Business Commons^™

Transparency In Financial Markets And Institutions: A Catholic Social Thought Perspective, Bridget Lyons, Lucjan T. Orlowski

WCBT Faculty Publications

We argue that transparency, or information disclosure by public and private sector institutions should be viewed as an important component of the Catholic Social Thought process. A higher degree of transparency by a single institution denotes revealing a greater magnitude of truthful information that leads to optimization of actions by other individuals and institutions, thus ultimately, to maximization of social welfare. Based on the precepts of Catholic Social Thought, more detailed and unbiased information allows individuals to make more truthful observations of reality that subsequently rationalize their judgment and actions. This is particularly relevant for financial markets and institutions that …

Which Ties Matter When? The Strategic Impact Of Network Linkages On Foreign Subsidiary Survival, Jing'an Tang, Paul W. Beamish

WCBT Faculty Publications

In addition to enriching the network theory by specifying the conditions under which business networks affect firm performance, our study contributes to the international strategic alliances literature in answering the questions of when to ally and with whom to ally for managers dealing with international expansions.

Leading With The Heart: Coach K’S Successful Strategies For Basketball, Business And Life, Peter A. Maresco

WCBT Faculty Publications

If you are a student of leadership, whether in business or in sports, you have no doubt noticed the proliferation of leadership books that continue to make their way onto the shelves of bookstores. After a while one starts to wonder if there can be possibly anything left to write on the subject that hasn’t already been written. Well, perhaps there is; the relationship between leadership in sports and leadership in business, perhaps even leadership in our everyday lives.

The Often-Neglected Term In The Entrepreneurial Equation—The Purchase Order, Deaver Brown, Joseph E. Levangie

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Many entrepreneurs are enthralled with their company’s technologies, products and potential markets. Invariably these emerging ventures present bedazzling business plans with industry-wise vernacular, detailed market research, and sophisticated financial spreadsheets. They often flaunt their “optimized business models.” Investors, however, typically want to know when and how the sales will start meeting the Plan. “Where’s the purchase order?” is the refrain. In this article, our “Practitioner’s Corner” associate editor Joe Levangie collaborates with a long-time colleague, Deaver Brown, to address how businesses should “make sales happen.” Levangie warns that Brown’s elitist education (Choate, Harvard College, Harvard Business School) should not be …

New England Journal Of Entrepreneurship, Spring 2006

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

New England Journal Of Entrepreneurship, Fall 2006

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

From The Associate Editors, Joseph E. Levangie, Miles Davis, Barry Armandi, Pamela Hopkins, Daniel James Rowley, Gerry W. Scheffelmaier

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

Role Modeling As A Pedagogical Strategy In Entrepreneurship Education For Women And Girls: An Interactive Model Of Transformational Learning, Jeannette Oppedisano, Kenneth R. Laird

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

This article presents a pedagogical model that utilizes students as primary researchers in the identification, interviewing, and then reporting on women entrepreneurs as a major component of a multidisciplinary entrepreneurship course. The purpose of the course is to attract students who may not be familiar with the entrepreneurship concept itself, the role of women in such economic ventures, or the possibilities for people like themselves in such a career avenue. Students are exposed to the accomplishments of women entrepreneurs throughout U.S. history in the broad categories of agriculture and mining; construction; communication; manufacturing; service (both for profit and not-for-profit); transportation; …

A Cross-Country Assessment Of Government Intervention And Entrepreneurial Activity, Maria Minniti

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Recent studies have shown that the contribution of small firms to employment and GDP is increasing. A large amount of work has also established the significance of social and economic variables for entrepreneurial decisions. Very little is known, however, about how government policies and programs influence entrepreneurial activity, and whether these effects are consistent across countries. Using original data from a representative sample of 10,000 individuals and from more than 300 open-ended interviews in 10 countries, this article provides some suggestive evidence that government intervention aimed at enhancing the underlying environment of entrepreneurial decisions may be more effective than intervention …

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow: Dhr Patio Homes, Llc And Family Firm Management, Herbert Sherman, Daniel James Rowley

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

"I quit." Those two little words were dropped like an atomic bomb and seemed to explode across the dinner table at the Davis residence. The meal had not yet been served though everyone was at the table engaged in a lively discussion, which of course included their business, DHR Patio Homes, LLC. Immediately, a hush descended upon the Davis family and their guest, close friend, and business associate, Stephen Hodgetts, as an imaginary mushroom cloud filled the room. No one could move or say a word although numerous glances of varying nature were being exchanged in rapid succession. The somberness …

The Embedded Entrepreneur: Recognizing The Strength Of Ethnic Social Ties, Ed Chung, Kim Whalen

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

This article is premised on the idea that social networks represent an important, but often overlooked, unit of analysis in management and entrepreneurship studies. The concept of embeddedness, emphasizing the significance of social relationships, is of particular relevance as more and more frequently minorities and immigrants engage in small businessownership. This article borrows from the ethnicity and social network traditions, and offers that an analysis of the ethnic homogeneity of an entrepreneur’s strong and weak social ties would be fruitful in gauging entrepreneurial success.

