Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Walden University

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type

Articles 121 - 150 of 244

Full-Text Articles in Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations

Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Practices And Enterprise Longevity: A Multiple Case Study, Debra Howard Jan 2019

Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Practices And Enterprise Longevity: A Multiple Case Study, Debra Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women entrepreneurs are emerging in the national economy as important players, yet gender bias and stereotypes still exist in organizations that prevent firms from taking advantage of women'€™s potential as leaders in entrepreneurial ventures. At the same time, traditional leadership models are lacking in diversity and unanswered questions remain regarding the role of gender in entrepreneurial leadership and enterprise sustainability. The purpose of this qualitative study, which used an exploratory, multiple-case research design, was to gain insight into the leadership practices of women entrepreneurial leaders and the implications of these practices for enterprise longevity 5 years after their business'€™s start-up …

Go to article

Strategies For Small Business Sustainability, Victor K. Adoukonou Jan 2019

Strategies For Small Business Sustainability, Victor K. Adoukonou

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses represent more than 99% of all employers in the United States, but more than 50% of small businesses have failed before 5 years. Climate change, digitization, and social media contribute to a paradigm shift in consumers' habits, as more consumers have become environmentally and social justice conscious. Business leaders who are unable to follow the consumers' trends and changes of habit may not succeed in sustaining their businesses. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies owners of small businesses in the District of Columbia use to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years …

Go to article

Small Business Restaurant Owners' Financing Strategies For Sustainability, Cecilia Tobias Vasquez Jan 2019

Small Business Restaurant Owners' Financing Strategies For Sustainability, Cecilia Tobias Vasquez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Owners of small business restaurants experience a high failure rate. Many small business restaurants fail within 5 years of inception because of inadequate business plans, ineffective strategies for changing markets, and a lack of financial capital to achieve profitability, growth, and long-term survivability. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the financial strategies that some owners of small business restaurants used to sustain operations for longer than 5 years. The resource-based view was the conceptual framework for this study. Participants in this study consisted of 5 owners of small business restaurants in northern California who implemented successful …

Go to article

Financial Strategies For Long-Term Success In Women-Owned Small Businesses, Melissa Renee Dyer Jan 2019

Financial Strategies For Long-Term Success In Women-Owned Small Businesses, Melissa Renee Dyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, many small businesses fail within the first 5 years due to poor implementation of long term financial strategies. Researchers and business practitioners indicated that women small business owners face challenges in financing their small businesses beyond 5 years due to a lack of long-term financial strategies. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore long term financial strategies women use to sustain their small businesses beyond 5 years. The general theory of entrepreneurship was the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 11 women small business owners in …

Go to article

Millennial Business Owners' Strategies To Survive In Business, Andrietta Bryant-Minter Jan 2019

Millennial Business Owners' Strategies To Survive In Business, Andrietta Bryant-Minter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals in the millennial generation, born from 1980 to 1996, have many entrepreneurial opportunities; however, many people in the millennial generation lack the skills, motivation, and business strategies to survive in business. Because of the influx of competition, lack of experience, and lack of business-world strategies, entrepreneurs can miss opportunities and fail within the first few years of business operations. Grounded in the systems theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that business owners in the millennial generation used to survive in business longer than 6 years. Participants consisted of 5 business owners in …

Go to article

Organizational Strategies To Grow Mature Small Information Technology Businesses, Timothy L. Knox Jan 2019

Organizational Strategies To Grow Mature Small Information Technology Businesses, Timothy L. Knox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Standard indicators of slow growth among small businesses are negative job creation and lower tax revenue. Small business success and growth is necessary for increasing productivity, profitability, and job creation. The purpose of this single case study was to explore growth strategies leaders of a mature small information technology (IT) business in the midwestern United States used to grow their organization beyond existing capacity. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and review of organizational documentation. The conceptual framework for the study was general systems theory. The study included a purposeful sample of 2 senior leaders of a mature small IT …

Go to article

Midwestern Artists' Responses To The Demands Of Entrepreneurial Management, Carolyn Melissa Nelson-Kavajecz Jan 2019

