Business Commons^™

Strategic Relationships In A Small Business Context: The Impact Of Information Quality And Continuous Quality Improvement, Michael L. Harris, William C. Mcdowell, Shanan G. Gibson

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

This study examines the performance between operational variables for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) within the context of interorganizational relationships. Specifically, it investigates the role of information quality and continuous quality improvement and the varying importance that SMEs place on each of these constructs. The sample consists of 134 vendors of a large university in the southwestern region of the United States.The results indicate that there is a positive relationship between information quality and continuous quality improvement with performance in SMEs. Implications for both research and practice, as well as ideas for future research, are discussed.

Entrepreneurship In The Creative Industries: An International Perspective, Lori Wagner

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Book review by Lori Wagner.

Henry, Colette, ed. Entrepreneurship in the Creative Industries: An International Perspective. Cheltenham, UK and Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2007. ISBN 9781845426101

Effects Of Participation In Paid Membership Organizations On Entrepreneurial Success, Michele K. Masterfano

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Research into entrepreneurial networking activities has ignored an aspect that is important to the entrepreneurs—does it make sense to pay dues to an organization that promises networking opportunities to help build their business? This study looked at that aspect of networking by comparing revenue growth rates and average number of employees between those businesses whose owners belong to paid membership organizations and those who do not. No differences were found between the two groups of entrepreneurial firms. While there are still benefits to joining these organizations, entrepreneurs should not expect to grow their business because of membership.

Founder Characteristics And Legitimacy-Seeking Behaviors, John T. Perry, Gaylen N. Chandler, Xin Yao, Timothy L. Pett

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

The entrepreneur’s experience, personality, and values affect the entrepreneur’s behaviors and decisions (Chrisman, Bauerschmidt, and Hofer 1998). Past research results show that (1) more experienced new venture founders have a greater likelihood of leading their ventures to early success than less experienced founders (Delmar and Shane 2006) and (2) founders who engage in legitimacy-seeking behaviors have a greater likelihood of leading their ventures to early success than founders who do not do so (Tornikoski and Newbert 2007). We propose that more experienced founders understand the importance of obtaining legitimacy for their ventures and therefore will engage in more legitimacy-seeking behaviors. …

Abandoning Ship At Scandia, Inc.: Parts B And C, Herbert Sherman, Barry Armandi, Adva Dinur

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Scandia, Inc., is a commercial vessel management company located in the New York Metropolitan area and is part of a family of firms including Scandia Technical; International Tankers, Ltd.; Global Tankers, Ltd.; Sun Maritime S.A.;Adger Tankers AS; Leeward Tankers, Inc.; Manhattan Tankers, Ltd.; and Liu’s Tankers, S.A. The company’s current market niche is the commercial management of chemical tankers serving the transatlantic market with a focus on the east and gulf coast of the United States and Northern Europe. This three-part case describes the commercial shipping industry as well as several mishaps that the company and its President, Chris Haas, …

The Effects Of Entrepreneurial Orientation And Commitment To Objectives On Performance, Mark Simon, Chanel Stachel, Jeffrey G. Covin

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

The relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and performance is often moderated by different factors. Specifically, scholars have called for research examining whether commitment to long-term objectives improves EO’s effectiveness, believing that commitment may help firms overcome obstacles associated with EO. In response, we collected survey data from executives in 126 small, high-technology firms, and found that EO and commitment to objectives enhanced sales growth. In addition, the study determined that commitment to objectives was associated with greater increased sales growth of companies high in EO, as compared to those low in EO.

Varieties Of Bricolage And The Process Of Entrepreneurship, Jeff Vanevenhoven, Doan Winkel, Debra Malewicki, William L. Dougan, James Bronson

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

We offer a theoretical account of how two types of bricolage influence the entrepreneurial process. The first type involves social relationships or physical or functional assets, and thus pertains to an entrepreneur’s external resources used in the instantiation of operations of a new venture. The second type pertains to an entrepreneur’s internal resources—experiences, credentials, knowledge, and certifications—which the entrepreneur appropriates, assembles, modifies and deploys in the presentation of a narrative about the entrepreneurial process. We argue that both types of bricolage are essential to the success of a venturing attempt.

Engines Of Innovation: The Entrepreneurial University In The Twenty-First Century, Joseph R. Bell

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Thorp, Holden and Buck Goldstein. Engines of Innovation: The Entrepreneurial University in the Twenty-First Century. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2010.

