Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

Exploring The Nexus Of Climate Change, Energy Poverty, And Resilience Through Social Enterprises, Bupe Kunda

Honors Program Theses

This thesis examines how social enterprises address the nexus of climate change, energy poverty, and resilience in Zambia. Despite abundant renewable resources, only 34% of Zambians have electricity access, with stark urban-rural disparities (67% vs 14.5%). Using a qualitative multiple case study approach, this research analyzes ZESCO Limited, Muhanya Solar Limited, and Nyimba Energy Service Company (NESCO) through an integrated theoretical framework combining Social-Ecological-Technical Systems (SETS), energy justice, and social entrepreneurship theories. The study reveals that social enterprises demonstrate innovative approaches including NESCO's energy service company model and Muhanya's prepaid metering system, yet face significant challenges achieving financial sustainability and …

Book Review: Basketball Beyond Paper, Chad Goebert

Global Sport Business Journal

Dean Oliver’s Basketball Beyond Paper is a thoughtful and in-depth follow-up to his paradigm-shifting work in 2004, Basketball on Paper. Twenty years after Basketball on Paper laid the groundwork for possession-based efficiency metrics, Oliver returns with a deeper focus: incorporating the human side of the game. Rather than simply refining statistical models, Oliver argues that understanding motivation, emotional ups and downs, distractions, and team dynamics is just as critical to winning as traditional data analysis. Written with a direct and technical style, Oliver not only advocates for the importance of analytics in the transformation of how basketball is played, but …

Future Of Bse Days 2025: Growing A Regenerative Bse, Derek M. Heeren, Santosh Pitla, Jennifer R. Keshwani, Mark Stone

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

The Future of BSE Days 2025: Growing a Regenerative BSE brought together over 150 faculty, staff, students, and partners to envision the next quarter-century of the Department of Biological Systems Engineering. The event emphasized regeneration—not only of resources and ecosystems, but also of ideas, learning models, and relationships. Across seven major sessions—three Spark Talks and four Pillar Workshops—participants explored how BSE can thrive amid technological disruption, demographic change, and societal transformation.

Key Outcomes

Redefining Impact: This session challenged participants to evolve from counting outputs to valuing relationships, collaboration, and community well-being.

Adaptive Learning Models: This discussion introduced design studios, micro-credentials, …

Artcatalyze Investments: Empowering Art Investment Innovation, Wan Yu Hung

MA Projects

The Art Investment Fund represents an ambitious fusion of art expertise with state-of-the-art Web3 and cryptocurrency technology, poised to revolutionize the landscape of art investment. At its core, the Fund is dedicated to establishing a secure and transparent art investment trading platform that caters to the needs of artists and collectors alike. Anchored by a team of seasoned art advisors, the Fund offers personalized guidance tailored to each client's unique financial goals, ensuring that investment decisions are informed and strategic. Additionally, a cadre of skilled art restorers plays a crucial role in preserving the integrity and enhancing the long-term appreciation …

Catalysta Proyecto: A Hybrid Approach To Showcasing Latin American Art In The Dominican Republic, Valerie Cabrera Brugal

MA Projects

Catalysta is a contemporary online art gallery that exclusively features Latin American artists, creating a dedicated platform for these voices to be seen and celebrated on the global stage. Our mission is to simplify the often-overwhelming experience of entering the art world, especially for young collectors who are new to the process. Our product offers a streamlined and accessible way to discover and purchase high-quality artwork without the traditional barriers. By providing information on the artist’s background, a description of the artwork and full disclosure of the price we offer a simple way of accessing and acquiring an art piece. …

Hom: House Of Mexico In New York, Victoria Espinosa

MA Projects

New York City remains the epicenter of the global art world, attracting curators, collectors, museum directors, and other key players who are constantly seeking new ideas and emerging talent. For Mexican artists, having a presence in this dynamic environment is essential for gaining the visibility and recognition they deserve on the international stage. To address this need, I am committed to establishing a dedicated space in New York—not as a commercial gallery or museum, but as a non-profit platform showcasing the depth and diversity of Mexican arts & culture. The goal is to create a bridge between Mexican creativity and …

The Dynamic Integration Of National Culture In Organizational Structure For Entrepreneurial Success, Qianyu Lim

