Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

Przedsiębiorczość: Praktyczny Przewodnik Dla Sukcesu W Biznesie, Jalleh Sharafizad, Violetta Wilk, Kerry Brown, Aglae Hernandez Grande, Fleur Sharafizad, Dorothy Wardale, Arkadiusz Gwarda, Artur Korkoszkiewicz, Marta Komorska, Bartosz Sobotka, Michał Wójcik

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This book is tailored for entrepreneurs in their startups or moving to the next stage of their businesses, micro and small business owners, as well as individuals who are considering starting their own ventures. It brings together essential insights, practical tools, and valuable resources developed through two Western Australian government initiatives focused on entrepreneurial training and support. In addition, it draws on a range of business concepts from other sources, refining and simplifying them to suit the specific needs of emerging and growing enterprises.

Designed to be both flexible and supportive, the book serves multiple roles throughout your entrepreneurial journey. …

Blending Minds, Balancing Goals: Tmt Heterogeneity And Sustainable-Innovation In Family Firms, Mahdi Vesal, Muhammad Aftab Alam, Mohammad H. Rahmati

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Family firms often prioritize profitability and growth, but balancing these with environmental sustainability is challenging. While TMT heterogeneity shapes various performance outcomes, its role in addressing the profitability–environmental sustainability dilemma in family firms remains unclear. Building on the upper echelons theory, we investigate how TMT heterogeneity drives the simultaneous pursuit of financial and environmental performance, which we refer to as hybrid financial–environmental performance, through sustainable-innovation practices. Additionally, we examine how family-firm governance mechanisms influence these relationships. Analyzing data from two matched samples of CEOs and senior production managers of Australian family firms, we find not only that TMT heterogeneity enhances …

Capitalising On The Social Interactional Nature Of Digital Entrepreneurship: An Agenda For Digital Entrepreneurs, Llandis Barratt-Pugh, Fang Zhao, Yuli Suseno, Janice Redmond, Peter Standen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Digital entrepreneurship (DE) is transforming traditional entrepreneurship (TE). This article investigates how social network interactions underpin DE development by harvesting knowledge for venture growth. A review of DE literature revealed few empirical social interaction studies exploring strategies for DE development. This study focused on that knowledge gap, using social network and social capital theories for the conceptual framework. Forty-one interviews with experienced DEs were analysed using a novel application of social network and social capital theory as an analytical framework with an iterative grounded theory approach. The findings validated a social interaction research approach. The evidence indicated that DE is …

A Configurational Approach To Strategic Entrepreneurship: Unlocking Customer Success In New Ventures In Emerging Economies, Sayuri Wijekoon, Mahdi Vesal, Aron O'Cass

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

New ventures (NVs) in emerging economies often face significant challenges in cultivating quality customer relationships and achieving customer satisfaction. This study applies the strategic entrepreneurship framework and configurational theory to investigate how combinations of strategic behaviors, decision-making logics, resource allocation mechanisms, and leader sociocognitive characteristics influence customer-focused performance. Utilizing multi-informant data from 135 NVs (entrepreneurs and marketing managers) in Sri Lanka, our analysis reveals that NVs employing effectual decision-making and bricolage resource allocation achieve stronger alignment between entrepreneurial and market orientations, resulting in enhanced customer satisfaction and stronger relationships. Additionally, the study identifies entrepreneurs’ long-term orientation and managers’ perfectionism as …

Successful Commercialisation In Startup Accelerator Programmes: How Different Startup Ecosystems Matter, Farzaneh Eslamloo, Kerry Brown, Zahra Amrollahi Biyouki

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study examined the influence of the Western Australian and Iranian startup ecosystem contexts, including the powers and liabilities that determine startups’ commercialisation outcomes. By utilising a theoretical framework based on programme evaluation, explanatory theory building, and critical realism, a cross-contextual comparison study was conducted. The study showed that the context of startup accelerator programmes and the startup ecosystem is an important determinant of commercialisation outcomes. The study revealed factors that impede startup accelerator programme success, including low follow-on investment, ecosystem immaturity, the ineffective agency of the Western Australian and Iranian governments, low levels of talent among startup agents, and …

