Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

Entrepreneurial Strategic Sensemaking For Growth And Employment In Nigerian Small And Medium Enterprises, Ishaq Abdulrahman Balogun

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOnly 20% of Nigerian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) survive 5 years. The specific management problem was that SME leaders were faced with strategic sensemaking challenges in dealing with external stakeholders while growing their businesses. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was to understand the strategic sensemaking lived experiences of eight SME entrepreneurs for growing their businesses. The conceptual framework grounding this study was embedded in the four sensemaking leadership functions, strategic decisions-making, dynamics of business environments, and performance. The research question asked what is the strategic sensemaking lived experiences of entrepreneurs in SME entrepreneurship ecosystem while growing …

Survival Strategies Of Microenterprises In Nigeria, Olatutu Olubusola Sholeye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some owner-managers of microenterprises (MEs) in Nigeria lack effective strategies to sustain their businesses beyond the first 5 years of operations. Owners of existing and new MEs would benefit from strategies to mitigate constraints for business survival because failure rates are higher among MEs. Grounded in the resource-based theory, the purpose of the current qualitative multiple case study was to explore the survival strategies some owner-managers use to sustain their enterprises in Nigeria. The targeted population was six purposefully selected ME owner-managers who survived in business for over 5 years in Lagos, Nigeria. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and …

Talent Management Practices Of Small And Medium-Size Businesses In The Cayman Islands, Annette Murphy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Talent management strategies to acquire, develop, and retain employees are essential, as 73% of business leaders in the United States identified that good human resources practices favorably impact the efficiency and effectiveness of business operations. Based on the people capability maturity model and transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies that small and medium-size business (SMB) leaders used to acquire, develop, and retain employees in the Cayman Islands. The participants comprised five SMB leaders in the Cayman Islands who successfully used talent management strategies to acquire, develop, and retain employees for …

African American Entrepreneurial Business- Sustaining Strategies, Charles C. Johnson, Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 80% of small consulting businesses fail within the first five years of operation. Small consulting company owners are concerned with failing within the first five years because community economic development can be adversely impacted. Grounded in the resource-based view theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies African American consulting company owners use for longevity beyond five years. The participants comprised African American owners of three consulting businesses located in the northeast region of the United States, who successfully sustained their business beyond five years. Data collection included semistructured interviews with consulting company …

Analysis Of The Podcast Industry And Business Growth Of Upside.Fm, Alyson Stoll, Katelyn Stanoch, John Skakun, Samantha Heim, Maanasa Humchad

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper explores the podcast industry with a focus on business related podcasts about entrepreneurship and startup businesses. The paper works to analyze the podcast industry and midwestern startup cities in order to assist podcast company, Upside.fm, in expanding their business model. The two main ideas researched throughout the paper are consumer behaviors in the podcast industry and the entrepreneurial ecosystems of multiple midwestern cities in the U.S including, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Kansas City, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Indianapolis, Indiana. For the consumer behavior aspect of the research, a survey was conducted and analyzed to discover what podcast listeners enjoy and …

Chapter 8: Leveraging Immigrant Entrepreneurship For Job Creation And Growth, Thomas M. Cooney, Osa Godwin Osaghae

Reports

Immigrant entrepreneurship is diverse, ranging from small self-employment activities to businesses that operate in multiple countries. Traditionally policy support for immigrant entrepreneurship has focussed on supporting labour market integration through self-employment. However, the increasing skills levels of immigrants create an opportunity for governments to do more to attract and support immigrant entrepreneurs that have the potential to make significant impacts on the economy. This chapter discusses a range of emerging policy approaches such as start-up visa programmes, dedicated business incubation and accelerator programmes, as well as outreach and incentive programmes to attract high-potential immigrant entrepreneurs. Policy advice is provided for …

Management Development In Small And Medium Sized Firms In The Republic Of Ireland: An Investigation Of Contingency Factors And Management Development Activities, Deirdre Mcquillan, Thomas Garavan, Wael Rashwan, Lorraine Sweeney, Ciara Nolan, Osa Godwin Osaghae

Articles

Purpose The development of managerial skills is an important priority for small and medium sized firm globally yet we have few insights about the predictors and types of management development (MD) activities in SMEs. To date studies of MD have not sufficiently differentiated between small and medium sized firms. In this paper we investigate the impact of three sets of predictors (contextual, technology and innovation activities, behavioural and skill) on six dimensions of MD (formal internal development, formal internal with an external expert, formal external development, one-to-one MD activities, budget for MD and experiential focused MD).

