bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fair Employment Practices Regulations Affecting Small Business Employee Recruitment and Selection
Authors: Gallagher Daniel G.
Published: December 2017

The increasing presence of federal, state and local regulations in the area of Fair Employment Practices requires small businesses to examine carefully their employment policies and practices. This paper examines major federal FEP regulations in terms of both their applicability and impact on small business organizations. Specific attention is focused on: the identification of major FEP regulations, the concept of discrimination, and the effect of FEP regulations on small business employee recruitment and selection practices. In addition, recommendations are presented to assist small business firms avoid the overt and inherent discriminatory employment practices identified and prohibited by numerous judicial and administrative rulings.
Big Gaap/Little Gaap: Is Accounting for Small Business in the Balance?
Authors: Burton E. James , Hillison William
Published: December 2017

Big GAAP/Little GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) discusses the rationale of applying uniform accounting and reporting practices to vastly diverse businesses. It incorporates a synopsis of previous discussions and a summary of findings and opinions of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) committee appointed to study pertinent aspects of accounting for smaller businesses. The paper focuses on the CPA's role in the plight of the smaller and/or closely held businesses against supposedly unneeded but required disclosure and the authors ask, “Should disclosure requirements prescribed by GAAP be applied to all entities or should application be made on specific (and explicit) criteria?” This paper also critically evaluates the committee's report, discusses the need for differential reporting requirements for smaller and/or closely held businesses, and recognizes accomplishments to date in the area.
The Differential Impact of Taxes on Investment Decisions of New and Established Businesses
Authors: Morse Wayne J.
Published: December 2017

This paper demonstrates that certain provisions of the tax code may have a differential impact on the investment decisions of new and established firms. Using net present value as the investment criterion, it is shown that under conditions of certainty a project may have different net present values for new and established firms. Under conditions of uncertainty the differences in project net present values may be even more pronounced. It is also demonstrated that, contrary to the conventional wisdom, it may be advantageous for certain firms to use straightline depreciation rather than accelerated depreciation for tax purposes.
Decision Theory and the Small Businessman
Authors: Rice George H. , Hamilton Richard E.
Published: December 2017

This is a field study of decision making by small businessmen. Thirty-five owner-managers were studied, and it was found that they employed a multidimensional, stochastic, non-quantitative decision process, normally involving several factors for each decision.
Small Business Cash Management Practices
Authors: Cooley Philip L. , Pullen Richard J.
Published: December 2017

Cash forecasting, investing, and controlling are three basic elements of a cash management program. Surveys of Fortune 500 firms reveal large firms having considerable sophistication in dealing with these cash management activities. Small-business practices probably differ from those of large firms due to time contraints, financial limitations, or lack of awareness. The following article reports on the cash management practices of 122 small businesses engaged in petroleum marketing. Although some deficiencies in cash forecasting and investing are noted, the small companies appear quite sophisticated in controlling their cash flows.
Pricing and Advertising Practices in Small Retail Businesses
Authors: Jackson John H. , Hawes Douglass K. , Hertel Frank M.
Published: December 2017

The literature on small business pricing and advertising practices is nearly nonexistant. Most articles are quite prescriptive in nature. Yet, without an understanding of actual practice, it is difficult to know what specifically to prescribe, particularly in an educational context. The study reported here focused on one form of truly small business — the tourist oriented gift or souvenir shop. A statewide mail survey found that approximately 86 percent of the sample ignored or deemphasized demand factors in setting prices. Additionally, while 88 percent of the respondents used some form of advertising, no single medium was overwhelmingly preferred.
The Failure Syndrome
Authors: Larson Carl M. , Clute Ronald C.
Published: December 2017

Using the financial records of over 350 small businesses the authors attempt to identify symptoms that will forecast the failure of small businesses. These symptoms are grouped into three categories: (1) personal characteristics, (2) managerial deficiencies, and (3) financial shortcomings. The casual characteristics and incidence of the symptoms within each category are then analyzed. People possessing these symptoms are inflicted with what the authors call the “Failure Syndrome.”
Inventory Control Systems for Small Business
Authors: Lin Engming
Published: December 2017

Inventory control is one of the problems that bother small business managers. This paper discusses inventory control systems, including reorder points and order quantities, that are suitable for the small business. Choices of computerized inventory control systems are also discussed.
Impact of Employee Stock Ownership Plans on Employee Morale
Authors: Christiansen R. O.
Published: December 2017

