Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

Smart Business Incubators : The Australian Context, Beverley Webster, Beth Walker, Janice Burn

Research outputs pre 2011

The aim of this collaborative study was to research the current status of Australian incubators and develop a benchmark based on successful business incubators, using criteria such as tenant and manager selection, operating indicators and exit criteria...

A Classic Book—Revisited, Peter A. Maresco

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Book review by Peter Maresco.

Ricardo Semler, Maverick: The Success Story Behind the World’s Most Unusual Workplace, New York: Warner Books, 1993. ISBN 9780446516969

Small Business Smart Business: Final Report, Beth Walker, Beverley Webster

Research outputs pre 2011

The Small Business Smart Business (SBSB) program is in it's fifth year of operation and while acknowledging the changes that have occurred to SBSB over the past five years, it was determined that a review of the effectiveness of SBSB in connecting small business to the VET system would be of benefit in planning for SBSB in 2005 and beyond.

The SBSB program was initially designed to provide eligible small businesses with a training voucher valued up to $200.00 towards approved training and was aimed at improving the productivity of their business. Emphasis was placed on ensuring a wide range …

Mary T'S: A Restaurant Providing Healthy Food Options, Mary T. Savner

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Notes From An ‘Intelligent Island’: Towards Strategic Knowledge Management In Singapore’S Small Business Sector, Thomas Menkhoff, Yue Wah Chay, Benjamin Loh

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This essay outlines some of the benefits and challenges of implementing strategic knowledge management systems in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with reference to respective initiatives in the Republic of Singapore. The article addresses following research questions: What is knowledge management (KM) and why has it become an issue? How can SMEs benefit from strategic KM? What are the potential pitfalls of KM applications in small firms? What are the strategic imperatives of using KM in SMEs? Do small and large firms require different KM systems? What are the critical success factors which have to be considered during implementation? How …

Absorptive Capacity And Entrepreneurship, Shaker A. Zahra, Gerard George

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

No abstract provided.

Best Practice Hrd: Exploring The Feasibility Of Conventional Models In The Small Firm: The Case Of The Irish Hotel Sector, Ciara Nolan

Masters

The growth and popularisation of best practice HRD literature has been a key feature of recent international management research. This study explores this concept within the context of the small firm. In particular, the work sought to analyse the feasibility of conventional best practice HRD, theoretically and empirically, within a small hotel environment. Conventional best practice theory advocates that HRD takes place within a structured framework of formal plans and procedures. It explicitly overlooks and ignores informal and tacit means of training, which have proven to be particularly crucial within small hospitality firms. Yet, many small firms are successful and …

Can B2g Portals Be Used Effectively To Stimulate Business In Smes?: A Case Analysis Of The 2cities Business To Government Portal, Ian Martinus

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have many options when purchasing goods or services. These include personal contacts and networks, familiar centralised supply sources and other ad hoc means. One purchasing possibility is to buy from and sell to other businesses within a similar geographic area. The benefits of buying and selling locally may not occur to SMEs. They seek, like other consumers, to get value for money, fast and efficient service, and a reasonable level of quality. Many factors can impinge upon an SME's decision to purchase locally. It can be assumed that, given a reasonable local option, SMEs wish …

The Performance Implications Of Ownership Driven Governance Reform, Toru Yoshikawa, Phillip H. Phan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper explores the performance impact of recent changes in foreign shareholdings and boardroom reforms in Japan. Empirical research on the impact of reform on the Japanese corporate governance system could provide useful lessons for their European counterparts who are themselves facing similar pressures to reform. We found that although participation of outside directors in strategic decision-making was associated with positive stock returns, the increase in the ratio of outside directors, the separation of the board members and executive officers, and the reduction of board size were not related to firm performance.

Mac Bay Boat Company, Geoffrey D. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

Mac Bay Boat Company is an article concerning the history of the boat building company founded in Holland, Michigan in 1948, moved to Fruitport, Michigan (Muskegon area) in 1956 and went of business in 1962.

Benchmarking Study Of The Small Business Environment In Saginaw County, George A. Erickcek, Brad R. Watts

Reports

No abstract provided.