A Framework For Understanding The Influence Of The Lifeworld Concept On Small Business Utilisation Of Linkedin, Jalleh Sharafizad, Janice Redmond, Craig Standing, Richard Fulford

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

LinkedIn is a professional platform used as a collaborative tool by small business entrepreneurs to acquire crucial resources needed to sustain and grow their business. However, there is limited research to explain the influence of the lifeworld on entrepreneurs’ LinkedIn use. Using qualitative interviews we address this research gap. The findings reveal evidence of a developing lifeworld within LinkedIn, comprising three key components: culture, social integration, and socialisation. The core small business LinkedIn culture is endorsing and advocating for business brand within a strictly professional ethos, rejecting any deviation from this approach. Social integration is based on strategic actions to …

Entrepreneurship: A Practical Guide For Business Success, Jalleh Sharafizad, Violetta Wilk, Kerry Brown, Aglae Hernandez Grande, Fleur Sharafizad, Dorothy Wardale

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This book is tailored for entrepreneurs in their startups or moving to the next stage of their businesses, micro and small business owners, as well as individuals who are considering starting their own ventures. It brings together essential insights, practical tools, and valuable resources developed through two Western Australian government initiatives focused on entrepreneurial training and support. In addition, it draws on a range of business concepts from other sources, refining and simplifying them to suit the specific needs of emerging and growing enterprises.

Designed to be both flexible and supportive, the book serves multiple roles throughout your entrepreneurial journey. …

The Mediating And Moderating Roles Of Entrepreneurship Education In The Perceived Acquisition Of Entrepreneurial Learning And Knowledge, Frances Y.M. Chang, Muhammad Aftab Alam, Murray Taylor

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Entrepreneurship education (EE) is a pivotal inspiration for students’ efforts to acquire entrepreneurial knowledge (EK), which can enable them to found new business ventures. We draw on entrepreneurial inspiration theory to develop a framework that we use to test (a) the mediating effect of entrepreneurship education and (b) the moderating effects of different pedagogical approaches on the relationship between students’ entrepreneurial intention (EI) and EK. The results reveal that entrepreneurship has significant and positive direct and indirect effects on the relationship between EI and EK. Importantly, our analyses reveal that the different pedagogical approaches used in business schools to impart …

When The Going Gets Tough, Who Gets Going? Relational Embeddedness, Institutional Support And Entrepreneurial Continuance: Evidence From China's Small Business Owners, Tenghao Zhang, Pi Shen Seet, Janice Redmond, Jalleh Sharafizad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose – This study investigates how relational embeddedness and perceived institutional support influence entrepreneurs' intention to keep entrepreneurial ventures going in an emerging transition economy, China, during a major disruption, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach – We surveyed 295 small business owners in China during its second COVID-19 wave. Covariance-based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) was used to evaluate the model. Findings – The study found that relational embeddedness and perceived institutional support both significantly influenced their intention for entrepreneurial continuance (IEC) through the mediating effects of the three Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) determinants. It also found that relational …

Entrepreneurs’ Network Bricolage: Reconfiguring Social Ties For Resource Creation, Frances Y.M. Chang, Cynthia M. Webster, Muhammad Aftab Alam, Francesco Chirico

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The entrepreneurship literature demonstrates the positive impact of network bricolage on resource-seeking. We extend this work by examining why and how entrepreneurs reconfigure ties within the social architecture of their networks. Building on the network bricolage literature and an in-depth analysis of 55 dyadic relationships embedded in four networks, we provide evidence of network bricolage behavior indicating that entrepreneur bricoleurs are, in fact, resource-creators as well as resource-seekers. Our data cover a series of preliminary and in-depth interviews, member checks, site visits, direct observations, and archival sources. We find support for our theoretical arguments that more resources and re-deployment opportunities …

