Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

Leadership And Innovation Program, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Presentations and White Papers

No abstract provided.

Think Setting Up A Business Is Easy? Think Again!, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Entrepreneurship stories are like fairytales. The rags-to-riches stories of college dropouts turned successful multimillionaires provide many an overworked and underappreciated employee with idealism and inspiration: to ditch a life of conventions and to pursue one's passions. But don't be naïve, says Wong Hoong An, chief evangelist officer of the popular local food website, HungryGoWhere.com. There are too many questions to consider, such as 'Can you live with a pittance of a salary for years?' and 'Do you relish change, instability and volatility?'

From Post-Its To Face-Bras: How 3m Puts Innovation Into Practice, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Most people are familiar with the genesis of the Post-it, 3M's signature yellow sticky pad: an accidental outcome that followed the discovery of a non-permanent adhesive. While innovations as such might be viewed as a fluke – an invention that occurred by chance – it is helpful to note that certain environments and conditions can render an organisation more 'accident'-prone. Geoff Nicholson, the "father" of 3M's line of Post-it Note products and an advocate of "risky business" behaviours, shared his insights and observations at SMU recently.

2010 Ijbe Front Matter, Tamra Connor

International Journal for Business Education

1. Editorial Board
2. President's Letter
3. SIEC-ISBE International

Gerber Project For Lockheed Martin, Andrew Callahan, Sean Lawyer

Industrial Technology and Packaging

Lockheed Martin, the world’s premier aerial combat vehicle manufacturer was pressed to find an eco-friendly way to package their impregnated epoxy. In the current system, the epoxy would be cut on the Gerber table to a pre-determined length and then sandwiched inside of two corrugated fiberboard sheets for storage inside of a freezer. The current process was not only labor intensive, but the corrugated fiberboard had to be disregarded after one use. In conjunction with the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Packaging program and Melmat Incorporated, we were able to find a corrugated plastic substrate to replace the currently non-reusable …

What Do Egyptian Tomb Raiders And Martial-Arts-Loving Entrepreneurs Have In Common?, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Some ancient Egyptians make stuffed animals to accompany their dead in their after-life, others raid the tombs for these animals to sell for a profit. For Chatri Trisiripisal, a 38-year-old self made millionaire, besides making his money running hedge funds and property investments, he also does so holding martial arts classes. According to Trisiripisal, chasing such entrepreneurial dreams requires one to be “crazy” sometimes. What are the other attributes that a bidding entrepreneur should have?

The Idea Of Creativity, The Creativity Behind An Idea, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Many people believe that creativity is important to their line of work – from salespeople to accountants, lawyers to administrators – but few people seem to believe that they have what it takes to be creative. Even fewer people think that their employers are helping them to be creative. What lies behind the mystical creativity holy grail that makes it so elusive yet incredibly seductive? Creativity expert Fredrik Härén provides some insights into how we think about creativity and what makes companies like Google, Apple and Pixar tick.

Sustainability Through Profitability: The Triple Bottom Line, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Presentations and White Papers

Today’s highly competitive, globalized world requires organizations and businesses to think differently about how they are going to stay in business. Businesses can no longer afford to focus on profits as their sole purpose for existence. Organizations must instead think about the “Triple Bottom Line” and its implications for their ability to grow their brand, customer loyalty and profits.

Transitions Within The Ecosystem Of Change, Willie Cheng

Social Space

The ecosystem paradigm provides a framework to understand and influence the forces of change facing the nonprofit sector. In this extract from the forthcoming book, “The World That Changes The World: How philanthropy, entrepreneurship and innovation are transforming the social ecosystem,” Willie Cheng describes the social ecosystem framework, its change enablers and macro-trends.

Academic Entrepreneurs: The Role Of Star Scientists In Commercialization Of Radical Science, Reddi Kotha, Gerard George

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We examine the effects of individual, team, and institutional capabilities on the governance of technology contracts. Star scientific teams may work on higher quality projects which may be of high or low risk, depending on the maturity of the technology. Arguments that assumed that both capabilities and risk are codetermined, and seldom diverge in their effects on incentive preferences, may be tenuous in these cases. We test our predictions using a two-stage model in a sample of 1,474 inventions that were licensed through performance or upfront contracts. We find that when individuals and teams have strong capabilities, they prefer performance …

Smes, Open Innovation And Ip Management: Advancing Global Development, Stanley P. Kowalski

Law Faculty Scholarship

[Excerpt] Micro-Small-Medium Enterprises (abbreviated herein henceforth as “SMEs”) are global drivers of technological innovation and economic development. Perhaps their importance has been somewhat eclipsed by the mega-multinational corporate entities. However, whereas the corporations might be conceptualized as towering sequoia trees, SMEs represent the deep, broad, fertile forest floor that nourishes, sustains and regenerates the global economic ecosystem.

