Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

Dismantling Power And Patriarchy: Reconceptualizing Entrepreneurship Through Feminist Research Methods, Heatherjean Macneil

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Initial research has shown how male and heroic idealism of the entrepreneur (Ahl, 2006), the gendering of entrepreneurial ecosystems (Özkazanç-Pan & Muntean, 2021), and societal racism (Wingfield, 2008), contribute to othering conditions for entrepreneurs who are not white and male (Ahl, 2006). Not only does this othering effect create interlocking and compounded barriers, (Collins and Blige, 2016), but a diverse perspective of how-to entrepreneur is lost amidst dominant discourse and homogenous norms. To disrupt this patriarchal mold, this dissertation investigates: How does social identity shape early-stage entrepreneurship? It applies feminist theory and qualitative research methods to explore the lived experiences …

Enhancing Citizens’ Participation In Planning And Budgeting In Kibaha Town Council, Tanzania, Mrisho M. Malipula

BISNIS & BIROKRASI: Jurnal Ilmu Administrasi dan Organisasi

Citizens’ participation is deemed key in the planning and budgeting of developmental activities, but grassroots participation in such endeavors has proven problematic. Against such a backdrop, this study examined citizens’ participation in planning and budgeting processes in local governments. It explores the nature and level of citizens’ participation in planning and budgeting, as well as challenges impeding their participation in the same KTC. The study employed a qualitative stakeholder analysis that involved a sum of 42 interviewees. 24 participated in 3 FGDs involving women, youth, and farmers, and 18 as Key Informants purposively picked among Councillors, WDC members, CSO leaders, …

Developing An Assessment Model For Entrepreneurship Ecosystems Using Hierarchical Decision Model: Case Study Of Riyadh City, Mustafa Kamal Almuzel

Dissertations and Theses

Entrepreneurship is one of the major drivers of economies. Countries that aim to improve their economies by increasing entrepreneurial activities and its effectiveness need to develop an effective entrepreneurship ecosystem. This ecosystem combines a set of domains and factors that create a healthy environment for entrepreneurs. The analysis shows that there is limited research about structured assessment methods to evaluate the entrepreneurship ecosystems.

Therefore, this research objective is to introduce a universal assessment model that can be adopted in different cities for implementing an effective entrepreneurial ecosystem. This will be achieved by addressing three main research questions. 1) What are …

Executive Peer Advisory Groups: Who They Are? What Are Their Benefits? Why Do Members Join And Stay?, Andrew Feghali

Dissertations

Executive peer advisory groups (EPAGs) are exclusive organizations in which chief executive officers (CEOs) and presidents of businesses can problem solve business challenges, discuss business strategies, share best practices, and solve critical growth and performance issues. Executive peer advisory groups are based on the premise that the collective experience and resources of peer groups empower like-minded executives to solve challenges more effectively and more rapidly than they could do on their own. A key component of EPAGs is the forum, in which six to 16 members meet, typically monthly, in small-group sessions to function as each other’s personal advisory boards. …

Inaccessible Interpolated Imagery: How Coffee Farmers In The State Of Chiapas Might Access Political Economic Opportunity Through Representation, Paolo Fiann Bicchieri

Master's Theses

Here is a useful parable to boil down the idea of this project and set the tone: when one goes to the bar to tell a story about a fight at the bar, they would never venture to place themselves as the hero of the brawl, taking out three drunkards in a single punch, unless they were really in the bar, at that time, fighting a good fight. One would never do this as the bartender, locals, and regulars would all know if this were the case or not. Yet transnational corporations, governments, and even consumers do this all the …

The Rise Of American Food In China, Shiyan Wang

Master's Projects and Capstones

Over the years, American food has become more and more popular in China. Today, the Chinese are more open to trying new cuisines. To fully understand the forces that have catalyzed the growing presence of American foods in China, my research project demonstrates the complex web of factors that shape how American food businesses’ presence in China has changed over the last decade. Examining a diversity of sources, including existing trend data, my analysis focuses on the domestic and global factors that have facilitated the growing presence of American food restaurants in China. Using this research as a jumping off …

The Significance Of Sonic Branding To Strategically Stimulate Consumer Behavior: Content Analysis Of Four Interviews From Jeanna Isham’S “Sound In Marketing” Podcast, Ina Beilina

Student Theses and Dissertations

Purpose:
Sonic branding is not just about composing jingles like McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It.” Sonic branding is an industry that strategically designs a cohesive auditory component of a brand’s corporate identity. This paper examines the psychological impact of music and sound on consumer behavior reviewing studies from the past 40 years and investigates the significance of stimulating auditory perception by infusing sound in consumer experience in the modern 2020s.