The Impact Of Positive And Negative Psychological Affect And Overconfidence From Major Family Events On New Venture Survival, Pi-Shen Seet, Wee-Liang Tan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper investigates how family events interacting with entrepreneurs’ psychological affect and overconfidence impact new venture viability. We use panel data from the Australian Household, Income and Labor Dynamics survey, focusing on family event-induced psychological affect entrepreneurs experience as a predictor of new venture survival. Our accelerated failure time model shows that although negative family events interact with entrepreneur overconfidence to spur cautious behaviour, positive events interacting with overconfidence have the biggest impact (negative) on new ventures. The study enhances our understanding of the embeddedness of family in the entrepreneurial process and challenges past research by revealing how positive family …

The Dimensions Of Entrepreneurial Orientation In Franchise Networks: Exploring The Role Of Franchisee Associations, Peter Balsarini, Claire Lambert

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study explores how a state-based franchisee association of a multinational quick-service restaurant franchisor introduced three world-first innovations through the activation of the five dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation (EO). The antecedents to this activation were also explored. A historical extended case study focusing on a revelatory case was undertaken. In-depth analysis using a rigorous qualitative methodology was facilitated by the triangulation of informant interviews, publicly available data, archival data, and artefacts. The three innovations explored involved the apparent activation of all five dimensions of EO by the franchisee association. The franchisee association’s structure and the provenance of its franchisee members, …

Exploring The Social Impact Of The Short-Stay Market (Ssm) In Regional Areas: An Empirical Study, Emeka Ndaguba, Kerry Brown, Dora Marinova, Uma Jogulu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The discourse on microentrepreneurs and their involvement in the short stay market (SSM) was non-existent until 2008. While several concepts and constructs have been developed and empirically tested since 2009, many of them relate to economics, leaving the social, cultural, and environmental factors underdeveloped. Thus, this study aimed to fill the gap and identify and assess the social impact of the short-stay market (SSM) in a regional area. The study included 16 face-to-face interview sessions conducted with 18 participants, and the Leximancer software was employed to analyse the data. The study revealed that the social impact on SSM is not …

Personality, Entrepreneurship Education And Entrepreneurial Intention Among Ghanaian Students, Victor Fannam Nunfam, Akanganngang J. Asitik, Ebenezer Afrifa-Yamoah

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The connection between personality traits, entrepreneurship curriculum and entrepreneurial intention has received inadequate research consideration among students in Africa to inform policies and curriculum development. An explanatory cross-sectional survey of 324 Ghanaian university students was assessed in a path analysis to model entrepreneurial intention as a function of personality characteristics, mediated by entrepreneurship curriculum and moderated by teaching methods, while controlling for age, gender and program of study. There were direct significant effects of entrepreneurial attitude, need for achievement and locus of control on entrepreneurial intention. The conditional effect of teaching method on entrepreneurial attitude was also significant. We found …

Entrepreneurship In Emerging Markets: Mapping The Scholarship And Suggesting Future Research Directions, Boris Inkizhinov, Elena Gorenskaia, Dashi Nazarov, Anton Klarin

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: To provide a comprehensive systematic review of entrepreneurship in the context of emerging markets (EMs). The area of research is topical considering the rise of EMs on the global scene and the importance of entrepreneurship in the development of EMs. Design/methodology/approach: The paper utilizes scientometrics to provide a systematic review of the emerging field of entrepreneurship in EMs (EEMs). The entire Web of Science database was searched, and 2,568 scholarly outputs were extracted and analyzed as a result. The review further compares the EEMs research to the mainstream entrepreneurship research based on the top …

The State Of #Digitalentrepreneurship: A Big Data Leximancer Analysis Of Social Media Activity, Violetta Wilk, Helen Cripps, Alexandru Capatina, Adrian Micu, Angela-Eliza Micu

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper examined online sentiment, key themes and patterns evident in social media activity about digital entrepreneurship. It provides a snapshot-in-time, visual-first perspective on social media user-generated-content (UGC) to better understand the topic of digital entrepreneurship. Global data consisting of 31,017 publicly available UGC which used the #digitalentrepreneurship (hashtag) and the keywords ‘digital entrepreneurship’ were collected. A computer assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS), Leximancer, was used for an automated text-mining analysis. There is positive online sentiment surrounding digital entrepreneurship technology, ecosystem and industry, and one which promotes women transformation of digital entrepreneurship globally. Negative sentiment pointed out that future …

