Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

Factors Affecting Business Success Of Small And Medium Enterprises (Smes) In Bangladesh, Muhammad Aminul Islam, Ejaz Ahmad Mian, Muhammad Hasmat Ali

Business Review

The concepts of cluster and networking emerged in 1960s in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) literature but the formation of SME clusters and networking is a very new strategy for Sri Lanka started in 2001 and Pakistan started in 2003. But it shows some positive sign of growth by increasing competitiveness of SMEs by opening-up new opportunities due to good innovative networking, common facility usage and collective efficiency of economies of scale, scopes and synergies, etc. The problem of many SMEs in both countries is not their size, but being isolated and working in enclave nature, therefore SMEs individually …

Explaining Entrepreneurial Transience: The Role Of Local Taxation Policy., Jaume Franquesa, Sergey Anokhin, Jino Mwaka

Business Administration Faculty Scholarship

Geographical relocation of ventures, together with rates of firm formation and closure, determine the entrepreneurial population dynamics of a region. However, venture migration has remained largely unaddressed by prior entrepreneurship scholars. This paper draws from theoretical frameworks and prior findings in the economic demography literature to explore policy and environmental determinants of regional venture migration rates, referred to as entrepreneurial transience. Using county-level data for the state of Ohio, we show that local taxation is an important driver of entrepreneurial transience. In particular, local income tax rates are found to be negatively related to subsequent net transience – i.e., venture …

Entrepreneurship, Competitiveness And Local Development, James Bronson

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Book review by James W. Bronson.

Luca Iandoli, Hans Landstrom, and Mario Raffa, eds. Entrepreneurship, Competitiveness and Local Development. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc., 2007. ISBN 9781847203274

New England Journal Of Entrepreneurship, Fall 2009

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

The Entrepreneurial Motivations Of Nonemployer Entrepreneurs, Robert Barbato, Richard Demartino, Paul H. Jacques

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

A nonemployer business is one that has no paid employees.The number and revenues of nonemployer businesses are increasing at a faster rate than other businesses, and they are an increasingly important alternative to other forms of entrepreneurship.Yet very little is known about these businesses. This study uses a survey of 1,600 MBA alumni to compare the entrepreneurial motivations of nonemployer entrepreneurs to conventional entrepreneurs and no entrepreneurs. The findings indicate that nonemployer entrepreneurs differ in important ways, and future research is needed to understand more fully this large and important group of entrepreneurs.

Mason Biodiesel: A Family’S New Venture In A New Industry, Matthew Eriksen, George H. Tompson

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

This case describes a real family that has been running a labor-intensive business since 1992. The father, Phil Mason, runs the business with the help of his wife and two of his sons in southwestern Rhode Island. The business is a franchisee of ServiceMaster Clean. In 2006, the franchise employed 20 full-time employees and was the 50th largest ServiceMaster Clean franchise among the approximately 1,200 franchises located in the United States. Annual revenue is approximately $2.5 million. In late 2005, one of Phil’s sons began researching the biodiesel industry. As he was growing weary of the labor-intensive nature of his …

Choosing And Using A Co-Packer, Pamela L. Brady, Steve Seideman, Justin R. Morris

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

Co-packing, also known as contract packaging, is when a company contracts with another company to manufacture and package foods that the original company will sell. Products on the market that have been co-packed range from nationally known brands to those sold under private labels. The use of co-packers has become extremely popular with entrepreneurs who have a product idea but lack the $100,000 or more needed to set up a manufacturing facility to produce the product. In addition, many entrepreneurs starting a foods business find that, in today’s market conditions, greater profits are achieved through sales and marketing innovations than …

From The Editors, Herbert Sherman, Joshua Shuart, Laurence Weinstein

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

Strategic Flexibility And Smes: The Role Of Information Technology For Managing Internal And External Relations, Stephen K. Callaway, Kevin Celuch, Gregory B. Murphy

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

The purpose of the current study was to assess the impact of information technology on strategic flexibility for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Results of the study show that under conditions of low environmental dynamism, IT capabilities are associated with greater reactive strategic flexibility. Specifically, IT capabilities enabling the management of internal activities was significant. Under conditions of high environmental dynamism, IT capabilities are associated with greater proactive strategic flexibility. Specifically, IT capabilities enabling the management of competitor information was significant. Managerial as well as future research implications are discussed.

The Aging Population And Mature Entrepreneurs: Market Trends And Implications For Entrepreneurship, Robert P. Singh

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

This article discusses the statistics and trends surrounding the rapidly aging U.S. population. Older workers will make up an increasing portion of the workforce and these individuals represent an important growing demographic target market. While much has been written about the aging population and the potential for entrepreneurs to target this growing market, little research has been conducted on older entrepreneurs. They are a unique group and this article provides empirical results and discussion about the differences and importance of older entrepreneurs to the economy and as contributors to American society. Practical implications and future research directions are discussed.

