Business Commons^™

A Case Study Of Rural Community Colleges' Transition To Entrepreneurship, James D. Genandt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The traditional role of workforce training by community colleges in support of regional economic development is insufficient to help rural areas survive in a global economy. Rural community colleges are uniquely positioned to provide enhanced economic development support through entrepreneurship and small business development programs. Using Woolcock and Narayan's conceptualization of social capital, the purpose of this case study of 4 community colleges in a midwest state was to identify specific entrepreneurship strategies rural community colleges use relative to economic development. The data were collected via email and telephone interviews with 11 employees connected to leadership and/or economic development from …

Beyond The Enclave: Success Strategies Of Immigrant Entrepreneurs, Jose Delfin Gonzalez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, immigrant entrepreneurs start almost one third of all new businesses. However, many immigrant entrepreneurs lack the knowledge or expertise to evolve their businesses beyond the ethnic enclave where the businesses are located. This multiple case study captured the strategies used by 5 Latino immigrant business owners who successfully expanded their business beyond their ethnic enclave. The conceptual framework for this study was dynamic capabilities theory. Data were collected from interviews, company documents, and observations of the operation of businesses and owners. Member checking and transcript reviews were used to enhance the reliability and credibility of the …

Sustainability And Social Responsibility In Small Food Enterprises: Barriers And Enablers, Aurora Dawn Reinke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the food industry contend with a variety of corporate sustainability and social responsibility (CSSR) issues, ranging from the environmental impact of food waste to human health concerns about specific ingredients and production methods. In this qualitative multicase study, based on the conceptual frameworks of strategic development, stakeholder management, and institutional theory, I explored barriers and enablers for Washington, DC-based food SMEs as they proactively addressed CSSR issues. I interviewed five SME owner-managers. The transcripts were then coded and analyzed. Three themes emerged. Strategic development tended to be ad hoc and experimental, but with equal …

Relationship Between Oil Theft, Pipeline Vandalism, And Security Costs With Revenue Losses, Ijeoma Ogechi Nwachukwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The oil and gas multinational companies (MNCs) in the Niger Delta continue to face numerous challenges operating in the region, especially concerning the loss of revenue. Based on the resource dependence theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between oil theft, pipeline vandalism, security costs, and revenue. Eighty-eight mid- to high-level managers of oil and gas completed the Factors That Affect Company Revenue instrument. The results of the multiple linear regression analyses indicated the model was able to significantly predict revenue, F(3,88) = 947,279.44, p < .001, R2 = 1.000. All 3 predictors contributed significantly to the model, with pipeline vandalism recording the highest beta value (Ã? = .553, p = .000), the oil theft predictor with the next highest beta weight (Ã? = .451, p = .000), and the security costs predictor with the next highest beta weight (Ã? = .387, p = .000). The leaders of the oil and gas MNCs could use the outcome of this study in creating strategies and policies that guide their operations in the region, which would improve the relationship with host communities and mitigate their efforts in reducing the loss of revenue. Improved relations would result in a reduction of oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and security costs, thereby reducing revenue losses. The implication of positive social change includes implementation of more corporate social responsibility strategies and improving the economy of the region and the livelihood of the host communities.

Strategies To Expand The U.S. Automated External Defibrillator Market, Arturo Cervantes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite defibrillation as the only effective treatment for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), less than 15% of homes and public facilities have access to an automated external defibrillator (AED). In the United States, ineffective response to SCA cases occurring each year classifies it as a business problem for medical device manufacturing leaders, emergency responders, and bystanders. The purpose of this multicase study was to explore the marketing strategies AED manufacturing leaders use to expand their consumer customer base. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of participants from 2 U.S. AED manufacturers on the east coast, 2 AED …

Strategies For Small Business Enterprise Success In Ireland: A Case Of Three Businesses, Usman Isa Yaru

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2012, only 50% of Irish small firms survived in business for more than 5 years. The purpose of this qualitative, explorative case study was to explore strategies some Irish small firm owners use to succeed in business beyond 5 years. The case population consisted of 3 small business owners operating in Lucan, County Dublin, Ireland who had been managing a profitable small business venture beyond 5 years from beginning operations. The conceptual framework was the competitive theory of entrepreneurial orientation. Data collection included semistructured interviews with the 3 participants, which also involved member checking and triangulation with business documents …