This study analyzed the impact of an ESOP on employee morale. It also related employee morale changes to several generalized performance criteria of firms and of small businesses. Key executives of companies in the sample were surveyed to learn their estimate of employee morale before and after the installation of ESOP and to supply data regarding the objectives and performances of their firm. Employee morale did increase measurably after the ESOP was installed. Receiving voting rights by employees caused the greatest increase in morale; morale decreased as company size increased.
Start-up of Small Manufacturing Ventures in Developing Countries
Authors: Ferdows Kasra
Published: December 2017

Most entrepreneurs wishing to set up a small manufacturing venture in a developing country underestimate the amount of time and funds required for bringing the plant on-stream. Study of the establishment of forty small and medium size manufacturing plants in Iran from 1972 to 1975 showed that contrary to one's intuition, the degree of this underestimation has no relation with the plant's technological or logistic complexities. Rather, a few other variables related to the management of the start-up project itself are the keys. Most important are certain attributes of the entrepreneur in charge of the project.
Flexitime1 and the Compressed Workweek2 for the Small Firm: Some Employee Reactions
Authors: Latona Joseph C.
Published: December 2017

This paper reports the results of the implementation of a flexitime and compressed workweek schedule, in three small firms, representing the retail, manufacturing and service industries. A pre-flexitime and compressed workweek questionnaire was administered and compared to a post-workweek, and on compressed workweek questionnaire administered one year following the implementation of both programs. The variables measured were preference, job attitudes, perceived productivity, personal life and employee turnover. The results indicate that the employees of all three firms preferred flexitime and the compressed workweek (.01 level); employees of all three firms reported feeling more favorable toward job, company and co-workers (.01 level); employees of all three firms indicated that flexitime had increased their performance at work (.10 level), only the retail and manufacturing groups felt there was an increase in productivity due to the compressed workweek (.10 level); all three groups rated personal life more positive under both programs (.10 level); employee turnover was found to be insignificant in all three groups from the “pre” to the “post” periods.
IRS Rulemaking: Drawing the Fine Line between Debt and Equity
Authors: Ewing Reid H.
Published: December 2017

The Internal Revenue Service has in the last year proposed a number of rules potentially damaging to small businesses. Perhaps the most damaging rule, as proposed initially, is one distinguishing for tax purposes between debt and equity contributions to a corporation's capital. The proposed rule would reduce the potential for tax abuse and litigation, but would also eliminate legitimate tax deductions claimed by small businesses in the past.

The “debt-equity” rule is analyzed below, and refinements are proposed for IRS consideration. These refinements would moderate the adverse effects of this rule on small businesses without compromising its basic objectives.
Inside Agriculture: A Boost for Small Businesses
Authors: Subramanian Bala
Published: December 2017

Bala Subramanian was a special assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Administration in the United States Department of Agriculture from 1979 to 1981. He participated in the policy formulation process in areas like rural youth employment, energy, equal opportunity and small and disadvantaged business utilization. He received a special award for excellence for improving the productivity of administrative offices. This article describes the policy and strategy changes that contributed to opening up new opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses in the USDA.
Costs of Compliance in Small and Medium-Sized Businesses1
Authors: Sommers Paul , Cole Roland J.
Published: December 2017

This paper develops and tests a theory of compliance costs. Tension between not complying, with a low probability of detection, and complying, incurring quite high time and money costs, should result in varied choices for a sample of small businesses but high costs per dollar of revenue for those that comply. Medium-sized businesses are likely to comply because many costs are invariant with respect to size, and because they are likely to be caught if they do not comply. Empirical tests of this theory for a Washington State small- and medium-sized business sample confirm that small businesses report higher mean costs, but have greater variability across firms, than medium-sized businesses.
Technology Transfer to Minority Business: Results of a Pilot Program
Authors: Herrmann John F.
Published: December 2017

The Minority Industrial Assistance Research Project was a pilot program which provided technical assistance to minority-owned industrial firms. It was designed to investigate how NASA technology can be helpful in solving technical problems in small businesses.

The Project's main research hypothesis was that problem-solving assistance from highly qualified scientists and engineers could be used to facilitate the transfer of NASA technology to minority-owned businesses.

The Project's primary research finding is that it does not appear that technical problem-solving assistance will significantly enhance the likelihood that technology transfers to minority-owned firms will occur. Issues related to this finding are the following: (1) There are very limited numbers of technically oriented, minority-owned firms that have the capability and resources necessary for accomplishing transfers of technology. (2) Technical problems that are encountered when assistance is offered on a reactive basis typically have little relationship to NASA technology. (3) Implementation of problem solutions usually have fundamental business consequences for small firms and therefore are likely to be accompanied by high risk.

