Business Commons^™

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Ipos* But Were Afraid To Ask, Joseph E. Levangie

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Many entrepreneurs want to reach high to the heavens to achieve unlimited success. These hardworking, often underappreciated, venturers often crave fame and fortune as they strive to create their personal business legacy. One strategic path many have wandered down is that of the Initial Public Offering (IPO), whereby shares of the company are sold to the public. The IPO has many strong attractions. Large amounts of capital can be brought into the company.The company’s stock can be used as currency to acquire other companies. Early investors realize a good ROI. Employees can perceive real value in their stock options. Customers, …

An Exploration Of The Internationalisation Process Of Irish Indigenous Software Smes, Kathy Keeney

Masters

From meagre beginnings in the 1970s, the Irish software industry has emerged as one of the most interesting, exciting and successful Irish internationally traded service industries. Some thirty years later, the industry is still characterised by high levels of international trade activity, through niche market orientation and innovative and flexible management. Through an exploration of the internationalisation process in the context of Irish indigenous software firms, this thesis seeks to understand how this process of international expansion occurs, the barriers encountered throughout the process, future challenges for the industry and the use of strategic partnership activities as a facilitator in …

What Is An Entrepreneurial Team?, Thomas Cooney

Articles

It is arguable that despite the romantic notion of the entrepreneur as a lone hero, the reality is that successful entrepreneurs either built teams about them or were part of a team throughout. For example, when one considers the success of Apple Computers, the name of Steven Jobs immediately springs to mind.

On-Line Training For Smes: Final Report, Beth Walker, Beverley Webster, Sue Stoney

Research outputs pre 2011

This research aimed to explore the appropriateness of on-line training delivery methods for small business owner/managers.

It is widely recognised that training and education are effective ways to reduce small business failure. In Australia, small business accounts for 96 percent of Australian private sector, non-agricultural businesses and they employ 47 percent of the private sector, non-agricultural workforce. Not surprisingly then, encouraging the development of the skills of the workforce has emerged as a major priority for government policy. However, what is also recognised is that many small business owner/managers (SBOs) have limited e-competencies.

Results of this research confirmed this and …

Developing A Framework Of Training For The Older Small Business Owner : Final Report, Beth Walker, Beverley Webster, Julia Turner

Research outputs pre 2011

This study was conducted as a result of the critical issue of the ageing population and the implications this will have on the workforce. An employment option for older workers is to become self-employed and to start their own small businesses, rather than to continue working in mainstream employment, which becomes increasing difficult as employees age. The option of self-employment may be a viable option for older people as uncertainty of employment tenure in mainstream employment continues to increases over time and is a way to utilise work skills and competencies that have been acquired over years of work experience. …

Towards A Best Practice Framework : The Case Of Institutes Of Technology Campus Incubators, Mary Fenton

Theses

Campus incubators catalyse campus enterprise development by encouraging Third Level “spin offs”, commercialisation of research and facilitating “spin-in” enterprises. They provide academic staff, graduates and “spin-in” entrepreneurs with a range of support services including space, advice, training, mentoring and networking opportunities. The real value of a campus incubator location for clients is their association with a reputable Third level Institute and access to the Institute’s resources namely academic staff, embedded knowledge, manager’s expertise and enterprise netvyorks. The researcher explored literature on campus and business incubators and identified a lacuna of research on campus incubation, particularly within Irish Higher Education Institutes. …

Politico-Economic Factors Associated With Interest In Starting A Business: A Multi-Country Study, Thomas Begley, Wee Liang Tan, Herbert Schoch

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Public health is a legal term of art referring specifically to delineated powers, duties, rights, and responsibilities. An emerging human rights conception of public health justifies government intervention. Intervention involves public officials taking appropriate measures including environmental regulations pursuant to specific legal authority, after balancing private rights and public interests, to protect the health of the public. This article is a critical analysis of the performance of the actors in maintaining environmental standards in India. Part II is a discussion on the source of environmental law in India. Part III discusses the performance of the legislature. Part IV evaluates the …

Sustained Growth In Nebraska, Saeed Ahmad, John Austin, Tom Doering, Ernie Goss, Bruce Johnson, Mike Lundeen, Donis Petersan, Franz Schwarz, Eric Thompson, Keith Turner

Business in Nebraska

National Macroeconomic conditions are favorable for future expansion of income, employment, and revenue in Nebraska. In particular, the U.S. economy is now in the heart of an expansion expected to persist over the three year forecast period. The principal engine of growth will be a sustained expansion in private sector investment and consumption demand.