Design/methodology/approach:
Qualitative content analysis of audio media was used to test two hypotheses. Four archival oral interview recordings from Jeanna Isham’s podcast “Sound in Marketing” featuring the sonic branding experts …

Getting Ahead And Getting Along In Entrepreneurial Networks: Network Effects Of The “Dark” And “Light” Sides Of Personality In New Venture Performance, Victoria Antin Yates

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores how dark and light personality traits influence venture performance via mediating effects of social structure. Because entrepreneurship is an inherently social process, theoretical perspectives of social network theory and social comparison theory are used to examine how entrepreneurs’ dark and light personality traits interact with personality traits of socially proximal others to influence venture performance via network structure. These perspectives are drawn together using socioanalytic theory. This dissertation argues that agreeableness and narcissism interact with the personality traits of network others at the group-level to influence structural hole positioning within entrepreneurial networks; in turn, structural holes are …

Veteran Entrepreneurs – Founder Social Identities, Edward Papabathini

College of Business Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, entrepreneurs assume a pivotal role in creating jobs, driving innovation and productivity growth, and contributing to the success of the national economy. An often-overlooked segment of this population, Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces create nearly $1 trillion in cash receipts, employ nearly six million Americans, and lead one of every six entrepreneurial initiatives. This study was an investigation of the founder social identities of the 10% of veterans who become entrepreneurs: Darwinism, communitarian, and missionary. Additionally, this study was a means to assess the relationship between specific identities, innovation, financing pattern, and entrepreneurial commitment among …

Customized Sidearm Case: Leading A Cme Capstone Team From Concept To Production, Robert B. Sharp

Honors Theses

The goal behind this thesis is to document and analyze my performance as the project manager for the Customized Sidearm Case capstone team during the Center for Manufacturing Excellence’s senior capstone experience. The capstone experience begins the fall of students senior year where a select number of product ideas submitted by the students are chosen, and teams are built around these projects. The objective of the project is to walk a product from the concept phase through the entire design process resulting in a full-scale production run during the spring semester. My product pitch of a wooden sidearm case, customized …

Creating A Healthy Rural Ecosystem For Community Vitality: Developing Rural Community Business Research, Karalyn Kutzer, Dr. Emily Newell

Thinking Matters Symposium

The objective of this project is to create a model of and mechanism for statewide, systematic data collection to support workforce development pathways for P-20 students in rural Maine to ensure the long-term vitality and success of these communities. Businesses, as sites of financial and social capital development, can be more thoughtfully calibrated to local workforce needs in these communities. However, data is not currently made available to businesses and community leaders that would allow them to make thoughtful decisions about how to use community resources and time in order to create these partnerships. Businesses and economic growth in rural …

Arclothmasks: A Pandemic Startup Journey, Adam Jackson

Information Systems Undergraduate Honors Theses

Covid-19 changed the way the world operated when it became a pandemic in 2020. The need for personal protection equipment was unexpected and suppliers were not prepared for the demand. The government mandate of masks furthered the need of PPE across the nation. To help fill this shortage, many companies began to retool their manufacturing processes from clothing to masks. This thesis will dive into one PPE company and its journey from the start of the pandemic. The business plan for the company will follow it along with graphs and charts that help tell the tale of the startup.

New Dentist News (May 2022), Ada Committee On The New Dentist

New Dentist News

New Dentist News offers timely information on scientific, social, educational, political and economic developments affecting new dentists. This collection is historical and items may not reflect current standards. For up-to-date information contact the ADA. The New Dentist News was alternately titled ADA Lifeline, 1997-June 2001.

