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2016

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Articles 181 - 207 of 207

Full-Text Articles in Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations

Strategies For Retaining Employees In The Hospitality Industry, Melvia Edna Scott Jan 2016

Strategies For Retaining Employees In The Hospitality Industry, Melvia Edna Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee retention is a critical issue for business leaders. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reported over 4.5 million employee separations in 2014 because of resignations, layoffs, or terminations. Hospitality managers face some of the lowest employee retention rates of any industry, which leads to poor customer satisfaction and decreased profitability. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the perceptions of 3 hospitality managers from 3 different mid-sized hospitality organizations in Brevard County, Florida. The conceptual framework for this study was built upon motivation theory; existence, relatedness, and growth theory; and expectancy theory. The data were …

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Employee Turnover Intention In The U.S. Fast Food Industry, Imelda A. Bebe Jan 2016

Employee Turnover Intention In The U.S. Fast Food Industry, Imelda A. Bebe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover in the U.S. fast food industry has been high, averaging rate 150% per annum. The purpose of the correlational design study was to examine the relationships between job satisfaction factors, job dissatisfaction factors, and employee turnover intentions among fast food employees to determine whether a statistically significant relationship exists between these variables. The population for the study consisted of 144 fast food restaurant employees working in the East Coast in the United States. The theoretical framework was Herzberg's 2-factor motivation-hygiene needs theory, which describes job satisfaction factors and job dissatisfaction factors. Internet survey data of 144 participants were …

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Entrepreneurial Qualities For Successful Development And Sustainability Of New Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Brock Allyn Zehr Jan 2016

Entrepreneurial Qualities For Successful Development And Sustainability Of New Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Brock Allyn Zehr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Entrepreneurial small businesses are significant to the U.S. economy, as they represent 99% of employer firms and employ 49% of the private sector. Nearly half of new businesses fail within the first 5 years of operation. While external factors beyond the control of business owners account for some failures, many occur because of managerial inadequacies. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of successful entrepreneurs to understand the qualities needed to create and sustain new small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) beyond 5 years. The sample consisted of 21 entrepreneurs from Northeastern Indiana who created and …

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Small Retail Business Owner Strategies Needed To Succeed Beyond 5 Years, Colonel Jaime Solis Jan 2016

Small Retail Business Owner Strategies Needed To Succeed Beyond 5 Years, Colonel Jaime Solis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses accounted for 99% of the firms in private industry, provided 38% of the goods and services sold in the United States, and hired 55% of the labor force each year between 2012 and 2015. From 1993 to 2013, small firms accounted for 63% of new work generated while more than 50% of U.S. small businesses failed inside of 5 years and at least 20% failed during the first year. The purpose of this multiunit case study was to explore the strategies small retail businesses used to achieve sustainability beyond 5 years in a purposefully selected county in Virginia. …

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Exploring Critical Success Factors For Sustainable Togolese-Owned Small Businesses In The United States, Folly Somado Hemazro Jan 2016

Exploring Critical Success Factors For Sustainable Togolese-Owned Small Businesses In The United States, Folly Somado Hemazro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, although foreign-born individuals are more than twice as likely to start new ventures, immigrant-owned businesses often fail within the first 5 years. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies that U.S.-based Togolese small business owners who were engaged in entrepreneurial activities in Togo. The Schumpeterian entrepreneurship theory underpinned the study and served as a theoretical reference. Interview data were collected from 20 successful Togolese small business owners who resided in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, who were engaged in entrepreneurial activities in Togo, and who had been in business for more …

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The Bop Energy Challenge And Pro-Poor Responses: Strategic Entry Pathways For Entrepreneurs, Felix Motekah Tang Jan 2016

The Bop Energy Challenge And Pro-Poor Responses: Strategic Entry Pathways For Entrepreneurs, Felix Motekah Tang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many large multinational energy company leaders lack strategies to successfully enter and thrive in bottom of the pyramid (BOP) markets. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies using a purposeful selection of 7 senior managers from a U. S. based global multinational energy leader with experience in BOP markets in the Republic of Cameroon. The BOP concept served as the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with senior managers, relevant websites, and government publications. Several themes emerged that were narrowed through categorical aggregation to identify strategies. Major themes included BOP readiness …

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The Effects Of Using Invoice Factoring To Fund A Small Business, Ivan Justin Salaberrios Jan 2016

The Effects Of Using Invoice Factoring To Fund A Small Business, Ivan Justin Salaberrios