This paper provides an overview of the Project's findings by reference to the demographics of minority-owned businesses, characteristics of participating companies and their technical problems, and selected aspects of technology transfer processes. Recommendations for future assistance in technology transfer are also provided.
The Impact of Electric Rates on Small Business
Authors: Davidson Jeff , Geissler Rich
Published: December 2017

Electricity is, for many small businesses, the major source of energy. Consumption patterns are primarily determined by external market forces, which small businesses have little ability to change.

Small business is paying markedly higher rates per kilowatt hour (kwh) of electricity than either residential or industrial users. These discriminatory rates have a significant negative impact on small business operations.

The rate of return earned by electric utilities from sales to small business is greater than that earned from the residential or industrial sectors. This substantiates the charge that small business in effect subsidizes the cost of electricity to other classes of end users.

Electricity costs faced by small business are rising at an increasing rate relative to other sectors, foreboding an accelerating discriminatory impact. Ironically, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA), enacted to promote more equitable rates to all classes of consumers, may exacerbate the problem.
A Model for Location and Development Decision Making
Authors: Singer Joseph F. , Sarb Patrick J.
Published: December 2017

This paper presents a methodology which can assist small business managers making development decisions in growth communities. Development impact planning implications associated with the socioeconomic dynamics of the four types of communities identified in this analysis are discussed. These implications may prove useful in site selection and preliminary development planning for the small business operator located within, or considering a new venture in, a rapid growth area.
Contract Negotiation Hints for the Small Businessman
Authors: Holoviak Stephen J. , De Cenzo David A.
Published: December 2017

The importance and legal ramifications of signing a labor agreement have a great impact upon any business. Whereas many larger organizations are financially capable of having specialists prepare for the negotiations, many of the small business enterprises do not have that luxury. This paper is an attempt to familiarize the small business manager with some aspects that are required for contract negotiations.

While negotiation sessions in each company have their own peculiarities, certain items are contained in all contracts. This article examines these items and identifies those factors that every small business manager should include in a labor-management agreement. Also highlighted in this article is the factor that permits the proper negotiation climate: preparation. Described within this section are policies and procedures for the small business person to follow.

Lastly, this paper provides avenues to aid the small business manager in seeking wage data in an effort to facilitate the negotiations. Internal and external wage data are defined, and procedures to obtain this information are offered.
An Analysis of SBA Loan Repayment Performance: Comparisons by Industry
Authors: Herrman John F.
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this study was to identify managerial and financial variables that are related to small business loan performance. The study involved statistical analysis of Small Business Administration loans that were made by the Los Angeles District Office from 1972 through 1975. Information on entrepreneurs and their businesses was obtained from SBA loan applications, attachments, and supplementary forms. A random sample of 396 business loans provided data for this study. For the sample, as a whole, industrial classification was not found to be an important factor in the influence of managerial and financial variables on loan performance. However, when the sample was subdivided by loan program and lender, there was a significant difference in the explanation of loan performance between retail and manufacturing industries. When the sample was subdivided by loan program for retail trade, there was not a significant difference in the explanation of loan performance by program.
Sexual Harassment: A Problem for Small Businesses
Authors: Dolecheck Carolyn C. , Dolecheck Maynard M.
Published: December 2017

Sexual harassment of employees is a national problem for businesses of all sizes, but small businesses seem less aware of it. Therefore, the purposes of this paper are to show how harassment can affect small businesses, to point out areas where small businesses are particularly vulnerable, and to recommend actions to eliminate sexual harassment.
Information Source Selection Patterns as Determined by Small Business Problems
Authors: Young Earl C. , Welsch Harold P.
Published: December 2017

One hundred ninety three entrepreneurs (193) were surveyed to determine the types of problems which were most frequently encountered and the types of information sources likely to be utilized. General management, operations, finance and market problems were found to be related to certain combinations of information source categories: professional, personal, written, institutional, and electronic. It is concluded that the type of problem encountered by entrepreneurs affects the selection of information sources. Several suggestions are made on how these findings can be used by entrepreneurs in their search for information which bears on their business problems.
Getting the Most Out of Your First Computer System
Authors: Cheney Paul H.
Published: December 2017

