bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transnational perspectives on Black subjectivity
Authors: Stevens Garth , Bell Deanne , Sonn Christopher C , Canham Hugo , Clennon Ornette
Published: December 2017

In this article, five Black researchers bring their insights into conversation about meanings of blackness in contemporary Australia, Jamaica, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. We critically interrogate blackness transnationally and also within the historical contexts of our work and lived experiences. Situated within critical race studies, we draw on multiple theoretical frameworks that seek to preserve the complexity of blackness, its meanings and implications. We examine what it means to be made Black by history and context and explore the im/possibilities of transcending such subjectification. In so doing, we engage blackness and its relationality to whiteness; the historical, temporal, and spatial dimensions of what it means to be Black; the embodied, affective and psychical components of Black subjectivity; and the continued marketisation of blackness today. The article concludes by reflecting on the emancipatory promise of continued engagement with Black subjectivity, but with critical reflexivity, so as to avoid the pitfalls of engaging blackness as a static and essentialised mode of subjectivity.
Epistemological resistance towards diversality: teaching community psychology as a decolonial project
Authors: Carolissen Ronelle , Canham Hugo , Fourie Eduard , Graham Tanya , Segalo Puleng , Bowman Brett
Published: December 2017

In contexts of political instability and change, the value of disciplinary knowledges and the processes that constituted them is often questioned. Psychology is not exempt from this process. Little South African work has illustrated what teaching for decoloniality may mean in South African psychology. We draw on examples of curriculum design in community psychology from the Universities of the Witwatersrand, South Africa and Stellenbosch, three large South African public universities, in an attempt to surface what we regard as the decolonial frameworks that underpin their development and delivery. Capacities for reflexivity and the ability to hold multiple epistemologies encourage economies of knowledge that may prevent abyssal thinking, while contributing to cognitive justice and minimising opportunities for epistemicide. Some challenges to our pedagogy involve the potential for romanticising decoloniality.
Cyberbullying prevention and intervention programs in schools: A systematic review
Authors: Tanrikulu Ibrahim
Published: December 2017

This article presents a systematic review of school-based cyberbullying prevention and intervention programs. Research presenting empirical evidence about the effectiveness of a school-based cyberbullying prevention or intervention program published before August 2016 was searched. Seventeen studies were obtained and reviewed. The findings showed that studies (a) originated in nine different countries; (b) consisted of different theoretical backgrounds; (c) varied in session frequency and duration; (d) included technological and non-technological strategies, or both; (e) aimed to prevent cyberbullying, intervene in cyberbullying, or both; and (f) were mostly effective in preventing and intervening in cyberbullying. The findings are discussed in terms of theory, practice, and research.
Ubuntu Linux in Zimbabwe: the digital unhu in open source practices
Authors: McClune Caitlin
Published: December 2017

In this article, I argue for an alternative history of open source told from the perspective of the Southern African nation of Zimbabwe. This perspective on open source deviates from standard histories in that it reveals a more comprehensive relationship to technologies and its political possibilities by including the understudied region of Zimbabwe. I premise this analysis based on the concept of ‘digital unhu’, a concept that sketches out a Zimbabwean inflection of immaterial labor and contains three components of the fusion of new technologies with older traditions, an emphasis on collaborative practices, and a prominence placed on mobility. Examining this framework and these concepts through the aid of the case studies, Zim.doc, and the website Wild Forest Ranch, I provide evidence of the ways that open source practices are articulated to the local, historical, and political nuances of the region. I argue that the effort to disseminate information and skills to populations required to maneuver around the conditions of food scarcity, high levels of unemployment, and violent political repression existing under Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe particularly highlights digital unhu’s characteristic of mobility.
Boundary Creatures? Employed, Breastfeeding Mothers and ‘Abjection as Practice’
Authors: Gatrell Caroline
Published: December 2017

This paper contributes to theory on maternity, embodiment and organizations through advancing a contemporary theory of ‘abjection as practice’ in relation to breastfeeding and employment. Drawing upon the work of Margaret Shildrick and Julia Kristeva, it analyses a qualitative study of netnographic (internet) discussions among employed breastfeeding mothers, observing how lactating bodies are treated as abject within organizations. It proposes that hostile behaviour towards breastfeeding women could be seen as a form of ‘abjection as practice’, displaying a purposeful intent to exclude breast milk production from workplace contexts. In exploring the position of breastfeeding workers, the paper observes how breastfeeding women occupy an uncomfortable space on the borders between health ideals of ‘proper’ mothering and organizational notions of ‘good’ worker. The situation of breastfeeding employees is rendered ambiguous and such uncertainties invoke co-worker antipathy. Co-worker hostility towards breastfeeding colleagues appears validated at work because minimal action is taken to address deliberate utilization of ‘abjection as practice’ towards breastfeeding workers.
Constructing a logistics space: Perspectives from the Gulf Cooperation Council
Authors: Ziadah Rafeef
Published: December 2017