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners often do not possess the financial literacy to implement invoice factoring to fund their business. Despite that lack of knowledge, an increasing number of small business owners are using invoice factoring as their primary source of funding. Guided by a systems thinking approach, the purpose of this exploratory multiple case study was to understand the effect of invoice factoring of 5 small business owners, 5 small business finance managers, and 5 factoring program managers, all of whom managed factoring programs and technical services companies with less than $3 million in annual revenues. Participants were located in 6 …

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Diversity And Innovation: The Effects Of Diverse Creator Teams On Video Game Characteristics And Sales, Jill C. Rosok Jan 2016

Diversity And Innovation: The Effects Of Diverse Creator Teams On Video Game Characteristics And Sales, Jill C. Rosok

CMC Senior Theses

I analyze the effects of gender diversity on video game production teams. I hypothesize teams with greater gender diversity produce more games with uncommon characteristics than less diverse teams, and the games these teams develop generate higher revenue and unit sales compared to games developed by less diverse teams. I find teams with more women disproportionately develop games that are non-violent and have playable female leads. I examine whether there is an optimal ratio of women to hire for each game genre in order to maximize revenue by analyzing the relationship between the percentage of women on a team in …

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Experts Vs. Public, Who Knows Better? Factors Affecting High Growth Entrepreneurship In Developed And Developing Countries, Su Min Ha Jan 2016

Experts Vs. Public, Who Knows Better? Factors Affecting High Growth Entrepreneurship In Developed And Developing Countries, Su Min Ha

CMC Senior Theses

This paper uses the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data of approximately 200,000 surveys conducted on industry experts and general population to examine factors that have a significant impact on high growth Total Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA), with a focus on developed countries with GDP per capita of USD 20,000 or above. The results suggest that expert opinion has a significant positive correlation with high growth TEA in developed countries, while only the public sentiment has a meaningful relationship with high growth TEA in developing countries. Among the specific categories of the survey, access to funding and government regulations and support had …

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The Role Of Disruptive Innovation, Personality Characteristics, And Business Models On Entrepreneurial Success, Will Shannon Jan 2016

The Role Of Disruptive Innovation, Personality Characteristics, And Business Models On Entrepreneurial Success, Will Shannon

CMC Senior Theses

Disruptive Innovation, according to the term’s founder Clayton Christensen, is defined as a specific type of innovation that is able to capture the lower-end of the market through quality, feature, or cost differences and leverage this position to achieve higher market share. Entrepreneurs who utilize disruptive innovation strategies have been historically able to create products and services that achieve massive financial and cultural success. Theories of personality characteristics have been previously applied to entrepreneurial activities, but not used to bridge the gap between developmental experiences and market success. Cross-industry analysis of ten top entrepreneurial business leaders from retail, food services, …

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The First 4 Years: A Small Business Sustainability Study, Iris Ann Cooper Jan 2016

The First 4 Years: A Small Business Sustainability Study, Iris Ann Cooper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses create most of the new jobs in the world, yet more than half fail before the 5th year. Small businesses contribute to the economy by originating new products and services, yet they often lack the strategies to overcome the challenges of the beginning years. When businesses fail, the community wanes from unemployment, poverty, crime, and other social dilemmas. The purpose of this single case study was to explore small business strategies for sustainability beyond Year 4, specifically in a single independent operating Ohio restaurant owner with less than 500 employees. The conceptual framework was Schumpeter's theory of the …

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Human Capital Development Strategies For The Tourism, Hospitality, And Leisure Industry, Abimbola Peter Alamu Jan 2016

Human Capital Development Strategies For The Tourism, Hospitality, And Leisure Industry, Abimbola Peter Alamu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A shortage of skilled labor could cost the tourism, hospitality, and leisure industry (THL) a loss of $610 billion and 14 million jobs by 2024. The literature contains the contributions of specialist THL institutions but not that of the industry leaders to ameliorating this human capital (HC) challenge. The purpose of this multicase study was to explore the HC productivity strategies used by THL business leaders in Nigeria that improved employee productivity despite the lack of specialist THL institutions. The human capital theory (HCT) was the conceptual framework of the study. Coding of data derived from semistructured interviews with 3 …

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Sustainability Of Small Businesses In Zimbabwe During The First 5 Years, Barbra Sibanda Jan 2016

Sustainability Of Small Businesses In Zimbabwe During The First 5 Years, Barbra Sibanda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses in Zimbabwe make up 94% of the country's business population but only contribute 15% to the country's economy due to a high failure rate during the first 5 years. The purpose of this descriptive multiple case study was to explore strategies and skills that may contribute to the sustainability of small businesses during the first 5 years. The study population consisted of 5 small business owners in Ntepe village in Zimbabwe who had sustained their businesses for the first 5 years of operations. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was management theory. The data collection process involved …