Since the early 1970's there has been a tremendous growth in the use of mini-computers and micro-computers by small business. Tens of thousands of firms have acquired computing systems in an effort to improve their operations and better serve their customers. Unfortunately, in many cases, these systems have not worked as well as they should have. Most of the published literature concerning small business has been prescriptive in terms of describing how a firm should select, acquire, and implement a new computer system. Very little has been done of an empirical nature concerning the frequencies of success or failure or the reasons for success or failure of these systems. This paper describes a recent study which attempts to determine how successful these systems have been and further tries to identify some of the reasons why these systems have failed. Variables that were found to affect the successful implementation of computer systems fell into three categories: 1) the design of the software programs; 2) hardware problems; and 3) the implementation process. Each of these groups of factors will be discussed, in an effort to assist other first-time computer users in avoiding implementation problems.
The Critical Incident Method, An Overlooked Way of Human Relations Training for Small Business
Authors: Duffy Daniel J.
Published: December 2017

The paper presents an outline of Pigor's critical incident method for human relations training. The method parallels a real life process of decision making consisting of searching for information, formulating the problem, and deciding upon a course of action based upon explicit reasoning. The method also provides for making generalizations that will be useful in dealing with or preventing future human relations situations. It is pointed out that the critical incident method has advantages for small firms beyond those it shares with large firms. These consist of the special appropriateness for small management groups, the low cost because training sessions can be handled by members of the small organization, the relevance of the cases discussed which come from members of the organization, the flexibility of the format of the method, and finally the number of human relations goals that can be simultaneously developed by those in the same training session.
Small Business Institute Economic Impact Evaluation
Authors: Solomon George T. , Weaver K. Mark
Published: December 2017

Since the inception of the Small Business Institute (SBI) Program in 1972, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has conducted numerous client reaction and/or perceived value analysis evaluations. However, both the SBA and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) were more interested in evaluating the objective utility and economic impact of the SBI Program.

This article shares with the readers the results of the first national pilot survey of the Economic Impact of the SBI Program on client small businesses. This initial study not only examined the economic impact of the SBI Program but also introduced and tested new methodologies which might be useful in developing a generally accepted technique to collect and analyze the level of economic impact on client businesses assisted by the SBI program.

The results of the study indicate that those small businesses receiving counseling assitance from the SBI Program showed more positive increases in their employment and financial profiles than comparable small businesses. Finally, the scope and depth of the SBI consultant teams recommendations directly affected the level and intensity of the positive changes.
Using Statistics to Improve the Competitive Position of a Small Business
Authors: Sauers Dale G.
Published: December 2017

Small businesses facing increased competition are being forced to reassess and upgrade their products, their production processes, and their management methods. To improve a company's competitive position by simultaneously improving product quality, process efficiency, and management effectiveness, some small businesses are turning to statistical analysis and in-process control systems. Such methods add an additional advantage to those companies that operate principally as vendors in that in-process control is replacing acceptance sample testing as the preferred method for controlling the quality of purchased goods. Though large companies can afford to have quality control departments and employ resident statisticians, many small companies cannot. This paper demonstrates the utility of statistical methods and tells how small businesses can use them at a reasonable cost.
Management Practices of Successful Female Business Owners
Authors: Cuba Richard , Decenzo David , Anish Andrea
Published: December 2017

This research project examines management techniques used by 58 female owners of small businesses in three eastern metropolitan areas. Data indicate that financially successful women owners delegate certain key tasks to employees, are more highly educated, and have more prior work experience than less successful females. The primary inadequacies reported by the women were difficulties in leading others and inability to delegate tasks.

In addition to a lack of formal planning and policy setting, other seemingly important management functions did not materially affect sales or profit. Moreover, the level of mental and physical effort and degree of participative management were not significant criteria for success.
An Analysis of SBA Loan Repayment Performance: Comparisons by Minority Group
Authors: Herrmann John F.
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this study was to identify managerial and financial variables that are related to small business loan performance. The study involved statistical analysis of Small Business Administration loans that were made by the Los Angeles District Office from 1972 through 1975. Information on entrepreneurs and their businesses was obtained from SBA loan applications, attachments, and supplementary forms. A random sample of 396 business loans provided data for this study. In five of seven pairwise comparisons between Asian, Black, Spanish-Surname, all minority, and non-minority loans, minority group classification was found to be a significant factor in the way managerial and financial variables influenced loan performance. However, when the sample was subdivided by loan program, by lender, or by both, there was no significant difference in the explanation of loan performance by minority group for any pairwise comparison.
One Person Organizations as a Resource for Researchers and Practitioners
Authors: Katz Jerome A.
Published: December 2017

