Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

Auto-Exploited: Narrative Explorations Of The Commodification Of Time, Grace C. Willis Ms.

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This thesis is an exploration of the phenomenon of the auto-exploitation of the modern individual through and in conjunction with the commodification of time. It explores the eruption of gig-work in recent decades in the United States, and the ways in which the modern individual is both consumer and product, buying and selling her own constructions of identity in order to gain time, fiscal currency and a sense of socioeconomic worth from herself and others. Using theoretical frameworks of Karl Marx, Michel Foucault, Judith Butler, Catherine Rottenberg and Byung-Chul Han, I explore the ways in which the modern individual is …

Digital Platforms And Entrepreneurial Support: A Field Experiment In Online Mentoring, Saurabh A. Lall, Li-Wei Chen, Dyana P. Mason

Management Faculty Publications

The benefits of entrepreneurial mentorship are well documented, but there is limited research on how entrepreneurs connect with mentors, especially in digital settings. We partnered with an online platform that connects entrepreneurs to potential mentors to conduct a field experiment in online mentoring. Drawing on literature on entrepreneurial mentorship and Social Cognitive Theory, we compared the effects of three interventions on the likelihood of reaching out and making a connection with a mentor in a digital setting. We find that showing entrepreneurs a video of a successful mentor–mentee relationship increases the chances that they will reach out to a potential …

2023 Annual Report, Tennessee. Governor's Office Of Diversity Business Enterprise, Tennessee. Department Of General Services

Annual Reports

This annual report highlights the purchases and contract awards of the Governor's Office of Diversity Business Enterprise for the fiscal year.

Jump To Platform Faster? Gender, Institutional Change, And Pre-Entrant Entrepreneurial Attempt, Lei Xu, K. Praveen Parboteeah, Hanqing Fang

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Purpose – The authors enrich and extend the existing institutional anomie theory (IAT) in the hope of sharpening the understanding of the joint effects of selected cultural values and social institutional changes on women’s pre-entrant entrepreneurial attempts. The authors theorize that women are culturally discouraged to pursue pre-entrant entrepreneurial attempts or wealth accumulation in a specific culture. This discouragement creates an anomic strain that motivates women to deviate from cultural prescriptions by engaging in pre-entrant entrepreneurial attempts at a faster speed. Building on this premise, the authors hypothesize that changes in social institutions facilitate the means of achievement for women …

The Entrepreneurial Cognitive Adjustment Mechanism: Transitional Entrepreneurship As A Solution To Mitigate Illegal Migration, Jorge Arteaga-Fonseca, Yi (Elaine) Zhang, Per Bylund

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Purpose

In this paper, the authors suggest that Central Americans can use entrepreneurship to solve economic uncertainty in their home country and that entrepreneurship can contribute to reducing the number of undocumented migrants to the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors first illustrate the context of Central American illegal migration to the USA from a transitional entrepreneurship perspective, the authors address the economic drivers of illegal migration from Central America, which results in marginalization in the USA. Second, the authors build a theoretical model that suggests that Central Americans can improve their entrepreneurial abilities through the entrepreneurial cognitive adjustment mechanism.

Findings

Central …

Assessing The Entrepreneurship Ecosystem In Egypt Through A Gender Lens, Hala Wasef Hattab

Business Administration

Purpose: According to the Egyptian Start-up Ecosystem Report (ITIDA, 2021), Egypt has one of the foremost start-up ecosystems on Africa, both in terms of levels of start-up activity and inward investments. Yet the county lags in terms of women’s participation in founding start-ups. According to the latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report for Egypt, the entrepreneurial activity rate for women was 5.7%, while that of Egyptian men was 16.7%, despite women’s positive attitudes towards entrepreneurship. Methodology: The current research has an exploratory nature and aims at analysing entrepreneurship ecosystem in Egypt through a gender lens to highlight the factors that are …

Blackstone Launchpad University Of Montana Strategic Analysis/Jacob Treece Honors Capstone Report, Jacob R. Treece

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Founders In Venture Capital Investment Decisions, Gregory Gerald Hennessy

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This manuscript documents a research project that employs grounded theory to determine what criteria contemporary investors in early-stage startups use to assess founders. One of the first questions posed by entrepreneurship researchers - even before entrepreneurship had formalized as a field - was, what criteria do investors consider when making investments in startups? Initially, the central concern was whether it was the founder(s) or the business model, often characterized as the “jockey” or the “horse.” From the start, it was generally accepted that the founder was the primary consideration, especially in early-stage ventures. Nonetheless, while business model considerations were parsed …