Development plans across the Gulf Cooperation Council emphasise logistical infrastructure as a driver of economic diversification. Investments in maritime ports, roads, rail, airports and logistics cities are transforming the economic geography of the region. This study aims to make visible this neglected aspect of the physical transformation of the Gulf Cooperation Council with a focus on the understudied maritime container ports in Oman and Qatar. Shifting the analysis to emergent maritime logistical infrastructure at a regional level gives insight into the uneven developments within the Gulf Cooperation Council’s integration project. Three key features emerge: (a) a large degree of duplication in maritime port infrastructure across Gulf Cooperation Council states; (b) a regional hierarchy among Gulf Cooperation Council states that are resource rich and those dependent on public–private partnerships and (c) increasing competition among internationally dominant port operators looking to gain access to the Gulf Cooperation Council maritime port market. These features both reflect and reinforce competitive tensions within the regional integration project.
Tackling the Subaltern Quandary
Authors: Jagadale Sujit Raghunathrao , Kadirov Djavlonbek , Chakraborty Debojyoti
Published: December 2017

The subaltern quandary refers to the failure of a fast-growing economy to improve the abysmal living conditions of marginalized groups. To gain a better insight into this issue, we investigate the subaltern group’s experiences of marketing systems in the context of neo-liberal reforms in rural India. The qualitative analysis of subaltern narratives shows that subaltern experiences are shaped by marketization processes that imbue market relations with new stylized meanings of dignity. Despite these meanings perpetuating limited and distorted constructions, subalterns use them, exemplified in their attempts to minimize their perceived dissimilarity to other marketing system actors, in order to gain access to predominant, albeit flawed, marketing systems. Thus, the status quo is rarely challenged. This research suggests that the subaltern quandary can only be resolved when market development initiatives take human worth as a main goal, while subalterns are empowered with market system creation, design and governance capabilities.
An Early Dynastic Ritual Landscape at North Saqqara: An Inheritance from Abydos?
Authors: Reader Colin
Published: December 2017

Drawing on previously published work by the current author, the aim of this article is to undertake a wider exploration of the influence that landscape may have had on the development of North Saqqara during the first three dynasties of the pharaonic era. After discussing the topography of the site, the article presents a summary of the current understanding regarding known Early Dynastic monuments at Saqqara, together with an account of previously unpublished information obtained by the Saqqara Geophysical Survey Project. By considering the evidence for the influence of landscape on the early development at Saqqara, the research presented here reveals a number of hitherto unsuspected spatial relationships within the site, as well as identifying features that may be shared by both Saqqara and the earlier royal necropolis at Abydos.
Firm life cycle and advisory directors
Authors: Habib Ahsan , Bhuiyan Md. Borhan Uddin , Hasan Mostafa Monzur
Published: December 2017

This article investigates whether the presence of advisory directors and monitoring directors varies across firm life cycle stages. We follow a parsimonious life cycle proxy based on the predicted behaviour of operating, investing and financing cash flows across the different life cycle stages that result from firm performance and the allocation of resources. Using an Australian sample, this study shows that compared to mature-stage firms, firms in the introduction, shake-out and decline stages have more advisory directors. With respect to the demand for monitoring directors, we find that compared to mature-stage firms, firms in the introduction, shake-out and decline stages have fewer monitoring directors on the board. We contribute to the literature on boards of directors by documenting that firms choose an optimal board structure based on their economic characteristics.

JEL Classification: D22, G38, M14
Six-month clinical course and factors associated with non-improvement in migraine and non-migraine headaches
Authors: Aguila Maria-Eliza R , Rebbeck Trudy , Pope Alun , Ng Karl , Leaver Andrew M
Published: December 2017

Background

Evidence on the medium-term clinical course of recurrent headaches is scarce. This study explored the six-month course and factors associated with non-improvement in migraine compared with tension-type headache and cervicogenic headache.

Methods

In this longitudinal cohort study, the six-month course of headaches was prospectively examined in participants (n = 37 with migraine; n = 42 with tension-type or cervicogenic headache). Participants underwent physical examination for cervical musculoskeletal impairments at baseline. Participants also completed questionnaires on pain, disability and other self-report measures at baseline and follow-up, and kept an electronic diary for 6 months. Course of headaches was examined using mixed within-between analyses of variance and Markov chain modeling. Multiple factors were evaluated as possible factors associated with non-improvement using regression analysis.

