bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Business Success versus Failure Variables between U.S. and Central Eastern Europe Croatian Entrepreneurs
Authors: Lussier Robert N. , Pfeifer Sanja
Published: January 2018

In this study, 15 success versus failure variables were tested for differences between U.S. and Central Eastern Europe Croatian (CEEC) entrepreneurs. Nine of the values were significantly different at the .05 level and two at the .10 level (73%). U.S. Entrepreneurs started with greater capital, had more years of management experience, developed more detailed planning, made greater use of professional advice, had more college graduates, sold products with better product life-cycle timing, started their business during better economic times, were older, included more partnerships, and had more parents who owned a business than CEEC entrepreneurs, while CEEC entrepreneurs had an easier time staffing than U.S. entrepreneurs. The Lussier (1995) U.S. success versus failure prediction model was tested using logistic regression (S/F = f staffing, education, use of professional advice, planning) and it was also a significant predictor in CEEC. The findings should help lead to redefining entrepreneurship in CEEC, as many of its countries commonly believe that human resources have little to do with business success and failure. As the view of human resources changes, more resources should be allocated to develop employees.
CEO Dismissal in Venture Capital-Backed Firms: Further Evidence from an Agency Perspective
Authors: Bruton Garry D. , Fried Vance H. , Hisrich Robert D.
Published: January 2018

This study uses agency theory to examine CEO dismissal in venture capital-backed firms. Prior applications of agency theory have focused on reducing managerial opportunism by aligning the interests of manager with owner. Unlike large, mature firms, venture capital-backed companies feature high levels of CEO stock ownership. In this environment, we find that the primary reason for CEO dismissal is lack of agent ability, followed by good faith disagreements between principal and agent, with managerial opportunism ranking last. Further, we find that CEOs dismissed for opportunism owned more stock than those dismissed for other reasons.
Human Resource Management Practices in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Unanswered Questions and Future Research Perspectives
Authors: Heneman Robert L. , Tansky Judith W. , Camp S. Michael
Published: January 2018

A qualitative assessment is used to identify and describe the “gaps” between concerns entrepreneurs have about human resource management issues in growing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the topics emphasized in the research literature on human resource practices in SMEs. Survey data from 156 young entrepreneurs, focus group data from 173 CEO/founders of fast-growth entrepreneurial firms, and 129 research articles were reviewed. Results revealed gaps and omissions in the literature, Including the importance to entrepreneurs of developing high-potential employees that can perform multiple roles under various stages of organizational growth and the matching of people to the organizational culture. Recommended perspectives for future research are identified.
Employer Legitimacy and Recruitment Success in Small Businesses
Authors: Williamson Ian O.
Published: January 2018

Recruiting new employees is one of the biggest challenges facing small businesses, and a key component of organizational success. Unfortunately, existing human resource literature has almost entirely focused on medium and large firms. In addition, past recruitment research has neglected the possible influence of institutional forces on organizational recruitment success. This paper attempts to address these potential gaps in the literature by utilizing institutional theory to develop a strategic model of small business recruitment.
Human Resource Management, TQM, and Firm Performance in Small and Medium-Size Enterprises
Authors: Chandler Gaylen N. , Mcevoy Glenn M.
Published: January 2018

This study analyzes the moderating effect of two key human resource practices on the relationship between organizational strategy and firm performance. In a sample of 66 small to medium-sized manufacturing firms we found that a total quality management strategy was most effective when supported by significant training and group-based incentive compensation. This result is discussed in light of the current debate in the field about “best practice” versus “fit” models of human resource management and business strategy.
Unraveling the Determinants and Consequences of an Innovation-Supportive Organizational Culture
Authors: Chandler Gaylen N. , Keller Chalon , Lyon Douglas W.
Published: January 2018

The current research identifies constructs that are supportive of an innovative culture in small to medium-sized enterprises. A sample of 429 employees in 23 small to medium-sized manufacturing firms was used to identify constructs associated with an innovative culture. Supervisory support and reward system support are both positively related to an innovative culture. Perceived work overload is negatively related. Companies with cultures supportive of innovation tend to be smaller, have fewer formalized human resource practices, and less munificent resources. There is no direct relationship between an innovative culture and firm performance; however, when the competitive environment is changing rapidly firm earnings are enhanced by an innovative culture.
Human Resources in Initial Public Offering Firms: Do Venture Capitalists Make a Difference?
Authors: Cyr Linda A. , Johnson Diane E. , Welbourne Theresa M.
Published: January 2018