Psychological Profile Of The Leader And Investment Decision Practice Of The Small And Medium-Sized Enterprise (Sme) In The Context Of The Covid-19 Crisis In Ivory Coast, Bassife Ouattara

The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance

This article examines the different investment decision practices of the leader of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during the COVID-19 health crisis and highlights the influence of the leader's psychological profile on these practices. Thus, primary data was collected from the interview guide and questionnaires submitted to 112 executives. The results obtained through the tests indicate the existence of a direct link (significant influence) between certain psychological profiles of the leader and investment decision-making practices in times of crisis.

Determinants Of The Adoption Of Islamic Finance By Cameroonian Smes: Case Study From A Psycho-Sociological Characteristics Of Managers, Jérôme Gonne, Yaouba Mohamadou

The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) today form the backbone of the African economy in general and Cameroon in particular. However, Cameroonian SMEs encounter many difficulties, one of the most important is the access to so-called conventional financing. Faced with this situation, some of them will seek alternative means such as Islamic finance. Despite its development over the past two decades, Islamic finance is struggling to find a place in the financial decisions of Cameroonian SMEs’ Managers. This study aims at highlighting the psycho-sociological characteristics of policymakers in directing their decision towards the Islamic finance product. Data collected from a sample …

Financial Inclusion And Gender Income Inequalities In Informal Entrepreneurship: The Case Of Cameroon, Faustine Kede Ndouna, Félix Zogning

The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of access to different financial products in reducing income inequalities between men and women working in the informal sector in Cameroon. To this end, we use the World Bank database World Bank Global Financial Inclusion (Global Findex) dataset 2018 to assess the evolution of access to financial services through a descriptive analysis and the fourth Cameroonian survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics in 2014 to estimate a probit model and a Fairlie decomposition model. Empirical results suggest that indeed, income inequality between the sexes continues to increase in …

Effects Of Access To Credit On The Performance Of Smes In The Congo, Fabrice-Gilles Ndombi Avouba

The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance

This paper proposes to analyze the effects of access to credit on the performance of SMEs in Congo. To this end, we used the theoretical model developed by Stiglitz and Weiss (1981). From an econometric point of view, we estimated a multiple linear regression model using the ordinary least square technique due to the absence of endogeneity. This application, as well as the statistical and econometric analyses that followed, were carried out using microeconomic data from the survey of very small, small, medium-sized enterprises and artisans in the Congo, which was carried out thanks to the multiple contributions of the …

Business Plan: Refuge Coffee, Zachary Lewandowski

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Refuge Coffee will be the premier vendor of high-quality and sustainably sourced specialty coffee in Springdale, Arkansas. Its mission is to improve lives by providing a space that reflects the community—a space in which ideas, beliefs, attitudes, and values can be exchanged, with coffee acting as a common denominator. Refuge Coffee will offer specialty coffee beverages, locally baked goods, and merchandise to consumers. We intend to partner with Canopy NWA, a refugee resettlement organization that aims to welcome and equip refugees with all they need to build new lives, through the means of employment for refugees and the continuous donation …

Insomnovation – Natural Sleep Solutions Business Plan, Nikolas Limperis

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Currently, 70 million Americans suffer from some sort of sleep issues from trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and daytime drowsiness. However, the sleep solutions on the market today are either highly artificial or only address the symptoms of sleep issues rather than the underlying cause. This is what Insomnovation seeks to address. By providing supplementation to seven key vitamins and minerals, Insomnovation hopes to bring a natural solution to put the issue of sleep disorders to rest.

A Seminar For Student Leaders To Engage And Retain Members In Student-Led Organizations, Luke Mcpherson

Honors Theses

The challenge of attracting and maintaining members in student-led organizations (SLO) inspired this thesis. Current research literature was used to create a presentation for student leaders. The presentation applied marketing principles as well as best practices suggested by the research. Interviews with four student leaders and two administrators involved in student activities were conducted to interact with the research. Their insights suggested that the strongest factor in attracting students was social, whether personal invitation or a sense of belonging to the group. The strongest deterrent to participation was a perception that the benefits did not outweigh time commitments to school …