Design/methodology/approach Survey of 360 …

An Emotional Intelligence Model Of Entrepreneurial Coping Strategies, Saurav Pathak, Sonia Goltz

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to recognize emotional intelligence (EI) as a specific emotional competency possessed by entrepreneurs that facilitates their coping with stressors that arise in their day-to-day work. Highlighting the problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies employed by entrepreneurs, the paper establishes that EI in entrepreneurs enables the onset of acceptance of the stressful situation and optimism that a stressful situation can be solved.

Design: The paper reviews literature on the topics related to links between EI, entrepreneurial behaviors and entrepreneurial coping. Subsequently, acceptance-avoidance motivation theory is used to posit that entrepreneurs' EI serves as an antecedent …

Venture Acceleration And Entrepreneurial Growth In Central America, Hans Rawhouser, Christopher Sutter, Ian Mcdonough

Management, Entrepreneurship and Technology Faculty Research

Intermediaries such as accelerators support entrepreneurial activity in developing countries by connecting entrepreneurs to critical resources and by reshaping the entrepreneurial ventures so they can better participate in larger markets. Existing research has examined the activities intermediaries undertake and how these activities influence intermediary effectiveness. However, we know much less about which entrepreneurial ventures benefit from intermediation. Using 24 months of pre- and post-intervention sales data for 139 ventures working with a business accelerator in Central America, we find that facilitating resource acquisition is less important than the constraints to change within the entrepreneurial ventures themselves. Thus, our study suggests …

Effective Use Of Data Analytics And Its Impact On Business Performance Within Small-To-Medium-Sized Businesses, Alfonso Berumen

Theses and Dissertations

Business use of data analytics and its potential impact on firm performance have become topics of deep interest within both the business practitioner and academic communities. While previous research has demonstrated relationships between data analytics and firm performance in larger firms, there is limited research on whether and how data analytics is used within and impacts Small-to-Medium-sized Business (SMB) settings. Given the preponderance of SMBs within the US economy, and their contribution to employment and economic activity, it is important for SMB owners to understand what management practices lead to effective use of data analytics that in turn impacts SMB …

Financial Illiteracy And Minority Small Business Failure, Julia Lee Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Minority small businesses are important contributors to the U.S. economy. As such, financial illiteracy resulting in the failure of minority small businesses is a significant problem. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a quantitative correlation exists between financial illiteracy and minority small business failure in the United States. The theoretical foundation consisted of administrative, systems, human capital theories and system thinking, financial, and management concepts. The research questions exhaustively reviewed secondary financial literacy and various business management research data that relate to the ability of the U.S. minority population to create wealth through sustained entrepreneurial success using …

Entrepreneurial Strategies To Mitigate The High Failure Rates Of Small Retail Businesses, James A. Latour

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The high rate of business failures within the first 5 years negatively affects half of startup business owners. Small retail business owners who fail to develop innovative entrepreneurial strategies experience high failure rates within the first 5 years of operation. Grounded in self-determination theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore entrepreneurial strategies small retail business owners use to support long-term sustainability. Participants were five small retail business owners from Southern Illinois who successfully used entrepreneurial strategies to reduce high failure rates. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and internal documents relevant to reducing high failure …

Strategies For Sourcing Funding For Startup Businesses In Nigeria, Nelly Nwabuisi Adiawari Oburo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some small and medium enterprise (SME) owners are challenged with sourcing adequate funds to start and continue in business. Financing SMEs is critical to their owners to ensure they can remain financially viable and continue contributing to Nigeria’s gross domestic product and economic growth. Grounded in the pecking order theory and the financial growth cycle theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies owners of startup SMEs in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nigeria, can adopt to source funds required to start and sustain a business beyond 5 years. Data were collected through semistructured interviews from …

Strategies Nonprofit Leaders Use To Increase Client Engagement In Entrepreneurship Programs, Juanita Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 1990, entrepreneurship has been declining in the United States, which negatively impacts the standard of living in the United States by creating fewer jobs and fewer innovations. Identifying and implementing strategies to increase client’s participation in entrepreneurship programs helps business leaders obtain additional funding sources, improve organizational performance, and obtain support from policymakers. Grounded in the human motivation theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies three senior business leaders of a nonprofit organization in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States used to increase client engagement in entrepreneurship programs. Data were collected from …

Export Success And Sustainable Strategies For Cameroonian Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Christian N. Bikai