Venture capitalists’ preference for complete, well-balanced founding teams is well established. In addition, the strategic human resource management literature posits that superior performance might accrue to firms that have a member of the top management team responsible for human resources. In this paper, we test whether or not venture capitalist backing affects the likelihood that initial public offering firms will report having a vice president of human resources. We also examine the combined effect on performance as a result of being venture capital-backed and having a vice president of human resources.
The People/Performance Balance in IPO Firms: The Effect of the Chief Executive Officer's Financial Orientation
Authors: Andrews Alice O. , Welbourne Theresa M.
Published: January 2018

Welbourne and Andrews (1996) studied IPO firms and found that Tobin's Q, at the time of the IPO, was lower for firms that they coded as having higher levels of human resource value (HR Value). However, those same firms were more likely to survive five years after the IPO. Given that finding, this study examines one factor that may influence the firm's choice between maximizing short-term financial performance (doing well at the IPO) or long-term performance (maximizing HR value). Using the theory of upper echelons (Hambrick & Mason, 1984), we show that the decision on how to balance these forces is shaped in part by the chief executive officer's (CEO) functional background. We focus on CEOs with primary training in finance because they will most closely identify with investment community pressures to perform well at the time of the IPO. In two different samples of IPO firms, we find that the CEO's financial background is associated with lower levels of human resource value, but, contrary to what we expected, having a finance-oriented CEO does not maximize short-term gains in the IPO.
Research Note: Trade Name Franchise Membership as a Human Resource Management Strategy: Does Buying Group Training Deliver ‘True Value’ for Small Retailers?
Authors: Litz Reginald A. , Stewart Alice C.
Published: January 2018

Human resource management (HRM) is an important source of competitive advantage. However, recent reports document that HRM, and in particular employee training, is less likely to occur in small firms. One possible remedy of special interest to small retailers is trade name franchise membership. Trade name franchises, or buying groups, claim to offer small firms advantages not otherwise realizable, including bulk buying discounts, brand name recognition and workforce training. We report results from our study of over 300 small and medium-sized hardware stores, which tested the effects of employee training and trade name franchise membership, on small firm performance. Trade name franchisees achieve higher mean performance; however, the contribution to performance made by franchisees’ training does not appear to be significantly better than that of independent stores.
Friendship within Entrepreneurial Teams and its Association with Team and Venture Performance
Authors: Francis Deborah H. , Sandberg William R.
Published: January 2018

This article explores friendship within the entrepreneurial team with particular attention to its association with the team's behavior and the performance of the venture. Building on a foundation in the literatures on friendship, entrepreneurial teams, and strategic decisions, we propose 13 such relationships.

Friendship facilitates the formation of management teams for new ventures, thereby improving their early performance. As the entrepreneurial team continues to function, friendship is conducive to decision-making processes that enhance the team's effectiveness in solving “wicked” problems and ultimately improve the venture's performance. Friendships, under different circumstances, may exert either positive or negative influences on turnover within the entrepreneurial team, and those influences may improve or impair the venture's performance. (At the same time, behavior within the team or events in the venture's development may affect friendships within the team.)

Finally we develop and discuss several implications of our propositions for research and practice in entrepreneurship. We point out methodological considerations and directions for future research that would address these implications.
Founder Centrality and Strategic Behavior in the Family-Owned Firm
Authors: Kelly Louise M. , Athanassiou Nicholas , Crittenden William F.
Published: January 2018

This paper explores how founders influence strategic management in the family business. The authors suggest it is essential to consider the central influence of a family firm's founder on the top management group and on the firm's strategic values, goals, and behavior. They further posit that a founder can be expected to shape the family firm's interactions with the external environment. The authors explore the central role that a founder plays in a family business from a social network perspective and establish the basis for the founder centrality concept. Further, they develop a framework and propositions from which the founder's influence on strategic behavior and performance may be studied.
Impact of SME Manager's Behavior on the Adoption of Technology
Authors: Gagnon Yves-C. , Sicotte Hélène , Posada Elisabeth
Published: January 2018

It has been acknowledged that firms must resort to technology in order to acquire the flexibility needed to meet the challenges posed by the globalization of the economy. The successful adoption of new technology has thus become a matter of survival for companies.

Several studies have already highlighted the importance of the manager's behavior in the process of adopting technology. The Stevenson model suggests that this behavior may be situated anywhere on a continuum ranging from the characteristics of the administrator, at one extreme, to those of the entrepreneur, at the other.

Using this model, we conducted a study of senior managers to analyze their behavior in the decision to adopt a new technology. A questionnaire was mailed to 450 of them and in-depth interviews were conducted among 54 others.

