Business Commons^™

Fundamentals Of Cost Accounting (Book Review), Benoit Boyer

WCBT Faculty Publications

Book review by Benoit Boyer:

Maher, Michael W., William N. Lanen and Madhav V. Rajan. Fundamentals of Cost Accounting. 1st ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2006.

Give Me That Online Religion (Book Review), Peter A. Maresco

WCBT Faculty Publications

Book review by Peter Maresco:

Brasher, Brenda E. Give Me That Online Religion. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001. ISBN 9780787945794

Review Of Bonjour Laziness: Jumping Off The Corporate Ladder, Peter A. Maresco

WCBT Faculty Publications

A book review of Bonjour Laziness: Jumping Off the Corporate Ladder, by Corinne Maier.

Introducing The Balanced Scorecard: Creating Metrics To Measure Performance, Andra Gumbus

WCBT Faculty Publications

This experiential exercise presents the concept of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) and applies it in a university setting. The Balanced Scorecard was developed 12 years ago and has grown in popularity and is used by more than 50% of the Fortune 500 companies as a performance measurement and strategic management tool. The BSC expands the traditional financial measures into three other dimensions to capture a balanced approach to measure performance in an organization. These additional dimensions are as follows: Customer Focus, Competence/Employee Learning and Growth, and Operational Efficiency. The exercise uses an analogy of a race car driver who relies …

Ricardo Semler: Creating Organizational Change, Christopher York, Peter A. Maresco

WCBT Faculty Publications

A review of "Creating Organizational Change" by Ricardo Semler.

Testing For A Synergistic Effect Between Online Publicity And Advertising In An Integrated Marketing Communications Context, Anca C. Micu

WCBT Faculty Publications

This dissertation examined the relationship among four exposure conditions in marketing communications (pure advertising, advertising priming, publicity priming, and pure publicity) that include either advertising or publicity or both. Also, the indirect relationship between brand communication exposure condition and purchase intent was modeled via path analysis. 634 students participated in an online experiment. Repeated measures MANCOVA analysis results indicate that the two synergistic conditions, which included an ad-article or article-ad combination, were more effective in terms of brand communications impact than the pure advertising condition. The pure publicity condition was found to be more effective than any of the other …

Achieving Growth In The Luxury Market, Peter A. Maresco, Bridget M. Lyons

WCBT Faculty Publications

Founded in 1928 as a luxury hotel-reservation processing company, The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd, which is headquartered in New York City, has evolved into a highly recognizable luxury brand within the luxury hotel market. The company has spent the last decade transforming itself from a reservation-processing company into a luxury powerhouse. Leading Hotels provides a compelling lesson in how to effectively achieve growth in the luxury market and today has positioned itself to meet its vision: To become the preeminent provider of products and services to luxury hotels and to the luxury marketplace. This article looks at how …

Limited Liability Companies And Estate Planning, Michael D. Larobina J.D., L.L.M.

WCBT Faculty Publications

Discusses court cases involving the use of limited liability companies as an estate planning tool in the U.S. Facts of the case of Estate of Strangi versus Commissioner; Stance of the court on the transfers made to the limited partnership; Impact of the case of Kimbell versus U.S. on the use of limited liability companies as estate planning vehicles.

Collecting Oral Histories For Entrepreneurship Research, Brian Mckenzie

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Oral history collections can offer a wealth of detailed information for entrepreneurship researchers. The stories that entrepreneurs tell provide researchers with insight into both perspective and into substantive issues of entrepreneurial behavior.

The life stories of entrepreneurs offer students of entrepreneurship insight into both the explicit and the tacit knowledge of working entrepreneurs.

Founding Time And The Growth Of Firms, Garimalla R. Chandrashekhar, Raghavan Srinivasan

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

This research recognizes the importance of the founding conditions of a firm. A new construct, Founding Time (FT) has been conceptualized, measured, and validated to represent one of the founding conditions of a firm. FT is then used to understand the phenomena of growth of firms.

The impact of FT on the growth of a firm has been examined. This examination reveals that there is a certain zone of FT, which seems to result in high firm growth rates. This research also establishes that there is an optimum for the FT of a firm.