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Multi-Unit Efficiency Assessment And Multidimensional Polygon Analysis In A Small, Full-Service Restaurant Chain, Thomas Maier, Reynolds Dennis, Jennifer Sandstrom Jan 2016

Multi-Unit Efficiency Assessment And Multidimensional Polygon Analysis In A Small, Full-Service Restaurant Chain, Thomas Maier, Reynolds Dennis, Jennifer Sandstrom

ICHRIE Research Reports

Purpose: Restaurant revenue management practices and profit optimization techniques are evolving into more complex data analysis processes. The “big data” revolution has created a wealth of information on revenue, pricing, key operational performance indicators, and various productivity/efficiency variables. Advanced research analysis that can identify these key factors across multiple operating units may be useful to restaurant managers unaccustomed to data analytics or those seeking a deeper understanding of unit-level business performance. The overarching goal of this study was to utilize mixed research methods across conceptually dissimilar units of a multi-unit chain restaurant, enabling researchers to build on the resulting outcomes …

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Extreme Minimum Wages: Effects On The U.S. Hotel Industry, John O'Neill, Sean P. Mcginley Jan 2016

Extreme Minimum Wages: Effects On The U.S. Hotel Industry, John O'Neill, Sean P. Mcginley

ICHRIE Research Reports

The subject report analyzes literature regarding minimum wages to explore the potential effects of what could be described as extreme increases in the minimum wage on the American hotel industry. The current presidential administration as well as several large municipalities are actively seeking, or recently passed laws that increase the minimum wage by an extreme amount. The subject report quantifies the forecasted effect on the U.S. hotel industry. The study concludes that the hotel industry in the U.S. would have a negative economic impact estimated at $2.53 billion if the current national minimum wage proposal is approved.Min

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Communicating Entrepreneurial Passion: Personal Passion Vs. Perceived Passion In Venture Pitches, Kristen Lucas, Sharon Kerrick, Jenna Haugen, Cole J. Crider Jan 2016

Communicating Entrepreneurial Passion: Personal Passion Vs. Perceived Passion In Venture Pitches, Kristen Lucas, Sharon Kerrick, Jenna Haugen, Cole J. Crider

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Research problem: Entrepreneurial passion has been shown to play an important role in venture success and therefore in investors’ funding decisions. However, it is unknown whether the passion entrepreneurs personally feel or experience can be accurately assessed by investors during a venture pitch. Research questions: (1) To what extent does entrepreneurs’ personal passion align with investors’ perceived passion? (2) To what cues do investors attend when assessing entrepreneurs’ passion? Literature review: Integrating theory and research in entrepreneurship communication and entrepreneurial passion within the context of venture pitching, we explain that during venture pitches, investors make judgments about entrepreneurs’ passion that …

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2016 Ivmf Annual Report, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University Jan 2016

2016 Ivmf Annual Report, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This report overviews the accomplishments of the IVMF during 2015-2016.

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Strategies For Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises To Engage Third-Party Logistics Providers, Masoud Malakoti-Negad Jan 2016

Strategies For Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises To Engage Third-Party Logistics Providers, Masoud Malakoti-Negad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) managers struggle to stay competitive. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies SME managers located in Canada use to engage third-party logistics (3PL) providers to improve their supply chains. Porter's value chain theory formed the conceptual framework for this study. Data collection included semistructured interviews with 3 managers from 3 different SMEs in the province of Ontario and a review of the documents related to the use of 3PL providers. Member checking was conducted to enhance credibility of interpretation of the data collected. Data analysis was used to identify key …

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Service-Disabled Veteran Small Business Owners' Success Strategies, Calvin Lewis Russell Jan 2016

Service-Disabled Veteran Small Business Owners' Success Strategies, Calvin Lewis Russell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The federal government has been inconsistent in meeting the mandated contracting set-aside goals of 3% to aid service-disabled veteran small business owners. Guided by the general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore what strategies an owner and 2 senior managers of a small service-disabled veteran-owned business in the Washington, DC metropolitan used to obtain federal contracts. The owner and senior members represented those responsible for strategic vision, development of business opportunities, and the company acquisition process. Data were collected from semistructured face-to-face interviews and corporate documents. Member checking and transcript review were completed …

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Examining Small Business Adoption Of Computerized Accounting Systems Using The Technology Acceptance Model., Alan D. Rogers Jan 2016

