Business Commons^™

Strategies For Achieving Sustainability Of Small Business Restaurants, Tanisha Thomas-Beard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many small business restaurant owners perform unprofitably and fail within 5 years of opening. Small business restaurant owners are concerned about sustainability as approximately 50% of small businesses that start up do not last beyond the fifth year. Grounded in the general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small business restaurant owners use to grow and maintain profitability to sustain business beyond 5 years. The participants were five small business restaurant owners in the Southeastern region of the United States who sustained their business beyond 5 years. The data were analyzed using …

Transdisciplinarity In Experience Design: A Global Survey Of Higher Ed Programs In Exd/Xd, Yvonne Houy

Creative Collaborations

In our age of ubiquitous devices and digital media it is the perceived value of the end-to-end experience that brings people to a place. Designing inspiring and emotionally engaging end-to-end experiences requires experts in a wide range of disciplines committed to an interdisciplinary collaboration that can arrive at transdisciplinary design - the sum becomes greater than its parts.

Civil engineering, hospitality, business, psychology, digital User Experience (UX) design, and experience data analysis need to be seamless integrated with the fine and performing arts and design fields:

• Architecture, interior, landscape and sound design actively engage the senses.

• Graphic and fine arts …

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Towards Cloud-Based Cost-Effective Serverless Information System, Isaac C. Angle

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

E-commerce information systems are becoming increasingly popular for businesses to adopt. In this work, we propose a serverless information system that will reduce costs for small businesses trying to create an e-commerce website. The proposed serverless system is built entirely in Amazon Web Services (AWS). The proposed serverless system allows businesses to pay for the use of cloud resources on a per-order granularity. This model reduces the cost of the information system when compared to a traditional cloud-based system. As e-commerce websites become more vital for small businesses, a cost effective serverless approach is promising.

Leadership Experiences Of Organization Open Innovation In Caribbean Small And Medium Enterprises, Helen Merlyne Bhola-Paul

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Caribbean Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) represent 95% of Caribbean businesses and contribute 40% to the region’s GDP; however, they rank lowest at 4% for organization innovation. The general problem addressed in this study was that leaders of SMEs of the Windward Islands in the Caribbean did not have a system in place to lead and promote strategic knowledge sharing to increase open innovation. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the lived experiences of leaders of innovative SMEs in the Windward Islands to manage and lead their organizations to drive organization open innovation in a …

Survival Strategies For Small And Medium Scale Enterprises In Nigerian Confectionery Industry, Rita Ejelehi Brodie-Mends

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Incorrect start-up strategies account for the failure of many small-and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in the first 5 years of operation. A lack of business owner entrepreneurial skills and enterprise development contributes to the high mortality rate of SMEs, the failure of which is a significant limitation on global economic growth and job creation. Grounded in the resource-based theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies five SME confectionary business owners in Lagos, Nigeria, used to sustain their businesses beyond the first 5 years of start-up. The participants were owners of SME confectionary businesses who implemented strategies …

Climbing The Economic Ladder - Doing Business In Saint Vincent And The Grenadines Using Sdg-Related Policies, Romena Tamira L.V. Browne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Through Invest SVG, a statutory body under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning, and Information Technology, the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was seeking to develop a policy environment that was conducive to optimal growth for private sector development, in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goals. The outcomes of such endeavors may include but are not limited to higher levels of employment, revenue generation, and economic growth. In this study, two primary areas were addressed: the regulatory weaknesses for doing business in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, using the criteria outlined in The Ease of …

Total Quality Management Strategies To Sustain Business Beyond 5 Years, Nida Guzon Palmore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some small business leaders lack total quality management strategies to sustain their business beyond 5 years. Small business leaders are concerned that their businesses will not survive beyond 5 years without total quality management strategies. Grounded in the Deming 14 points model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small business leaders use to sustain their business beyond 5 years of operation. The participants were five small business leaders from Central Valley, California, who sustained their businesses for more than 5 years. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a review of company documents. Thematic …

Marketing Strategies For Automotive Dealerships In Grenada, Keith Wayne Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSome executive-level automotive dealership managers in Grenada lack successful marketing strategies to sell new U.S. or Japanese vehicles to increase dealership profits. Executive-level automotive dealership managers are concerned about how dealership marketing strategies can negatively impact the business’s bottom line. Grounded in the segmentation, targeting, and positioning model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore the successful marketing strategies four executive-level dealership managers used to sell U.S. or Japanese vehicles to increase profit in the southern region of Grenada. Yin’s 5-step thematic analysis of semistructured interviews and company documents derived four themes: customer retention, product branding, media …