However, the rate of growth in the national economy likely will be moderate rather than rapid. At least three factors will act to moderate growth. The first is higher energy prices. Rapid growth in global demand is expected to keep prices for oil and natural gas …

The Relationship Between Governance Structure And Risk Management Approaches In Japanese Venture Capital Firms, Toru Yoshikawa, Phillip H. Phan, Jonathan Linton

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper attempts to understand what drives Japanese venture capital (JVC) fund managers to select either active managerial monitoring or portfolio diversification to manage their firms' investment risks [J. Bus. Venturing 4 (1989) 231]. Unlike U.S. venture capitalists that use active managerial monitoring to gain private information in order to maximize returns [J. Finance 50 (1995) 301], JVCs have traditionally used portfolio diversification to attenuate investment risks [Hamada, Y., 2001. Nihon no Bencha Kyapitaru no Genkyo (Current State of Japanese Venture Capital), Nihon Bencha Gakkai VC Seminar, May 7]. We found that performance pay is positively related to active monitoring …

Watching The Shop From The Front Seat: Determinants Of Venture Capitalists' Representation On The Board, Reddi Kotha, Eli Talmor

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Oversight and involvement are essential for a venture capital firm to influence the destiny of the portfolio company. This paper focuses primarily on the venture capital firm’s decision to take a formal responsibility through joining the board. Our study uses a large sample of private British companies that received institutional investment between 1999 and 2002. We examine the determinants of board composition and board size. Contrary to common belief, only 30 % of the companies have any institutional investor (a “VC”) on board. The decision to take a formal board seat is based on the ability to make a contribution: …

University Library Partnerships: Promoting Economic Development, J. Cory Tucker

Library Faculty Research

The article discusses an innovative partnership at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The collaborative project involves the UNLV Libraries and the Nevada Small Business Development Center, which is affiliated with the College of Business. The partnership was created to assist the University's goal of promoting economic development in the Las Vegas and Southern Nevada region.

Exploitation, Exploration, And Firm Performance: The Case Of Small Manufacturing Firms In Japan, Takehiko Isobe, Shige Makino, David B. Montgomery

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between technological capabilities and firm performance. We divide technological capabilities into two types – exploitation, which refers to refinement, production and execution, and exploration, which refers to searching, flexibility, and innovation. Based on a sample of 302 small and medium-sized manufacturing firms in Japan, our analysis reveals that exploitation relates more positively to operational efficiency than exploration, and conversely, exploration relates more positively to strategic performance, such as technological innovation and new product development, than exploitation. Moreover, firms with superior exploitation capabilities tend to possess superior exploration skills. Our findings …

Employment Creation And Opportunities In The Manufacturing Sub-Sector: The Case For Neem Tree In Nigeria., Okonkwo E. M

Bullion

Neem, (Azadirachta indica A Juss) commonly called "Dogonyaro" in Nigeria, belongs to the Mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of the most versatile and ecofriendly trees and is widely distributed in South Asia and parts of Africa including Nigeria. This paper examines opportunities in the manufacture of Neem based products, investment profile of neem based pesticide commercial plant, products, organic fertilizer production and neem enterprise development in Nigeria. The study conclude that the reality of the benefits of Neem has been brought to the knowledge of Nigerians by no other than the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of …

Employment Creation And Opportunities In The Manufacturing Sub-Sector. The Case For Neem Tree In Nigeria., Abdullahi Abubakar

Bullion

This paper is focused on neem oil production for both local and export markets. It examines Neem, (Azadirachta indica A Juss), an evergreen tree that belongs to the family, Meliaceae and is known by the botanical name Azadirachta indica A Juss. lt is a fast growing tree, well adapted to semi-arid conditions and grows well on poor shallow stony or sandy soils where agricultural crops give low yields despite the application of fertilisers. The paper examines the origin of the neem tree, composition, uses, products, investment potentials and financial analysis on profile for neem seeds processing. The study conclude that …

Employment Generation And Opportunities In The Manufacturing Sub-Sector. The Case For The Manufacturing Of Farm Implements., Ihinodu I. I

Bullion

The modernization of agriculture has the potential to achieve the various objectives of creating employment, increasing productivity and output in both the sector and the entire economy, thus contributing to the food security goal of the government. This paper aims primarily at examining the prospects as well as the processes of manufacturing agricultural implements with a view to encouraging small/medium entrepreneurs to engage in the ventures. It examines the manufacturing activities of farm implements. It analyses the role which governments should play as well as highlighting the potential benefits of the enterprises. The paper conclude that given the stage of …