A multimethod approach has been used …

Creating A New Program In Entrepreneurship Education: A Case Study In Colombia, Kirk C. Heriot, Noel D. Campbell

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship has been widely recognized as having greatly influenced the United States. Its influence has especially been documented over the past 20 years. Paralleling our societal interest in entrepreneurship has been increasing interest in entrepreneurship education. While our interest in entrepreneurship education has grown considerably over the past two decades, this field of study continues to have critics both within and outside of schools and colleges of business (Kuratko 2004). In spite of these criticisms, some researchers suggest that the United States is still far ahead of other regions of the world in terms of entrepreneurial education (Solomon et al. …

Introduction: Special Issue On “Measurement Issues In Entrepreneurship Studies”, Jill Kickul, Norris Krueger, Sylvia Maxfield

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

Preparing Your Business For Valuation, Margaret D. Nowicki, Eric E. Lewis, Jeffrey W. Lippitt

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

There is a tremendous need for the valuation of small businesses. Oftentimes, small businessowners do not have the wherewithal to gather the data and keep it up to date for use in situations that require valuation. Formal valuations are necessary because they provide objective evidence of value, in contrast to value set by markets on which public companies are traded. This article focuses on some factors that impact the valuation of the business and will help small businessowners feel more comfortable talking with financial professionals about how the business might be valued.

Entrepreneurship Research Through Databases: Measurement And Design Issues, Karl Wennberg

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

This article provides an account of how databases can be effectively used in entrepreneurship research. Improved quality and access to large secondary databases offer paths to answer questions of great theoretical value. I present an overview of theoretical, methodological, and practical difficulties in working with database data, together with advice on how such difficulties can be overcome. Conclusions are given, together with suggestions of areas where databases might provide real and important contributions to entrepreneurship research.

Entrepreneurial Hunger—Shall We Try Chinese?, Joseph E. Levangie

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Many entrepreneurs are able to manage their businesses within relatively contained and familiar geographical and cultural circles. With a world economy shrinking every day amid a flood of digital information, today’s entrepreneur is increasingly confronted with opportunities to consider new ways to secure vendors and recruit customers. Many unfamiliar possibilities emerge. Should the entrepreneur venture beyond “comfortable” surroundings to consider international connections? Specifically, what about China? How practical is this fetching business temptation of larger markets and lower-cost subcontractors? What are the social, trade, financial, and political issues? Should a “China strategy” be a true entrepreneurial offensive, or rather a …

Does My Business Need A Human Resources Function? A Decision-Making Model For Small And Medium-Sized Firms, Golbou Ghassemieh, Elizabeth "Liz" Thach, Armand Gilinsky Jr.

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

The questions of when and what types of human resource (HR) support are needed tend to be unanswerable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This article addresses this gap in the strategic HR literature. Hiring, training, employee retention/satisfaction, wages and benefits programs, and worker’s compensation insurance are important to SMEs seeking to build strong capabilities and resources and to increase their competitive advantage. This article presents an analysis of the existing HR literature for SMEs. It introduces a decision model to help SMEs choose a cost-effective HR strategy, listing a range of options from hiring the HR function to electronic …

Goatboy Soaps: From Itch To Concept To Execution, Laurence Weinstein, Lisa Agee, Rick Agee

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Lisa and Rick Agee of New Milford, Connecticut, are in their second full year of trying to turn their lifelong dream of being financially independent from corporate life into a reality.They are placing their bets on their product line of goat’s milk based soap products (www.Goatboy.us). Goat’s milk is said to have important skin benefits for the user over commercially made bar soap products such as Dove, Ivory, Dial, Olay, Zest and Irish Spring.