Family Businesses And Adaptation: A Dynamic Capabilities Approach, Abel Duarte Alonso, Seng Kok, Michelle O'Shea

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The main objective of this research was to propose a framework centred on the dynamic capabilities approach, and to be applied in the context of family businesses’ adaption to their changing business environment. Data were gathered through interviews with ten FBs operating in Western Australia. Based on the findings, the clusters of activities, sensing, seizing, and transforming emerged as key factors for firms’ adaptation, and were reinforced by firms’ open culture, signature processes, idiosyncratic knowledge, and valuable, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable attributes. Thus, the usefulness of the proposed framework was confirmed. Implications and future research opportunities are presented.

Survival Drivers Of Post-Incubated Start-Ups: The Effect Of Academic Governance, Simone Scagnelli, Lorenzo Vasile, Mico Apostolov

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Incubators, spin-offs, industrial networks and consortiums are some of the examples to build-up university–industry links in fostering innovation. University incubators are well known for supporting the growth of start-ups by providing knowledge and research, as well as, sustaining entrepreneurship by the direct involvement of their faculty. In this regard, the aim of this paper is to examine the influence of faculty members on the financial performance of a sample of new technology based firms which have been previously incubated by different Italian University Incubators. Essentially, the results on the presence of academic governance in relation to the financial performance of …

How Start-Up Accelerators Facilitate Innovation, Farzaneh Eslamloo

ECU Posters

In today’s economy, innovation is the strategic driving force in getting unique opportunities and adding value to knowledge assets. Many countries, to compete and to adapt themselves to the complexity of the new world, try to be innovative and continuously upgrade their knowledge along with changes happened in the environment. Theses countries consider innovation as the key strategy in achieving sustainable competitive advantage and making continuous improvement in their structures, processes, and programs. The interesting thing about start-up accelerator centres that is the main interest of my research is that they try to respond to the demand shaped in the …

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 …

Women Business Owners’ Start-Up Motivations And Network Content, Jalleh Sharafizad, Alan Coetzer

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how women small business owners’ (SBOs) business start-up motivations influence their network content.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 women SBOs who were recruited through purposeful sampling methods. Interview data on their start-up motivations were used to categorise them into three types: classic, forced and work-family. The interviews explored the network contents of the three categories of participants.

Findings

There were many similarities between network contents of classic and forced SBOs, as both groups had started their business for financial reasons rather than family reasons. All the participants’ networks contained …

Creativity, Design And Management In Australian Fashion Enterprises, Bruno Santarelli

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In this study a number of Australian fashion enterprises are investigated in an effort to understand how product development is managed and creativity facilitated. Of particular interest was the interaction between the various actors in the creative process and the manner in which they influenced creative output. The study was underpinned by a wideranging review of the literature that reflects the multidisciplinary nature of creativity and innovation in business.

The study is timely because Australian fashion enterprises are operating in an increasingly challenging market with a perfect storm of competitive drivers at play. Technology enables instant dissemination of fashion trends …

Resilience And Economic Empowerment: A Qualitative Investigation Of Entrepreneurial Indonesian Women, Min Ing Loh, Rayini Dahesihsari

Research outputs 2013

The development of female entrepreneurs in Indonesia is an integral part of Muslim women's economic contributions and empowerment. However, there is a lack of reliable research about female entrepreneurship and how gender may affect the experiences of business ownership in Indonesia. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the challenges encountered by these women entrepreneurs on a daily basis. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 30 female Indonesian entrepreneurs. Participants were recruited using theoretical and maximum variation sampling techniques. Content analysis was then used to analyze the data. Results revealed high levels of variations, both within and between …

Understanding Variety In Small Firm Internationalization : The Decison-Making Process Of Small Manufacturing Firms In Indonesia, Maria Y.D.H. Agustini