Employment Creation And Opportunities In The Manufacturing Sub-Sector. The Case For The Production Of Corn Flakes., Abdullahi Abubakar

Bullion

Cornflakes production is a promising viable business considering the increasing rate of urbanizing and our penchant for fast foods. Moreover, the demands of children for breakfast cereals especially in preparation for school and even in leisure times made the cornflakes business a promising and worthwhile venture for consideration by any aspiring entrepreneur. This paper examines cornflakes production, machinery and equipment, production process, market potentials, production capacity, financing cornflakes production and necessary approvals. The study concludes that The value added in a gross output of about sixty small textile mills with a gross output of N1.014 Trillion is N0.670 Trillion. This …

Employment Creation And Opportunities In The Manufacturing Sub-Sector. The Millinery Industry In Nigeria., Mark Chito Mrs.

Bullion

This paper examines the establishment of millinery factory in Nigeria, the capital outlay, equipment, landscape, sources of materials, profitability and target market. The paper contends that anybody can learn hat making skills and procedure but sustainability in the millinery industry is a function of creativity, foresight and artistic venturesome-ness. The study argues that the foreign market for Nigerian hats may well exceed that of the local in leaps and bounds. Nigeria appears to have a traditional attitude of disdain against their own locally produced materials even when such is internationally recognised and accepted.

Employment Creation And Opportunities In The Manufacturing Sub-Sector: The Case For The Manufacturing Of Cotton, Textile In Nigeria., Onuoha G. Nkem

Bullion

Nigeria is the third largest producer of cotton in Africa after Egypt and Sudan. Cotton growing zones are mainly in the Northern parts of the country, though the planting of cotton started in Western Nigeria. This paper focusses on the manufacture of cotton, textile in Nigeria, sources of material available, the equipment required, manpower, the land space required, the capital outlay and Profitability of the business. The paper concludes that from the financial result of the above analysis, the project is economically viable and technically feasible. Neem Seeds as Raw Materials is in abundance and can be sourced at lower …

The Antecedents Of Value Creation In Singapore Corporation, Wee Liang Tan, Teck Meng Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The impetus for value creation has led to greater interest in encouraging entrepreneurship within organizations (intrapreneurship). The intrapreneurship literature reveals general agreement that organizational entrepreneurship flourishes where the environmental conditions of an organization are most favorable. However, there is little empirical research examining the relationship of the organizational climate and the intentions of employees to be intrapreneurs, and their actual participation in such activities. This paper reports a study on the elements of organizational climate on intrapreneurship attitudes, intentions and actions on the part of middle managers in corporations in Singapore.

The Impact Of Corporate Governance On Value Creation In Entrepreneurial Firms, Wee Liang Tan, Teck Meng Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The compliance with codes of corporate governance has become the norm for listed firms all over the world. In most countries, entrepreneurial firms do not have to comply with such codes but it has been argued that such codes should also apply to these small medium enterprises (SMEs). Since corporate governance forms the environment for the internal activities of a company and appropriate environmental conditions are crucial for corporate entrepreneurship to flourish in a company, it is apt that these two topics be discussed in relation with each other. Corporate governance mechanisms may dampen value creation in firms if appropriate …

Built Along The Shores Of Macatawa: The History Of Boat Building In Holland, Michigan, Geoffrey D. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

Built Along the Shores of Macatawa:  The History of Boat Building in Holland, Michigan is an article concerning the history of ship and boat building in the Holland, Michigan area from 1836-2004.

Investment In Soap Production., Olatunji O.

Bullion

Soap production business is in the group of industrial ventures that could easily be operated on a small scale to boost the country's economic development. This paper focusses on the Product, market information, raw materials for making soap, Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) regulations for soap, production process, machinery and equipment requirement, proposed production programme. manpower requirement, space requirement and estimated total capital requirement. The study conclude that the project requires the services of both skilled and unskilled labour. For the capacity recommended, the following labour force is required: one Production Manager, six Production Assistants, twelve Factory Operators, two Marketing …

Description And Assessment Of A Business Plan Competition And New Venture Fair At San José State University, Malu Roldan, Asbjorn Osland, Michael Solt, Burton Dean