Results

Headache frequency, intensity, and activity interference in migraine and non-migraine headaches were generally stable over 6 months but showed month-to-month variations. Day-to-day variations were more volatile in the migraine than the non-migraine group, with the highest probability of transitioning from any headache state to no headache (probability = 0.82–0.85). The odds of non-improvement in disability was nearly six times higher with cervical joint dysfunction (odds ratio [95% CI] = 5.58 [1.14–27.42]).

Conclusions

Headache frequency, intensity, and activity interference change over 6 months, with day-to-day variation being more volatile in migraine than non-migraine headaches. Cervical joint dysfunction appears to be associated with non-improvement for disability in 6 months. These results may contribute to strategies for educating patients to help align their expectations with the nature of their headaches.
Creep damage index as a sensitive indicator of damage accumulation in thermoplastic laminates
Authors: Minster Jiří , Šperl Martin , Šepitka Josef
Published: December 2017

This study aims to correlate a newly proposed local time-dependent indicator of the damage accumulation in a thermoplastic laminate matrix with the degradation of the mechanical properties of the material as a whole. The material tested here is a carbon fiber–reinforced plastic used in the aircraft industry. Isothermal fatigue transient tensile loading and three-point bending are used for full-scale tests. The results of fatigue pulsating tension loading of the laminate are presented together with the outcomes of nondestructive measurements of the residual stiffness of the laminate. Local elastic and time-dependent properties of the laminate matrix, used as nondestructive indicators of the degradation of the matrix caused by repeatedly applied loads, are compared with the full-scale outcomes. The results confirm that the microindentation technique applied to the laminate matrix can be a suitable method for assessing the influence of fatigue tensile loading on the basic and time-dependent properties of the laminate.
Older Adults Driving Under the Influence: Associations With Marijuana Use, Marijuana Use Disorder, and Risk Perceptions
Authors: Choi Namkee G. , DiNitto Diana M. , Marti C. Nathan
Published: December 2017

Despite increasing marijuana use among the 50+ age group, little research has been done on marijuana’s impact on older adults’ driving under the influence (DUI). Using the 2013 to 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data, this study examined the association of older adults’ self-reported DUI with marijuana use, marijuana abuse/dependence, and marijuana risk perception. The findings show that one third of past-year marijuana users aged 50+ reported past-year DUI, two thirds of which involved drugs. Those with marijuana abuse/dependence were 2.6 times more likely than those without the disorder to report DUI, controlling for alcohol abuse/dependence, other illicit drug use, and sociodemographic and health/mental health statuses. As safe driving is key to prolonging independence in late life, clinicians need to educate older adults about the risk of marijuana use, alone and with other substances, on their driving capacity and provide age-appropriate treatment for marijuana use disorder.
Towards judicial transparency in China: The new public access database for court decisions
Authors: Ahl Björn , Sprick Daniel
Published: December 2017

Since 2013 judicial reforms in China have intensified. While recent studies of the Chinese judiciary have focused on structural reforms concerning the jurisdiction of courts and internal court management, it has largely gone unnoticed that the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) has established an open-access database archiving the decisions of every court in China. On the basis of legal documents, secondary literature and interviews with experts, this study investigates the implications of the new database. We find that the database establishes new channels of communication that affect the relationship between the courts and the public, and the position of judges within the judiciary. Further, the open-access database facilitates changes in the structure of communication among legal experts, which in turn promotes legal professionalism. We argue that the SPC made use of the party policy on the direct accountability of the courts towards the people in order to pursue its institutional interest in a professional judiciary.
Disembedding lawful activism in contemporary China: The confrontational politics of a green NGO’s legal mobilization
Authors: Wei Lit Yew
Published: December 2017

Recent legal reforms in China, particularly amendments in 2014 to the Environmental Protection Law, have encouraged environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) to embrace legal strategies in their advocacy. However, the wider significance of such strategies remains understudied and underestimated. This article examines one such example in Xiamen, Fujian Province, where an ENGO, incensed by the conversion of walkways into parking spaces, led the first administrative lawsuit in the name of ‘pedestrians’ rights’ (行人路权) in China in early 2015. Based on digital ethnography and participant observation, the case illustrates three salient points: first, legal mobilization is conflict-laden and confrontational; second, depoliticized legal actions belie the development of popular critical consciousness; and third, professional ties have become more instrumental than connections with state officials. The net result is then an embedded activism that evinces disembedding tensions. This questions conventional expectations over Chinese environmental activism, that it is non-confrontational and overdependent on personal relations with local officials. In addition to elucidating the disembedding processes and experiences absent in previous ENGO literature, this exploratory research offers a snapshot of lawful activism among environmentalists, illustrating the wider opportunities and challenges accompanying ‘the turn to law’.
18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography imaging in HIV-infected patients with lymphadenopathy, with or without fever and/or splenomegaly
Authors: Jain L , Mackenzie S , Bomanji JB , Shortman R , Noursadeghi M , Edwards SG , Miller RF
Published: December 2017