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Research on small firm internationalization has been conducted intensively over the last few decades. However, knowledge of small firm internationalization varied. This research addresses the question of this variety in small firm internationalization applying the stage models theory, network theory, resource-based theory and international new venture. As the more recent studies showed that researchers have inclined towards one conclusive finding of the central role of the manager in internationalization, the key explanation of the inconclusive knowledge about small firm internationalization possibly resides in the decision made by the manager. Thus, this research explored the process of making an internationalization decision …

A Model Of Management Learning For Occupational Therapists In Small Business In Australia, Jeannine Millsteed

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research sought to identify factors that contribute to occupational therapists developing management competencies when they become small business owners providing professional clinical services. This is an important for several reasons and precipitated by the Australian government’s introduction of incentives that encourage health professions to move from employment in public hospitals into the private sector, coupled with a recognition that occupational therapists receive no formal business training in their professional education, and the reported high levels of business failure in the small business sector. A review of the literature established the value of small business to the Australian economy, growth …

The Influence Of Business Incubation In Developing New Enterprises In Australia, Phillip Kemp

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Australia was an early adopter of business incubation, and made substantial investments in it in the early 2000s, however local interest has declined with the closure of big government-funded projects, at a time when international interest in business incubation is increasing. This study revisits the question of business incubators and their usefulness in economic development, describing a case study conducted on a university-linked business incubator in Australia. It investigates the impact of its operations on developing start-up businesses operating from within the facility; the motivations, perceptions and priorities of small businesses tenants and former tenants; and the role of the …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Small Business Owner-Managers' Participation And Learning In An Online Discussion Forum : Not Quite Paradise Found, Tara Laureen Smith

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Small business owner-managers (SBOMs) are a difficult group to engage in formal face-to-face training and learning activities. Research to encourage SBOMs' participation has focused on two main themes: first, trying to ascertain why they do not attend training and, second, determining their learning preferences. They are reluctant to attend formal training because they prioritise business operations (no time to attend training), perceive training as a poor return on investment, have negative perceptions of training and education, and believe the training provision often does not meet their needs. In terms of their learning preferences, it is clear that SBOMs prefer informal, …

Manager Learning In The Micro Business Context : The Role Of External Business Advice, Training Providers And Close Others, Jennifer Devine

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Small business has often been referred to as the “engine driving the economy”. This description highlights the significance of small business to the economy of most countries. But what about the smallest of these organisations; those businesses with fewer than five employees? These businesses, termed micro businesses, form a large part of our economy and are sometimes the starting point for larger business and sometimes provide a long term, alternate business structure. This type of business has special needs and characteristics and is often neglected in the management literature. The nature and diversity of these businesses prompted an interest in …

An Exploratory Investigation Into Knowledge Management In Western Australian Knowledge-Intensive Small Businesses, Shukrullah Fassehi

Theses : Honours

From a knowledge management (KM) perspective, organisational effectiveness depends on the organisation’s capacity to effectively perform a range of processes that include identifying, acquiring, sharing, and storing valuable knowledge. The literature suggests that the growth of interest in the field of KM is largely centred on large organisations. Small businesses have not received much attention in the literature. This is surprising, given that small businesses (however defined) represent the majority of businesses in most countries and, as is the case in Australia, make a major contribution towards business activity, economic development and employment generation.

This study employed a qualitative exploratory …

Building The Base For Cross National Comparisons Of Ethnic Entrepreneurship: Understanding Polish Entrepreneurs In Western Australia, Natalia Vershinina, Rowena Barrett

Research outputs 2011

Objectives: The paper accounts for the nature of Polish entrepreneurial activity in Western Australia. First, it examines it through the deployment of Bourdieu’s ‘forms of capital’ model (1983) used in explaining the entrepreneurial activity of Polish immigrants. By adopting a case study approach informed by the principal of ‘maximum variation’, the paper highlights considerable diversity within a small but significant ethnic community in Western Australia. Prior work: This paper is informed by literature dealing with forms of capital to explain ethnic entrepreneurship which points to the role of social, human, financial and cultural resources employed by migrants in their entrepreneurial …