Midwestern Artists' Responses To The Demands Of Entrepreneurial Management, Carolyn Melissa Nelson-Kavajecz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Artists have the potential to achieve higher levels of success in business management, leadership roles, and entrepreneurial endeavors if equipped with the proper knowledge. Although artists may have a creative perspective and could possess many of the attributes sought after by organizations and communities in need of innovative leaders, their approaches to entrepreneurial management differ from traditional business managers or community leaders. The problem was poor understanding of how artists in Midwestern regions of the United States respond to the demands of entrepreneurial management. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to understand how 20 individuals who self-identified as …

Go to article

Youth Entrepreneurship Among University Graduates In Anambra State, Nigeria, Mike Chike Nwosu Jan 2019

Youth Entrepreneurship Among University Graduates In Anambra State, Nigeria, Mike Chike Nwosu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nigerian policy is inconsistent with regard to the promotion of entrepreneurship among young adults in Anambra State that would serve as a guide to becoming self-employed. Most young adults in Anambra State lack information on entrepreneurial characteristics to become self-employed. The issues confronting Anambra State as a result of youth unemployment include increase in crime rate, drug abuse, kidnapping, and suicide rate. Guided by the human capital theory, the purpose of this case study was to explore the entrepreneurship strategies that young adults in Anambra State needed to become self-employed after graduating from universities. Twenty youth entrepreneurs participated in the …

Go to article

Exploring Leadership Skills For The Sustainability Of Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Yvette Julianne Peters Jan 2019

Exploring Leadership Skills For The Sustainability Of Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Yvette Julianne Peters

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) contribute to the stability and growth of economies by creating employment in rural and urban areas. More than 60% of SMEs do not survive for longer than 5 years; a lack of leadership skills is among the key problems. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the leadership skills owners-managers used to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years. Research participants were 4 owners-managers of SMEs from the manufacturing industry in Trinidad and Tobago that sustained their businesses for at least 5 years. The contingency leadership model and the skill-based leadership …

Go to article

Strategies For Sustainability Of Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises In Ghana, John Kwaku Amaglo Jan 2019

Strategies For Sustainability Of Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises In Ghana, John Kwaku Amaglo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for 92% of all Ghana firms, providing 60% of citizens' employment and contributing about 70% of Ghana's income from gross domestic products. Within the first 5 years of operation, 40% of new businesses fail. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies used by Ghanaian SME manufacturing leaders in the fruit industry to sustain business for longer than 5 years of operation. The conceptual framework for this study was open systems theory and complexity theory. The population for this study was 5 Ghanaian SME manufacturing business leaders in the fruit industry …

Go to article

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Public Sector Interventions In Entrepreneurship Development In Nigeria, Michael Kalu Mba Jan 2019

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Public Sector Interventions In Entrepreneurship Development In Nigeria, Michael Kalu Mba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Entrepreneurship is significant to the production process for economic growth and development. The Nigerian government supports entrepreneurial development by providing business training for entrepreneurs across the country; however, the impact of such programs in current entrepreneurship in Nigeria has not been researched. This study was designed to examine the impact of the training on entrepreneurial outcomes such as profitability, revenue, and access to finance using the social construction framework and the theory of external control of organizations. Based on a quantitative quasi-experimental design involving a posttest comparison group, the impact of government support on randomly selected beneficiaries and nonbeneficiaries with …

Go to article

Sustainability Strategies For Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises In Zimbabwe, Donnemore Majukwa Jan 2019

Sustainability Strategies For Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises In Zimbabwe, Donnemore Majukwa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Zimbabwe's entrepreneur owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) comprise approximately 94% of business owners but contribute only 50% of the country's gross domestic product. Entrepreneur owners play an important role in strengthening Zimbabwe's economy because they create approximately 60% to 80% of employment opportunities. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies owners of SME in Zimbabwe use to sustain their businesses. The population consisted of 5 owners of SMEs who have successfully implemented the strategies to sustain their businesses for over 5 years. The general systems theory was the conceptual framework of the study. …

Go to article

Entrepreneurial Marketing In Online Home-Based Businesses: Narratives From Immigrant Entrepreneurs, Craig Daniel Smith Jan 2019

Entrepreneurial Marketing In Online Home-Based Businesses: Narratives From Immigrant Entrepreneurs, Craig Daniel Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the formation of an online home-based business may be a relatively simple and low-cost endeavor, entrepreneurial marketing researchers suggest that immigrant entrepreneurs must access appropriate resources to effectively market an online business for breakout from low-growth, ethnic enclave markets. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry study was to explore the entrepreneurial marketing experiences of immigrant entrepreneurs in the United States operating online home-based businesses, and the implications of these experiences for supporting breakout from traditionally restricted markets. To address this gap, a narrative inquiry method was used to collect data from immigrant entrepreneurs. This study was framed by …