Transparency In Financial Markets And Institutions: A Catholic Social Thought Perspecitve, Bridget Lyons, Lucjan T. Orlowski

Presidential Seminar on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition

We argue that transparency, or information disclosure by public and private sector institutions should be viewed as an important component of the Catholic Social Thought process. A higher degree of transparency by a single institution denotes revealing a greater magnitude of truthful information that leads to optimization of actions by other individuals and institutions, thus ultimately, to maximization of social welfare. Based on the precepts of Catholic Social Thought, more detailed and unbiased information allows individuals to make more truthful observations of reality that subsequently rationalize their judgment and actions. This is particularly relevant for financial markets and institutions that …

Growth Intentions Of Owner-Managers Of Young Microfirms, Rolland Lebrasseur, Huguette Blanco, John L. Dodge

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

A survey of young microfirms was conducted to investigate their growth intentions. The findings confirm the distinct profiles of four types of firms categorized on the basis of current and future employment: Lifestyler, Entrepreneur, Manager, and Mover. They differ in terms of the owner’s perceptions of the desirability and practicality of growing their firm, and with respect to the moderating variables of industry affiliation, business location, and investment level. Research issues and service implications for business support agencies are identified.

From The Editors, Herbert Sherman, Joshua Shuart, Laurence Weinstein

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

Simplified Data Analytics For The Accurate Evaluation Of A New Venture’S Market Potential, Michael D. Mattei, Stephen Hellebusch

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

This article examines the creation of an accurate market projection designed with easy-to-use, cost-effective data analytic techniques. Many of the techniques explored are derived from the subdisciplines of decision support and data warehousing found in the information technology arena. Two significant contributions are presented: a simple mathematical technique that eliminates the need for heuristics, and the simplification of the process to the point where no computer or sophisticated statistical analysis is needed.

Entrepreneurs Test The Market: Got (Goat’S) Milk Soap?, Laurence Weinstein, Kelli Bodrato

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Sitting around the kitchen table one late-winter morning, Lisa and Rick Agee were discussing which direction to take their small, home-based business located in rural New Milford, Connecticut, over the next three to five years. The couple was making and selling “Goatboy” brand bathroom soap using goat’s milk as the key ingredient, and they were now trying to reconcile very different points of view on how to grow the business in early March 2006.

From The Editors, Herbert Sherman, Joshua Shuart, Laurence Weinstein

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

Entrepreneurial Financing—Alternatives For Raising Capital, Paul Broude, Joseph E. Levangie

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Most entrepreneurs are continually concerned about their finances. Their companies perhaps not yet profitable, they may have a fear of “running out of dry powder.” These entrepreneurs often have fallen in love with their company’s technologies, products, and potential markets, but they require more resources. Invariably these emerging ventures shroud their fear of the grueling capital raising marathon by presenting voluminous business plans to potential investors. They often flaunt their “optimized business models.” Investors, however, typically want to know why the potential investment is such a good deal. The entrepreneur often wants guidance regarding what to say to whom in …

Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School Of Business, Institute For Entrepreneurship: A Concept Paper That Became A Reality, Miles K. Davis

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

The Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business at Shenandoah University engaged in an intense planning process in the fall of 2004. In addition to clarifying its mission and strategic directions, the Byrd School clearly articulated its vision: to become recognized as a provider of individualized business education driven by entrepreneurial thinking, global understanding, and ethical practice. The development of the Institute for Entrepreneurship described in this article is a critical step in actualizing this vision.

Capital Accessibility, Gender, And Ethnicity: The Case Of Minority Women-Owned Firms, Leyland M. Lucas

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Minority women continue to make significant gains in economic activity, particularly as entrepreneurs through the creation of small businesses. Despite this increased role in small business activity and an admirable rate of success, minority women-owned businesses continue to experience problems in acquiring capital. This difficulty, which some have attributed to discriminatory practices, forces a large number of these businesses to rely on governmental support programs for assistance in meeting their capital needs. Building on the idea that things are not as simple as commonly presented, a case is made that access to capital for women-owned businesses is affected by a …

Problems Encountered By Ethnic Entrepreneurs: A Comparative Analysis Across Five Ethnic Groups, Gabrielle A. Brenner, Louis Jacques Filion, Teresa V. Menzies, Lionel Dionne

