often perceived to do almost anything to succeed and pursue self-interests while breaking moral and ethical standards. This is particularly severe when the ventures are at the early stage because entrepreneurs face scarce resources, high uncertainty and a competitive environment. It is noted that entrepreneurs' behavior of conforming business ethics and morality is profound for entrepreneurs’ firms viability. Thus, this dissertation employs self-construal theory and construal level theory and identifies how entrepreneurs’ cognitive development influences entrepreneurs to make moral decisions. In addition, I address the role of entrepreneurs’ moral identity in the focal relationships. Data were collected …

A Social Cognitive Perspective On Opportunity Evaluation., Trayan Kushev

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Very few topics in entrepreneurship have received as much attention as the entrepreneurial process. It consists of the discovery, evaluation and exploitation of opportunities to create future goods and services. Evaluation is at the center of this process because it follows discovery and is the main precursor of the decision to exploit an opportunity. However, we know very little of the factors informing evaluation decisions. Furthermore, research on the topic is limited in that it mostly examines either opportunity-based or individual-based factors in simple models of evaluation. Of course, evaluation decisions are more sophisticated and include a plethora of other …

Entrepreneurial Decision-Making Under Risk : Prospect Theory And Dual-Process Theory., Dalong Ma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research addresses the question of why some people become entrepreneurs whereas others do not. The debate has been going on for decades in entrepreneurship. In this dissertation, I address this question by decomposing it into two related questions. The first question is whether entrepreneurs make different decisions compared to non-entrepreneurs when they are facing the same opportunities under risk. The second question is whether these differences in decision-making (if any) are due to the natural proclivity of entrepreneurs themselves. To identify the differences of entrepreneurial decision-making between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs, this study investigates the nexus between entrepreneurs and opportunities …

Is That An Opportunity? : A Multilevel Investigation Of The Individual-Opportunity Nexus And Opportunity Beliefs., Eric Shaunn Mattingly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early entrepreneurial action focuses on opportunities and involves two distinct evaluative phases: (1) recognizing that something is an opportunity for somebody and (2) deciding whether or not one wants to pursue exploitation of a particular opportunity. Scholars primarily explain the first of these phases using individual differences. However, entrepreneurial action involves the nexus of opportunities and individuals. In my dissertation, I examine the independent effects of opportunity differences on opportunity recognition as well as the degree to which they are contingent on individual-level constructs. Specifically, I examine this phenomenon in the context of technology commercialization. I use analogical problem solving …

The Sustainability Of Agriculture In Nigeria Using Rubber As A Case Study, Owen Osahon Ogbebor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study is an investigation of the sustainability of agriculture in Nigeria using Rubber as case study. Edo and Abia states were sampled for the study with 300 questionnaires administered in 10 communities among rubber farmers. The study is an investigation of the socio-demographic distribution of the rubber farmers, perception of rubber farmers, and influence of government activities. Sources of information and the data were cumulated for Nigeria as a whole. The data were analyzed using statistical analysis.

Findings indicated the distribution of rubber farmers on socio-demographic distribution, sources of funds, and the effects on agricultural sustainability in Nigeria. Farmers’ …

Experience, Effectuation, And Something Good : Does The Use Of Effectuation Lead To Positive Outcomes?, Thomas E. Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The theory of effectuation is ascending in entrepreneurship education. Hundreds of articles have been written on the topic. Many textbooks mention the theory, and one college level textbook teaches entrepreneurship entirely from an effectual perspective. Given its acceptance, the natural assumption is that effectuation is somehow 'good.' That is, there is some unique benefit that an entrepreneur gains from using effectuation. This dissertation examines the concept of effectuation, and its value to entrepreneurship. It seeks to determine if entrepreneurs who use effectual logic outperform entrepreneurs who don't. Four hundred and fifty entrepreneurs across three states are surveyed to determine if …

Creating An Entrepreneurial Frame Of Mind., Robert F. Sinclair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of three essays that address the question: what specific cognitions lead to the formation of entrepreneurial intentions? Essay 1, "Explaining and Predicting Entrepreneurial Intentions," investigates currently theorized antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions to determine the degree to which they predict entrepreneurial intentions. Findings suggest that proximal cognitions such as feelings, desires, emotions, and attitudes predict intention formation, albeit limited to situations where entrepreneurial behavior is imminent. Additionally, distal cognitions, such as biases, heuristics, scripts and maps, although useful in explaining intentions, are of little predictive value except when predicting the distal intention to become an entrepreneur in …

Three Essays On The Influence Of Formal Institutions On Entrepreneurship., Michael David Crum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is composed of three essays in which I examine the influence of formal institutions on entrepreneurs and new firms. In the first essay, "The Influence of Institutions on the Likelihood of Self-Employment: A Multilevel Analysis," I examine how institutions at the country-level are related to the likelihood that individuals in those country are self-employed. Country-level measures of formal institutions are paired with individual-level data on self-employment from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (Reynolds et al., 2005). Using the Fraser Institute's Economic Freedom of the World index and the Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom separately as measures of institutions, …

Leadership Styles Of Entrepreneurs In Small Land Surveying Businesses., Jerry Wayne Nave

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to analyze the leadership styles of owners of small land surveying businesses in the states of Tennessee and Virginia to determine what leadership style was currently being employed by the majority of those owners. The participants in this study were chosen from members of the Virginia Association of Surveyors and the Tennessee Association of Professional Surveyors. The respondents to the questionnaire were licensed land surveyors who owned small firms of fewer than 101 employees. In addition, a corollary purpose was to flesh out the skeletal literature available on small business leadership styles and …