The one person organization has been neglected in much of organizational research. This has occurred despite the one person organization's ubiquity and importance to organizational theory and the workforce. Prior admonishments about the uniqueness of such firms have gone largely unheeded, and suggestions to the owners of one person organizations have often been misguided. The paper goes on to show how this modal organization fits into the open-systems framework and where the one person organization offers unique opportunities for important research in the areas of individual-work and individual-organization relationships, organizational founding research, and occupational choice research for marginal members of society.
A Study of Risk-Taking Propensities among Small Business Entrepreneurs and Managers: an Empirical Evaluation
Authors: Schwer R. Keith , Yucelt Ugur
Published: December 2017

This study investigates the risk-taking propensities of a sample of Vermont small business entrepreneurs and managers. Risk-taking propensities as measured by responses to Kogan-Wallach's risk-taking questions varied more for business risk situations than for personal risk, career risk, or trivial risk situations. In addition, there were significant differences in risk-taking propensities according to differences in respondents’ age, education, years of business experience, years owned business, and the size and type of their business using the method of analysis of variance. Risk-taking propensities also varied significantly according to respondents’ motivation as to how they feel about themselves, the probability of improving themselves, and the probability of accomplishing something useful.
An Idea Whose Time Had Come: Productivity—The International Perspective
Authors: Higgins Virginia A.
Published: December 2017

There is little reason for confidence that the United States can survive the challenge to its economic primacy without substantial outlays of thought, energy, and resources to productivity growth. One institution has already begun such outlay. This article reports the approach of one institutional effort to address the productivity challenge—and relates that approach to other public and private efforts to address the issue. More specifically, this approach is placed in the historical context of business schools’ attempts to assess themselves as to how well they prepare their constituents for imaginative and responsible citizenship and leadership roles for business and society—domestic and worldwide.
Productivity in the Small Business Sector, 1965-1976
Authors: Legler John B. , Hoy Frank
Published: December 2017

Recent concern regarding the performance of the U.S. economy has generated actions on a national level to encourage increases in productivity in the private sector. The private sector is not, however, monolithic. Policies designed to increase the productivity of large corporations may have a neutral or even negative impact on small businesses. This article describes a data base that has recently been developed for national economic analysis and reports differential productivity findings among businesses when they are examined by size on an industry by industry basis.
Quasi-Boards—Guidance without Governance
Authors: Fox Harold W.
Published: December 2017

A panel of counselors can help the owner of a privately held concern compensate for a lack of impartial advice. A disclosure of the actual give-and-take during a session in a small company that has used such an arrangement for five years will demonstrate the effectiveness of the quasi-board.
The Educated Entrepreneurs: A New Era of Entrepreneurial Education is Beginning
Authors: Ronstadt Robert
Published: December 2017

Can entrepreneurship be taught? Can It be learned? The debate continues unabated In the press, at academic conferences, and even meetings of successful practitioners.
Microcomputers and the SBI Program
Authors: Lemos Ronald S.
Published: December 2017

The small business sector contributes significantly to the U.S. economy. However, lack of management expertise results in unacceptably high failure rates. One form of management assistance is through the Small Business Institute (SBI) program sponsored by the Small Business Administration. Student consulting done through this program can be significantly Improved through microcomputer hardware and software support. This will also result in greater computer literacy in both students and client. Qualitative and quantitative measures on the effectiveness of a microcomputer-based SBI Program are presented and discussed. A survey of selected SBI Directors indicates current microcomputer usage and perceptions on the effectiveness of using microcomputers.
Should the SBDC Program be Dismantled?
Authors: Pelham Alfred M.
Published: December 2017

This article offers the results of an analysis of SBDC client evaluations in Iowa. This analysis reveals a high evaluation of faculty and staff at SBDC's relative to other consultants and points out positive relative sales and job increases as a result of the program. It also concludes that there is a relative improvement in results with Increases In counseling hours and, particularly, hours spent on planning.
Strategic versus Operational Planning in Small Retail Firms
Authors: Robinson Richard B. , Logan John E. , Salem Moragea Y.
Published: December 2017