Relationship Between An Entrepreneur’S Self-Efficacy, Self-Leadership, And Startup Sustainability In Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Self-efficacy and self-leadership have been identified as important indicators of business sustainability. Business owners and investors are concerned about sustainability because most businesses fail within the first five years. Grounded in self-efficacy and self-leadership theories, the purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to examine the relationship between entrepreneurial self-efficacy, self-leadership and startup sustainability. The participants were 156 entrepreneurs who completed the entrepreneurial self-efficacy scale and the abbreviated self-leadership questionnaire delivered via email. The multiple linear regression analysis results indicated the model was able to significantly predict startup sustainability, F(2, 129) = 432.47, p < .001, R2 = .87. Self-efficacy provided a significant contribution to the model (t = 8.424, p = < .001, β = .914). In contrast, the contribution of self-leadership was not significant (t = 0.185, p = .853, β = .20). A key recommendation is the utilization of mentoring programs and structured leadership internships that enhance self-efficacy by providing startup leaders with exposure to more seasoned corporate leaders, and successful peers who have had similar experiences to theirs. The implications for positive social change include the potential development of training and capacity-building programs that can be provided to entrepreneurs and other startup leaders to enhance their ability to sustain their startups, leading to more successful businesses, job creation, and economic growth.

Transitional Entrepreneurship: Unleashing Entrepreneurial Potential Across Numerous Challenging Contexts, Golshan Javadian, Anil Nair, David Ahlstrom, Kaveh Moghaddam, Li-Wei Chen, Younggeun Lee

Management Faculty Publications

[First paragraph] We are pleased to publish the special issue of the New England Journal of Entrepreneurship on transitional entrepreneurship. Transitional entrepreneurship refers to the practices of entrepreneurs from communities facing adversity who navigate substantial life transitions as they launch and manage new ventures in response to various changes and challenges in their environment. Entrepreneurship is not only a critical driver of economic growth and social development (Ahlstrom et al., 2019; McCloskey, 2010) but can also represent a life-changing transition for most, if not all, of the entrepreneurs themselves. Transitional entrepreneurship entails strategic pivots or transformations that enable entrepreneurs to …

Social Movements And Institutional Entrepreneurship As Facilitators Of Technology Transition: The Case Of Free/Open-Source Software, Sanjay Jain, Habib A. Islam, Martin C. Goossen, Anil Nair

Management Faculty Publications

We integrate insights from the literature on social movements and institutional entrepreneurship into the strategic niche management (SNM) and multilevel perspective (MLP) frameworks to understand the emergence of Linux, a free/open-source operating system, in a regime dominated by proprietary operating systems such as Unix and Windows NT. Employing a “microhistories” methodology, we document how actors in the free/open-source movement took steps that enabled an alternate technological niche to form, gain momentum and eventually infiltrate the extant regime. Our account delineates the key role that actors play in shaping the identity of a niche, amplifying its presence, and finally mainstreaming it. …

Small Value-Add Local Food Retailer’S Covid-19 And Post-Covid-19 Strategies, Timothy L. Schauer, Denise Ogden, Doc Ogden

Atlantic Marketing Journal

The pandemic came as a blow to retailers that were already under pressure from online competitors that offered low prices and provided the convenience of shopping from home. The media tended to cover the plight and challenges for larger chain stores and big box retailers. However, the small local food providers and retailers also faced challenges and had to manage without the luxury of having dedicated staff and deep pockets with which to navigate through the pandemic. This paper explores the experiences and strategies used by 20 small local value-added food providers and retailers as they navigated the pandemic. Additionally, …

Standard Licensing Template For University Of Akron Startups, Drew Horton

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In order to facilitate fast, equitable, and effective sublicensing to University of Akron technology startups, spinoffs, and spinouts, an express license was developed. This expresses license was developed by benchmarking existing terms in order to determine market rates. Universities, venture capital firms, and nonprofits were interviewed in order to establish a set of best practice guidelines for the creation of the express license. These results were then tabulated and statistically analyzed in order to determine a series of startup friendly terms that support the University of Akron’s interests. A series of express licenses were then developed from this data. These …

Understanding The Interplay Between Immigrant Nascent Entrepreneurship And Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Lucia Walsh, Thomas M. Cooney

Articles

Purpose – All entrepreneurs face challenges during their venture start-up process, but immigrant entrepreneurs face additional and distinctive challenges due to their contextual newness. This paper focuses on understanding the intertwined journeys of nascent entrepreneurship and cross-cultural adaptation of immigrants in a small Western European country where immigrant entrepreneurship is still a relatively new phenomenon.

Design/methodology/approach – The induction-driven, 18-month longitudinal empirical inquiry focused on six early-stage nascent entrepreneurs. Qualitative methods included participant observation during an enterprise program, qualitative interviews and ongoing informal communication.