The Slow Pace Of Disbursement Of The Small And Medium Industries Equity Investment Scheme (Smieis) Fund And The Need For Remedial Measures, C. M. Anyanwu, B. S. Adebusuyi, B. O. Okafor

CBN Occasional Papers

The objectives of this paper are to investigate the reasons for the slow pace of investment under the scheme and proffer measures that would address the identified problems. The paper is organized into seven sections to achieve these objectives. Following this introduction, an overview of SMIEIS is done in section 2, while section 3 contains the operations of the Scheme to date. The empirical investigation is discussed in section 4 and the constraints on the implementation of SMIEIS are highlighted in section 5. This is followed by the suggested remedial actions in section 6 and the paper is concluded in …

Entrepreneurship And Social Endeavours In Singapore, Wee Liang Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Many people would confine entrepreneurship to the business arena and entrepreneurs to profit enterprises. In truth, entrepreneurship can extend to all aspects of human activity as defined by Raymond Kao as “the process of doing something new and/or different to create wealth for oneself and to add value to the society” (Kao, 1993). Apart from entrepreneurship that is solely “for profit” and in the business sphere, there is social entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneurship spans a continuum of community-based enterprises and entrepreneurial activities by volunteers for the good of their communities. It also includes philanthropic acts by successful individuals. While many may …

Family Businesses' Contribution To The U.S. Economy: A Closer Look, Joseph H. Astrachan, Melissa Carey Shanker

Faculty Articles

In 1995, we were commissioned to conduct research on the impact of family businesses on the U.S. economy. A search of all relevant research led to the conclusion that the majority of existing data relating to family businesses' economic contributions were not grounded in empirical research, and the definitions used to distinguish family businesses from other enterprises were ambiguous or nonexistent. In 1996, we published a paper providing a framework for assessing the economic impact of family businesses across three ranges, defined by the degree of family involvement in the businesses. This paper revisits that research and updates and improves …

Operationalizing Technology Improvements In Product Development Decision-Making, Shantanu Bhattacharya, V. Krishnan, Vijay Mahajan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Achieving competitive advantage and price premiums in many technology-based markets requires the incorporation of current technology in new products. To do so, firms in hyper-competitive environments increasingly plan and design their products concurrent with the independent development and validation of underlying technologies. Simultaneous validation of a core technology has important implications for a company's product positioning and launch sequence decisions making these traditional marketing decisions relevant to operations managers. Prior research has shown that to minimize cannibalization in the absence of such improvements in technology, a firm should not launch low-end products before high-end products. However, concurrent evolution of technology …

Employing Service Learning In Community-University Partnership Program To Develop Local Msmes In Bungo And Tejo Regencies, Mona Novita, M. Syukri Ismail, Muhammad Solihin, Muhammad Asman

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

This paper illustrates the implementation of a community project developed based on a partnership between the community and the local university in Bungo and Tebo Regencies. The project aims to develop the local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as a strategic step to increase the regional economy, taking the form of a so- called Community–University Partnership Program in Bungo and Tebo Regencies. The Community–University Partnership methodology employs the Service Learning (SL) method to increase MSME actors’ competence in terms of financial literacy, product packaging, and marketing. The effectiveness of the SL-based Community–University Partnership Program was measured using a quantitative …

What Is The Social In Social Entrepreneurship?, Wee Liang Tan, John Williams, Teck Meng Tan

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

No abstract provided.

Human Resource Slack As An Antecedent To Instilling The Entrepreneurial Mindset Within Department Of Defense Organizations, Jason A. Whittle

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense has been called to transform the way it fights, thinks and operates to more effectively counter the changing threats to the United States. Private organizations have long been faced with a similar need to be flexible to meet the dynamic market which they serve. The Office of Force Transformation has been tasked to facilitate the mandated transformation of the DoD. Based on literature on slack resources, slack may be a necessary tool for proper transformation to a more innovative and effective military.

Instilling An Entrepreneurial Mindset In Department Of Defense (Dod) Organizations: Evidence From Entrepreneurial Organizations In The Private Sector, Rochelle D. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Calls for transforming government and creating entrepreneurial cultures in non-profit motivated organizations are everywhere today. The primary method proposed for instilling an entrepreneurial mindset is to institute "best practices" or "lessons learned" from commercial firms that have characteristics similar to those of large government organizations. While the similarities between the private and public sector organizations are many, the differences (e.g. legal restrictions, missions, and motivation of members of the organization) are also notable. This exploratory study seeks to more clearly define the commonalities between the experiences of private sector firms and how those experiences can be captured to help DoD …

Collaboration Among Smes As A Mechanism For Innovation: An Empirical Study, Mario J. B. Franco

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

The interest for collaboration among small and mediumsized enterprises and innovation has been highlighted, in recent times, due to the acceleration of technological changes and to increasing international competitiveness. Many small firms, with rigid structures and weak entrepreneurial dynamics, experienced difficulties in becoming innovators. Some of these firms can adopt collaborative agreements because these relationships enable them to get the necessary innovative activities, know-how, and exploit opportunities, which they cannot achieve alone. This study examines the motives for the formation of collaborative agreements in industrial Portuguese SMEs and presents some empirical evidence concerning collaboration as an important vehicle for the …

The Value And Impact Of Seminary Training, R. Stephen Shuart, Joshua Shuart

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Interview by Joshua Shuart of R. Stephen Shuart, of Stephen Shuart Export Co.