Effective Strategies Of Military Veteran Small Business Owners, John F. Groves

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses owned by military veterans represent a source of new jobs, yet more than half of these businesses fail to survive beyond 5 years. These failures could lead to efforts to identify strategies that owners can use to avoid failure. The conceptual framework applied in this case study was the triple-loop learning theory. The purposive sampling included 7 military veterans who were small business owners who had sustained their small businesses more than 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and organization documents. Yin's 5-step process for data analysis compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding resulted in 4 …

Capitalization Strategies For Small Business Sustainability, Richard Basch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past 15 years, privately held small businesses generated nearly two-thirds of the net job growth in the United States, yet much of what scholars know regarding the capitalization challenges faced by small businesses is limited to data from large corporations. In 2013 alone, business bankruptcies numbered 33,212, and each year approximately 10% to 12% of U.S. small businesses close. Ineffective capitalization strategies coupled with a limited understanding of funding options frequently results in unsustainable business practices. In this multiple case study, the capital budgeting theory was utilized to explore the capitalization strategies small business owners in the greater …

Education's Loss Of The Public: An Archival Exploration Of American Public Schools' Diminishing Social Returns And The Emerging Utility Of Social Entrepreneurship, Tia Ha-Quyen Ho

Scripps Senior Theses

The literature presented in the following pages explores the shortcomings of the American public education system in the context of creating long-term, sustainable social change. Using financial illiteracy and its relationship to low quality of life as an entry point, the first section exposes public schools’ shortcomings as agents of social change by delving into the hardships endured by the original public school promoters of the 19^th century, the pitfalls of President George W. Bush’s 2001 enactment of No Child Left Behind, and the shortcomings of the financial literacy programming that found traction in urban schools following the subprime …

Resources That Predict Microbusinesses Winning A U.S. Government Contract, James Marshall Ensign

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Government (USG) sets aside $133 billion annually to procure goods and services from small businesses. To increase efficiency and effectiveness, the USG employs e-commerce procedures that continually change, forcing small and microbusiness owners (MBO) to learn new technical skills. This continuum of change is adversely affecting MBO who lack technical skills. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine whether a relationship existed between the independent variables of formal training consisting of third party providers, consultants, and higher education (INTM); previous federal employment (PFE); and government-sponsored training (GST) and the dependent variable of MBO winning a USG …

The Hult Prize: A Guide On How To Be Successful, Kelsey T. Jones

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Hult Prize competition is the worlds largest international case competition. After participating in the Hult Prize for the past 2 years as the team captain, one which the group came out as one of the top 10 teams out of over 25,000 for a business model that aimed to double the income of individuals making less than $2 a day, I have created an overarching guide that will guide future teams to being successful within the competition. The key is to focus on a few on a few key parts: building a team, the general timeline, research, brainstorming, finances, …

Financing Strategies For Real Estate Investments, Joshua Parr

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Most people have a dream of being financially independent and in order to do so it is necessary to save and invest their money. The key is to invest wisely so that one can earn a solid return on their money. Real estate investments are a great way to build wealth because of the benefits they have over other investments. Many are under the misconception that they cannot invest in real estate because of a lack of capital. This belief is entirely untrue and there are dozens of different strategies for investing in real estate with little or no capital …

The Strategic Potential Of Community-Based Hybrid Models: The Case Of Global Business Services In Africa, Stephan Manning, Chacko G. Kannothra, Nichole K. Wissman-Weber

Management and Marketing Faculty Publication Series

As a latecomer economy, Africa faces persistent difficulties with catching up in global markets. This study examines the strategic potential of community-based hybrid models, which balance market profitability with social impact in local communities. Focusing on the global business services industry in Kenya and South Africa, and the practice of ‘impact sourcing’ – hiring and training of disadvantaged staff servicing business clients – we find that while regular providers struggle to compete with global peers, hybrid model adopters manage to access underutilized labor pools through community organizations, and target less competitive niche client markets. We further identify key industry, institutional …

Crowdfunding As A Financing Resource For Small Businesses, Melissa Cohen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although small businesses borrowed $1 trillion in 2013 from traditional lenders, 35% of small business owners were unable to obtain adequate financing and subsequently sought alternative sources such as crowdfunding. Guided by the pecking order theory, the purpose of this exploratory case study was to explore how 6 small business owners in Tennessee successfully used crowdfunding to start, grow, or sustain their businesses. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of crowdfunding project data on the internet platform including the project description, target goal, amount achieved, number of backers, and locations of the funders. Data were inductively analyzed, …

The Effect Of Family Ownership On Financing Decisions Of Listed Vietnamese Companies, Trang Tran