Findings – The data uncovered the interplay between the nascent immigrant entrepreneurship and crosscultural adaptation. This …

Sales Enablement In Entrepreneurial Ventures: Essays On The Role Of Social Capital And Resilience In Disruptive Environments, Ali Anwar

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Enduring commercial success of entrepreneurial ventures is often associated with effective selling and an ability to navigate dynamic environments. However, two challenges stand out: 1) effectively managing cross-functional integration of sales with other value-creating organizational functions, given that selling in the contemporary organization is a multi-actor, strategic effort, and 2) being resilient to environmental disruptions, given the increasing frequency of their occurrence. I take a sales enablement perspective to focus on themes which are essential to optimizing sales performance in entrepreneurial ventures. The first theme focuses on internal social capital embedded in the cross-functional relationships of the sales, marketing, and …

The Growth Drivers And Inhibitors Of The B Corp Movement, Jason Plant

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Microfinance On Gender Equality In India, Alexis Matton

Honors Program Theses

This paper explores the impacts of microfinance on gender equality in India by examining its effects through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It begins with an overview of the history of microfinance globally and is followed by an in-depth explanation of the current microfinance landscape in India. This paper then uses a case study approach to collect qualitative data that contributes to this discussion on microfinance and gender equality. By studying the stories of four women and their experiences using the services provided by microfinance institutions, the paper illustrates how microfinance contributes to the advancement of …

Empowering Elderpreneurs Scommerce For Genx Consignment Store Owners In West Virginia, Joyita Sarkar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In an ever-evolving digital landscape, this research explores Generation X (GenX) consignment store owners in West Virginia and the transformative power of Social commerce (sCommerce). Despite the ubiquity of Social media platforms, little attention has been given to the impact of sCommerce on the consignment store industry. Drawing from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DIT), this study examines the factors influencing sCommerce adoption decisions for GenX consignment store owners.

Through qualitative research, this study uncovers untold stories within this entrepreneurial landscape. Purposeful sampling of 11 women and 20-60 minutes of in-depth interviews reveal the …

Strategies That Small And Medium-Size Business Owners Use To Repay Bank Loan Obligations In Lagos, Nigeria, Taiwo Bamikole Ala

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The failure of businesses to repay loans adversely affects credit markets. Small and medium-sized (SME) business owners in Lagos, Nigeria, are concerned because financial institutions are unwilling to provide credit because of the low loan repayment performance of those who have received credit in the past. Grounded in the theory of planned behavior, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies some SME owners use to successfully repay bank loan obligations to sustain their businesses. The participants were three SME owners in Lagos, Nigeria, who successfully repaid their bank loans. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and …

Strategies That Small And Medium-Size Business Owners Use To Repay Bank Loan Obligations In Lagos, Nigeria, Taiwo Bamikole Ala

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The failure of businesses to repay loans adversely affects credit markets. Small and medium-sized (SME) business owners in Lagos, Nigeria, are concerned because financial institutions are unwilling to provide credit because of the low loan repayment performance of those who have received credit in the past. Grounded in the theory of planned behavior, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies some SME owners use to successfully repay bank loan obligations to sustain their businesses. The participants were three SME owners in Lagos, Nigeria, who successfully repaid their bank loans. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and …

Employee Retention Strategies In Selected Small And Medium Enterprises In Nigeria, Ijeoma Omeoga

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe lack of employee retention strategies in Nigeria’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can have adverse business outcomes. Business leaders are concerned about employee retention strategies since they can help reduce turnover and retain experienced employees. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies business leaders use to retain their experienced employees. The participants were four business leaders of four SMEs in Nigeria who successfully implemented strategies that helped retain their experienced employees. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of organization policy documents. Through thematic analysis, four …

Independent Restaurant Owners’ Strategies For Acquiring, Managing, And Retaining Organizational Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities, Alice Nelson Sidibe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Independent restaurant owners face challenges of slim profit margins and postpandemic labor shortages without the benefit of additional support their franchised counterparts receive. Independent restaurant owners are concerned about these external pressures making them more vulnerable to closure during economic downturns. Previous researchers have not explored how to use organizational knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to achieve success within an independent restaurant. Grounded in resource-based view theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies that independent restaurant owners use to acquire, manage, and retain KSAs and sustain their business beyond five years. The participants were three …

Developing Entrepreneurial Skillsets Amongst Rural Women In Uganda, Sylvia Gavigan, Thomas M. Cooney, Klavs Ciprikis

Articles

Purpose: Rural women in Africa have less entrepreneurship opportunities than men. This is mainly due to societal expectations of women, but it may also be caused by a lack of entrepreneurial knowledge and skills due to their work in agriculture-related activities. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of entrepreneurship training on entrepreneurial skillsets of rural women working in Uganda and how such training influences their entrepreneurial activity.

