Business Commons^™

Exploration Of Creativity, Leadership, And Entrepreneurism: Reflection And Participation In A Unique Holistic Military Transition Fellowship With Dog Tag Inc., Valerie-June Button

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Leaders and Entrepreneurs change the world. How might we best help them to inspire positive change? Perhaps by recognizing that the positive change that leaders and entrepreneurs drive starts with the hearts and minds of humans. Being mindful of this can open doors to new creative leadership/entrepreneurial development practices and have a positive butterfly effect on the world we live in. The purpose of this project is to observe, reflect and document the experience of participating in a uniquely holistic entrepreneurship hands-on fellowship as it relates to creativity and leadership development. The fellowship is a five-month program that exists to …

The Impact Of Digitalization On International Expansion: A Study On Market Entry Strategy Based On The Integration-Responsiveness Framework, Thian Kiang Tan

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Digitalization has accelerated the growth and creation of new business models. There are more unicorn companies (a non-public company valued at more than US$1B) in the last 10 years than the decades before it. The use of digital technologies presents new opportunities for digitally active firms to capture growth in a new market. This paper studies how digitalization influences the internationalization process of the firm and its mode of entry into a foreign market. Drawing on existing literature on digitalization, this paper creates a novel approach to study the effect of digitalization by classifying firms based on their market business …

2+2=Cake: A Book Of Conversations About Possibilities In Business And Art, Elizabeth Ann Alspach

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

2+2=CAKE is a toolkit for people interested in creating their own economic container to support their livelihood. Calling upon the entrepreneurial experience of artists and creatives who founded or run organizations, the book and accompanying workbook and motivational posters serve as an incubator, buoy, and affirming resource for those looking to build the economic container in which they make their livelihood.

Portfolio Entrepreneurs In China: A Mixed Methods Study, Tianjiao Xu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Entrepreneurs who found and manage at least two businesses simultaneously are portfolio entrepreneurs. Portfolio entrepreneurs have been shown to run fast-growing businesses and contribute significantly to wealth creation. Extant literature has examined how portfolio entrepreneurs differ from entrepreneurs who only run one business at a time and found differences in their demographic backgrounds, human capital, cognition, and other dimensions. However, extant research has treated portfolio entrepreneurs as one homogeneous group, when in reality, there is considerable heterogeneity within this group of entrepreneurs. In this dissertation, I aim to discuss one important distinguishing factor among portfolio entrepreneurs, namely the existence of …

Return Migration And Entrepreneurship In Egypt, Shorouk Fouda

Theses and Dissertations

Many Egyptians are currently choosing to emigrate in pursuit of benefits such as; education, professional development, acquisition of new skills and accumulation of savings. Although this was previously viewed as having a damaging effect to a country’s economy through the loss of most talented and ambitious nationals, more pertinent economic views suggest possible instances of brain circulation and gain upon the return of a national to their home country. In some cases, gains of return migration are unlocked in the form of entrepreneurial behavior; as a result of accumulation of financial and human capital. In this research, both quantitative and …

Essays On Entrepreneurial Joiners And How To Recruit Them, Seung Hoon Chung

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Recruiting talent is arguably one of the most significant challenges facing entrepreneurs today. The ability to find and acquire high quality human resources is particularly critical for a start-up’s ability to survive and grow. However, start-ups are often disadvantaged in the labor market because they lack financial capital, reputation, and stability. While practitioners have repeatedly claimed that recruitment is one of the biggest challenges they face, little research has explored the question of how start-ups can better recruit employees. To understand how start-ups can better recruit employees, it is important to approach the question from both the employers’ and …

The Impact Of Integrating An Sbdc Program Into A College/University Career Center, Harshdeep Singh Nanda

Master's Projects

With a new approach for integrating the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program in Alameda County, the Ohlone Community College District (Ohlone College) has introduced a new model for hosting an SBDC program on a college/university campus. While many other educational institutions across the nation have hosted an SBDC program (Cook Center for Entrepreneurship - Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, n.d.; University of Scranton Small Business Development Center (SBDC) | Helping NEPA & Northern Tier Small Businesses Start, Grow & Prosper., n.d.; Olson, 2006), most have treated the program as a separate entity or department, often leading to the …

Barriers And Enablers To Building Entrepreneurial Ecosystems As Perceived By Change Agents In The Workplace, Shanda Barrett

Dissertations

This study explores factors that influence entrepreneurial ecosystems. Clifton (2010, 2015) recommends entrepreneurship, better business models, and new business startups as a solution for economic renewal in the United States and specifically identifies disengaged workers and low-energy workplaces as the starting point. The recommendation does not address how to make workplaces conducive to entrepreneurial activity, nor does the recommendation address how to engage entrepreneurial employees.