This paper reports some of the results of a study of operational and strategic planning practices in 81 independent grocery stores in South Carolina. High levels of operational planning were associated with significantly higher performance for three of the four performance measures employed. Long range planning alone was associated with significantly higher performance for only one of the variables employed.
Operations Management and Financial Performance
Authors: Riggs Walter E. , Bracker Jeffrey S.
Published: December 2017

The major purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of systematic application of operations management decision-making techniques on the financial performance of small firms. Data was gathered from a large number of firms through questionnaires to determine if those firms consciously employed any decision making tools in each of eleven operations management activities. A secondary purpose of the research was to explore the nature of operations management activities in the non-manufacturing environment. The results of this exploratory research provide an impetus for further study of operations management in both the small business environment and the non-manufacturing sector of the economy.
Perception of Entrepreneurial Success Characteristics
Authors: Montagno Ray V. , Kuratko Donald F. , Scarcella Joseph H.
Published: December 2017

What do bank officials look for in entrepreneurs seeking capital for small businesses? Do entrepreneurs perceive these same characteristics as important or are there perceptual differences between bankers and small business owners on what constitutes characteristics for entrepreneurial success? This paper examines these issues through a survey of midwestern bankers and small businesspeople. The survey demonstrated significant differences in the dimensions or characteristics that contribute to entrepreneurial success as viewed by each group. The implications of this research may illustrate the difficulties prospective small business owners have in obtaining capital from banks for new ventures.
The Yellow Pages as An Advertising Tool for Small Businesses
Authors: Jackson Ralph W. , Parasuraman A.
Published: December 2017

The yellow-pages are an important advertising medium for small businesses. However, the effectiveness of advertising in the yellow-pages is not well understood. This study examined the use of the yellow-pages by a sample of 147 consumers in a southwestern city. The results showed these consumers frequently used the yellow-pages, although their use of it varied considerably depending on the type of business they were seeking. The results also indicated the effectiveness of yellow-pages advertising varied, depending on the size and position of the ad on the page.
The Impact of Attitudes and Experience on Small Business Computer Use
Authors: Nickell Gary S. , Seado Paul C.
Published: December 2017

This study investigates the attitudes of small business owners/managers toward computers and how computers are used in small businesses. A survey of 236 firms revealed that a majority of the respondents are currently using computers. In general, owners/managers have a positive attitude toward computers. Respondents who have taken a computer class, own a microcomputer, or whose businesses are using computers have a more positive attitude toward computers. The most frequent business computer applications were accounting, mailing lists, and storing information. The most frequently reported personal applications were word processing, accounting, and budgeting. Implications for further computerization of small businesses are discussed.
Improving Sales Performance in a Family-Owned Business
Authors: Verdin Jo Ann
Published: December 2017

Feedback and goal-setting may be one approach to increasing productivity in small, family-owned businesses. Theory and previous research relating the difficulty and accuracy of goals to performance level were used to develop a conceptual framework and research hypotheses. A sample of retail sales employees in a small chain of family owned shoe stores was used to study the relationship between daily versus weekly performance feedback and the difficulty and accuracy of self-set goals. Individual sales performance feedback was posted several times a day in one group of stores, while in a second group performance information was posted only once per week. Increased frequency of feedback resulted in more difficult and accurate goals being set by individual sales personnel. Difficulty and accuracy of self-set goals, as well as a relatively high store sales volume, were found to be good predictors of increased individual sales performance. A greater number of nonsales duties and low store sales volume were inversely related to performance.
Planning Activities Related to Independent Retail Firm Performance
Authors: Robinson Richard B. , Salem Moragea Y. , Logan John E. , Pearce John A.
Published: December 2017

This study examined the relationship between company performance and 50 specific planning activities in a small, independent retail firm setting. Performance was measured using one set of objective measures and one set of subjective measures. Six specific planning activities emerged as having significant relationships with both sets of performance measures.
Computers in Small Business: A Case of Under-Utilization
Authors: Massey Tom K.
Published: December 2017

This article Identifies revenue-oriented computer activities and offers a taxonomy of computer applications in small business. It suggests that a three-dimensional matrix can be constructed to guide small business planners in fully utilizing existing (proposed) computer resources and guide future research efforts in this field.
Advancing Small Business Research: Utilizing Research from Other Areas
Authors: Sexton Donald L.
Published: December 2017