Our findings show that in the process of adopting a new technology, half the managers adopted a behavior closer to that of an administrator. The other half acted more like entrepreneurs. This seems to have a major impact on the success of the adoption since we found that managers with an entrepreneurial style were not as successful as those who adopt an administrative style.
Opportunity Recognition: An Exploratory Investigation of a Component of the Entrepreneurial Process in the Context of the Health Care Industry
Authors: Mccline Richard L. , Bhat Subodh , Baj Pam
Published: January 2018

In this study we build upon a conceptualization of part of the entrepreneurship process that is frequently labeled “entrepreneurial attitude orientation.” This study uses a contextually rich conceptualization of a new exploratory measure, “entrepreneurial opportunity recognition” (EOR), that is modeled after the attitudinal approach used by Robinson, Stimpson, Huefner, and Hunt (1991). The study also uses a relatively unexplored industry context, the change-charged health care industry, to explore the potential of this new scale to correctly classify entrepreneurs from non-entrepreneurs. Results suggest a promising potential for the EOR and the attitude approach in entrepreneurship research.
A Dynamic Model of Entrepreneurial Learning
Authors: Minniti Maria , Bygrave William
Published: January 2018

We model entrepreneurial learning as a calibrated algorithm of an iterated choice problem in which entrepreneurs learn by updating a subjective stock of knowledge accumulated on the basis of past experiences. Specifically, we argue that entrepreneurs repeat only those choices that appear most promising and discard the ones that resulted in failure. The contribution of the paper is twofold. First, we provide a structural model of entrepreneurial learning in which failure is as informative—though clearly not as desirable—as success. Second, to complement standard economic models in which agents are rational, we allow our entrepreneurs to have myopic foresight. Our entrepreneurs process information, make mistakes, update their decisional algorithms and, possibly, through this struggle, improve their performance.
How Do “Resource Bundles” Develop and Change in New Ventures? A Dynamic Model and Longitudinal Exploration
Authors: Lichtenstein Benyamin M. Bergmann , Brush Candida G.
Published: January 2018

According to recent studies applying Resource-Based Theory [RBT] to entrepreneurial firms (e.g. Chandler & Hanks, 1994; Brush & Greene, 1996), in the early stages of new venture development it is the identification and acquisition of resources—rather than deployment or allocation activities—that is crucial for the firm's long-term success (Stevenson & Gumpert, 1985). This study explores that relationship longitudinally, tracking salient resources in three rapidly growing new ventures, and analyzing how these resources change over time. Our findings identify the most common types of salient resources, the primary types of changes in resource and resource bundles, and a pattern linking the type of change with short-term performance results in each firm.
West Point Market: Managing a Challenge from the EEOC
Authors: Finkle Todd A. , Figler Robert A. , Dunning Kenneth A.
Published: January 2018

Russell Vernon, a second-generation owner and manager of West Point Market in Akron, Ohio, must decide whether to settle, go to court, or reconcile (mutually agreeable solution) with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on an allegation of racial discrimination. He firmly believes that he is innocent. If he chooses to reconcile or settle the case out of court, he could be construed as a racist. If he chooses to go to court and loses, he may lose his family business. This emotionally charged situation is presented as a management decision that must be based on an analysis of the facts. The case is especially interesting due to the perceptions that students have of “the role of governmental agencies” and “the use of racial-based quotas in the workforce.”
Is There an Elephant in Entrepreneurship? Blind Assumptions in Theory Development
Authors: Gartner William B.
Published: January 2018

This article uses the six key specification decisions for entrepreneurship research (purpose, theoretical perspective, focus, level of analysis, time frame, and methodology) outlined in Low and MacMillan (1988) to explore unstated assumptions in entrepreneurship theory development. An article by Shane and Venkataraman (2000), “The Promise of Entrepreneurship as a Field of Research,” is analyzed and recommended as a model for clarity. A recommendation is made that the field of entrepreneurship needs to develop communities of scholars identified with specific research questions and issues.
Many are Called, but Few are Chosen: An Evolutionary Perspective for the Study of Entrepreneurship
Authors: Aldrich Howard E. , Martinez Martha Argelia
Published: January 2018

More than a decade ago, Low and MacMillan identified three elements indispensable to an understanding of entrepreneurial success: process, context, and outcomes. Since their critique, three important advances include (a) a shift in theoretical emphasis from the characteristics of entrepreneurs as individuals to the consequences of their actions, (b) a deeper understanding of how entrepreneurs use knowledge, networks, and resources to construct firms, and (c) a more sophisticated taxonomy of environmental forces at different levels of analysis (population, community, and society) that affect entrepreneurship. Although our knowledge of entrepreneurial activities has increased dramatically, we still have much to learn about how process and context interact to shape the outcome of entrepreneurial efforts. From an evolutionary approach, process and context (strategy and environment) interact in a recursive continuous process, driving the fate of entrepreneurial efforts. Thus, integrating context and process into research designs remains a major challenge. Such integration constitutes a necessary step to a more complete evolutionary approach and a better understanding of entrepreneurial success.
Learning Strategies and Resources for Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs
Authors: Honig Benson
Published: January 2018