ECU Posters

The poster is a visualisation of my research proposal. Family firms play an important role in the global economies, especially in Vietnam. There have been studies on family firms' financing decisions; however, the results were mixed. On the one hand, family shareholders have strong control motives. Hence they are argued to employ more debt because debt is a non-control diluted security. On the other hand, family shareholders are risk averse, and have incentives to pass down their businesses. Thus, they may prefer equity since debt incorporates bankruptcy risks. The literature gap calls for a demand of investigating how family ownership …

The Fear Factor: Determinants Of Entrepreneurial Fear Of Failure, Pema Donyo

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis aims to investigate determinants of fear of failure in entrepreneurial activity that could inhibit starting a business. The study uses cross-sectional, pooled OLS, and panel regressions. The dependent variable is fear of failure regarding entrepreneurship, measured with the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) survey question of whether fear of failure would prevent the responder from starting a firm. The unit of analysis is at country level. I categorize determinants into demographic, property rights, and procedural variables. A population of higher working age ratio (measured as the population aged 15-64 divided by the population aged 65 and over) correlates with …

Exploring Strategies Of American Small Business Owners In United Arab Emirates, Shelley D. Mosley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The International Trade Administration reported that 70% of worldwide revenue for American businesses comes from consumers in emergent markets such as India, the Middle East, and Northern Africa. However, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a country that many American small business owners are not operating in and capitalizing on the financial opportunities that are available. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies American small business owners use in successful international entrepreneurship for increased revenue and operational longevity. The study population consisted of 5 American small business entrepreneurs who had succeeded operating in the UAE for …

Three Essays On Dynamic Capabilities In The Context Of Innovation, Networks And Entrepreneurship, Ken (Yongjian) Chen

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A recent study by McKinsey & Company (Benson-Armer, Otto and Webster 2015) found that half the executives they survey rate capability building as one of their firms’ top three priorities. This research also concludes that building capabilities in the domains of strategic marketing and entrepreneurship represents an urgent task in capability management. The importance of capability development and management is also recognized by leading strategic marketing and entrepreneurship scholars (e.g. Moorman and Day 2016; Day and Schoemaker 2016; Teece 2012). These authors suggest that managers demand new ways to help firms compete in today’s fast-changing environment. Dynamic capabilities are considered …

Matching Corporate Social Responsibility Strategies To Organizational Goals, Jason P. Vitelli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many Fortune 500 organizations have policies about corporate social responsibility (CSR), but the leaders struggle to implement CSR policies that match corporate stated goals and objectives. The purpose of this case study was to explore whether leaders' CSR strategies matched the goals and objectives of the company. Twenty individuals located in New York, NY, United States, with various management-level positions, and who had experiences with CSR in a Fortune 500 organization with a CSR policy, participated in the current study. The conceptual framework was corporate social responsibility stakeholder theory. Data collection consisted of a semistructured interview with the leaders about …

2017 Annual Report, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This report overviews the accomplishments of the IVMF during 2016-2017.

Exploring Strategies Microenterprise Owners Use To Succeed In Business Beyond 2 Years, Dr. Tamika Ebony Haynes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, microenterprises, critical segment of the small business population, accounts for 110 million small businesses that source new jobs. Despite the increase in the number of created businesses in the U.S., more than 70% of microenterprise business owners are unsuccessful after 2 years. The multiple case study included 6 participants living in Houston, Texas, and intended to explore business strategies microenterprise event management owners used to succeed in business beyond 2 years. The conceptual framework that grounded the study was the 5-stage small business growth model and the 5-stage of the evolution of entrepreneurship theory. The data …

Ipo Ready? Illuminating The Dark Box Of Private Equity, Tyler Gregory Cornellier

Honors Theses and Capstones

The use of public equity data can help combat the challenges private equity funds currently face regarding data availability. The goal is to create a model to provide guidance to both investors and entrepreneurs in the decision-making process. The data gathered would provide insight on how close a private company is to a successful Initial Public Offering (IPO). The idea is that a model, showing the average financial metrics of companies within certain industries during an IPO, can provide new perceptiveness as to how the private company is performing.

Indian Microfinance Sector: A Case Study, Sean P. Gillon

Honors Theses and Capstones

In developing areas of the world with very little economic structure, many activities are not monetized. In other words, money is not used to carry out these tasks because the people in these areas do not have the expendable funds required. In order to combat this problem, micro financing has become increasingly more apparent in these areas of distress. Microfinance is an economic development strategy that allows for those in need to borrow actual money in order to start a business, go to school, or even gain access to everyday living requirements. Microfinance has made tremendous strides over the years, …

Predicting Yelp Food Establishment Ratings Based On Business Attributes, Peter Mark Shellenberger Jr.