Senior Honors Theses

The impact of culture on management decisions has been heavily researched and discussed in the academic setting. However, the tools and frameworks currently applied in cultural studies present a static version of culture at a certain point in time. As entrepreneurship and its counterpart, intrapreneurship, arise to help create competitive advantage in a quickly shifting economic market, these points raise the question of the opportunity surrounding the consideration of culture as a living model in an equally dynamic business environment. To do so, a reiterative version of Bain’s Structure-Conduct-Performance paradigm will be used to illustrate the impact of culture in …

A Dissertation To Explore Entrepreneurial Decision-Making In High-Risk Uncertainty Using Ethical Leadership, Janice Patrick Honeycytt Hering

Dissertations

Entrepreneurs regularly face high-risk, uncertain situations. Until this study, no research had examined how entrepreneurs approach these situations. Although studies have identified the construct of courage and suggested ways for employees to take courageous action in the workplace, no study has examined how entrepreneurs approach situations perceived as high-risk and with uncertain outcomes until now. This study was based on ethical leadership, one of the major components of courage: acting for the higher good. This study conducted qualitative grounded theory research to determine what process entrepreneurs use when faced with the need for courageous actions. Participants were entrepreneurs in the …

Adaptation For Whom? Understanding The Impacts Of Dyke Policies On Small-Scale Farmers In Ca Mau Province Of Vietnam, Nguyen Minh Quang, Nguyen Van Minh, Nguyen Vo Chau Ngan, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Low-lying deltas worldwide are extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise. As the risks of climate-induced flooding become increasingly clear, the thirst for infrastructure-driven adaptation increases. This highlights a patent need to understand the impacts of engineering adaptation solutions, especially those targeting built structures such as dykes and sluices, on farmers from a bottom-up, farmer-centred perspective. The study addresses this call by examining cases where dyke policies, while successful in some dimensions, have undermined small-scale farmer livelihoods in Ca Mau ― Vietnam’s southernmost rural province. It identifies areas in need of attention and adds empirical data related to this group of farmers. …

Omnichannel Retailing: An Exploratory Study Of Limiting The Customer Journey In A Digital-First Context, Terence L. Holmes, Edward C. Brewer, Elizabeth Patterson

Atlantic Marketing Journal

A recent retail trend is the rise of “digital-first” firms, where their merchandise is sold primarily via online efforts. In this exploratory study we describe our investigation of the customer journey for a digital-first seller of cosmetics and personal care products. We collected qualitative and quantitative data from a customer survey and follow-up interviews. Results indicate that personal connections and actual product use are the two most important touchpoints customers consider in first discovering the seller and then building a relationship with the brand. We describe practical applications of the findings and suggest ideas for future research.

How Tax Code Complexity Impacts Small Business Decisions In Alabama: A Mixed Method Study, George Nkosi

Dissertations

This study investigates how federal tax code complexity influences small business decision-making in Alabama using a mixed-methods approach. Tax complexity is defined by ambiguity in tax provisions, frequent regulatory changes, and recordkeeping burdens, all of which affect decision-making and investment behavior. Survey data from small business owners were analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to identify the primary dimensions of tax complexity. Regression analysis then assessed the relationship between these dimensions and business decision-making. The findings indicate that ambiguity, frequency of change, and administrative requirements are negatively associated with long-term planning and capital investment decisions. Two complementary case studies involving …

Startup Equity To Stock Exchange: Key Drivers In Venture-Backed Ipo Journeys, Aryaman Shiv Khosla

CMC Senior Theses

This study investigates the components that shape the probability of a venture capital (VC) backed company’s ability to transition from private to public markets through an Initial Public Offering (IPO). The study employs logistic regression models to analyze firm-specific and funding-related determinants of IPO likelihood. Key predictors in this study include total VC funding, number of VC rounds, average deal size growth, size of first round, average days between rounds, company age, number of employees, and primary industry sector. The findings reveal that higher total funding increases IPO likelihood, highlighting the critical role of robust capital access in fueling growth …

How Can Tailored Entrepreneurship Training Effectively Support The Emancipation Of People With Disabilities In Ireland?, Ahsan Habib

Doctoral

This thesis investigates the impact of tailored entrepreneurship training on the perceived emancipation of aspiring entrepreneurs with disabilities in Ireland. This community is significantly underrepresented in the labour market, yet it is hindered in accessing self-employment opportunities due to a lack of specific training and limited access to necessary resources. Furthermore, there is a dearth of knowledge in academic literature addressing the influence of tailored entrepreneurship programmes targeted at people with disabilities. To address this knowledge gap, this study gathered data from in-depth interviews with 21 key informants (including nine participants from TU Dublin’s entrepreneurship training programme, five representatives from …