This study compares the different learning strategies of 283 nascent entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. Data come from a longitudinal study of the Swedish population. Using a typology of organizational learning systems, four different strategies were examined along with other human capital variables. Different learning strategies were shown to be used by entrepreneurs versus intrapreneurs.
Some Problems in Using Subjective Measures of Effectiveness to Evaluate Entrepreneurial Assistance Programs
Authors: McMullan Ed , Chrisman James J. , Vesper Karl
Published: January 2018

Two samples of entrepreneurs and small business owners who received assistance from entrepreneurship training programs were used to Investigate the relationships between (1) subjective measures of client satisfaction, (2) perceptions of performance Improvements attributable to the programs, and (3) objective measures of post-assistance business performance. The results show that subjective measures are not correlated with either attributions of performance or actual performance. Clients’ attributions of the portion of performance improvements attributed to the programs are generally correlated with the objective measurements. An implication seems to be that program evaluations relying exclusively upon participants’ satisfaction or subjective judgments of program effectiveness may lead to erroneous conclusions about a program's impact on venture performance. Conversely, measures of attribution, used In conjunction with objective measures, may be useful to support claims for causal connections between assistance programs and subsequent client performance.
Technology-Based Strategic Actions in New Firms: The Influence of Founding Technology Resources
Authors: Kelley Donna J. , Rice Mark P.
Published: January 2018

This research proposes that qualities of founding resources can account for differences in subsequent resource-based actions. Our analysis of 67 computer and telecommunications firms shows that the innovativeness of a firm's founding technology resources is associated with the decision to build patent portfolios, but not the importance of these portfolios, and with the decision to form alliances and the rate of alliance formation. Our findings suggest that initial technologies provide a foundation for a firm's subsequent technology-based actions and, more importantly, that the qualities of these resources play a key role in these actions.
Attributions about Entrepreneurship: A Framework and Process for Analyzing Reasons for Starting a Business
Authors: Shaver Kelly G. , Gartner William B. , Crosby Elizabeth , Bakalarova Karolina , Gatewood Elizabeth J.
Published: January 2018

Principles from theories of social attribution are used to devise a coding scheme for responses to an open-ended question (Why do you want to start this business?) asked of nascent entrepreneurs In the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics (PSED). In the attributional framework used, explanations that involve causes located internal to the person are distinguished from explanations that involve causes external to the person. Second, within the internal/external categories, causes that are presumed to be relatively stable are distinguished from causes that are presumed to be more easily variable. This paper outlines the theoretical arguments that underlie the attributional framework's four-fold classification of answers, describes the issues that arise in the process of coding the respondents' answers, and presents two sets of items (complete with their attributional codings) that can be used to make specific identifications of attributions from the open-ended responses. The attributional framework is compared to more traditional qualitative methods for evaluating the open-ended responses of nascent entrepreneurs. Proposals are made for using the open-ended responses from nascent entrepreneurs In other ways. Suggestions are offered for how the results of the attributional coding scheme might be used in future research.
Growth and Financial Profiles Amongst Manufacturing SMEs from Australia's Business Longitudinal Survey
Authors: McMahon Richard G. P.
Published: January 2018

The principal objective of this paper is to compare and contrast financial profiles for a longitudinal panel of 871 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) In the Australian manufacturing sector that have embarked upon different development pathways and to examine possible connections between enterprise growth and the experience of common financial problems. Collectively, the findings represent a departure from much received knowledge in SME financial scholarship. The experience of growth seems not to have influenced the return on Investment, asset structure, financial structure, liquidity and solvency ratios of the SMEs studied; but the margin, operating expenses, turnover, and financing expense ratios do appear to be affected by growth. Overall, the financial profiles produced are quite unremarkable; there Is no evidence of problematic financial consequences of growth. The only differences in financial profiles found are those that are readily explained by differences in the scale or growth resource needs of the businesses examined.
Attitudes of Owner-Managers' Children towards Family and Business Issues
Authors: Birley Sue
Published: January 2018

This paper reports responses from 412 children of owner-managers (61% sons and 39% daughters) with regard to their attitudes to family and business Issues. The assumption in the study was that respondents would display a consistent set of attitudes toward the relationship between the family and the business. For example, those who believed that “management successors should be chosen from the family” would also consider “the business (to be) stronger with family members involved.” Moreover, this group would view their parents’ business as a family business and would have joined or intend to join. The reverse would also apply. In other words, those who did not believe that “management successors should be chosen from the family” would nor view their parents’ business as a family business, and would have no intention to join.