We audited whether 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18FDG PET-CT) imaging could discriminate between different diagnoses in HIV-infected patients presenting with lymphadenopathy, with or without fever and/or splenomegaly. Maximum standardised uptake (SUVmax) values were similar in lymphoma and mycobacterial and fungal infections and were lower but similar in those with human herpesvirus (HHV) 8-associated disease and HIV-associated reactive lymphadenopathy. Nodal 18FDG avidity, with SUVmax ≥10, excluded diagnoses of HHV 8-associated disease and miscellaneous conditions, and HIV-associated reactive lymphadenopathy was additionally excluded in those who had undetectable plasma HIV viral loads. This audit suggests 18FDG PET-CT imaging did not permit discrimination between specific diagnoses but has utility in identifying lymph nodes with increased avidity that could be targeted for biopsy and in ruling out significant pathology.
An Audience Analysis of Inner City Black Businesspeople
Authors: Krohn Franklin B. , Rogers Donald P.
Published: December 2017

The study reported here describes the procedures used in conducting an audience analysis, the results of the analysis, and recommendations to commercial banks in communicating with black businesspeople. The audience analysis included: (1) relationship of the audience (black businesspeople) to the communicator (commercial banks); (2) the relationship of the audience to the subject and purpose of the message; (3) the basic beliefs and attitudes of the audience, and (4) the characteristics of the audience. Questionnaires and interviews were used to gather data from 380 black businesspeople. Based upon the results, eleven specific conclusions for commercial banks to use as guidelines in communicating with black businesspeople were drawn.
The World of Small Business: A Suggested Typology
Authors: Preston Lee E.
Published: December 2017

Detailed study of a sample of more than 200 originally-small firms in a single major industrial area, plus an examination of new business successes as identified by Fortune, reveals five major types of small enterprises, only a minority of which can be described as successful “post-industrial” activities based on new areas of knowledge and new sources of demand. By far the overwhelming portion of the firms studied were found to be operating within traditional “small business industries”, in highly specialized activities with very small total demand, and in satellite roles to major industries or large firms.
Researching Marketing Activities in Small Commercial Banks1
Authors: Kizilbash A.H. , Maile Carlton A.
Published: December 2017

Commercial banking is going through a period of transition which is being molded by various environmental changes. A successful transition will require that banks adopt many of the marketing techniques utilized by the packaged goods industries. This observation applies to both large and small commercial banking institutions. In order to ascertain the current status of their marketing activities, 273 Illinois banks were surveyed. New product introductions, advertising, and product differentiation were found to be the most frequently used marketing techniques. Least used marketing variables included marketing research, statement of marketing objectives, timely consumer information, and employment of full time marketing staff.
Characteristics of Minority Entrepreneurs and Small Business Enterprises
Authors: Gomolka Eugene
Published: December 2017

Questionnaire data was obtained from 220 minority entrepreneurs pertinent to their social backgrounds, demographic characteristics, and company characteristics. Comparisons with previous research on nonminority entrepreneurs found the minority entrepreneurs surveyed to be younger, less foreign-born, higher in educational level, but similar in economic and social background. Significant relationships were found between various personal characteristics of minority entrepreneurs and characteristics of their firms.
Marketing Insights from a Classification of Services
Authors: Swan John E. , Pruden Henry O.
Published: December 2017

This article presents a classification of consumer service establishments based on the degree to which the consumer views the service as a means to an end, (i.e. an instrumental service) or considers the service to be an end in itself (i.e. an expressive service). Elements of the marketing mix should be shaped to fit the classification of the service. The instrumental service is a means to an end and for this reason the customer will wish to minimize the time, effort, and money necessary to obtain and use the service. Convenient location, fast service, and competitive prices will be important in the marketing mix. Expressive services, considered as ends in and of themselves, attract customers by providing better quality.
Business Failures, Managerial Competence, and Macroeconomic Variables
Authors: Dipietro William , Sawhney Bansi
Published: December 2017

Identifying the causes of business failures is crucial for effective policy making, and is especially important for small businesses which account for the largest component of firm failures in the U.S. As an example, if we find that managerial skills are important in reducing firm failures, resources can be directed toward management training and education programs. Policies designed to reduce failures would not only reduce the hardships on the individuals affected directly by such failures but would also aid in the smooth functioning of the economy.