Go to article

Social Entrepreneurship: Exploring The Bricolage Model In Nigeria, Michael Ogunleye Jan 2019

Social Entrepreneurship: Exploring The Bricolage Model In Nigeria, Michael Ogunleye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nigerian entrepreneurs face government barriers and lack the skills and awareness needed for successfully creating and scaling public value in resource-constrained environments. The concept of bricolage, which involves doing business by making do with resources at hand, has been addressed in the literature, but not as it occurs among Nigerian entrepreneurs. This study was conducted with the aim of narrowing this gap in knowledge by exploring how Nigerian entrepreneurs have successfully carried out their businesses. The research question addressed how Nigerian entrepreneurs overcame critical situations to successfully address the challenges of scaling and creating public value, and whether the theory …

Go to article

Strategies To Secure Sustainable Funding For The Successful Conclusion Of Infrastructure Projects, Ibrahim Adia Jan 2019

Strategies To Secure Sustainable Funding For The Successful Conclusion Of Infrastructure Projects, Ibrahim Adia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Construction industry leaders who neglect to implement appropriate project funding strategies harm business operations and lose profits. Inadequate funding is also a significant cause of project failures in the global construction sector. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies construction project owners use to secure sustainable funding for the successful conclusion of infrastructure projects. The population comprised 5 leaders of organizations owning construction projects in the Middle Eastern Gulf Cooperation Council states, with successful strategies to acquire adequate funding for completing infrastructure projects. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with the business leaders and reports …

Go to article

Progress On The Economic Empowerment Of Female Entrepreneurs In Kenya's 30% Preferential Public Procurement Policy, Rukaya Mohammed Jan 2019

Progress On The Economic Empowerment Of Female Entrepreneurs In Kenya's 30% Preferential Public Procurement Policy, Rukaya Mohammed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Kenya, a 2013 presidential directive reserved 30% of government procurement opportunities for enterprises owned by women, youth, and persons with disabilities to promote economic empowerment; however, as of 2016, female entrepreneurs continued to be outpaced by their male counterparts. The lack of policy evaluation from the female entrepreneur perspective limits the ability to assess progress and identify obstacles. Through purposeful sampling and semistructured interviews, this qualitative phenomenological study obtained the perceptions of the implementation and impact of Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) on economic empowerment from the perspective of 20 female entrepreneurs in Kenya previously awarded procurement contracts. …

Go to article

Strategies For Mitigating The Effects Of Crisis In Microfinance Institutions In Ghana, Akorfa Ahiafor Jan 2019

Strategies For Mitigating The Effects Of Crisis In Microfinance Institutions In Ghana, Akorfa Ahiafor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ghana has experienced an unprecedented failure of microfinance institutions. Within a period of 8 years from 2011 to 2019, the Bank of Ghana has revoked the license of over 489 microfinance institutions. The purpose of the exploratory multiple case study was to explore strategies that microfinance managers apply to mitigate the effects of crisis to remain sustainable. The targeted population was composed of owner-managers from 6 microfinance companies in Ghana and 6 consultants who overcame the microfinance crisis and remained in practice. The situational crisis communication theory and the team leadership model were the conceptual frameworks for this study. Methodological …

Go to article

Strategies Of Minority Female Technology Entrepreneurs To Obtain Venture Capital Funding, Tamu Petra Browne Jan 2018

Strategies Of Minority Female Technology Entrepreneurs To Obtain Venture Capital Funding, Tamu Petra Browne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Less than 1% of minority women receive venture capital funding for technology enterprises. The purpose of the multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by Black female entrepreneurs to obtain venture capital funding for their technology businesses in the United States. The conceptual framework for the study was the social network theory of entrepreneurship. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 5 Black female entrepreneurs who founded technology ventures in the United States. Journaling before and after each interview aided the methodological triangulation, which ensured validation. Yin's data analysis process was used, and the data were reviewed, codes …

Go to article

Success Factors Of Entrepreneurship In Emerging Rural Economies, Sultan Tahir Mehmood Jan 2018