In the study, two distinct clusters of attitude were identified and were labelled the Family in and Family Out groups. While those in the Family in group were more likely to consider the business to be a family business, the results for the Family Out group were more complicated. The relationship held for those currently working in the business—the halo effect—but not for the rest. In other words, it was quite possible to belong to the Family in group and to see the business as a family business but not to have joined.
A Gendered Perspective on Organizational Creation
Authors: Bird Barbara , Brush Candida
Published: January 2018

Literature on the creation of organizations is often cast within a masculine gender framework. This paper draws from three theoretical perspectives to develop a new perspective that broadens the view of organizational creation by encompassing the relative balance of feminine and masculine perspectives in the entrepreneur's venture start-up process and new venture attributes. We elaborate the relatively less visible feminine and personal perspective and compare this with the traditional or masculine perspective. Important to the discussion is the distinction between biology (sex: male and female, man and woman) and socialized perspectives (gender: masculine and feminine). While research and the general public often use the concept of gender loosely to signify sex, we follow a more precise feminist distinction. The paper advances new concepts of gender-maturity (an individual difference) and gender-balance (an organizational quality).
A Note on the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Outsider Assistance Programs in Rural versus Non-Rural States
Authors: Chrisman James J. , Gatewood Elizabeth , Donlevy Leo B.
Published: January 2018

Although numerous countries have developed policies and programs to encourage entrepreneurial behavior in rural areas, there have been few attempts to compare the performance of entrepreneurial development programs in rural versus non rural settings. The existing literature led us to expect that such programs will be more efficient and effective in urban areas. However, in this study, virtually no significant relationships were found between urban and rural states—defined by the proportion of the population living in non-metropolitan counties—on the variables used to measure the performance of an entrepreneurship development program. This suggests that the need for special programs tailored to rural entrepreneurs deserves further, more critical, evaluation.
Self-Employment as a Career Choice: Attitudes, Entrepreneurial Intentions, and Utility Maximization
Authors: Douglas Evan J. , Shepherd Dean A.
Published: January 2018

This paper investigates the relationship between career choice and people's attitudes toward income, independence, risk, and work effort. Entrepreneurs are often described in terms of the strength or weakness of their attitudes in these dimensions. Conjoint analysis was used to determine the significance and nature of these attitudes in choosing one Job over another. We also investigated the effect these attitudes have on the intention to start one's own business. Significant relationships were found between the utility expected from a job and the independence, risk, and income it offered. Similarly, the strength of intention to become self-employed was significantly related to the respondents' tolerance for risk and their preference for independence.
Colorado Creative Music
Authors: Canetta Rachel Deane , Winn Joan
Published: January 2018

…I was a good musician, so I thought, what better thing than to start a music company?
Are Entrepreneurial Cognitions Universal? Assessing Entrepreneurial Cognitions across Cultures
Authors: Mitchell Ronald K. , Smith J. Brock , Morse Eric A. , Seawright Kristie W. , Peredo Ana Maria , McKenzie Brian
Published: January 2018

In this study we examine three research questions concerned with entrepreneurial cognition and culture: (1) Do entrepreneurs have cognitions distinct from those of other business people? (2) To what extent are entrepreneurial cognitions universal? and (3) To what extent do entrepreneurial cognitions differ by national culture?

These questions were investigated in an exploratory study using data collected from 990 respondents in eleven countries. We find, in answer to question one, that individuals who possess “professional entrepreneurial cognitions” do indeed have cognitions that are distinct from business non-entrepreneurs. In answer to question two, we report further confirmation of a universal culture of entrepreneurship. And in answer to question three, we find (a) observed differences on eight of the ten proposed cognition constructs, and (b) that the pattern of country representation within an empirically developed set of entrepreneurial archetypes does indeed differ among countries. Our results suggest increasing credibility for the cognitive explanation of entrepreneurial phenomena in the cross-cultural setting.
National Culture and Entrepreneurship : A Review of Behavioral Research
Authors: Hayton James C. , George Gerard , Zahra Shaker A.
Published: January 2018