Strategies For Information Technology Small Business Owners To Sustain Beyond The First 5 Years, Edward Alan Rodarte

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses are the foundation of an economy and spawn innovation, but small business owners fail at an alarming rate because they lack strategies to sustain business operations. Since 50% of small businesses fail within the first 5 years, small business sustainability research is critical to support small business owners. Grounded in entrepreneurial theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to identify strategies information technology (IT) small business owners use to sustain operation beyond the first 5 years. The participants included four IT small business owners in the Southwestern United States who sustained operations beyond the first 5 …

Strategies Small-And Medium-Sized Enterprise Leaders Use For Sustainability Beyond 5 Years In Rivers State, Olawe Alaba Tula

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) leaders lacking sustainability strategies experience high rates of business failure through loss of profit. A high rate of SME failure is linked to a lack of competitive advantage, resulting in decreased productivity and profitability. Grounded in resource-based view theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that three SME leaders in Rivers State used to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and company documents, including employee handbooks and annual reports. The three themes that emerged through thematic analysis were strategic management, stakeholder management strategies, …

Strategies To Improve Minority Business Enterprises’ Access To Capital For Competitive Positioning And Profitability, Darlene Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some minority business enterprises (MBEs) have limited capital for setting up their businesses, which often leads to business failure. Grounded in entrepreneurship theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies MBEs used to access capital to improve their competitive positioning and profitability. The participants were six MBE owners from Alabama who demonstrated success at maintaining and securing working capital to maintain a profitable business for a minimum of 5 years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and reviews of organization documents and websites. Using Yin’s five-step data analysis process, four themes emerged: owner financing, government loans …

Entrepreneurial Strategies For The Survival Of Small Business Enterprises In Uganda, Rita Kabatunzi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Only 46% of small businesses in Uganda survive beyond 5 years, yet some small business owners lack entrepreneurial leadership strategies to innovate and sustain their businesses. The failure to sustain businesses can lead to employee loss of jobs and degrade individuals’ economic prosperity. Grounded in the strategic entrepreneurship model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore entrepreneurial leadership strategies small business owners in the travel and tourism industry in Kampala, Uganda use to innovate and sustain their businesses for more than 5 years. The participants comprised 5 small business owners who successfully sustained their businesses beyond 5 …

Leadership Strategies For Sustainability Of Small And Medium Enterprises In Swaziland, Lizzy Oluwatoyin Taiwo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSmall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an essential role in national and global economic growth. Lack of leadership strategies can negatively impact the sustainability and growth of SMEs. Business owners who implement appropriate leadership strategies can ensure the sustainability of their SMEs. Grounded in transformational leadership theory and sustainability development theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore leadership strategies owners of SMEs use to ensure the sustainability of their organizations. The participants were four owners of SMEs within the four regions in Swaziland who successfully used leadership strategies to enhance the sustainability of their organizations. …

The Short Business Life Span Among Entrepreneurs In Aba, Southeastern Nigeria, Uche Kalu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Southeastern Nigeria is known for high entrepreneurial activity. However, there is an observable high small business mortality in one of the major commercial cities, which many scholars argue could be connected to insufficient entrepreneurial development. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the phenomenon of insufficient entrepreneurial development and short business life span among small and medium scale businesses in a major city of Southeastern Nigeria. Scholars have stated five years or less as the average lifespan of a small or medium scale business enterprise in Southeastern Nigeria. This study was based on the theories of …

Evaluating The Entrepreneurship Ecosystem In Stockton, California, Angelina Abella

Master's Projects

In any community, entrepreneurs and small business owners play an important role in the fabric of the community. The concept of “community wealth-building” is the idea that cooperatives, Community Development Financial Institutes (CDFIs), impact investors, and local governments, can “...strengthen locally-rooted and locally-held businesses and investing vehicles…” (Field, 2015, n.p.). It is believed that keeping businesses local results in “...more local tax revenue, more local business activity and more local employment” (Field, 2015, n.p.).

Therefore, supporting an entrepreneur may contribute to the overall quality of life of the community by supporting them, their families, and their employees. This can be …

Invited Perspective - Engaging Aspirations To Nurture Communities, Kentaro Toyama

Subsistence Marketplaces

For subsistence communities, the question is whether aspirations can be applied to motivate behavior that is, on the one hand consistent with people’s aspirations, but which might otherwise be difficult to elicit. Could poorer households be encouraged to save, to spend more on their children’s education, or to act against unhealthy social norms? A couple of examples suggest this is not only possible, but highly successful in contexts where other appeals fail.