Design/methodology/approach: The primary data set for this study comes from surveys of rural women working in agriculture who participated in a specific entrepreneurship training programme in Uganda. A …

Small Business Office Network, Michael Gerome

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will emulate a small office network environment. The project will demonstrate the process of building and configuring the network to meet the requirements laid out in the project plan. This network includes four subnets with Windows 10 end devices and a Kali Linux device, it also includes five Cisco layer 2 switches and three Cisco routers. There are also three subnets connecting the routers to each other to enable routing between the subnets. After the network environment is set up, various penetration tests are performed from the Kali Linux device to gather information. The Nmap reconnaissance tool is …

The Artpreneurship: Innovate To Overcome The Challenge, Gabriella Hanny Kusuma, Anggreni Dian Kurniawati, Sheellyana Junaedi M. F., Theresia Diah Widiastuti

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

This community engagement program aimed to improve the innovation of artpreneurs, a combination of artistic qualities with business sense in cultural sectors, overcoming the impact of the disruptive moment, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This program used the Asset-Based Community Development method to explore the needs of the community. The exploration process used an appreciative inquiry approach to determine strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and results based on the inquiry from the community. This program was conducted in Ngestiharjo Village, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, as a part of the community service learning program Wiradesa conducted by the students and organized by Universitas Atma Jaya …

Successful Digital Marketing Strategies Of Independent Artists, Wendy Renee Hicks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of effective digital marketing strategies can hinder profitability for independent artists. Artists who cannot develop digital marketing strategies are at risk of not sustaining their independent businesses. Based on the foundational principle of marketing mix as its conceptual lens, the purpose of this qualitative, exploratory multiple case study was to explore what digital marketing strategies some independent artists used to achieve and sustain profitability. The participants were nine independent artists on the east coast of the United States who published original music at a profit during the last 5 years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews. Data were …

An Exploratory Study Of Entrepreneurial Intention Among Hispanic Entrepreneurs In Toronto, Jorge Perez Moreno

Dissertations

The Problem

Entrepreneurship scholars have claimed that immigrants are more likely to become self-employed due to limited job opportunities, access to social networks, cultural background, necessity, and education and skills. However, the entrepreneurial experience of Hispanic immigrants in Toronto has yet to be examined. This quantitative study examined the attitudes, norms, and perceptions influencing entrepreneurial intention and the factors that encourage self-employment continuation among immigrants in Canada.

Method

This study used a survey questionnaire of ninety-four Hispanic entrepreneurs in Toronto to comprehend their entrepreneurial intention. It examined their proficiencies, studied their business characteristics, and predicted their behavior toward self employment …

Survive And Thrive: An Exploration Of Methods Implemented By Small Businesses In The Construction Industry To Sustain Their Business Beyond 5 Years, Tamar Barsoumian

Theses and Dissertations

Small businesses represent an influential portion of the American economy yet retain a high rate of closure especially in their early years, therefore; this study sought to address a lack of available research regarding small businesses in the construction industry, by investigating the methods and strategies existing small business owners use to support business survivability, in the regionally specific area of Southern California. The purpose of this study was to investigate strategies used by existing construction industry small businesses, identify the challenges experienced as a construction industry small business organization in Southern California, and determine how the small business owners …

Strategies That Small And Medium-Size Business Owners Use To Repay Bank Loan Obligations In Lagos, Nigeria, Taiwo Bamikole Ala

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The failure of businesses to repay loans adversely affects credit markets. Small and medium-sized (SME) business owners in Lagos, Nigeria, are concerned because financial institutions are unwilling to provide credit because of the low loan repayment performance of those who have received credit in the past. Grounded in the theory of planned behavior, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies some SME owners use to successfully repay bank loan obligations to sustain their businesses. The participants were three SME owners in Lagos, Nigeria, who successfully repaid their bank loans. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and …

Relationship Between Employee Human Capital, Relational Capital, And Work Engagement, Royelle David Comer Sr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Work engagement is a challenge for information technology leaders in the digital industry because employees with engagement concerns may exhibit decreased commitment and increased workplace incivility towards the organization, thereby impacting business profits. Grounded in the job demands-resource theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between human capital, relational capital, and work engagement initiatives in technology companies in the United States. The participants were 125 supervisors and full-time personnel from the metropolitan region of Atlanta, Georgia, who completed an online-based survey. The results of the multiple linear regression were significant, F (18, 106) = …