Conceptual arguments for the association between cultural characteristics and entrepreneurship have existed for decades but only in the last 10 years has this relationship been the focus of empirical scrutiny. In this article, we review and synthesize the findings of 21 empirical studies that examine the association between national cultural characteristics and aggregate measures of entrepreneurship, individual characteristics of entrepreneurs, and aspects of corporate entrepreneurship. The study concedes that a predominant number of empirical studies have used Hofstede's conceptualization of national culture and that other domains have been underdeveloped. A preliminary model that integrates past findings is extended. The review highlights fruitful avenues for future research.
An Institutional Perspective on the Role of Culture in Shaping Strategic Actions by Technology-Focused Entrepreneurial Firms in China
Authors: Ahlstrom David , Bruton Garry D.
Published: January 2018

Economic reforms in China over the past 20 years have led to a steady economic transformation that has created many opportunities for entrepreneurial firms. A central focus in this economic development has been to encourage the founding of more technology-related entrepreneurial firms, and the creation of joint ventures between Chinese and foreign firms that employ advanced technologies. However, the interactions between these private high-technology entrepreneurial firms and the Institutional forces In their environment are somewhat different from what occurs in traditional Western high-technology businesses. These differences are due principally to the culture present in the Chinese environment. In turn, these cultural differences lead managers of high-technology entrepreneurial firms to employ tactics not well known in the West in order to successfully navigate China's often hostile institutional environment. This article develops the theoretical understanding of these actions grounded with observations from managers in China.
Assessing the Psychometric Properties of the Entrepreneurial Orientation Scale: A Multi-Country Analysis
Authors: Kreiser Patrick M. , Marino Louis D. , Weaver K. Mark
Published: January 2018

This study utilized data from 1,067 firms In six countries to clarify the psychometric properties of the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) measure. The first research question addressed dimensionality and explored whether EO achieved the best model fit when structured as a one-, two-, or three-dimensional measure. The results of a confirmatory factor analysis in LISREL supported modeling entrepreneurial orientation with three sub-dimensions: innovation, proactiveness, and risk-taking. The second research question addressed the extent to which the three sub-dimensions of the entrepreneurial orientation measure co-varied with one another. Correlation analysis revealed that the three sub-dimensions of EO are able to vary independently of one another in many situations. This study also provided strong support for the cross-cultural validity of the Covin and Slevin EO scale.
Culture, Nation, and Entrepreneurial Strategic Orientations: Implications for an Emerging Economy
Authors: Tan Justin
Published: January 2018

Since most researchers use the terms “culture” and “nation” interchangeably, the majority of empirical cross-cultural studies aiming to isolate the role of culture tend to be cross-national studies that are confounded with the influence of the national environment. This study employs a hybrid, quasi-experimental design to Investigate whether the cultural or national effects have a stronger influence on entrepreneurs' perception of the environment and their strategic orientations. Specifically, I draw on three samples of entrepreneurs from two cultures and two countries, namely, mainland Chinese, Chinese Americans, and Caucasian Americans. Such a quasi-experimental design allows us to better isolate the role of culture. Compared with the cultural effect, the national effect is more influential. In light of China's emerging economy in which entrepreneurship figures prominently, these findings point to the importance of institution-building efforts that foster a more entrepreneur-friendly national environment.
The Influence of National Culture and Family Involvement on Entrepreneurial Perceptions and Performance at the State Level
Authors: Chrisman James J. , Chua Jess H. , Steier Lloyd P.
Published: January 2018

This empirical study tests how dimensions of national culture affect entrepreneurs' collective perceptions of the business environment and the performances of newly created firms in the United States. The data are aggregated to the state level from survey responses of 3,619 preventure clients of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program. Dimensions of culture examined include region, urbanization, nativity, ethnic mix, and family involvement. Results indicate that only family involvement has a consistent impact on the perceptions and performance of new ventures in the sample.
Gender, Microenterprise Success and Cultural Context: The Case of South Asia
Authors: Kantor Paula
Published: January 2018

This paper demonstrates weaknesses in the ability of orthodox microenterprise development theory to represent issues relevant to women's success in the sector. Researchers tend to use gender simply as a variable to explain success without understanding gender as a social construct. Such work disregards how culturally specific power relations influence women's opportunities for success. Gender and microenterprise development theorists do better at incorporating power relations into explanations of why women start microenterprises and why their performance differs from that of men. They also take a broader view of microenterprise success by combining economic and empowerment outcomes, recognizing the diverse roles self employment plays for women. The relevance of power issues to success and the need for cultural sensitivity in evaluating women's opportunities to achieve positive enterprise outcomes are highlighted through the example of women's involvement in the microenterprise sector in South Asia.
The Moderating Effect of National Culture on the Relationship between Entrepreneurial Orientation and Strategic Alliance Portfolio Extensiveness
Authors: Marino Louis , Strandholm Karen , Steensma H. Kevin , Weaver K. Mark
Published: January 2018