The Reverend R. Stephen Shuart is an Episcopal priest by profession. He is rector of two parishes and serves on the Diocesan Financial Committee and as a rural dean. However, he has spent most of his wage-earning life as owner/operator of Stephen Shuart Export Co., an internationally known photographic business, located in Kane, Pennsylvania. Shuart’s unique entrepreneurial endeavor has been the subject of a televised news feature, and the object of camera collectors’ attention since his company’s inception in the early 1970s.

Enterprise Ireland: Stimulating Creativity Through Design Strategies, Peter Dee

Other resources

Stimulating Creativity through Design Strategies: A seminar organised by Enterprise Ireland for business organisations to explore a holistic approach to the design / marketing interface.

Peter Dee - Strategic Design and Marketing Consultant, specialises in the creation of brand development strategies for Enterprise Ireland’s Design Unit. Peter was responsible for the design and development of the brand identity for the Enterprise Ireland Stimulating Creativity through Design Strategies Seminar in Dublin.

Design is an excellent expression of innovation. It can provide product differentiation, gain and hold onto competitive market advantage and assist in the building of strong brands through creative packaging …

Supplier Selection And Development: The Relationship Between Small Manufacturing Enterprises And Mass Merchandisers, Stephen C. Jones, Tami L. Knotts, Gerald G. Udell

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

This study examines the results of a program intended to act as a selection tool for mass merchandisers and a development tool for small manufacturers. The evaluation program assessed the management practices and products of potential suppliers. Based on past experience, buyers for mass merchandisers consider small manufacturing enterprises a poor risk as potential suppliers of retail goods. As part of the evaluation process, firms were asked 34 closed-end questions regarding their management practices, and each product was evaluated on 41 specific qualities necessary for the mass merchandising market. Of the 1,690 firms that participated in this project, about 5 …

Marketing Orientation In Smes: Effects Of The Internal Environment, Richard C. Becherer, Diane Halstead, Paula J. Haynes

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Marketing orientation refers to a culture in which organizations strive to create superior value for their customers (and superior performance for the business) by focusing on customer needs and long-term profitability. Some studies have found that firms with a high degree of marketing orientation experience improved performance; others have found mixed or nonsignificant results. The marketing orientation of small businesses has not been thoroughly investigated, however. This study of more than 200 small business CEOs examines the marketing orientation levels of small to medium-sized firms (SMEs) as well as the impact of various internal variables (sales/profit performance, company characteristics, and …

From The Editors, Laurence Weinstein, Shawn Blau, Christopher Sheehan, Joshua Shuart

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

International Franchising In Emerging Markets, Nadia Ballard

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Book review by Nadia Ballard.

Ilan Alon and Diane H. B. Welsh, editors, International Franchising in Emerging Markets: Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America. Chicago: CCH Inc., 2001.

Ilan Alon and Diane H. B. Welsh, editors, International Franchising in Emerging Markets: China, India and Other Asian Countries. Chicago: CCH Inc., 2001.

Applying Entrepreneurship To Health Care Organizations, Kristina L. Guo

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

This study examines entrepreneurship and assesses its relevance to health care organizations through a detailed description of the optimal environment, organizational factors, and managerial roles in the entrepreneurship process. The article finds entrepreneurship processes to be especially useful to health care organizations as they struggle to survive in the competitive managed care environment.

Responding To God's Guidance, Craig Hoekenga, Joshua Shuart, Laurence Weinstein

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Interview by Joshua Shuart and Laurence Weinstein of Craig Hoekenga, CEO of Microboard Processing, Inc.

Craig Hoekenga is CEO of Microboard Processing, Inc. (MPI), a very successful subcontract electronics manufacturing company located in Seymour, Connecticut. There are many reasons why Hoekenga would stand out in any gathering of CEOs, but one of the most arresting reasons would be that Hoekenga credits his success to God and considers MPI a “Christian business.” The New England Journal of Entrepreneurhip editors started with a plant tour and then caught up with Hoekenga in his office.

New England Journal Of Entrepreneurship, Spring 2003

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

No abstract provided.

Collective Entrepreneurship In Family Firms: The Influence Of Leader Attitudes And Behaviors, Jun Yan, Ritch L. Sorenson

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Collective entrepreneurship is the synergism that emerges from a collective and that propels it beyond the current state by seizing opportunities without regard to resources under its control (Stevenson and Jarrillo 1990). This study provides a conceptual model of collective entrepreneurship and its relationship with leadership and team dynamics in the context of a small family business. It proposes two types of prerequisites for collective entrepreneurship: attitudinal and behavioral. The attitudinal prerequisite is family business members’ commitment to the family business. The behavioral prerequisite includes collaboration and task conflict among family business members. Further, the article argues that leadership behaviors …