The Oprah In Me: Becoming Sidney O., Sidney Opal Young

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

Oprah Winfrey is a staple in American History and the world. She has infiltrated American media pop culture with a range of experience and expertise in various forms of media: television, literature, radio, Internet and film. Oprah has influenced popular culture. She continuously shared her ‘truths’ through her experiences and successes both good and bad making her extremely relatable. Oprah educates and inform the public about pressing issues in media and the world. Oprah has stood as an icon for many women, including me.

The Entrepreneurs Handbook: A Practical Meets Academic Guide For Both Current And Budding Business Owners And Risk Takers, Howard J. Friedman

Open Educational Resources

This work has been created with the intention of being used as a practical guide for the budding entrepreneur. The concepts are presented to optimize creative thinking and find a path to a fully realized business. From idea through funding, the company life cycle. This work is meant to provide the reader with all the materials that will be needed to make a real-world decision. Effort has been made to combine academic and practical data to offer a straightforward guide to finding, funding, and realizing your dream.

Harvest Gold Distillery, Alexis Mackey, Alexander Grecco, Cole Smith, Maggie Patterson, Blake Benko

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of our research project is to establish and grow Harvest Gold Distillery: a corn-based liquor distillery in Ohio that aims to produce and sell high-quality spirits while offering unique services that enhance outreach in the community. The motivation behind this business venture is rooted in one of our team member’s family traditions; Alex’s family makes homemade liquors, which has fostered an in-depth understanding of the distillation process. Alex’s firsthand experience with the craft provides a solid foundation, yet we recognize that starting a distillery involves significant challenges and requires thorough research in several functions of business. This project …

The New Professional: Intentional Goal-Setting For 2025, Amrita Patel D.D.S.

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The article emphasizes the importance of intentional goal setting, networking, and leadership for new dentists to achieve long-term success. It advocates for setting clear, measurable goals, breaking them into manageable milestones, and focusing on building strong professional relationships. Networking with mentors and peers, engaging in social media, and participating in dental organizations are highlighted as ways to foster growth and opportunities. Leadership roles, even in small capacities like volunteering or joining committees, are seen as critical steps toward personal development and career advancement. These strategies collectively help new dentists establish a solid foundation for achieving their professional aspirations.

J Mich Dent Assoc January 2025

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Each month, the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association provides news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200+ members. It is the primary publication reaching Michigan dentists. The January issue sets the tone for February, the observance of Children’s Dental Health Month.

Michigan Academy of Pediatric Dentistry President Jessica Bentoski welcomes readers to this special issue, which features a cover feature on “Approaches to Care for Children with Special Needs in Dental Settings: Desensitization and Teledentistry” and a supporting article on “General Dentists’ Education, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior Concerning the Effects …

Local Roots, Global Minds: Student Entrepreneurship Through Exploration And Community Connections, Madison Stracke, Becky Haddad, Matt Kreifels

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

What if students could see themselves not just as learners but as future business owners, community leaders, and innovators? That was the idea behind Local Roots, Global Minds, a hands-on semester project designed to connect students to their communities while helping them explore real-world career paths.

In a rural Nebraska high school, students weren’t just studying plant science. They were brainstorming business ideas, talking to local professionals, and thinking critically about their community needs, which in turn allowed them the opportunity to see how a future in their agricultural-based community could be accomplished.

Local Roots, Global Minds was a Work-Based …

A Framework For Understanding The Influence Of The Lifeworld Concept On Small Business Utilisation Of Linkedin, Jalleh Sharafizad, Janice Redmond, Craig Standing, Richard Fulford

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

LinkedIn is a professional platform used as a collaborative tool by small business entrepreneurs to acquire crucial resources needed to sustain and grow their business. However, there is limited research to explain the influence of the lifeworld on entrepreneurs’ LinkedIn use. Using qualitative interviews we address this research gap. The findings reveal evidence of a developing lifeworld within LinkedIn, comprising three key components: culture, social integration, and socialisation. The core small business LinkedIn culture is endorsing and advocating for business brand within a strictly professional ethos, rejecting any deviation from this approach. Social integration is based on strategic actions to …