This study examines the influence that national culture has on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and strategic alliance formation. Using a sample of small- to medium-sized enterprises located in Finland, Greece, Indonesia, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Sweden, we find that firms with higher levels of entrepreneurial orientation will use strategic alliances more extensively (i.e., use a greater number of agreements) than those firms with a weaker entrepreneurial orientation. Moreover, this relationship is strengthened in those countries that demonstrate either feminine or collective characteristics.
Smaller Businesses and Relationship Banking: The Impact of Participative Behavior
Authors: Binks Martin R. , Ennew Christine T.
Published: January 2018

Although the venture capital industry is undoubtedly of Importance, the majority of finance to smaller businesses continues to be provided by the banking sector. The provision of finance to these businesses is generally thought to be characterized by Information asymmetries, which are likely to lead to some form of credit rationing. To the extent that credit rationing occurs, viable enterprise may be lost. While collateral is commonly cited as a means of counteracting the information asymmetries that lead to credit rationing, an alternative mechanism is to improve the flow of information between business and bank. This is most commonly achieved through the development of a close working relationship. The success of such a relationship depends upon the willingness of both parties to involve themselves with each other and work together. This paper examines the nature of the banking relationship, paying particular attention to the idea of relationship participation and the benefits that accrue to both parties as a result of participation. Using data from over 3000 UK small firms, It is possible to identify four broad relationship types based on the degree to which the bank and the business participate in the relationship. A comparison across different relationship types suggests that there are considerable benefits associated with more participative relationships.
European IPO Markets: The Post-Issue Performance Imperative
Authors: Leleux Benoît F. , Muzyka Daniel F.
Published: January 2018

European secondary markets appear to have so far failed as providers of capital for emerging growth companies. Conventional explanations focus on the supply side of the market, blaming over-regulation, complex listing requirements, the absence of an equity culture, weak competition between national markets, and a shortage of growth companies. This paper highlights significant underperformance in long-term IPO returns in European markets, possibly affecting demand by Investors. Alternative demand-side factors, such as constraints on Institutional investments in small cap stocks and the consequent lack of supporting analysts, and methodological Issues in measuring long-term performance, are also discussed.
Temporal Dimensions of Opportunistic Change in Technology-Based Ventures
Authors: West G. Page , Meyer G. Dale
Published: January 2018

Opportunity recognition and opportunity-directed behavior are at the core of entrepreneurial efforts in both new and existing ventures. This study examines characteristics and behaviors related to future time orientation and their association with the pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunity. We find that strategic change in young technology-based ventures is associated with top management teams who are perceived as being more future-oriented. Communication patterns linking future- and present-oriented managers are also associated with strategic change. The findings of this empirical study indicate that technology-based ventures should place substantial emphasis on identifying, embracing, and widely communicating ideas that challenge the status quo. Out of this process the entrepreneurial approach is reinvigorated with new opportunities for proactive strategic change and growth. Ways in which new venture management may take steps to recognize and move proactively on emerging new opportunities are suggested.
The Influence of Family on the Family Business Succession Process: a Multi-Generational Perspective
Authors: Davis Peter S. , Harveston Paula D.
Published: January 2018

The present study develops a process model of succession involving steps undertaken to prepare the family business for succession. The model examined multiple spheres of influence, including individual, group (family), organizational, and critical resource providers, as well as investigating the moderating effects of generational differences. Tests of this model used responses from a nationwide survey of family business owner/managers. The results support research expectations that various factors, especially family influence, positively affect the extent of succession planning. Further evidence is provided indicating that generation moderates revealed relationships.
New narratives, new narrators? Alcohol and alcohol policies in the Swedish press during the 1990s
Authors: Olsson Börje
Published: January 2018

During the years around 1990, several policy and economic events occurred which had significant effects on the Swedish society. In this context, critique against the welfare state grew and the traditional roles of the state and the individual were challenged. The legitimacy and efficiency of Swedish alcohol policy was also called into question. The article describes and analyses how portrayals of alcohol, alcohol problems and alcohol policies have changed during the 1990s in the Swedish press. Despite the growth of media like television and the Internet, the daily press must still be considered an important source of information and also an active constructor of reality. The analysis is based on different samples of press articles during the studied period. Special attention is paid to different actors/narrators, their argumentation and how they perceive the individual and the state as legitimate actors and controllers of our drinking habits. The analysis shows that the dominant restrictive alcohol discourse, based on the total consumption model, public health perspectives and universal and restrictive alcohol policy measures, gradually has been challenged by a liberal discourse in which individual freedom, market liberalism and consumer perspectives are put forward as guiding principles for alcohol policies. A ‘sensible drinking’ perspective has seriously weakened the traditional perspective where alcohol- related problems have been situated as the legitimate foundation for policies. Finally, the ongoing redefinition of the alcohol issue also has made it possible for new narrators, for instance, business representatives, to take part in and significantly influence the alcohol discourse.
Changes in families of alcoholics during a post-treatment period
Authors: Christensen Helene Bygholm
Published: January 2018