Developing And Validating A Construct Of Entrepreneurial Intensity, Jianwen Liao, Patrick J. Murphy, Harold P. Welsch

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

In this article we define, validate, and propose a construct of entrepreneurial intensity, or the degree of entrepreneurship in firms. First, in defining the construct, we explore theoretical differences between entrepreneurial intensity and orientation in order to distinguish it. Second, we empirically validate a measure of entrepreneurial intensity using data based on a sample of 563 entrepreneurs. Third, we propose avenues for research on how entrepreneurial intensity distinguishes entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial action. Finally, we detail theoretical implications of using entrepreneurial intensity as an antecedent and outcome.

From The Editors, Laurence Weinstein, Joshua Shuart, Christopher Sheehan, Joseph E. Levangie

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

Measure For Measure: Modeling Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy Onto Instrumental Tasks Within The New Venture Creation Process, Jill Kickul, Robert S. D'Intino

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

We examine the various components of entrepreneurial self-efficacy within the entrepreneurship literature from a measurement perspective. Two published entrepreneurial self-efficacy instruments are tested and compared. Additionally, we study how self-efficacy relates with many of the tasks and roles identified within the entrepreneurial new venture life-cycle. Our study suggests relationships between self-efficacy, perceived skills, and abilities to manage a new venture, and entrepreneurial intentions to start a new venture. We discuss relationships between entrepreneurship research and university teaching and make specific suggestions on how further work on improving measurement in entrepreneurship will benefit both research and teaching effectiveness.

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, …

New England Journal Of Entrepreneurship, Fall 2005

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

Entrepreneurship As Expectations Management, Steven E. Phelan

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial profits flow from differences in expectations between buyers and sellers regarding the future value of resources. This article investigates whether differences in expectations can be influenced by an entrepreneur to produce greater profits. It is argued that there are several points in the entrepreneurial process where such interventions can occur and that the use of these techniques should be associated with superior wealth creation. The article also explores the ethical implications of influencing stakeholders in this way.

New England Journal Of Entrepreneurship, Spring 2005

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

A System Dynamics Approach To Assessing Public Policy Impact On The Sustainable Growth Rate Of New Ventures, Jeff W. Trailer, Kuau Garsson

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

The growth of firms is fundamentally based on self-reinforcing feedback loops, one of the most important of which involves cash flow. When profit margin is positive, sales generate cash, which may then be reinvested to finance the operating cash cycle. We analyze simulations of a sustainable growth model of a generic new venture to assess the importance of taxes, and regulatory costs in determining growth. The results suggest that new ventures are particularly vulnerable to public policy effects, since their working capital resource levels are minimal, and they have few options to raise external funds necessary to fuel their initial …

The Relationship Between Import Prices And Inflation In The United States, Thomas D. Corrigan

WCBT Faculty Publications

Inflation has been a non-issue in the United States in recent years despite strong economic growth, on balance, and falling unemployment. Some analysts believe that "new economy" dynamics are responsible for this favorable outcome and further claim that the traditional Phillips curve tradeoff between growth and inflation is no longer a valid assumption underlying economic policy decisions. Others believe that the Phillips curve is indeed alive and well but that favorable "supply shocks" have masked the still relevant tradeoff between growth and price stability. One potential "supply shock" candidate is a declining trend in the cost of imports into the …

Irony And Organizations: Epistemological Claims And Supporting Field Stories, Ulla Johansson, Ed., Jill Woodilla, Ed.

WCBT Faculty Publications

"Irony, in the writings of these scholars from different parts of the world, demonstrates once again that ""what"" we know is tenuous and at the same time closely intertwined with ""how"" we know and represent that knowledge. And while each chapter approaches irony from a slightly different angle, they share a common assumption - that irony can be used to enhance practice."

An Empirical Review Of Us Corporate Default Swap Valuation: The Implications Of Functional Forms, Kwamie Dunbar

WCBT Faculty Publications

This paper first develops a reduced form three-factor model for valuing credit default premia that is used to provide implicit prices which are then compared with market prices of credit default swaps to determine if swap rates adequately reflects market risks. This model extends Jarrow (2001) two-factor model by adding three new features to enhance the effectiveness of the model and add to the growing debate on the empirical pricing of credit default swap and the effectiveness of reduce form models. Firstly, the extended model retains Jarrow's mean reverting properties but will be extended to be arbitrage free because of …