New England Journal Of Entrepreneurship, Spring 2009

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

How A Plane Crash Changed My Life, Ted Leonsis, Miles K. Davis

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

In 1983 Ted Leonsis survived a crash landing of a plane he was on.This fateful event proved to be a pivotal point in his life. One of the byproducts of that near-death experiences is Leonsis’ list of 101 things to do before he died—a "bucket list” before the movie of that title came out. Leonsis has managed to accomplish more than two-thirds of the things on his list including owning a sports franchise (the Washington Capitals), changing someone’s life via a charity, sailing the Caribbean, and being on the cover of a magazine. As impressive as these accomplishments are, they …

Designing Clothes: Culture And Organization In The Fashion Industry, Lisa Hayes

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Book review by Lisa Hayes.

Manlow, Veronica. Designing Clothes: Culture and Organization in the Fashion Industry. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2007. ISBN 9781412810555

Strategic Marketing Practice Considerations In Family Business In Nigeria, Omotayo Adegbuyi

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

The purpose of this study is to fill a gap in the literature by examining a medium-sized firm. Most modern economies are characterized by a significant group of middle-sized firms, still owner-managed, but with multimillion naira turnovers. Many of these remain family companies and constitute an important reservoir of business initiative. One such family business is the focus of this research. The results of the study suggest that neither the existing typologies of small firm approaches to marketing nor the formal models of marketing attributed to big companies necessarily characterize the marketing planning and management of family business in Nigeria.

Mentoring And Perpetuating The Entrepreneurial Spirit Within Family Business By Telling Contingent Stories, Robert Smith

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Family businesses do not perpetuate themselves. Entrepreneurs must nurture and propagate the values that led to the creation of the very thing most precious to them—their business.This of course depends on stability. Nor do these cherished values propagate themselves. To be made meaningful for others, and for future generations, family experiences, values, and achievements must be communicated to others via language, narrative and storytelling, or other forms embedded in the narrative such as symbols. Often a variety of different socially constructed stories may be necessary contingent upon situation, purpose, or need.

Developing An Entrepreneurial Education In A Residential College: An Exploratory Case Study, James Mcalexander, Rachel Nelson, Chris Bates

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is a source of innovation, job creation, and vibrancy for local and regional economies. As a direct result, there is a profound interest in creating an infrastructure that effectively encourages entrepreneurship and incubates entrepreneurial endeavors. Western State University has responded to this call by developing the Harvey Entrepreneurship Program, which is integrated in the Enterprise Residential College.The Harvey program provides a socially embedded experiential learning approach to entrepreneurial education. Faculty, students, entrepreneurs, and technical experts are drawn together in an environment that provides space for business incubators and an entrepreneurially focused curriculum. In this article, we present a case …

Entrepreneurial Expansion Plans: An Empirical Investigation Of Infrastructure Predictors, Jianwen (Jon) Liao, Harold P. Welsch, David Pistrui

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship and the development of new business continue to be the forefront of socioeconomic development in virtually all economies today. Despite evidence of increasing research into entrepreneurial growth, the existing research is limited by the fact that most studies define entrepreneurial growth as a unidimensional construct and operationalize it as “realized” growth relying on financially based measures. Consequently, this article has two objectives: (1) to develop a set of accurate and comprehensive entrepreneurial growth measures; and (2) to test a series of hypotheses regarding precursors of growth intentions—more specifically, to what extent, infrastructure factors affect entrepreneurial growth intentions. These two …

Revisiting Doing Business In The Middle East, David Desplaces, Nancy K. Mcintyre

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

This case engages students on a number of issues common to doing business in other countries, specifically in the Middle East. It is intended to be a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of the situation. The case seeks to integrate issues of international management and cross-cultural conflict and negotiation. Students are challenged to diagnose a cross-culturally sensitive situation and develop solutions in a team environment under limiting time restraints. This case is also designed to help students understand the cultural aspects of a situation and how different solutions could have major consequences …

From The Editors, Herbert Sherman, Joshua Shuart, Laurence Weinstein

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

Ethical Compliance Behavior In Small And Young Firms: The Role Of Employee Identification With The Firm, Susan Houghton, Mark Simon, Ph.D.