Engines of Innovation: The Entrepreneurial University in the Twenty-First Century is an exploration into the design of a collaborative academic institution where silos of discipline-specific competency and tradition disappear and innovation reigns supreme.

Understanding Sme Intention To Use The Internet For Managing Supplier Information, Kevin Celuch, Anna Walz, Carl Saxby, Craig Ehlen

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

There is strong consensus that the Internet has the potential to positively impact firms, and SMEs in particular; however, not all firms have realized benefits from adoption. The present study extends research in the area by addressing the need to examine the “chain” of variables explaining Internet adoption. We do this by exploring SME owner/manager Internet-related usefulness and ease-of-use cognitions and intention to use the Internet for supplier information management. We also explore the influence of behavioral norms and two broader strategic perspectives, market and learning orientation, on the Internet-related cognitions. Findings have implications for researchers and practitioners by identifying …

Corporate Parents, Initial Legitimacy, And Resource Acquisition In Small And Medium Firms: An Empirical Examination, Gregory Murphy, Neil M. Tocher

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) commonly struggle to acquire needed financial, human, and technological resources. The above being stated, recent scholarly research argues that SMEs that are able to successfully navigate the legitimacy threshold are better able to gather the resources they need to survive and grow. This article provides an empirical test of that claim by examining whether the presence of a corporate parent positively influences SME resource acquisition. Results of the study show that SMEs with corporate parents, when compared to like-sized independent SMEs, have higher credit scores, have more complete management teams, use more computers, and are …

Kabloom!: Revolution In The Flower Industry, Gina Vega, Collette Dumas, Beverly Kahn, Jafar Mana

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

David Hartstein started KaBloom in 1998 with the goal of creating “the Starbucks of Flowers.” He successfully built brand recognition for the gardenlike shops, but problems plagued the young organization. Nearly three years and one recession later, KaBloom failed to live up to Hartstein’s forecast of exponential growth. This case has been designed for a graduate-level course in entrepreneurship/innovation. Students can compare franchising with other business models, examine the impact of organizational structure and leadership styles on business effectiveness, relate issues of supply chain management and logistics to environmental changes, and recognize the impact of innovation on business sustainability.

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

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

New England Journal Of Entrepreneurship, Fall 2011

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

No Exit? Trying To Salvage D&H Management Llc: Parts A And B, Herbert Sherman, Adva Dinur, Daniel James Rowley

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

In this two-part case, Richard Davis and Stephen Hodgetts, co-owners of D&H Management LLC, are trying to come to terms with changes in the real estate market—changes that have made their rental homes worth less than their mortgages and at best yielding at most a break-even cash flow. In Part A Davis and Hodgetts are weighing the following options: (1) sell all of the properties, assume a loss (walk away with nothing), and avoid the negative cash flow; (2) walk away from all of the properties, assume a loss (walk away with nothing), and avoid the negative cash flow; (3) …

Bootstrapping Techniques And New Venture Emergence, John T. Perry, Gaylen N. Chandler, Xin Yao, James Wolff

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Among nascent entrepreneurial ventures, are some types of bootstrapping techniques more successful than others? We compare externally oriented and internally oriented techniques with respect to the likelihood of becoming an operational venture; and we compare cash-increasing and cost-decreasing techniques with respect to becoming operational. Using data from the first Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics, we find evidence suggesting that when bootstrapping a new venture, the percentage of cash-increasing and cost-decreasing externally oriented bootstrapping techniques that a venture’s owners use are positive predictors of subsequent positive cash flow (one and two years later). But, internally oriented techniques are not related to …

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

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

Effective Business Planning: A Structured Approach: A Guide For Entrepreneurs, Alison J. Paster

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Book review by Alison J. Paster.

Masterfano, Michele K. Effective Business Planning: A Structured Approach: A Guide for Entrepreneurs. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2010. ISBN 9780757575044

Effective Business Planning: A Structured Approach: A Guide for Entrepreneurs is an easy-to-follow book and learning tool that provides detailed and informative guidelines for writing a business plan.

New England Journal Of Entrepreneurship, Spring 2011

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

Getting To Green: Niche-Driven Or Government-Led Entrepreneurship And Sustainability In The Wine Industry, Lauretta Frederking

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Through the framework of Michael Porter’s five forces, this article compares sustainability in the Oregon and British Columbia wine industries. After describing the contrasting characteristics of the green niche model and the government-led model of environmental change, the article analyzes the emerging challenges for each type of change.The distinct sources for profitability and future innovation suggests diversity within the sustainability movement and two very different processes of translating environmental values into entrepreneurial practice.