Success Factors Of Entrepreneurship In Emerging Rural Economies, Sultan Tahir Mehmood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One factor of the leadership stratagem is to account for the core values, operations, and growth of the organization. The purpose of this case study was to ascertain the financial strategies small business leaders incorporate to help ensure growth of small businesses. The conceptual framework of Schumpeter's innovation and entrepreneurship theory and the Grameen model were included to drive the scope and analysis of this study. A purposive sample of 8 leaders from successful small businesses in Islamabad contributed to a focus group session; 4 out of these participants originated from the finance and management department and 4 represented sales …

Go to article

Competitive Strategies Of Minority-Owned Small Businesses, Peter George Smith Jan 2018

Competitive Strategies Of Minority-Owned Small Businesses, Peter George Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of minority-owned businesses earn less revenue on average than their nonminority counterparts, even when both sets of leaders operate in the same industries. Among the factors leading to this earnings discrepancy is the lack of access that leaders of minority-owned businesses have to high-revenue opportunities. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that some leaders of minority-owned small businesses use to compete for contracts in high-revenue industries. The study population comprised 3 owners of minority-owned small marketing consultancy firms headquartered in the Southeastern United States. Teece and Pisano’s dynamic capabilities view served as the …

Go to article

Success Strategies For Small Financial Planning Firms, Joanne H. Snider, Kevin J. Davies Jan 2018

Success Strategies For Small Financial Planning Firms, Joanne H. Snider, Kevin J. Davies

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

Small Business Administration statistics indicate that 20% of small businesses fail within the first 2 years and 50% fail within 5 years. The purpose of this case study was to explore the success factors and strategies of 12 small business owners of independent financial planning firms who achieved profitability beyond 5 years. The conceptual framework was entrepreneurship theory and Porter’s five forces model of competitive strategy. The data gathering method included semistructured interviews and analysis of business artifacts such as websites and newsletters. Initial coding of the responses preceded an analysis of recurring patterns and themes. The major themes identified …

Go to article

Beyond The Enclave: Success Strategies Of Immigrant Entrepreneurs, José Delfín González, Douglas G. Campbell Jan 2018

Beyond The Enclave: Success Strategies Of Immigrant Entrepreneurs, José Delfín González, Douglas G. Campbell

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

In the United States, immigrant entrepreneurs start almost one third of all new businesses. However, many immigrant entrepreneurs lack the knowledge or expertise to evolve their businesses beyond the ethnic enclave where their businesses are located. This multiple case study captured the strategies used by five Latino immigrant business owners who successfully expanded their business beyond their ethnic enclave. The conceptual framework for this study was dynamic capabilities theory. Data were collected from interviews, company documents, and observations of the operation of businesses and owners. Member checking and transcript reviews were used to enhance the reliability and credibility of the …

Go to article

Managerial Strategies To Sustain Small Auto Repair Businesses, Osaka Kugblenu Tetteh-Odonkor Jan 2018

Managerial Strategies To Sustain Small Auto Repair Businesses, Osaka Kugblenu Tetteh-Odonkor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small auto repair business owners need strong operational skills; however, some lack expertise in managerial strategy. The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify managerial strategies small auto repair business owners use to sustain businesses in Columbus, Ohio with respect to strategy, time management, and alteration of value chain services. Based on the Vroom expectancy theory of motivation, small auto repair business owners may use effectiveness and efficiency of business performance with particular emphasis on managerial strategic development and execution to enhance financial results and rewards. Data collection involved face-to-face, semistructured interviews with 5 small auto repair business …

Go to article

Strategies To Sustain Small And Medium-Size Manufacturing Enterprises In Jamaica, Hugh Anthony Blake Jan 2018

Strategies To Sustain Small And Medium-Size Manufacturing Enterprises In Jamaica, Hugh Anthony Blake

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Jamaica's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have a high failure rate. In 2016, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) recorded Jamaica's SME start-up rate at 4.06% and the discontinuance rate at 9%. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive multiple case study was to explore the strategies some Jamaican SME owners used to achieve business sustainability in the manufacturing sector for longer than 5 years of operation. The conceptual framework used was the entrepreneurship theory, which provided insights into business sustainability. A purposive sample of 5 owners of SMEs who had achieved business sustainability in the manufacturing sector for longer than 5 …