Honors Theses and Capstones

Social networking and business review sites play an integral role in the buying behavior of the modern consumer. An individual with access to the internet may observe millions of reviews on almost every type of product and service on the market. Websites such as Angie’s List, Facebook, Yellow Pages, and Yelp all facilitate this process, acting as crowd-sourced hubs for review data. This has major implications for the modern business, as past research shows that reviews and ratings play a direct role on the demand a business receives. With the vast dissemination of review data to the potential buyer market, …

Dispatches From Donut Land

DePaul Magazine

Beavers Coffee & Donuts isn’t the only mobile donut shop in Chicago, but it was the first, and it’s still the only one making its tasty treats fresh to order. Co-owner and co-founder, Gabriel Wiesen's (BUS '08) little donut shop on wheels paved the way for a whole range of related endeavors: catering private events, franchise opportunities and Midwest Food Trucks, another of Wiesen’s ventures, which manufactures nearly half of the licensed food trucks in Chicago. He also launched the Illinois Food Truck Owners Association as a vehicle to amplify owners’ voices and advocate for their rights.

Parallel Session: Founder Characteristics And Small Firm Performance In Pakistan, Ejaz Mian, Osman Mohamad

International Conference on Marketing

Although there is a large body of research on small firms, there is dearth of studies on small firms in developing countries. Developing countries present new sets of challenges which need new approach. Small firm founders in developing countries often lack marketing and general management knowledge, have low levels of literacy, lack training facilities for various types of skills, and have weak government support and infra-structure. Literature suggests founder characteristics have profound effect on the performance of small firms. This study seeks to investigate role of founder characteristics in performance of small firms in Pakistan. Small firms are defined as …

Capabilities, Human Development, And Design Thinking: A Framework For Gender-Sensitive Entrepreneurship Programs, Tonia Warnecke

Faculty Publications

This paper discusses the ways that capabilities and human development theory can guide the creation of entrepreneurship programs, utilizing a framework of human-centered design thinking. It is well known that a variety of institutional factors shape gender outcomes and gender inequality within entrepreneurship, particularly with regard to necessity versus opportunity entrepreneurship and informal versus formal sector entrepreneurship. Failure to understand the diversity of entrepreneurial activity among women, and the connection (or lack thereof) of such activity to human freedom, leads to biased entrepreneurship programs. This paper links social economic theory and practice by: (1) discussing the ways that capabilities and …

Identifying And Prioritizing Critical Success Factors For Fixed Base Operators In The United States: A Mixed Method Approach, Yu Wang

Open Access Dissertations

Fixed Base Operators (FBOs) are major service providers for the general aviation (GA) sector, which closely connect the public with the aviation industry. However, over the past decade, the U.S. GA industry has experienced a decline in the numbers of registered aircraft, pilots, and airports. Due to the fact that FBOs significantly contribute to the aviation industry, further research studies regarding the FBO-sector at a national level are needed. The purpose of this dissertation was to identify and prioritize the critical success factors (CSFs) that promote the success of FBO operations in the United States.

The methodology consisted of a …

How Female Online Businesses And Brands Are Using Instagram Stories, Hannah N. Vanderslice

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

Instagram is one of the newest forms of social media that impacts its audience on a visual level, since the content is centered on photos and videos. Their newest feature, Instagram stories, is temporary videos and/or photos strung together to form a gallery, which has been compared to Snapchat’s version of live stories. Instagram stories offer a unique opportunity for businesses to take advantage of the temporary, 24-hour platform that shows specific frame-by-frame analytics that help create efficient and compelling content to repost permanently that helps organic search engine optimization. As a cost-effective means of advertising, early adopter large and …

Big Data And Organizational Impacts: A Study Of Big Data Ventures, Taha Havakhor

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

New information technology (IT) ventures are at the forefront of developing IT innovations. In spite of their importance in the advancement of IT and the unique risks of survival that distinguishes them from established firms, the organizational literature on IT has mostly overlooked new IT ventures. Specifically, Big Data industry is a context where new IT ventures actively change the landscape of IT innovations. However, less is known about the factors influencing the economic success of Big Data ventures (BDVs), as well as the established firms that invest in them. To shed light on these factors, three essays are designed …