An Investigation Of Teenagers’ Advertising Literacy In The Context Of The Brand-Rich Environment Of Social Media, Emma Sweeney

Doctoral

Teenagers are avid consumers of social media and consequently, constitute attractive target audiences for marketers. On social media, advertising can be integrated into content such as YouTube videos and Instagram posts which means the boundary between commercial content (the advertisement) and non-commercial content (e.g., the video in which the ad appears) becomes increasingly blurred. Therefore, in this context, the consumer must be able to navigate a minefield of overt and covert advertising that is disseminated by a range of sources, including brands and social media influencers. A resulting concern for academics, parents and policy makers alike relates to young people’s …

Dynastic And Generative Intent For First-Generation Black Wealth Creators In A Modern Racial Enclave Economy, Latanya White

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explores the underlying causes of the racial wealth gap between Black and White Americans: the absence of intergenerational wealth transfers in Black business families. As American wealth becomes concentrated into fewer and fewer hands, the data reveal that one third of the 400 wealthiest Americans inherited their wealth from the entrepreneurial endeavors of earlier generations in their family, some creating entrepreneurial dynasties. An important aspect of succession planning is the construct of generativity. Generativity is practiced through leading, nurturing, promoting, and teaching the next generation to create things to “move down the generational chain and connect to a …

Small And Micro Business Resources In The Post-Pandemic Period: A Perspective From Local Bridal Boutique Businesses In West Virginia, Ishtehar Sharif Swazan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In widely dispersed small communities, local and regional businesses dominate West Virginia, an eastern state of the United States in the Appalachian Mountains where small and micro businesses constitute 98.9% of all businesses and contributes 49.1% of the state’s total employment. These businesses create jobs, help build a strong financial position for the state, and promote community-building and social activities. These businesses are unique as they sustain themselves while competing with national and regional retail chains and carving out a customer for themselves. However, the damage caused by the spread of Covid-19 is having a devastating effect on the small …

A New Approach To Self-Assessment Of Community Engagement: A Case Study Of Technological University Dublin., Emma O'Brien, Martina Brophy, Thomas M. Cooney

Articles

Building upon existing international tools, the TEFCE (Towards a European Framework for Community Engagement of Higher Education) Toolbox for community engagement represents an innovative, robust, and holistic framework to support universities in reflecting upon their community engagement. Through a case study approach, this paper highlights the piloting of the TEFCE Toolbox at Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin), Ireland. Through an inclusive and participatory methodology, the process facilitated the recognition of community engagement achievements and the identification of potential areas for improvement.

Gender-Based Characteristics Of Micro, Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises In An Emerging Country: Is This A Man’S World?, Angelica Maria Sanchez-Riofrio, Nathaniel C. Lupton, Segundo Camino-Mogro, Álvaro Acosta-Ávila

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Purpose: Worldwide, Ecuador is one of the countries with the most entrepreneurial activity from micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). However, the effect of adopting the US dollar (dollarization), over which the central bank has no control, combined with being mainly an exporter of primary products, as well as strategic currency devaluation by neighboring economies, has created a difficult situation, especially for Ecuadorian women’s MSMEs. This paper aims to study the relationship between female ownership and Ecuadorian MSMEs’ financial, economic and social outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach: The authors compile a near-population panel of 617,804 firm-year observations representing an unbalanced panel of 112,917 …

Application Of Competitive Intelligence For Insular Territories: Automatic Analysis Of Scientific And Technology Trends To Fight The Negative Effects Of Climate Change, Henri Dou, Pierre Fournie

International Journal of Islands Research

Islands are fragile territories because of their geographical position. As a result, climate impacts can have serious consequences, of which some are irreversible. Therefore, it is necessary to allow insular territories to benefit from the latest scientific and technological advances in combating climate effects. The current article shows how to deal with automatic analysis of scientific information on the one hand, but also its applications via patents. We will analyse the latest scientific results as well as their possible applications using patent analysis. We will also focus on experts, laboratories, and leading companies, that are active on the field. The …

Developing A Structured Ojt Program: The Case Of A Small Manufacturing Company In A Rural Region, Raymond A. Dixon Ph.D.