More has been learned about the area of small business and entrepreneurship in the last five years than in the preceding twenty-five years combined. Yet much remains to be done. Research is needed to analyze and explain interfaces and causal relationships which can lead to convergent theories or a comprehensive theoretical development. If small business researchers are to respond to the challenge, consideration must be given to correcting existing deficiencies and incorporating research findings, constructs, and paradigms from other more mature functional areas to further the body of knowledge and to link the theoretical developments with practice.
Entrepreneural Research: Are We Playing the Correct Game?
Authors: Brockhaus Robert H.
Published: December 2017

The three primary sources of journal articles and the three primary proceedings of conferences in the field of entrepreneurship and small business are reviewed for the year 1986 to evaluate the degree to which they contained information relevant to the issues and recommendations of the 1986 White House Conference on Small Business. Suggestions for future research direction are made based upon this analysis.
Non-Market-Based Transfers of Wealth and Power: A Research Framework for Family Businesses
Authors: Churchill Neil C. , Hatten Kenneth J.
Published: December 2017

Family businesses are basically owner-managed enterprises with the family Involved within the business. When, to family ties within the business, is added the biological inevitability of an eventual transfer of power, family succession becomes an alternative to selling the business–-a transfer based on non-market considerations. A framework for studying family businesses is proposed which has succession as its anchor. The succession process is where changes in management, in strategy, and in control are planned for and executed. The framework is built upon stages of the family enterprise which emanate from the biological reality of parent and offspring being separated by age and business experience but wedded together by “blood” and a shared family experience.
The Educated Entrepreneurs: A New Era of Entrepreneurial Education is Beginning
Authors: Ronstadt Robert
Published: December 2017

Can entrepreneurship be taught? Can it be learned? The debate continues unabated in the press, at academic conferences, and even meetings of successful practitioners.
Controlling New Product Development in the Small Technology-Based Firm
Authors: Rinholm Brenda L. , Boag David A.
Published: December 2017

The development of a new product requires the continuous collection, communication and analysis of information internal and external to a firm. Whether formal control procedures are the most effective method of collecting and communicating this information, however, is a topic of ongoing debate. This research describes new product development control practices and examines the relationships between the method of control (i.e. formal or informal) and innovation success in thirty-three North American technology-based companies. Results indicate that companies using formal control procedures view their methods as more successful, are more satisfied and define success more stringently than firms using informal methods of control.
Planning Practices of Small-Scale Retailers
Authors: Gable Myron , Topol Martin T.
Published: December 2017

The purpose of the present study is to examine the practice of planning engaged in by small-scale retailers and to determine if the activities of planners can be distinguished from those who do not report the presence of formal planning. In addition, another objective is to determine the impact of planning on performance as measured by both sales and profits. Implications of the results of the study are discussed, and directions for future research are given.
Quality of Working Life and the Self-Employed Manager
Authors: Naughton Thomas J.
Published: December 2017

This study investigated quality of working life differences between self-employed and salaried managers. Based on data collected in a national survey of employees from various demographic and industry groupings, the results indicate that self-employed managers tended to report higher levels of job satisfaction and job autonomy than the salaried managers despite spending significantly more hours in their jobs. The results are interpreted as supporting, in part, a “role accumulation” theory of work behavior in that the gains from the small business manager's job outweigh its costs. Further, no differences in psychosomatic illnesses, life and free time satisfaction were found for the two groups of managers. These results suggest that life-style problems often associated with small business managers may be overstated to some degree.
A Comparison of Women in Small and Large Companies
Authors: Anderson Robert L. , Anderson Kathleen P.
Published: December 2017

Survey results from 177 female managers indicate that there is very little difference between those employed by small firms (less than 100 employees) and those employed by larger firms. This study indentified only four areas of difference between the groups. Most biographical and job-related data examined were not significantly different for both groups, and both groups wanted essentially the same rewards from their jobs.
“Who Is an Entrepreneur?” Is the Wrong Question
Authors: Gartner William B.
Published: December 2017

Entrepreneurship is the creation of organizations. What differentiates entrepreneurs from non-entrepreneurs is that entrepreneurs create organizations, while non-entrepreneurs do not. In behavioral approaches to the study of entrepreneurship an entrepreneur is seen as a set of activities involved in organization creation, while in trait approaches an entrepreneur is a set of personality traits and characteristics. This paper argues that trait approaches have been unfruitful and that behavioral approaches will be a more productive perspective for future research in entrepreneurship.
Screening Practices of New Business Incubators: The Evaluation of Critical Success Factors
Authors: Lumpkin James R. , Ireland R. Duane
Published: December 2017