Existing literature outlines the known tensions between theory, anecdotal evidence, and the professional practice of building entrepreneurial ecosystems. To date, the term entrepreneurial ecosystem exists as a metaphor in the extant literature. While scholars have …

Footloose Business Plan, Ashlyn Sarah Burnsed

Honors College Theses

Savannah, Georgia has over ten million visitors that spend over three billion dollars each year. The streets of Savannah are filled with countless retail stores to meet the needs of every tourist and local. Unfortunately, even with all of these stores there is still an unmet need. There is currently no store in Savannah that offers a trendy and affordable shoe. The following business plan presents a way to capitalize on this unmet market need. Our company, Footloose, has the potential to have a competitive advantage in an unsaturated shoe market. Footloose will cater affordable shoes to any women looking …

Strategies Nonprofit Leaders Use To Increase Client Engagement In Entrepreneurship Programs, Juanita Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 1990, entrepreneurship has been declining in the United States, which negatively impacts the standard of living in the United States by creating fewer jobs and fewer innovations. Identifying and implementing strategies to increase client’s participation in entrepreneurship programs helps business leaders obtain additional funding sources, improve organizational performance, and obtain support from policymakers. Grounded in the human motivation theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies three senior business leaders of a nonprofit organization in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States used to increase client engagement in entrepreneurship programs. Data were collected from …

African American Entrepreneurial Business- Sustaining Strategies, Charles C. Johnson, Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 80% of small consulting businesses fail within the first five years of operation. Small consulting company owners are concerned with failing within the first five years because community economic development can be adversely impacted. Grounded in the resource-based view theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies African American consulting company owners use for longevity beyond five years. The participants comprised African American owners of three consulting businesses located in the northeast region of the United States, who successfully sustained their business beyond five years. Data collection included semistructured interviews with consulting company …

Leadership Strategies Of Successful Women-Owned Businesses In Cameroon, Henry Ntoko Ajieh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of leadership skills in women-led businesses can result in high business failure rates. Women business owners who do not know how to improve their leadership skills could face difficulties succeeding in business. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that women business owners in the events planning business use to improve leadership skills to succeed in business beyond 5 years. The participants included five women in the events planning business in Cameroon, Central Africa, who successfully developed strategies to improve leadership skills to succeed in business beyond 5 years. …

Funding Strategies For Small Business Sustainability, Ayokunle O. Iyanda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

About 50% of small businesses fail within the first five years of operation, lacking access to capital being a contributing factor. The high failure rate is of great concern to the business owners; their livelihood and employees are jeopardized. Through the pecking order theory lens, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small business owners use to access capital to sustain the business past the first five years. Eight small business owners who successfully operated for more than five years in Georgia and Illinois participated in the semistructured interviews. Through thematic data analysis, four themes …

Strategies For Small Business Owners To Succeed Beyond Five Years, Arielle Dawn Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, small businesses account for 99.9% of businesses and employ 47.3 % of the U.S. workforce, yet 20% of small businesses fail within the first year of operation. Small business owners who do not have a detailed strategy are at a higher risk of their small business failing before reaching its fifth year of operation. Grounded in transformational leadership theory and entrepreneurial leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore successful strategies used by five small business owners who have sustained and remained profitable for beyond 5 years. The participants included five …

Survival Strategies For Information Technology Startups Beyond 5 Years, Matthew Singer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEntrepreneurship is a leading avenue for job creation in the United States. The lack of access to necessary resources negatively impacts nascent IT-based entrepreneurs’ ability to sustain their business beyond 5 years of beginning operations. Grounded in stakeholder theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies founders of IT-based entrepreneurial ventures use to survive in business for more than 5 years. The participants comprised 4 entrepreneurial IT founders in San Francisco who effectively used strategies to survive beyond 5 years. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. Yin’s 5-phase process …