There are two important factors which jointly determine the failure rate of businesses in the economy. The first is internal — the effectiveness of management, and the second is external — the general economic environment. Overall the purpose of this paper is to use the traditional economic model of the firm to discuss the importance of each of these factors in determining business failures and to use time-series data to assess the relative weight of each factor in determining failures over time. Specifically the objectives of this paper are: first, to economically define managerial competency; second, to test the hypothesis that managerial efficiency has increased over time; and third, to assess the effect of selected macroeconomic variables on firm failures.
Venture Capital through ‘Regulation A’ Public Offering
Authors: Vesper Karl H. , Pederson Arthur M.
Published: December 2017

From examination of 79 Regulation A filings it was found that 25 percent were withdrawn before clearance, 68 percent were cleared and the rest were pending. Average time to clear was 3 months. Clearance costs ranged from $250 to $60,000 with a median of $6,000 and mean of $10,000. Those offerings which fared best used either lawyers highly experienced with securities or none at all, had good performance records and tended to offer special tax advantages to investors. Less than half managed to sell 25 percent of their securities. Limited partnerships and firms using professional securities sales people sold best.
Small Businesses Really Do Manage
Authors: Reuter Vincent G.
Published: December 2017

Research data from 228 respondents is reported on an employee size basis concerning both the utilization status and the “most valuable” status of 24 management tools. It appears that the small firms extensively utilize most of the tools and are somewhat comparable to the larger firms in the utilization of the management tools; surprisingly, the small firms even show greater utilization in a few instances. Differences between firm size categories are shown in the relative rankings of the “most valuable” tools. The study concludes that although a firm is small this fact need not preclude the use of the management tools.
An Attitudinal Comparison of Black and White Small Businessmen
Authors: Sonfield Matthew C.
Published: December 2017

Black and white small businessmen respondents indicated a variety of similarities and differences in business attitudes. Common stereotypes regarding the black middle class and the small businessman were rejected. Resulting profiles showed that the potentials of black and white small businessmen are equal, but not the opportunities available to them.
The Social Responsibility of Minority-Owned Small Business Companies
Authors: Gomolka Eugene G.
Published: December 2017

Questionnaire data from the chief operating executives of 220 minority-owned small business companies showed significant differences in the number and type of social responsibility activities engaged in when compared to previous samples of nonminority-owned large and small business companies. Various individual and company characteristics are related to the level of social responsibility activity.
Perceptions of Time-Sharing Service firms regarding the Small Business Market
Authors: Ledbetter William N. , Zmud Robert W.
Published: December 2017

Marketing managers are surveyed to determine their perceptions of the small business market, and their capabilities and involvement in small business computing. Time-sharing firms appear to serve two distinct markets: large, diverse businesses and small businesses. A majority of the firms, however, are actively pursuing the small business market. Current involvement is greatest in manufacturing, service, and wholesale small businesses, and future involvement is believed to be greater for these areas than for retail and construction small businesses.
Export Marketing Orientation in Small Firms
Authors: Abdel-Malek Talaat
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this article is to test empirically the hypothesis that managers of small firms are less export-oriented than those of larger firms. Testing was done by using data gathered by the author through personal interviews and a structured questionnaire from a sample of Canadian manufacturing firms which comprised exporters and non-exporters of various size. The results showed substantial similarity between small and large firms in terms of both managerial export-orientation and actual export involvement (exports as a ratio of total sales) of sample firms. Some proable reasons explaining this finding are given in the concluding section.
The Response of Small Manufacturers to the Energy Environment — an Exploratory Study
Authors: Doctors Samuel I. , Fahey Liam , Patton G. Richard
Published: December 2017

This research examines the impact of the severe energy/weather conditions during the Winter 1976–77 on smaller manufacturers in Western Pennsylvania. It was found that size of firm, energy intensity and extent of energy curtailment were not related (statistically) to the kind and extent of firms' energy conservation programs and/or the nature of the managerial response to the above mentioned conditions. The sample firms had made few major commitments to improve energy efficiency. Lack of capital resources and a perception that energy savings would not significantly affect profitability emerge as major inhibiting factors to investment in energy conservation.
Participative Management in the Small Firm: A Longitudinal Study of an M.B.O. Program
Authors: Latona Joseph C.
Published: December 2017

This paper reports the results of a participative management Program on members of a small firm in the areas of behavior (commitment) of employees and attitude of these employees toward management (leadership). A technique for the implementation of such a program for small firms is outlined. Data was collected for two time Periods: pre MBO and post MBO. The results indicate that there were significant changes in nine of the fourteen behavioral dimensions measured (seven at the .01 level), as well as seven of the eight dimensions of attitude of employees toward management (six at the .01 level).
A Financial Profile of Small Retailing Firms
Authors: Droms William G. , Miller Charles W. , Lacerte Grant A.
Published: December 2017

