Business Commons^™

Employing Service Learning In Community-University Partnership Program To Develop Local Msmes In Bungo And Tejo Regencies, Mona Novita, M. Syukri Ismail, Muhammad Solihin, Muhammad Asman

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

This paper illustrates the implementation of a community project developed based on a partnership between the community and the local university in Bungo and Tebo Regencies. The project aims to develop the local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as a strategic step to increase the regional economy, taking the form of a so- called Community–University Partnership Program in Bungo and Tebo Regencies. The Community–University Partnership methodology employs the Service Learning (SL) method to increase MSME actors’ competence in terms of financial literacy, product packaging, and marketing. The effectiveness of the SL-based Community–University Partnership Program was measured using a quantitative …

Collaboration Among Smes As A Mechanism For Innovation: An Empirical Study, Mario J. B. Franco

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

The interest for collaboration among small and mediumsized enterprises and innovation has been highlighted, in recent times, due to the acceleration of technological changes and to increasing international competitiveness. Many small firms, with rigid structures and weak entrepreneurial dynamics, experienced difficulties in becoming innovators. Some of these firms can adopt collaborative agreements because these relationships enable them to get the necessary innovative activities, know-how, and exploit opportunities, which they cannot achieve alone. This study examines the motives for the formation of collaborative agreements in industrial Portuguese SMEs and presents some empirical evidence concerning collaboration as an important vehicle for the …

The Value And Impact Of Seminary Training, R. Stephen Shuart, Joshua Shuart

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Interview by Joshua Shuart of R. Stephen Shuart, of Stephen Shuart Export Co.

The Reverend R. Stephen Shuart is an Episcopal priest by profession. He is rector of two parishes and serves on the Diocesan Financial Committee and as a rural dean. However, he has spent most of his wage-earning life as owner/operator of Stephen Shuart Export Co., an internationally known photographic business, located in Kane, Pennsylvania. Shuart’s unique entrepreneurial endeavor has been the subject of a televised news feature, and the object of camera collectors’ attention since his company’s inception in the early 1970s.

The Region And The Smaller Enterprise: A Discussion Of Appropriate Investigative Methodologies, Ian Pownall

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Regional policy instruments are typically driven by economic rationales, from either a firm or industrial perspective. Yet too often, these rationales are taken as ex ante to the contexts within which firms and industries compete. Recent regional development research has urged a better link be developed between the individual, the firm, and their context, so as to understand the role of regions in supporting effective competitiveness of organizations. In this article, recent research themes are explored that may shed light on the nature of this relationship and that can be developed into an investigative methodology that could aid policy practitioners …

New England Journal Of Entrepreneurship, Fall 2003

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

Musings Of A Serial Entrepreneur — Reconciling Theory With Practice, Joseph E. Levangie

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

To reminisce about my entrepreneurial career with appropriate self-importance, I might note that I have helped create companies and jobs. This contributes in a small way to economic growth. Economic growth is, however, an often illusive concept to characterize. Job growth is an essential component of a dynamic, innovative process. In the late 1970s jobs growth research suggested that the vast majority of new jobs are created by small business formation. Such empirical research is difficult to support with theoretical constructs. Classic macroeconomics analysis discounts size-offirm as irrelevant. Entrepreneurial contribution is therefore difficult to assess.

Supplier Selection And Development: The Relationship Between Small Manufacturing Enterprises And Mass Merchandisers, Stephen C. Jones, Tami L. Knotts, Gerald G. Udell

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

This study examines the results of a program intended to act as a selection tool for mass merchandisers and a development tool for small manufacturers. The evaluation program assessed the management practices and products of potential suppliers. Based on past experience, buyers for mass merchandisers consider small manufacturing enterprises a poor risk as potential suppliers of retail goods. As part of the evaluation process, firms were asked 34 closed-end questions regarding their management practices, and each product was evaluated on 41 specific qualities necessary for the mass merchandising market. Of the 1,690 firms that participated in this project, about 5 …

Documentaries: Both Informing And Entertaining New Zealanders, William De Friez, Veronica Mccarthy, Laurence Weinstein

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Interview by Laurence Weinstein of William De Friez and Veronica McCarthy, owners of Raconteur Productions in New Zealand.

William (“Bill”) De Friez and Veronica (“Ronni”) McCarthy own and operate Raconteur Film and Television Productions located in downtown Christchurch. Bill serves as part-time director; his full-time position is faculty lecturer in the Film Department of the University of Canterbury. Ronni is the full-time producer for their small business operation that completes an average of three documentaries per year as well as a network children’s series and other special projects. She won the prestigious Winston Churchill Fellowship in 1995 to study children’s …

Marketing Orientation In Smes: Effects Of The Internal Environment, Richard C. Becherer, Diane Halstead, Paula J. Haynes

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Marketing orientation refers to a culture in which organizations strive to create superior value for their customers (and superior performance for the business) by focusing on customer needs and long-term profitability. Some studies have found that firms with a high degree of marketing orientation experience improved performance; others have found mixed or nonsignificant results. The marketing orientation of small businesses has not been thoroughly investigated, however. This study of more than 200 small business CEOs examines the marketing orientation levels of small to medium-sized firms (SMEs) as well as the impact of various internal variables (sales/profit performance, company characteristics, and …

Turning A Hobby Into Millions, Philip King, Laurence Weinstein

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Interview by Laurence Weinstein of Philip King, bookstore entrepreneur in New Zealand.