New firms are an important mechanism through which new jobs are created. However, the new venture failure rate is greater than the rate of creation. Business incubators have been organized to bring new businesses together to increase the probability of success. Incubators do not guarantee success; however, evaluating potential clients on Critical Success Factors can minimize failures once the firm joins an incubator. This research investigates the screening practices of incubators and identifies unique groups of incubators. The screening practices were found to relate to sponsorship but not to physical characteristics or objectives.
Outlaw and economics: Biker gangs and club goods
Authors: Piano Ennio E.
Published: December 2017

Today, outlaw motorcycle gangs are best known for their involvement in an international criminal network dealing in narcotics, human trafficking, and arms smuggling. Law enforcement agencies in three continents have identified groups like the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, and the Bandidos Motorcycle Club as a major threat to public safety. Before their descent into organized crime, outlaw bikers captured the imagination of the American public due to their peculiar look and outrageous behavior. They dressed in dirty sleeveless leather jackets and Nazi paraphernalia, their arms covered in tattoos of Nazi and White-supremacist symbolism. They drove highly customized, loud, and heavy American bikes—almost always Harley-Davidsons—and despised Japanese vehicles. They were notorious for their erratic behavior, in particular, the propensity to use violence in an idiosyncratic way when interacting with non-bikers and the public display of nudity and sexual practices. Unlike standard treatments of outlaw bikers, which draw from criminology, sociology, and psychology, I propose an explanation for these seemingly irrational and certainly odd practices rooted on the economic approach. Following the literature on the economic theory of religious sects, I argue that these odd practices served as effective obstacles to the ability of outlaw bikers to free ride on the club goods provided by these organizations.
The “All-American Meal”: Constructing Confidence in the Case of BSE
Authors: Wright Wynne , Ransom Elizabeth , Tanaka Keiko
Published: December 2017

Using content analysis of newspaper coverage of the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the United States, we analyze the media's portrayal of the “BSE crisis,” from a social constructionist perspective. We identify the salient claims-makers in the dialogue over food safety as it pertains to the discovery of BSE and we examine the content of their claims to reveal their core messages. We find that public definitions and responses to the disease are influenced by claims-makers and claims-making activities. Some actors construct claims of confidence to deny the severity of the disease, while others construct and disseminate claims of risk in the beef commodity chain, while still others diffuse claims of skepticism and uncertainty. These findings offer support for understanding claims-making as shaped by contextual forces. Claims are not made in a vacuum but are given meaning based upon biophysical and socio-cultural contexts.
Constructing Expertise: Inequality and the Consequences of Information-Seeking by Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Clark Jacqueline
Published: December 2017

The present study looks at women who joined breast cancer support groups to cope with the emotional fallout of the disease. Three support groups were studied, two composed of middle-class women, and one composed of working-class women. Data derive from 24 months of field observation and 35 in-depth interviews. Analysis shows how class-based inequalities led the women to seek therapeutic information about breast cancer in different ways. Women in the middle-class groups had the resources to gather and interpret information on their own, in effect becoming lay experts on the disease. Women in the working-class group lacked these resources, and thus collaborated in constructing their doctors as experts. These divergent strategies affected the women's illness experiences. Middle-class women interacted more assertively with their care providers and were more satisfied with treatment decisions. Working-class women, who were invested in trusting the expertise of their doctors, were subject to medical paternalism and pressured into making decisions that they later questioned.
EBV+ HHV-8+ Multicentric Castleman Disease With Plasmablastic Aggregates in an HIV+ Man: An Evolving Clinicopathologic Entity
Authors: Shivane Aditya , Pearce Amy , Khatib Nadia , Smith Mark E. F.
Published: December 2017

We report a case of EBV+ and HHV-8+ multicentric Castleman disease with plasmablastic aggregates in an HIV-positive individual. A 41-year-old man presented in early 2015 with fevers, sweats, weight loss, intractable itching, and on subsequent testing was found to be HIV positive. Investigations showed cervical lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly. He was treated for HIV and his symptoms resolved. His symptoms recurred in January 2016, and a provisional diagnosis of multicentric Castleman disease was entertained. The HHV-8 (human herpesvirus-8) and EBV (Epstein-Barr virus) viral load was elevated. A left supraclavicular lymph node core biopsy was performed, which showed features of multicentric Castleman disease with plasmablastic aggregates that are EBV (EBER) and HHV-8 positive. He responded well to rituximab treatment and remains well with no symptoms at recent follow-up.