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAccording to the Cameroon Ministry of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) constitute 99.8% of companies, employ over 70% of the active population, and contribute significantly to economic growth and development. However, less than 25% of new SMEs in Cameroon survive beyond 3 years. Sustainability is essential to small business owners in exporting coffee from Cameroon as an indicator of economic growth and job creation. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study guided by the transaction cost economics theory was to explore strategies owners of small businesses exporting coffee from Cameroon use to sustain business beyond …

Succession Planning Strategies For Small Family-Owned Businesses, Samuel Buckner Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some business owners lose young, skillful midlevel leaders to competitors because of limited training to prepare a potential successor for senior leadership roles. Family business owners lack succession strategies to transfer business operations to a junior leader that can lead to business closure and increased community unemployment. Using the transformational leadership framework, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the succession planning strategies that small family-owned business owners use to train the next generation of leaders in the southeastern region of the United States. The data sources included a semistructured interview with two business owners and leadership …

Strategies For Ethiopian Small Retailers Businesses To Succeed Beyond 3 Years, Samson Negash Gebrehiwot

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Ethiopia, some small retail business owners (SRBOs) embark on initiatives without adequate preparation, which results in a risk of failure within the first three years. Grounded in the conceptual frameworks of resource-based views, dynamic-capabilities views, and relational views, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies used by SRBOs leaders to survive and grow beyond three years. The participants were four SRBOs from Ethiopia who succeeded in business for more than three years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company documents, observations, notes from data sources and analyzed using Yin’s 5-step data analysis process. Six …

Characteristics Of Authentic Entrepreneurial Leadership Within Information Technology Startups In Kenya, Christine Mukhwana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Kenya, over 60% of nascent entrepreneurs start businesses with minimal leadership experience, engendering founder-CEOs who cannot sustain a business beyond its formative years. The problem is the nascent entrepreneurs’ lack of understanding of effective leadership. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to develop a more nuanced understanding of authentic leadership behavior from the perspective of nascent entrepreneurs. Authentic leadership theory and the three-factor model were used to conceptualize the study. The research question focused on nascent entrepreneurs’ lived experiences and understanding of authentic leadership. The participants in the study were entrepreneurs from the information technology industry in …

Insider Ownership And The Performance Effects Of Firm Diversification In Nigeria, Ibeawuchi Ibekwe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the preponderance of diversified firms, the diversification–performance (D–P) relationship and how insider ownership moderates it in Nigeria remains unclear and a concern for decision makers interested in the survival of firms and their contributions to society. This quantitative study was conducted to examine the D–P relationship and how it is associated with insider ownership in Nigeria. Agency theory and institution-based theory formed the theoretical foundation of this study. Four research questions that focused on how diversification is related to firm performance and how insider ownership moderates this relationship were answered using the panel design variant of correlational research. Data …

Nonprofit Strategies For Alternative Revenue Generation And Sustainability, Aretha Lepearl Day

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn the post-2008 Great Recession era of a highly volatile global business environment of increased competitiveness, diminishing predictable revenues, and depleting philanthropy, many nonprofit leaders struggle to sustain their organizations. Volatility is important to nonprofit leaders because such fluctuations create unpredictability, which threatens their organizations' financial stability for short-term survivability and long-term sustainability. Grounded in Elkington's triple bottom line conceptual framework, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore nonprofit leaders' strategies for short-term survivability and long-term sustainability. The participants comprised 3 senior leaders in a nonprofit located in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States who …

How Saudi Small Business Managers Increase Retail Electronic Commerce Sales, Ghasan Abdulaziz Almoamen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSaudi policymakers developed short-and long-term plans supporting the electronic commerce of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) to increase sales. Saudi SME managers who do not take advantage of these plans to increase sales may lose profits. Grounded in Rogers’s diffusion of innovations theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies SME business managers use to increase retail electronic commerce sales. The participants comprised 5 Saudi SME managers from 5 different local retail companies who effectively used strategies to increase retail electronic commerce sales. Data were collected through semistructured audio-visual interviews, company websites, and financial documents. …

Sustainability Strategies For Small Business Organizations, Tajudeen O. Olatunji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are essential to every nation’s economic growth, including the United States, but more than 67% of SMEs fail within the first 10 years. When SMEs implement long term business sustainability strategies, they continue to generate business and remain profitable, enabling SMEs to remain viable and contribute to local community employment opportunities. Using entrepreneurship theory as the conceptual framework, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies used by 3 SME owners in the northeastern region of the United States to sustain their businesses beyond 10 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews …

Survival Strategies For Information Technology Startups Beyond 5 Years, Matthew Singer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEntrepreneurship is a leading avenue for job creation in the United States. The lack of access to necessary resources negatively impacts nascent IT-based entrepreneurs’ ability to sustain their business beyond 5 years of beginning operations. Grounded in stakeholder theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies founders of IT-based entrepreneurial ventures use to survive in business for more than 5 years. The participants comprised 4 entrepreneurial IT founders in San Francisco who effectively used strategies to survive beyond 5 years. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. Yin’s 5-phase process …

Key Strategies For Small Business Information Technology Consulting With Sustainability Beyond 5 Years, Christopher Lassiter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSmall business information technology consulting owners lack strategies to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years financially. Small business owners are concerned with sustaining their businesses, as their livelihood and employees are at stake. Grounded in Porter’s five forces theory, the resource-based view model, and Hax and Wilde’s delta model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small business information technology (IT) consulting owners used to achieve financial sustainability beyond 5 years. Data were collected by semistructured interviews from 5 small business information technology consulting owners. Performance and financial success documents augmented the data collection of …

Strategies Worker-Owned Cooperatives Use To Remain Profitable During Economic Downturns, Termaine Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New managers of worker-owned cooperatives who fail to adapt to changing conditions can threaten the organization’s viability. Some new managers of worker-owned cooperatives may lack the strategies they need to maintain consistent employment levels during economic downturns. Grounded in the expected utility theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by managers of worker-owned cooperatives to maintain consistent employment levels during sustained periods of low revenue. Participants comprised seven managers of worker-owned cooperatives with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in the Midwest of the United States managing cooperatives during sustained periods of …

Funding Strategies For Small Business Sustainability, Ayokunle O. Iyanda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

About 50% of small businesses fail within the first five years of operation, lacking access to capital being a contributing factor. The high failure rate is of great concern to the business owners; their livelihood and employees are jeopardized. Through the pecking order theory lens, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small business owners use to access capital to sustain the business past the first five years. Eight small business owners who successfully operated for more than five years in Georgia and Illinois participated in the semistructured interviews. Through thematic data analysis, four themes …

Startups And Human Capital Management In Egypt: In Search Of Decent Jobs, Maryham Abdel Malak, Ibrahem El Sayed Hassan, Fayrouz El Dabbagh, Laila M. El Baradei

Papers, Posters, and Presentations

While startups are considered an important potential contributor to Egypt’s economic growth, they encounter myriad challenges that hinder their ability to reach their potential, sustain their market presence, and their capacity to provide decent job opportunities. Challenges include the difficulty of locating and sustaining funding, the complicated legal and regulatory framework that governs them, the conservative social norms and culture, and the lack of data and information regarding market dynamics and existing opportunities. The research findings revealed that many startups face challenges with their Human Capital Management (HCM), in the planning, acquisition, development, or sanction functions. This policy paper examines …

Examining The Impact Of Entrepreneurship Training On Entrepreneurial Mindset And Economic Well-Being, Sombo Muzata

Theses and Dissertations

This study used a mixed methods research design to examine the impact of entrepreneurship training on entrepreneurial mindset and economic well-being using the RVA Works Entrepreneurship Training Program as a case study. With human capital theory as a theoretical framework, a combination of 55 interviews and 36 surveys were used to answer the research questions. The study found that entrepreneurship training positively impacts an entrepreneurial mindset. The impact of the training on entrepreneurial mindset differed by participants age and educational level. Study participants applied their entrepreneurial mindset to their businesses, jobs, and other aspects of life. Participation in the program’s …

Relationship Between Intrinsic Job Satisfaction, Extrinsic Job Satisfaction, And Employee Turnover Intentions, Taran Pawan Bhagwandeen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover can cost business owners up to 200% of an employee’s annual salary to recruit, hire, and train a replacement in the insurance industry. Understanding employee intent to leave is vital for insurance leaders to help reduce turnover. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between intrinsic job satisfaction, extrinsic job satisfaction, and employee turnover intentions of casualty insurance professionals in the southeast region of the United States. The study was grounded in Herzberg’s 2-factor theory. Data were collected from 83 participants using an online survey with questions from the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire and …

Fairness, Emotional Intelligence, And Ethical Decision-Making In Customer Evaluations Of Providers, Tameka Austin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Customer satisfaction is a topic that organizations must focus on for the success and continued sustainability of their organizations. Emotional intelligence, fairness, and ethical decision-making are areas that businesses must address to identify how their businesses are impacted by the choices that customers make when working with corporations. The gig economy (short- or long-term project in which a contract worker is hired to perform a specific task or long-term consultant assignment) is an area that has not been addressed to a great extent by psychology researchers. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between emotional intelligence, ethical …