Characteristics Of Authentic Entrepreneurial Leadership Within Information Technology Startups In Kenya, Christine Mukhwana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Kenya, over 60% of nascent entrepreneurs start businesses with minimal leadership experience, engendering founder-CEOs who cannot sustain a business beyond its formative years. The problem is the nascent entrepreneurs’ lack of understanding of effective leadership. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to develop a more nuanced understanding of authentic leadership behavior from the perspective of nascent entrepreneurs. Authentic leadership theory and the three-factor model were used to conceptualize the study. The research question focused on nascent entrepreneurs’ lived experiences and understanding of authentic leadership. The participants in the study were entrepreneurs from the information technology industry in …

Gender, Role Models, Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy And Career Intentions: Implications For Entrepreneurial Education, Ciara Marie Lavelle - O Brien

Theses

This thesis explores gender, role models, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and career intentions of secondary school students in Ireland. Most prior research includes entrepreneurial education as an important factor in the decision to start a business. Few studies include the importance of entrepreneurial perceptions, role models, self-efficacy, and career intentions combined and what implications this may have for entrepreneurial education. Previous studies cite the importance of role models for potential entrepreneurs but ignore how the role model is perceived or who the role models of this generation (Gen Z) are. This study used a semistructured questionnaire and the Repertory Grid Technique (RGT) …

Smart Ageing And Renewal Through Entrepreneurial Skills Training, Sarah Davis

Theses

Globally, while the population is ageing, only 3% of older (≥65 years) adults are engaged in entrepreneurship. The Healthy Ageing agenda is responding to the population trends by increasing its focus on elements of active or productive ageing (incorporating older working) with quality of life as a primary outcome. Alignment and exploitation of the synergies between healthy ageing and older entrepreneurial engagement are lacking. Entrepreneurship education is broadening its focus and targeting inclusivity, albeit with as yet little focus on the older population. Older entrepreneurship, while tentatively linked with increased quality of life, has yet to receive direct attention in …

Relationship Between Leadership Style And Innovation Performance In Small-To-Medium-Scale Enterprises In Nigeria, Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Ossai

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe Global Innovation Index recently indicated that Nigeria lags several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in innovation inputs and outputs. It is uncertain whether leadership style in place in Nigerian enterprises is a factor in this situation. Innovation performance is the contribution of product and process innovations to profits and growth in an enterprise. The purpose of this correlational, cross-sectional, survey study was to understand the relationship between leadership style and innovation performance in small-to-medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. The SME sector was selected because it is the engine of growth of the economy and the highest employer of labor, but …

Effective Leadership Strategies To Sustain Small Businesses’ Operations Beyond 5 Years, Sulemana Jawula

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses play a critical role in the job creation and overall growth of the U.S. economy; however, many small businesses fail soon after startup. The failure of small businesses results psychological, social, and financial turmoil for small business leaders. Grounded in transformational leadership theory and Chamberlin’s theory of strategy, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore leadership strategies small business leaders use to sustain their operations beyond 5 years. The participants were five business leaders of five selected small businesses in the Bronx, New York, who used effective leadership strategies to sustain their operations beyond …

Strategies For Small Business Entrepreneur Sustainability For 5 Years And Beyond, Ralph A. Heath Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSmall business failures impede entrepreneurs' sustainability in localities, the state, and the U.S. economy. Small business entrepreneurs are concerned about strategies to target and minimize obstacles from business inception for business survival because the failure rate increases as the business develop. Grounded in the entrepreneurial theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies for small business entrepreneur sustainability beyond five years. Participants comprised three small business owners in Southeast Virginia who effectively used strategies to sustain their business beyond five years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, analysis of participants’ business documentation, and research of …

So, You Want To Be An Entrepreneur: Potential Factors That Lead To Founder And Startup Success, Joshua Robert Tatum

CMC Senior Theses

Throughout the last two decades, entrepreneurship and startup companies have skyrocketed. Adding significant value to the economy, entrepreneurialism has immense power to spark technological and social change in the world. Given the importance of entrepreneurialism, this paper will use a data-driven approach to discover significant factors that influence founder and startup company success. Founding startups is growing easier and becoming more prominent, yet the failure rates of these companies continue to settle around 90%, leaving many companies without the chance to reach their potential and have their full impact. Using a new dataset I have collected, I analyze company and …