This article focuses on the changes experienced in families of alcoholics during a post-treatment period. 35 families were assessed on measures of family interaction (Self-Report Family Inventory), parental symptoms of psychological distress (Brief Symptom Inventory) and emotional and behavioural problems in children (Child Behaviour Check List, CBCL). The assessments were done at the beginning of the treatment programme and again between 6 and 12 months later (follow-up). Children of alcoholics showed significantly fewer symptoms of ADHD and conduct disorder, and spouses experienced a lower general level of psychological distress and fewer symptoms of depression at follow-up compared to the first assessment. The alcoholics showed no improvement in symptoms of psychological distress but experienced significantly more symptoms of phobic anxiety at follow-up. We found no improvement in measures of family interaction in the follow-up period. Improvement in children's and spouses' psychosocial functioning in the follow-up period was unrelated to alcoholics' restitution. For specific CBCL dimensions, we found better treatment effects for older children (>11 years), for boys and for children of alcoholics in outpatient treatment. Taking into account the small study population, the relatively short follow-up period and the fact that all initial data were gathered after the alcoholic had been in treatment for a while, the results of this study should be interpreted with some caution and need to be validated in other studies.
The girl from Ibiza. A Socratic dialogue with a female substance abuser
Authors: Holmberg Nils
Published: January 2018

Cognitive therapy has lately gained a more central role in Finnish treatment of different problem behaviors. Abroad, research has shown the model to be effective in the treatment of, e.g., depression, panic disorder, eating disorders, OCD, and borderline personality disorder. From the early '80s onwards, the model has also been applied in the treatment of substance abuse.

Cognitive therapy is more goal-oriented than psychodynamic therapy and is also more structured and task-oriented. Beside the purely cognitive tools, like Socratic dialogue, the therapy also includes a variety of techniques from the behavior therapy tradition. Today the therapy model is in a period of rapid change and can be seen as stressing more complex conceptualizations of the human mind and problem behaviors.

The case presented in the article is a 29-year-old female with a 5-year stretch of marijuana and cocaine abuse. The patient sought treatment because of depressive episodes and problems resulting from her drug use. In the treatment process described, the therapist and the patient together analyzed and modified her dysfunctional addictive beliefs and tried to elaborate the personal meaning of her drug use. It was hypothesized that this web of meanings (and the resulting addictive beliefs) had been the key factor in the development and maintenance of the problem behavior. This was also found to be the case as through the use of Socratic dialogue the therapist guided the patient to construct new meanings and targets for her view of herself and her behavior.
Article
Authors: Heinonen Harri
Published: January 2018

Harri Heinonen: Football, fandom and flow. On postmodern passions and media-mediated communities

The article is an attempt to analyse football fandom within the framework of post-modern culture. In a world where traditional ties have detoriated, fandom fosters a new kind of community of the kind described as neotribalistic. The article argues that sports consumption is not just a passive diversion, but also an active production of cultural meanings.

The paper studies the Finnish Everton fans, a group of people (almost exclusively men) who support the English football team Everton, mainly in their homes, in front of their TV sets, where they try to imitate the ‘carnivalesque’ atmosphere of the stadium. The study is based on eight long interviews with representative members of the group, and the data is analysed with a hermeneutical method. The author also participated in gatherings of the Finnish Everton fans.

The flow experience, as described by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, seems to capture the essence of the experience. In flow, the enjoyment comes from the intensive psychological input in the activity itself, in this case fandom. The pleasurable flow experiences may in certain cases transform into something that features similar to addiction. Fandom can be interpreted as a kind of ‘positive addiction’, where the fans has considerable control over the repetition of the behaviour. Whether Everton fandom is a flow activity or an addiction, it is anyhow an essential activity in the fans' construction of their own good and meaningful life.

The role of alcohol as a part of the watching experience is also considered. True fans consume alcohol in front of the TV only for ritual purposes, to strengthen an already pleasurable experience. After the match, or during the fans' yearly gatherings, the drinking can take on the form more typical of Finnish male drinking behaviour.