[. . .]

Broadly recognized as engines of economic and global development, SMEs account for a substantial proportion of entrepreneurial activity in both industrialized and developing countries. Indeed, their role as dynamos for technological and economic progress in developing countries is critical and …

Ict Usage In Microfinance Institutions In Uganda, Joseph Kaumba Ssewanyana

The African Journal of Information Systems

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) are always often faced with high operating costs to provide financial services to the poor people and Small and Medium Enterprises. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has been found to promote the dual objective of microfinance - sustainability and outreach to the poor people. Using a quantitative survey and descriptive research approach, this paper has established the extent to which ICT has been used in the microfinance institutions in Uganda. Despite the barriers, ICT usage in MFIs has been on the rise; and different applications and technologies have been adopted by some MFIs to control costs, create …

Entering The Lion’S Den: Technology Entrepreneurs Need A Global View And Action Plan, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

How many technology companies are confident enough to venture outside the sheltered environment of their home country to compete against the market leaders in their own turf? Not many, especially for the new or young business ventures. Many avoid entering "the lion’s den", so to speak, for fear that they will be eaten alive. Yet, not many realise that if they cannot survive the “lion’s den”, they may not last very long within their own nest, shares seasoned venture capitalist Gideon Tolkowsky.

Agenda: World Energy Justice Conference And Appropriate Technology Arcade, University Of Colorado Boulder. Center For Energy & Environmental Security, University Of Colorado Boulder. School Of Law

World Energy Justice Conference (October 23-24)

The 2009 CEES Energy Justice Conference took place at the University of Colorado Law School on October 23rd and 24th, 2009. It featured 11 sessions, more than 40 speakers, and attracted over 200 attendees. The Conference brought together leading international and U.S. decision-makers in politics, engineering, public health, law, business, economics, and innovators in the sciences to explore how best to address the critical needs of the energy-oppressed poor (EOP) through long-term interdisciplinary action, information sharing, and deployment of appropriate sustainable energy technologies (ASETs).

The Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law & Policy (CJIELP) at the University of Colorado Law …

Soaps, Creams And Strips: Procter & Gamble’S Approach To Innovation, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Innovate to give the customers what they desire -- it may sound like a simple and straightforward mantra for success in business, but many companies find themselves struggling to be gainfully innovative! Throw in ‘fickle-minded consumers’ and ‘a myriad of competitor offerings’ into the mix and the challenge magnifies glaringly. Yet, Procter and Gamble (P&G), a 172-year-old company, has somehow managed to get it right – and with more than 300 brands across 80 countries. Dr Shekhar Mitra, P&G’s Senior Vice-President of Research and Development, offers Singapore Management University an insider look into the innovation principles that guide one of …

Are Credit Unions In Ecuador Achieving Economies Of Scale?, Nick A. Marchio

Economics Honors Projects

This study tests the assertion that membership growth in credit unions is constrained by their unique structural features, such as their non-profit mission and member-based ownership. Although these features enhance inclusiveness, existing theory suggest that they work against efficiency when membership grows too diffuse. To address this issue, this study uses a model that takes into account existing theory on constrained-optimization in credit unions and theory on the adverse effects of diffuse ownership. Using data on 36 public credit unions in Ecuador, the empirical analysis finds evidence that credit unions can achieve economies of scale despite their problematic structural features. …

Think Outside Your Box: Enhancing Creativity Through Multicultural Interactions, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Creative ideas are often the result of two or more seemingly non-overlapping concepts. The more we expose ourselves to diverse experiences, the more likely we might be to sample from a richer pool of ideas, thereby facilitating our creativity, and by extension for some, organisational innovation. This is because experience lowers our resistance and increases our readiness to sample foreign concepts. Angela Leung, an assistant professor of psychology at Singapore Management University, notes that while ideas from differing cultural experiences can be recruited as intellectual resources, several factors inhibit our ability to draw on these experiences, thus impeding our creative …

Feasibility Study Of Cold Room Renovations For P.O.V.E., Kurtis Kobara

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

Microfinance In Asia: Not So Risky, Not So Micro, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Microfinance is proving to be a successful way to help the rural poor and disadvantaged improve their economic conditions by running their own businesses. However, the current economic crisis has reduced funding available for this pool. But with a proven strong credit history and improvements in technology, microfinancing is now seen as more than just as a nice social obligation. In the words of Nhan Phan Cu, a speaker at a recent seminar on this issue, microfinance in Asia is less risky than investment banking. However, the economic outlook poses some challenges.