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

We explored whether employees in smaller, younger firms would be more ethically compromised, and whether employee identification moderates this relationship.We collected survey data from 154 working professionals enrolled in an MBA program in the southeastern United States. We found that employees of smaller, younger firms selected more compromised ethical choices than employees of larger, older firms. Contrary to our expectations, employee identification had no effect in smaller, younger, firms, yet in larger, older firms, identification actually reduced ethical compliance, suggesting that there is not a simple relationship between identification and ethical compliance.

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.

Ua62/3 January Newsletter, Wku Small Business Development Center

University Organizations

Newsletter created by the WKU Small Business Development Center.

Entrepreneurial Teams: Comparing High-Growth Software Firms Through Structure And Strategy, Thomas Cooney

Articles

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore hypothesis that high-growth firms founded by entrepreneurial teams use a unique combination of organic structure and emergent strategy. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative study of 445 software development firms in the USA and 219 firms in Ireland was undertaken with a valid response rate of 22 per cent and 38 per cent, respectively. Findings – Generally, all classifications of firms in the USA and in Ireland demonstrated a combination of organic structure and emergent strategy at the beginning of their existence. As the US firms grew older they moved towards a …

Internal Branding And Brand Commitment: A Quantitative Investigation Into Corporate Brand Building In A Retail Store Network, Edmund O'Callaghan

Conference proceedings

The aim of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between the perceived effectiveness of internal branding activities on brand commitment among owner managers within a retail store network of previously independent retailers. Brand commitment was hypothesized as essential for coherent and consistent corporate brand building within this context. Two new scales were developed and tested to measure internal branding and brand commitment. Perceived clarity of vision, core values and brand communications were highly correlated with strong brand commitment, while lack of perceived business supports and adequate reward systems were potential inhibitors. Interalia, findings validate the significance of internal …

Sustainability Amidst Uncertainty: Columbia Forest Products’ Pursuit Of Sustainability In A Changing Market, Scott Marshall, Zachary Anderson, Matthew Flax, Daniel Gambetta, Jacen Greene, Madeleine E. Pullman

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Upon reading the latest report from the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, Harry Demorest found his concerns confirmed – the construction of new homes had fallen yet again across the United States. Over the past month, new home starts had declined over 14% in December; this marked the end of 2007 during which housing starts were down 25% compared to the previous year and hit a low not experienced since 1993. The question was no longer “will there be a recession?” but rather “how long will the recession last?”

The fate of Columbia Forest Products, the company that Harry …

The Accelerator, Volume 2 Issue 3, Winter 2009, Christa Santos

The Accelerator

No abstract provided.

Recession Comes To The Plains, Eric Thompson, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

Business in Nebraska

U.S. Macroeconomic Outlook

Like clockwork, just a few weeks after the November Presidential election, the National Bureau of Economic Indicators declared the U.S. economy in recession. This was not news, of course. It had been evident by that time that the U.S. economy had entered recession. Instead, the major news of the last 6 months is that the U.S. recession has entered a second, and more menacing, phase. This “second act” of the recession began in September, with the upheaval on Wall Street and the freezing of global credit markets. At that time, our national housing recession morphed into a …

Venture Capitalists As Catalysts To New Venture Internationalization: The Impact Of Their Knowledge And Reputation Resources, Stephanie A. Fernhaber, Patricia P. Mcdougall-Covin

Scholarship and Professional Work - Business

Venture Capitalists (VC) play an important role in influencing the strategic direction of the firms in which they invest. The findings of this study reveal that VCs can serve as a catalyst to new venture internationalization through the provision of knowledge and reputation resources. Furthermore, the international knowledge of a VC is more positively related to new venture internationalization when the VC is also reputable.

Racing To Success By Identifying Key Performance Drivers, Kathy Paulson Gjerde, Susan B. Hughes

Scholarship and Professional Work - Business

This article focuses on ways to identify key performance drivers (KPDs) and key performance indicators (KPIs). Unfortunately, lists of KPIs published in the past often focus on one industry and assume a generic business strategy. In addition, an overemphasis on financial measures will mean that KPIs will reflect past activities rather than signaling future performance. Managers need to develop meaningful metrics for their own businesses, not use generic KPIs. This is particularly important in small and medium-sized enterprises. How adept are you at this task? Do you know what drives net income for your organization?

An Exploratory Study Of How Potential "Family And Household Capital" Impacts New Venture Start-Up Rates, Peter Rodriguez, Chris S. Tuggle, Sean M. Hackett

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Drawing from social capital theory, the authors examine the relationship between family capital characteristics and new venture start-up rates in the United States. The results of this study improve the understanding of (a) how families matter in an entrepreneur’s decision to start a business, (b) how wealth and health care considerations affect the start-up decision, and (c) whether and how these effects differ among the largest ethnic groups in the United States.