In spite of its key role in the American economy, small business has been largely ignored in major financial publications. This paper empirically explores and discusses some of the key financial characteristics of a sample of 607 small retailing firms. Specifically, the paper presents empirical frequency distributions of fourteen key financial ratios reflecting liquidity, profitability, leverage, and operating efficiency for the firms in the sample. The data indicate that successful small retailers may be considerably more liquid, more profitable, and less highly leveraged than commonly observed.
Loan Terms and Loan Repayment Performance: The Experience with Minority Small Businesses
Authors: Page Albert L. , Cowen Scott , Cohen Martin
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study which examines the relationship between the structural characteristics of loans to minority small businesses and loan performance. The study represents an extension of research to the analysis of small business loan performance [2, 5, 7, 14]. As such it provides another perspective to understanding the performance of such loans by considering the relationships that exist between loan characteristics and loan performance. In particular, the finding regarding the relationship between the amount of the loan and loan performance provides important additional evidence relevant to a debate in the literature between Edelstein [5, 6] and Bates and Hester [3] about the effect of the loan size variable.
Determinants of Unsuccessful Risk Capital Funding by Small Business
Authors: Johnson James M.
Published: December 2017

Although Small Business Investment Corporations (SBIC's) and venture Capital Firms (VC's) represent potential sources of long-term financing for small businesses, little is known about their investment behavior. The purpose of this article is to examine the major reasons why entrepreneurs are denied financing by these investment companies. By examining the funding rejection determinants of other businesses, the entrepreneur may better appraise his or her firm's chances for successful financing and evaluate how the business might be changed to improve funding possibilities.
A Matrix Approach to Vendor Selection for Small Business Buyers
Authors: Manzer L. Lee , Ireland R. Duane , Van Auken Philip M.
Published: December 2017

This paper focuses on a quantifiable matrix approach for small business vendor selection. The matrix evaluates many of the critical decisional variables in vendor selection, showing considerable sensitivity to subjective processes. The speed and simplicity of the matrix are uniquely suited to the problems and constraints frequently encountered by small business firms.
Computer Liabilities and Risks
Authors: Drury D. H.
Published: December 2017

Reductions in size and costs have increasingly made computer processing available to smaller businesses. The gains inherent in adopting the newer technology carry risks which are not familiar in the small business environment. In this article, the major types of computer liabilities are classified. The risks and hidden costs are identified. Advances in computer technology are found not to match the availability of risk coverage. These difficulties are found to be particularly acute with small business necessitating considerable effort in order to avoid unnecessary risks.
The Use of Accounting Information in the Small Business Firm's Planning and Control Process
Authors: Dunne Patrick M. , Ezell Dee E. , Roberts Arthur T.
Published: December 2017

The need for information relative to the current state of business affairs and the potential impact upon operations including future opportunities should be recognized, both in planning and execution of plans. The use of accounting information as a basis for necessary analysis and interpretation is relatively simple and effective approach for small business managers. This article details the utlization of modularized contribution margin income statements and their contribution to the decision-making and policy formulation processes. The segmented approach to financial accounting and reporting affords the level of visualization and control that small businesses require.
Risk Management for the Small Importer-Exporter
Authors: Schweser Carl , Peterson Tom
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the nature of foreign exchange risk and to familiarize managers of small- and medium-sized businesses with the use of foreign currency futures as a risk-management tool. Examples will show that the small business can reduce its exposure to foreign exchange risks by hedging with foreign currency futures.
Labor Productivity in Large and Small Enterprises
Authors: Miller Edward M.
Published: December 2017

Using the 1972 Enterprise Statistics of the U.S. Census Bureau, the labor productivity (receipts divided by employment) of large enterprises exceeded that of small firms by an average of 13.4% for 192 industries in manufacturing, trade, services, construction, and mining. The lowest productivities were typically found in firms with 10 to 99 employees. In almost a third of the industries, such firms had productivity below 80% of the average for their industries. There are implications for antitrust and for small business assistance policies.
Small Business Growth Characteristics
Authors: Boardman Calvin M. , Bartley Jon W. , Ratliff Richard L.
Published: December 2017

Financial characteristics are presented for small firms whose sales increased at a rate greater than the inflation rate over the period 1974–1979. It is noted that these characteristics differ somewhat depending on whether they were a retailer, manufacturer or wholesaler. A growing small firm is generally characterized as one which increases its leverage, decreases its liquidity and incurs a heavy investment in operational assets. Interestingly, it is also shown that these same characteristics, if taken to extremes, are typical of the failed companies in the sample. The reward of growth is success; the risk of growth is failure.
How Small Business can Use Consumer Shopping Types as a Planning Tool
Authors: Lill David J. , Peterson Robin T. , Wall Larry C.
Published: December 2017