Me-Business Model: Building Value From Consumer Created Content, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

As more businesses move from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 and Web 3.0, they can benefit immensely from the insights gained through consumer generated intelligence. The newest customer-centric technologies shaping the Internet, and how they create opportunities for new business models, formed the theme of a talk by Andreas Weigend, former Chief Scientist at Amazon.com, at the Singapore Management University recently.

Globality Is What Happens After Globalisation, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Globality is what happens after globalisation, say authors Hal Sirkin, Jim Hemerling and Arindam Bhattacharya of Boston Consulting Group in their book, Globality -- Competing with Everyone from Everywhere for Everything, published last year. Incumbents, companies from developed economies, must face the challengers from emerging economies who are quickly shifting the balance.

Big-Time Small-Scale Innovations, Corline Van Es, Chris Sigaloff

Social Space

Is there value in supporting small-scale, yet innovative projects? Based on their experience in Digital Pioneers – a programme supporting innovative Dutch civil society initiatives – Corline Van Es and Chris Sigaloff of Kennisland, Netherlands, make a case for this latest sector trend and the support it deserves.

Entrepreneurs Are Serial Risktakers Not Gamblers, Says Phillip Phan, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Entrepreneurs are not gamblers, believes Phillip Phan, management professor at Johns Hopkins University. He is also Tommie Goh visiting professor of entrepreneurship and business at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University (SMU). Phan delivered a lecture in Singapore recently about the essence of entrepreneurship, how to identify entrepreneurial opportunities, and the role of governments in supporting entrepreneurs.

Lighting Up Rural Indonesia Through Community-Owned Hydropower Projects, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

More than 105 million people, just under half the total population of Indonesia, are without electricity even today. 2006 Ashoka Foundation Fellow Tri Mumpuni, executive director of Indonesian NGO IBEKA (People Centred Economic and Business Institute), spoke at a forum -- organised by the Lien Centre for Social Innovation of the Singapore Management University -- about how IBEKA is helping to develop sustainable community enterprises in the energy sector.

Ua7 Ored Quarterly Newsletter, Sadiq Shah

ORED Quarterly Newsletter

Connecting Knowledge with Businesses and Society to Promote Economic Growth and to Enhance the Quality of Life

Is Family Business In Good Hands? How To Inspire The Next Generation Of Entrepreneurs, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Why do some family businesses fail? Sanjay Goel, strategic management and entrepreneurship professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth, addressed some of the factors that support or inhibit the success of family businesses at a seminar on “Sustaining the Entrepreneurial Drive” organised recently by the UOB–SMU Alliance Centre of the Singapore Management University.

How To Stand Out In The Crowd? Innovate, Innovate, Innovate., Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

In the world of marketing and branding, sticking out like a sore thumb is not necessarily a bad thing, advises brand innovation specialist Chandran Dharmarajan, co-founder of I-morph, a marketing innovation consultancy based in Singapore. Dharmarajan, who worked for over a decade with Unilever in India and Thailand followed by a stint with Kraft Foods Asia Pacific, spoke at a recent seminar, “Transform Your Business By Being Remarkable”, organised by the UOB-SMU Entrepreneurship Alliance Centre of the Singapore Management University.

Lien Centre’S Social Space Turns The Spotlight On Social Enterprise And Innovation, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

The Lien Centre of the Singapore Management University was set up in 2006 with support from the Lien Foundation to serve as a catalyst for social innovation and change in Singapore. The Centre will launch an inaugural volume, Social Space, in August 2008. Lien Centre Board Chairman, Willie Cheng, talked to Knowledge@SMU about the book, the overall aims of the centre, and his own thinking on social enterprise, innovation and entrepreneurship. Cheng was formerly country managing director for Accenture and is actively involved in the nonprofit sector in Singapore.

Ua7 Ored Quarterly Newsletter, Sadiq Shah

ORED Quarterly Newsletter

Connecting Knowledge with Businesses and Society to Promote Economic Growth and to Enhance the Quality of Life

Operation And Technology Roadmapping Gives Singapore Smes A Strategic Edge, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

In today’s increasingly globalised, knowledge-based marketplace, a company’s ability to exploit innovation and technology is fundamental to sustaining growth and staying ahead of the competition. To help local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) move up the value-chain, Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) runs the Operation and Technology Roadmapping (OTR) initiative. Michael Ferrill, who cofounded the programme, spoke on OTR and knowledge transfer at the Fourth International Research Conference on Asian Business held in March 2008 at the Singapore Management University.