Faculty Publications

After the first business plan competition, in May 2003, San José State University (SJSU) faculty and community entrepreneurs serving on the university’s Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship (SVCE) concluded that the process should be spread over an academic year. Hence, the New Venture Fair (NVF) was born, which was held Dec. 16, 2003. The feedback from all sources has been very positive regarding the NVF. A significant NVF exhibit was the Hewlett Packard Mobile Computing Grant (HPMCG). All teams completed projects that were impressive to most observers from the university and greater community but additional lessons were learned that will …

Diverse Cross Functional Student Teams: A Teaching Tool For Enhanced Learning, Craig Turner, Keith Johnson, W. Andrew Clark

ETSU Faculty Works

Traditional engineering and science teaching methodology has been to train like-minded students within the discipline of their respective majors. Curriculum time constraints, however, limit the number and nature of out of discipline elective courses. As a result, students are well trained within their respective fields of study but lack the breadth of experience in interacting with other diverse disciplines. Industry, particularly technology-based companies, has observed that solutions to problems have a greater probability of success when all interested parties (purchasing, innovation, marketing, sales, manufacturing, etc.) have input in developing a plan to achieve a desired corporate outcome. It is through …

Technology Based Business Incubators: Living Laboratories For Entrepreneurial Students, Andrew Czuchry, W. Andrew Clark

ETSU Faculty Works

Those teaching entrepreneurship to engineering and technology students are faced with the challenge of converting theory into learning opportunities that provide real-world-practical experience. Although the literature stresses the need for experiential learning through group and field projects and case studies, the potential of capitalizing on technology-based business incubators as living laboratories has not been fully utilized. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a conceptual framework for closing this gap. This framework is based upon our experience working with graduate student teams on projects with the Oak Ridge National Laboratories Center for Entrepreneurial Growth and East Tennessee State University’s …

Small Business Participation In Air Force Procurement: Participation Trends And The Effect Of Acquisition Reform Initiatives On Air Force Procurement Via Selected Contract Types In Selected Product Categories, Douglas E. Leedy

Theses and Dissertations

Small Businesses (SB) have been of recognized important to the Federal Government for many years. This thesis explores the role of SB contractors in Air Force (AF) procurement and the effects of recent acquisition reform (AR) initiatives on their involvement, including their method of involvement (contract type), product areas in which they participate, and possible new areas of measurement. This thesis answers the research and investigative questions in three ways. First, it explores the correlation of AR initiatives to SB participation as a whole, via selected contract types, and in selected product categories via causal regression models. Next, it identifies …

Obesity, Educational Attainment, And State Economic Welfare, Martin W. Sivula Ph.D.

MBA Faculty Conference Papers & Journal Articles

For the first time in history, estimates of the overweight people in the world rival estimates of those malnourished. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2002) ranked obesity among the top 10 risks to human health worldwide. In the early 1960s, nearly half of the Americans were overweight and 13% were obese. Today some 64% of U.S. adults are overweight and 30.5% are obese. Even more alarming, twice as many U.S. children are overweight than were twenty years ago, a 66% increase. Non-communicable diseases impose a heavy economic burden on already strained health systems. Health is a key determinant of development …

Closed-Loop Supply Chain Models With Product Remanufacturing, R. Canan Savaskan, Shantanu Bhattacharya, Luk N. Van Wassenhove

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The importance of remanufacturing used products into new ones has been widely recognized in the literature and in practice. In this paper, we address the problem of choosing the appropriate reverse channel structure for the collection of used products from customers. Specifically, we consider a manufacturer who has three options for collecting such products: (1) she can collect them herself directly from the customers, (2) she can provide suitable incentives to an existing retailer (who already has a distribution channel) to induce the collection, or (3) she can subcontract the collection activity to a third party. Based on our observations …

University Managed Technology Business Incubators: Asset Or Liability?, W. Andrew Clark, Andrew J. Czuchry, James A. Hales

ETSU Faculty Works

University managed technology-based business incubators (UMTIs) have become increasingly popular. Some universities are forming private corporations and are encouraging professors/researchers to commercialize intellectual property (IP) based upon research conducted in their laboratories. The UMTI provides the infrastructure, access to high-tech laboratories, libraries, students and faculty, and a coalition of like-minded entrepreneurs. Universities face uncertainties when establishing UMTIs and need to minimize risk while maximizing benefits. This paper discusses results of a benchmarking study of eleven technology incubators and their risk mitigation policies. Experience with technology transfer and use of the UMTI as a living laboratory for students is presented.

Ireland, Ziene Mottiar

Books / Book chapters

No abstract provided.