Go to article

Strategies For Improving Technology Startup Capital, Inibehe Eno-Adams Jan 2018

Strategies For Improving Technology Startup Capital, Inibehe Eno-Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Funding is one of the most critical resources high potential technology startup (HPTS) ventures need to achieve success. Some startup founders lack access to capital, a critical resource for HPTS founders to create value for customers and capture value for their organizations. Capital constraints can hinder business performance, endanger growth and the ability to grow and scale into the global markets. This multiple case study explored the strategies HPTS firms used to access capital to grow and scale into global markets. Mishra's venture capital investment model and Blank's customer development model served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data …

Go to article

Small Business Profitability Strategies In The Music Recording Industry, Jeanelle Lemol Murray-Noel Jan 2018

Small Business Profitability Strategies In The Music Recording Industry, Jeanelle Lemol Murray-Noel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With the rise of digital technologies, consumers can stream music content, which has made it more difficult for music companies to be profitable. Small business owners in the music recording industry in the West Indies have found this trend particularly challenging, affecting their profitability. This multiple case study explored the adoption of disruptive technologies by small business owners in the music recording industry to increase profitability. The research population included 5 small business owners in the music recording industry in the West Indies who successfully adapted to the changes in the industry's business model and whose businesses are profitable. Christensen's …

Go to article

Barriers To Women Leadership Of Small And Medium Enterprises In Nigeria, Roseline Iruoma Ojinta Jan 2018

Barriers To Women Leadership Of Small And Medium Enterprises In Nigeria, Roseline Iruoma Ojinta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Management literature lacks a deeper understanding of barriers to Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) leadership among women entrepreneurs in Nigeria focusing on women leaders' daily business experiences, their agency, and their entrepreneurial context. Women in Nigeria seeking promotion to leadership roles in SMEs continue to look for answers on how to surmount the multiple barriers hampering their leadership aspirations. To address this need, this study was designed to explore how women entrepreneurs in Nigeria describe barriers to SME leadership through narratives about their daily business experiences, their agency, and their entrepreneurial context. The women's entrepreneurial development in Nigeria, the Nigerian …

Go to article

Small And Medium-Size Enterprise Owner Strategies For Invoice Factoring Financing, Winniefred Nabawanda Jan 2018

Small And Medium-Size Enterprise Owner Strategies For Invoice Factoring Financing, Winniefred Nabawanda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) business owners influence the growth and development of sub-Saharan Africa and the welfare of its citizens. However, SME owners often lack the strategies to access and obtain invoice factoring financing to fund their businesses. Guided by the pecking order theory and the credit rationing theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that 3 SME owners in Kenya used to access and obtain invoice factoring financing to fund their businesses. Data were collected from in-depth semistructured Skype interviews and organizational documents. Data were analyzed using the Krippendorff content analysis methodology. Member …

Go to article

Reshaping Management Effectiveness And Its Effect On Organizational Resilience In Multinational Enterprises, Franzelle Pertilla Jan 2018

Reshaping Management Effectiveness And Its Effect On Organizational Resilience In Multinational Enterprises, Franzelle Pertilla

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Given the state of accelerating change in technology, globalization, and society, long-term planning has become challenging, thus improving organizational resilience to environmental change has become more important. The management problem addressed the need for strategies to improve organization resilience in the face of environmental change. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of managers to use a firm's human, financial, and technological resources to improve organizational resilience. The lived experiences of organizational leaders in addressing organizational resilience was the central research question. The conceptual framework was built on the World Economic Forum's National Resilience Beta …

Go to article

Leadership Skills To Sustain High-Tech Entrepreneurial Ventures, Zoaib Z. Rangwala Jan 2018

Leadership Skills To Sustain High-Tech Entrepreneurial Ventures, Zoaib Z. Rangwala

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High-tech (HT) innovation-oriented entrepreneurs start 35% more ventures and create 10% more jobs in the first 5 years of operation than the rest of the private sector and drive significant economic growth across all industries; however, more than 50% of the entrepreneurial HT ventures fail during the first 5 years of operations. Guided by the conceptual framework of transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this multicase study was to explore skills used by successful entrepreneurial leaders to sustain their HT ventures in Silicon Valley, California. Data collection was from 8 participants in semistructured 1-on-1 interviews and 3 participants in a …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last