Before Philip King sold his five bookstores in Christchurch roughly 10 years ago to Whitcoulls, a large Australian-owned bookstore and office supplies operation, he hardly fancied himself as an entrepreneur. Books were his passion: He loved to read. However, his first job was selling barbeque charcoal to New Zealand’s South Island residents.

Jade Software: Getting Ready To Tackle America, Sir Gilbert Simpson, Laurence Weinstein

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Interview by Laurence Weinstein of Sir Gilbert Simpson, founder and CEO of Jade Software in New Zealand.

Sir Gil Simpson is one of New Zealand’s pioneers in software development, having started in the field in 1967. He holds steadfast to his dream that one day his approach to software programming will take hold around the world. Simpson has just opened up the company’s first office in the United States; he expects his first significant foray into this country will be a successful one.

From The Editors, Laurence Weinstein, Joshua Shuart, Christopher Sheehan

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

From The Editors, Laurence Weinstein, Shawn Blau, Christopher Sheehan, Joshua Shuart

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

International Franchising In Emerging Markets, Nadia Ballard

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Book review by Nadia Ballard.

Ilan Alon and Diane H. B. Welsh, editors, International Franchising in Emerging Markets: Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America. Chicago: CCH Inc., 2001.

Ilan Alon and Diane H. B. Welsh, editors, International Franchising in Emerging Markets: China, India and Other Asian Countries. Chicago: CCH Inc., 2001.

The Bay House Café: Against All Odds, Dudley-Anne Thomson, Brian Finlayson, Michael Varekamp, Laurence Weinstein

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Interview by Laurence Weinstein of Dudley-Anne Thomson, Brian Finlayson, and Michael Varekamp.

Dudley-Anne Thomson is the current manager of the Bay House Café, located10 kilometers from Westport, South Island, New Zealand. She rents the space from Brian Finlayson and Michael Varekam, who both started the Bay House Café eight years ago and then moved on to open restaurants in Sydney, Australia.

Applying Entrepreneurship To Health Care Organizations, Kristina L. Guo

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

This study examines entrepreneurship and assesses its relevance to health care organizations through a detailed description of the optimal environment, organizational factors, and managerial roles in the entrepreneurship process. The article finds entrepreneurship processes to be especially useful to health care organizations as they struggle to survive in the competitive managed care environment.

From Corporate To Entrepreneurial Life: Risks And Challenges Along The Way, Gene O'Neill, Liz Ellington, Laurence Weinstein

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Interview by Laurence Weinstein of Gene O'Neill and Liz Ellington, owners of TeWhau Lodge in New Zealand.

From Intrapreneurship To Entrepreneurship: Is Technical Expertise Sufficient?— A Case Study, John Woodilla

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Following a successful career in industry, Dr. Douglas V. Shick, a newly minted entrepreneur, established NRS Associates, LLC, to perform consulting services based on two highly technical computer-modeling programs. Doug was heavily involved in the development of one program, an innovative computer simulation software for modeling a particular manufacturing process, through intrapreneurial activity during his corporate experience. Doug established his business on September 1, 2001, and on September 10 announced his services by e-mail to everyone he knew. The unforeseen events of the next day, September 11, produced some unexpected aftereffects that Doug had to factor into his developing business.

Responding To God's Guidance, Craig Hoekenga, Joshua Shuart, Laurence Weinstein

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Interview by Joshua Shuart and Laurence Weinstein of Craig Hoekenga, CEO of Microboard Processing, Inc.

Craig Hoekenga is CEO of Microboard Processing, Inc. (MPI), a very successful subcontract electronics manufacturing company located in Seymour, Connecticut. There are many reasons why Hoekenga would stand out in any gathering of CEOs, but one of the most arresting reasons would be that Hoekenga credits his success to God and considers MPI a “Christian business.” The New England Journal of Entrepreneurhip editors started with a plant tour and then caught up with Hoekenga in his office.

Collective Entrepreneurship In Family Firms: The Influence Of Leader Attitudes And Behaviors, Jun Yan, Ritch L. Sorenson

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Collective entrepreneurship is the synergism that emerges from a collective and that propels it beyond the current state by seizing opportunities without regard to resources under its control (Stevenson and Jarrillo 1990). This study provides a conceptual model of collective entrepreneurship and its relationship with leadership and team dynamics in the context of a small family business. It proposes two types of prerequisites for collective entrepreneurship: attitudinal and behavioral. The attitudinal prerequisite is family business members’ commitment to the family business. The behavioral prerequisite includes collaboration and task conflict among family business members. Further, the article argues that leadership behaviors …

New England Journal Of Entrepreneurship, Spring 2003

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

Propensity To Trust, Purchase Experience, And Trusting Beliefs Of Unfamiliar E-Commerce Ventures, Gregory B. Murphy

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Trust has become a major issue among online shoppers. This underresearched subject will predictably determine the success or failure of e-commerce vendors. The lack of face-to-face interaction, the inability to inspect goods and services prior to purchase, and the asynchronous exchange of goods and money all contribute to the perceived risk of purchasing online and the resulting need for trust. Trust is particularly critical for small and new Internet ventures confronted by the liability of newness (Stinchcombe 1965). Lacking, among other things, a name that is readily recognized in the marketplace, entrepreneurial Internet ventures require trust if they are to …