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Despite growing interest in the difficulties encountered by ethnic entrepreneurs, very little research has yet been done on the subject. This article attempts to fill the gap. A total of 715 Chinese, Italian, Indian/Sikh, Jewish, and Vietnamese entrepreneurs from Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver were surveyed for the research. The results show that ethnic businesses tend to face the same problems as other businesses, which consequently does not appear to justify the development of support programs specifically for ethnic entrepreneurs. However, this study of established businesses does not consider failed or nascent businesses, which may have experienced additional problems. Further research …

A Double-Edged Sword: Organizational Culture In Multicultural Organizations, Mary G. Trefry

WCBT Faculty Publications

The primary premise explored in this paper is that organizational culture has the potentialfor even greater impact in multicultural organizations than mono-cultural ones because an organization's culture can intensify both the benefits and the challenges of employee cultural diversity, and thus indirectly, affect organizational performance, organizational learning and competitive advantage. The assumptions underlying this contention and relationships among variables that contribute to the impact are explored in this paper, along with practical organizational implications.

This study analyzes the dimensions of the 'vitality of development' of banking systems. Fuzzy synthetic decision analysis was used to construct and evaluate an index of …

“The Management Of Creativity”, Managing The Creative Mind: A Business Elective, Peter A. Maresco, John Gerlach

WCBT Faculty Publications

The immediate problem facing the authors was replacing someone with the background and stature of Joseph Abboud with an individual or, as it eventually worked out, four individuals with differing creative backgrounds and levels of success that would be of benefit to the students (in the spring 2006 semester the course was offered to undergraduate business students) enrolled in the course. Replacing Abboud proved to be not as difficult as the authors originally imagined. Within a period of three weeks, four individuals with diverse backgrounds in film, music, sports entertainment, and entrepreneurship were identified and agreed to take part in …

Corporate Governance, Public Accounting Firm And Multinational Corporation: The Us Sox Act Perspective, Marc Massoud, Eunsup Daniel Shim

WCBT Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to review US corporate governance systems and to highlight the mandated roles of audit committee and external auditor within the SOX Act. In addition, it discusses requirements and implications of the SOX Act for the foreign accounting firms and multinational corporations. Finally this paper provides a perspective on improvement of corporate governance and financial integrity. In order to regain trust from the financial market, the SOX Act mandates (1) to improve auditor’s independence by reducing conflicts of interest; (2) to increase corporate financial reporting responsibility by requiring a CEO or a CFO certify accuracy …

The Impact Of A Simulation Exercise In The Intermediate Financial Accounting Course, Anne Rich, Karen Cascini

WCBT Faculty Publications

This paper presents the results of a simulation exercise included in the intermediate financial accounting course and discusses its impact on college-level students. The objectives of this study are to assess the impact of using a simulation exercise to improve students’ mastery of cash flow reports, as well as to assess their ability to synthesize data and draw conclusions about the liquidity and solvency of a company. Students who were required to perform analysis prior to taking the exam did better overall on generating a cash flow statement as well as evaluating both the liquidity and solvency of a company.

Ethical And Managerial Implications Of Internet Monitoring, Andra Gumbus, Frances Grodzinsky

WCBT Faculty Publications

As Internet use pervades our personal and professional lives, organizations have become increasingly concerned about employee use of the Internet for personal reasons while at work. This has prompted the restriction of the Internet or the limitation of the Internet during work hours. Monitoring of employee Internet and email is another result of this trend. Legitimate business functions such as employee performance appraisal and progress toward goals are served by monitoring. However, poorly designed and communicated monitoring practices can be negative and have perverse effects on employee morale and productivity. Monitoring of employees erodes trust and may be considered an …

Is Support For Strategic Flexibility, Environmental Dynamism, And Firm Performance, Michael J. Zhang

WCBT Faculty Publications

Increasingly, strategic flexibility has been viewed as a critical organizational competency that enables firms to achieve and maintain competitive advantage and superior performance. In this study, the relationship between IS support for strategic flexibility and the bottom-line performance of firms is investigated, as well as the moderating effects of environmental dynamism on that relationship. Using both survey and archival data, IS support for strategic flexibility was positively associated with profitability and labor productivity only when there was a high degree of environmental changes and uncertainty.

World Wrestling Entertainment: Achieving Continued Growth And Market Penetration Through International Expansion, Joshua Shuart, Peter A. Maresco

WCBT Faculty Publications

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is best known for its promotion of professional wrestling as sports entertainment. Today, World Wrestling Entertainment is an integrated media and entertainment company principally engaged in the development, production, and marketing of television programming, pay-per-view programming, and live events, and the licensing and sale of branded consumer products featuring the highly successful World Wrestling entertainment brand. As the WWE brand continues to grow, a strategic decision has been made to place a greater emphasis on the expansion of the WWE brand globally. This paper will present an overview of WWE from its beginnings as the WWWF …