The empirical evidence presented in this article suggests practical ways of designing retail strategies based on consumer shopping orientations. It appears that such an orientation model is as applicable to small business managers as it is to their larger business counterparts. Certainly, localized market segmentation by shopping orientation is a potential tool for both large and “small” business firms. The article discusses several orientations, their relationship to buyer behavior and concludes with retail strategy applications.
The Coronary Costs of Choosing a Small Business Career
Authors: Boyd David P. , Webb Ronald J.
Published: December 2017

Psychosocial variables, characterized by the well-known “Type A” behavior pattern, have recently been implicated in conjunction with coronary heart disease (CHD). This study identifies the incidence of Type A behavior among a sample of small business executives and relates the behavior pattern to organizational characteristics. Findings suggest that these executives are in urgent need of stress reduction programs.
Flexible Budgeting as a Management Tool
Authors: Tucker Marvin W.
Published: December 2017

The managerial tool of flexible budgeting usually is presented as a large business application. The purpose of this paper is to present flexible budgeting as a practical tool that also has utility for the small business. Flexible budgeting is introduced by way of comparison with static budgeting, and its central ingredients are discussed. Then practical implementation difficulties are identified followed by their suggested resolution. Finally, several applications are suggested for the small business.
Information Systems in Small Business: Are They Used in Managerial Decisions?
Authors: Raymond Louis , Magnenat-Thalmann Nadia
Published: December 2017

Much of the literature on MIS in small companies has been normative and qualitative in nature. In this paper, an attempt is made to analyze empirically the actual impact of MIS in these firms through a pilot study of small business managers' perceptions of their decision problems as related to the available information. A factual picture of the current state of MIS in these companies is then presented. Finally, the impact of MIS, as perceived by the managers, is assessed and a conclusion is drawn on new possibilities for information systems in small organizations.
Small Business Commercial Loan Selection Decision: An Empirical Evaluation
Authors: Jones Nathaniel
Published: December 2017

For many years, bank decision-makers and academic researchers have recognized the significance of both commercial banks and small businesses to the overall economy of America. However, there appears to be little, if any, statistically valid empirical research dealing with the decision-making processes in commercial banks which commit funds to small businesses. This article deals specifically with the decision-making process of 30 commercial loan decision-makers as they are faced with commercial loan selection decisions concerning Small Business (SBA guaranteed) new business loans.
Selecting the First Small Business Computer
Authors: Francl Thomas J. , Erikson Warren , Lin W. Thomas
Published: December 2017

Large corporations were stung by the computer bug in the 1960s, and now small, family-owned businesses are being bitten. Most people feel left behind if their business doesn't have a computer, but buying one can actually be worse than resisting the urge to go with the crowd. The low costs of computers are elusive: The ad may say $500, but a business “starter” system is probably closer to $5,000, and the problems caused by a computer can cost $50,000. If s possible not to get stung if you are reasonably careful and ask the right questions. This article shows you how to start.
Opportunities for Small Business in third World Markets
Authors: Dawson Leslie M.
Published: December 2017

Third world countries are likely to constitute the world's real growth market of the future. Possible product/service opportunities in such nations range from the most elemental to the most esoteric, competitive pressures are less intense than in developed countries, and special trade incentives frequently exist. Small businesses may be better equipped than the large multinational to devise relatively low-risk, profit-returning strategies for entering such markets. This article offers suggestions to the small entrepreneur for selecting market targets, spotting worthwhile product/service opportunities, and preparing market entry plans.
Recurring Managerial Problems in Small Business
Authors: Khan M. Riaz , Rocha Joseph R.
Published: December 2017

This paper identifies and analyzes some recurring problems generally experienced by small businesses. It reviews performance studies made of fifty-two companies sponsored by the Small Business Administration over the period 1977 to 1981 to determine whether some broad operational patterns can be observed. An analysis of the key performance variables used in identifying major problems confronting the firms is presented here. The main problem areas are considered for the firms as a group and then as they fall in manufacturing, retailing, and service sectors. Findings are evaluated so that some general guidelines can be suggested for solving typical management problems.
Delegating for Small Business Success
Authors: Cuba Richard C. , Milbourn Gene
Published: December 2017

This research examines specific management practices used by small business owners in five eastern cities. Data collected from 154 firms were analyzed to determine the extent to which business owners delegate certain tasks to other employees. The degree of delegation of administrative and technical tasks was determined to be a key factor affecting business survival and financial success.