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

This study explored the process followed by a small manufacturing company in a rural area to implement a planned training program to develop the technical skills of its engineering/production workers as the company expands its operation. A case study design was used. Data was collected over an eight-month period by the examination of documents, direct observation, and interview. Findings indicate the process followed were consistent with elements of the Talent Development Architecture. The growth of the company presents learning opportunities for both the owner and his management team. The job analysis provided inputs to implement a planned training program and …

Stand Alone Or Continue To Support: Exploring The Need For Post Incubation Services For New And Growing Enterprises., Miriam Adair, Breda Kenny, Helen Mcguirk

Irish Business Journal

Public support for entrepreneurship varies across countries and depends on issues such as sector, regional location and stage of the start-up. In making it easier for people to set up a business, many countries provide access to finance, training and advice. Business incubation (BI) centres are one such model of support for entrepreneurship. The current research provides some preliminary insights into the extent of the demand for post-incubation services in supporting new ventures to thrive and survive. Employing a unique data set based on information gathered from business incubation centre managers, current and alumni clients, we adopted an exploratory research …

Akshaya Patra: A Leader In Battling Classroom Hunger, Ajith Sankar

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

Akshaya Patra, the world’s largest mid-day meal program run by a not-for-profit organization, was started in 2000 by serving approximately 1500 school going children in Bangalore, India. In 2009, the organization achieved a milestone of serving one million lunches to the school children. By 2021, it had been feeding more than 1.8 million children and aimed at feeding five million children by 2025. Akshaya Patra also offered its services to people affected during natural calamities like floods and earthquakes, and for the homeless living in shelter homes[2]. It was also the first NGO managed food programme in the …

How The Leading Chinese Real Estate Brokerage Transformed Into A Digital Platform Business, Yanli Zhang, Lixia Yao

Department of Management Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose

In this article, we study how a Chinese real estate broker - Lianjia successfully transformed itself into Beike - China’s leading digital platform for housing transactions and services. We explain the motivation behind this platform transformation, how it turned out, and what are the lessons learned for other companies contemplating a platform transformation. Beike’s lessons are significant as they not only can help the companies achieve growth via platform transformation but also create social value by contributing to higher service quality in traditional service industries.

Design/methodology/approach

We draw upon comprehensive archival research into Beike, and our many years of …

New York Is Promising Social Equity In Its Legal Cannabis Market, But Questions Still Loom, Brian D. Evans Jr

Capstones

This capstone will explore how New York can navigate a new landscape that accepts recreational marijuana while also dealing with an illegal pot market that can better serve the state with less arrests and a more seamless rollout. The capstone will also discuss how people of color – already targeted and arrested at a disproportionate rate for misdemeanor non-violent drug related crimes – will navigate this landscape. With less access to capital to start businesses of their own or buy/rent property, will New York perhaps introduce or entertain a program to subsidize such an effort? California has said that the …

Selling For The Social Good: A Commentary And Extension To Pedagogy Place, Shannon Cummins

Marketing & Entrepreneurship Faculty Publications

This paper describes an adaptation of “Social Marketing, Consumer Behavior, and the SDGs” available from the Pedagogy Place website to an introductory sales class. The extension provides an example of how the structure of a macromarketing project can be adapted to every part of the marketing curriculum—even personal selling. The project details how sales skills can be developed using experiential learning while simultaneously providing an opportunity to discuss macromarketing principles and use sales techniques toward sustainability goals and societal good.

A Dual Perspective Towards Building Resilience In Manufacturing Organizations, Steven A. Fazio

Theses and Dissertations

Modern manufacturing organizations exist in the most complex and competitive environment the world has ever known. This environment consists of demanding customers, enabling, but resource intensive Industry 4.0 technology, dynamic regulations, geopolitical perturbations, and innovative, ever-expanding global competition. Successful manufacturing organizations must excel in this environment while facing emergent disruptions generated as biproducts of complex man-made and natural systems. The research presented in this thesis provides a novel two-sided approach to the creation of resilience in the modern manufacturing organization. First, the systems engineering method is demonstrated as the qualitative framework for building literature-derived organizational resilience factors into organizational structures …

Objection Practice Using A Live Appointment-Setting Call With Professionals, Shannon Cummins

Marketing & Entrepreneurship Faculty Publications

Getting students comfortable with responding to customer objections is a challenge. This assignment introduces students to objection response using a live role-play conducted with professionals over the phone. The project typically takes 3 weeks to complete and is an excellent way to deliver value to professional partners or involve alumni in a time-efficient and location neutral manner. The project works equally well in-person or online. Results show that students participating in the live role-play call have higher actual and perceived learning regarding objection response techniques. Additionally, students who participate are more likely to receive a job or internship offer due …