Examining Small Business Adoption Of Computerized Accounting Systems Using The Technology Acceptance Model., Alan D. Rogers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners who fail to adopt modern technology risk placing themselves at a competitive disadvantage. Drawing on Davis's technology acceptance model, the purpose of this study was to examine how small business owners in Central Ohio come to accept and use computerized accounting systems (CAS). The research question addressed the correlation between perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and the intent to adopt CAS using multiple linear regression. Data were collected using a survey mailed to 347 small business owners which yielded a sample size of 71 respondents. Results showed a positive correlation between perceived ease of use, perceived …

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Ballymaloe Cookery School: A Study Of The Business And Its Local Impact, Keelin Tobin Jan 2016

Ballymaloe Cookery School: A Study Of The Business And Its Local Impact, Keelin Tobin

Theses

The focus of this research is Ballymaloe Cookery School situated in East Cork, Ireland. This study seeks to understand the emergence of the cookery school, how this business has evolved over time and to investigate the impact it has had on the local area. Ballymaloe Cookery School was officially founded by brother and sister, Darina Allen (nee O’Connell) and Rory O’Connell in Shanagarry, Co. Cork in 1983. The findings examine the establishment of the cookery school as a family business and its attributes. Set amongst a rural landscape, close to the sea and surrounded by agricultural land, the school is …

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A Techno-Economical Appraisal Of A Pv Domestic Plant On A Irish Dwelling, Roberto Sandano Jan 2016

A Techno-Economical Appraisal Of A Pv Domestic Plant On A Irish Dwelling, Roberto Sandano

Articles

A comprehensive study of a domestic PV installation is addressed in this paper. A series of economic results are presented for a domestic installation in Ireland.

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Examining The Overlapping Traits Of Athletes And Entrepreneurs Through A Series Of Case Studies, Harrison M. Quast Jan 2016

Examining The Overlapping Traits Of Athletes And Entrepreneurs Through A Series Of Case Studies, Harrison M. Quast

Honors Theses and Capstones

Today’s psychologists have paid close attention to personality and how it can affect many areas of a person’s life. From career success to criminal behavior psychologists continuously are trying to define key characteristics that may be contributing factors in the prediction of future happenings. This paper will look closely at theories regarding personality traits that are key to success. Those traits are identified in eight case studies relating to both entrepreneurial and athletic success with the findings showing a possible link between success and some key traits and an overlap of some traits between athletes and entrepreneurs.

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Is Entrepreneurship A Discipline?, Cassidy L. Croci Jan 2016

Is Entrepreneurship A Discipline?, Cassidy L. Croci

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

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Angel Groups: Developing A Regional Economic Development Strategy For Robust Seed Capital Ecosystems For Entrepreneurs, Kendre Esme Rodriguez Jan 2016

Angel Groups: Developing A Regional Economic Development Strategy For Robust Seed Capital Ecosystems For Entrepreneurs, Kendre Esme Rodriguez

Honors Theses and Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to identify the link between the success of angel organizational structures and the economic footprint within which angel groups operate; ultimately suggesting a novel approach of assisting traditional angel group structures in their operations and entrepreneurs in the process of securing early stage financing. Given the varied angel group structures that exist, some angel portals may be more appropriate for certain regions than others. In-depth field research was developed and analyzed by creating the first undergraduate student-run angel investment fund, to co-invest with investors in the informal venture capital market, in the United States. …

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The Implications Of The Trans-Pacific Partnership For Smes: Opportunities And Challenges, Heng Wang Jan 2016

The Implications Of The Trans-Pacific Partnership For Smes: Opportunities And Challenges, Heng Wang

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will have profound implications for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within and beyond the free trade area. SME issues get more attention in the TPP than previous FTAs. Since there is limited research on the impact of the FTAs on SMEs, it is of great significance to probe into the practical implications of the TPP for SMEs. The key question will be analyzed: what are the challenges and opportunities that the TPP hold for SMEs? It is argued that, first, the support to SMEs, tariff elimination or reduction, and the reduction of non-tariff barriers are major …

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Spinning Straw Into Gold: A Study Of Resource Creation, Flow, And Conversion In A Nonprofit Collaboration, Elizabeth A. Castillo Jan 2016

Spinning Straw Into Gold: A Study Of Resource Creation, Flow, And Conversion In A Nonprofit Collaboration, Elizabeth A. Castillo

Dissertations

Throughout history people have joined together to improve their individual lives. In the modern era, organizations often work cooperatively to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness. Collaborating organizations in the nonprofit sector are increasingly expected to produce system-level change as well. This collective impact approach is under-theorized and therefore not consistently actionable. A central puzzle is how formal nonprofit collaborations acquire resource inputs and transform them into outputs, outcomes, and impact while producing financial returns to sustain the backbone organization. Resource dependence theory is sometimes proposed as an explanatory framework, yet it does not explain the generation of a double bottom …

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