Specific recommendations are made to entrepreneurs and educators concerning the delegation skills needed to manage a small business.
Using Financial Structure Planning to Improve Small Business Performance
Authors: Chrisman James J. , Bhandari Shyam B.
Published: December 2017

Since return on equity usually represents a primary source of income for the small business owner, achieving a satisfactory ROE should be a major goal for any small business. One way to improve ROE is through proper use of leverage and financial structure planning.

The purpose of this paper is to provide the small business manager with a simple method for evaluating alternative capital structures to improve potential returns and analyze the comparative financial risks.
Small Business Observations
Authors: Franklin Carl M.
Published: December 2017

The importance of a satisfied employee to all organizations is great. Large and small businesses alike can be more productive if their employees are happy. Below is an article reflecting how this phenomenon can be achieved.
Cost Efficient Problem-Solving Techniques for Small Businesses
Authors: Saladin Brooke A. , Hoy Frank
Published: December 2017

The basic premise upon which the Production/Operations Management discipline is built is that organizations desire to manage a set of limited resources such that certain inputs are transformed into desired outputs in the most efficient and effective manner. This is true of any type or size organization: public or private, manufacturing or service, large or small. Yet, managers of small organizations may forego the use of Production/Operations Management (P/OM) techniques, sensing that the benefits to be derived from such techniques do not outweigh their costs. This article reports the results of a survey of P/OM practices in small firms and shows that there are needs small business managers have which can be satisfied through the use of cost-efficent P/OM techniques.
A Technical Aid for EOQ Determination
Authors: Banks Jerry , Heikes Russell G.
Published: December 2017

This article presents a procedure and nomograph which can be used in making economic order quantity (EOQ) decisions. The benefits from using the procedure and nomograph are a reduction in the amount of data needed and the very rapid determination of the EOQ.
Perceived Causes of Small Business Failures: A Research Note
Authors: Peterson Robert A. , Kozmetsky George , Ridgway Nancy M.
Published: December 2017

A nationwide survey of approximately 1,000 small business owners and managers was conducted to investigate the perceived causes of small business failure. In addition, survey participants were asked for suggestions for reducing the number of small business failures. The major cause of small business failures—according to the individuals surveyed—is a lack of management expertise. Consequently, the survey participants’ primary suggestion for decreasing small business failures was to improve management education. 1

1 This research was supported in part by a grant from Safeguard Business Systems, Inc.
Labor Market Segmentation in Small Business?
Authors: Schmidt Karl-Heinz
Published: December 2017

The structural changes of the labor market in the industrialized economies have become an important topic of labor market research and practical labor market policy. Yet, little progress has been realized hitherto concerning the market position of different qualities of labor occupied in small business enterprises. Referring to West-European countries, and especially to West Germany, the following article gives some insight into the functioning of the tripartite labor market and its consequences for the employment fluctuations in very small enterprises on the one hand and in big firms on the other. The main question is whether small business is marked by labor market segmentation in the same way as it has been stated for big firms by the recent development of labor market theory.
Personnel Practices in Smaller Firms: A Survey and Recommendations
Authors: McEvoy Glenn M.
Published: December 2017

An interview survey of 54 businesses with between 25 and 250 employees was carried out in an effort to discover the strengths and weaknesses of current personnel practices in smaller firms. Most firms seemed to do reasonably well in terms of written personnel policies, providing praise and recognition for employees, and in carrying out informal job analyses. Areas needing improvement were human resource planning, job descriptions, performance evaluation, motivation and satisfaction of employees, creative recruitment and selection methods, pension planning, and upgrading the overall knowledge about personnel by those responsible for the human resource function. Recommendations for cost effective ways of addressing these shortcomings are made.
The Meaning of Entrepreneurship
Authors: Long Wayne
Published: December 2017

This paper reviews various definitions of entrepreneurship employed by a number of theoretical economists since Richard Cantillon (circa 1730). Three recurring themes emerge from their definitions, namely that “entrepreneurship” involves: 1) uncertainty and risk, 2) complementary managerial competence, and 3) creative opportunism. The authors argue that modern definitions of entrepreneurship that exclude any of these three fundamental dimensions are basically incomplete.
Strategic Issues Management in the Commuter Airlines Industry
Authors: Cunningham Lawrence F. , Young John E. , Wood Wallace R.
Published: December 2017

In this article, the authors define current strategic issues in the commuter airlines industry. They demonstrate how strategic issues can present vulnerabilities to individual airlines, depending upon the airline's strategic position. External strategic issues are shown to create major strategic decisions for top-level airline executives which in turn can have a deterministic effect on airline performance. Surveys were administered to determine the perceived importance of strategic decisions facing commuter airline executives. Some characteristics of strategic decision-making and planning among commuter airlines were discovered. Suggestions for improving strategic decision-making and planning for commuter airlines were presented.