Business Owners Research Articles

Portfolio location-related decisions: do proximities matter?

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the relationships between how family owners perceive different aspects of proximity to their territory of origin and the location-related decisions of family business portfolios.Design/methodology/approachBy using the data collected from 112 family business portfolios (FBP), the authors carry out an empirical analysis to test the proposed hypotheses. The results are robust across a battery of robustness analyses performed by the authors.FindingsThe analysis reveals a heterogeneous relationship between the different dimensions of proximity and the maintenance and location of portfolio business units. Specifically, we reveal that entrepreneurial families’ social and institutional proximities to their founding territory have a positive influence on their decisions related to investing and maintaining their business portfolio.Originality/valueThese findings open the black box of how business decisions are affected by how business owners perceive their contexts, providing new insights into how corporate decisions in understudied business organisations, business groups, are shaped by the ownership’s proximity to territories.

The Role of Trade Officers in Enhancing Local Revenue Collection in Mpanda Municipal Council

The persistent under-collection of local revenues in Mpanda Municipal Council undermines the council's financial autonomy and leads to continued reliance on central government funding. This study aimed to evaluate the role of Local Government Authority (LGA) trade officers in revenue collection as a strategic initiative to diminish this dependency. To address this issue, the study employed a convergent mixed-method design rooted in pragmatism, allowing for the integration of qualitative and quantitative data to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing revenue collection. The research involved a population of 75 individuals, including personnel from the trade and industry unit, collectors, revenue officials, and business owners within the district council. A sample of 63 respondents participated in the study, with 46 responding to questionnaires and 17 business owners interviewed. Data were gathered through a combination of these methods, analyzed to capture both numerical trends and in-depth perspectives. The findings underscore the critical importance of strategic revenue management practices, well-informed trade officers, and effective revenue supervision in reducing reliance on central government funding. These insights bear significant implications for policymakers and local government officials aspiring to bolster financial self-sufficiency and ensure sustainable fiscal governance in Mpanda Municipal Council. To address these challenges, the study recommends a focus on comprehensive training and capacity-building programs for trade officers to enable them to autonomously manage revenue collection processes.

Manual Madness: Challenges of Contract Renewal in Campus Vending Machine Business

The vending machine industry has evolved from conventional to connected machines. Vending machines are currently in wide use and typically involve a remote machine holding a plurality of products or items to be dispensed after receiving money from a purchaser. The industry has gone beyond just delivering snacks and is developing new and sophisticated retail solutions for both large and small companies. In this study, a qualitative inquiry was conducted in one of the branch universities of the largest public universities in Malaysia. A total of three vending machine entrepreneurs were qualitatively interviewed individually. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed to find a common theme. As a result, three challenges were identified: using a lot of paper, being time-consuming, and having no alert process. Contract renewal is significant and should not be taken for granted and it is a far-sighted move for a business manager to use the most efficient process from start to end. The respondent agreed that the current renewal process is redundant and time-consuming. Therefore, the researchers proposed to all the parties to reduce the hassle of renewing the contract. Based on this research, the authority department in public or private universities can develop an innovation in monitoring systems to improve the process. The results can provide suitable coping strategies for business owners to have the best practices for a contract renewal mechanism.

The Study of Characteristics of Successful Asnafpreneurs in Southern Malaysia

The study explores a characteristic of successful asnafpreneurs to address the number of registered asnafpreneurs seeking aid more than the number of successful asnafpreneurs produced in Southern Malaysia. However, the current industry can still not completely produce an independent business owner based on the Asnaf title. The study aims to determine successful entrepreneurs' internal and external characteristics in Southern Malaysia. A quantitative method was used in this study. Respondents were chosen using the non-probability sampling method. SPSS software was used for data analysis. Descriptive analysis (frequency and percentage) and hypothesis testing (chi-square test, correlation, and regression) were utilized to solve the research topic. Study finds that internal factors and external factors play an important role in asnafpreneurs success. Chi-square Test analysis revealed that Pearson's significant value was at the 0.00 level. This indicates that it is less than 0.05 at this level. This test successfully rejects H0, which means there is no correlation between internal factors with a successful characteristic of asnafpreneur and there is no correlation between external factors with a successful characteristic of asnafpreneur. Other authors may study the other geography parts and new challenges for asnafpreneurs to succeed in the future.

Assessing the Factors for the Effectiveness of the Task Force Staff in Revenue Collection in Tanzania Local Governments Authorities

Recurring challenges in revenue collection and the insufficient revenue collection is pervasive, affecting the financial viability within Tanzania Local Government Authorities (LGAs) prompted this study with a focus on Mpanda Municipal Council. The aim is to assess key factors such as staff training, resource allocation, and community engagement that impact efficiency of task force staff operations. Mpanda Municipal Council was chosen due to its recurring challenges in meeting revenue collection targets and its strategic importance as a rapidly growing municipality with increasing fiscal demands. The study is grounded in both Agency Theory (AT), TAPACO and Resource-Based Theory (RBT). Agency Theory emphasizes the relationship between principals (local governments) and agents (task force staff) in ensuring that revenue collection objectives are aligned, while Resource-Based Theory highlights the importance of internal resources both tangible and intangible in achieving organizational effectiveness. Adopting a pragmatist research philosophy, the study used a convergent mixed-method research design, combining both qualitative and quantitative data to provide a holistic understanding of the research problem. Pragmatism guided the choice of methods, focusing on practical solutions and actionable outcomes. The quantitative data were analyzed using Ordinal Logistic Regression (OLR), which revealed that all independent variables significantly impact revenue collection effectiveness. A population of 75 people with a sample of 63 participants, comprising 46 respondents completed questionnaires while 17 business owners participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used in case of qualitative data. The findings reveal that targeted training programs, adequate resources, and active community engagement significantly enhance the effectiveness of task force staff in revenue collection. The study concludes that improving these areas will result in better revenue generation and financial stability for local governments. It is recommended that local governments increase investment in training, adopt modern technologies, and foster stronger community engagement to reduce reliance on central government funding.

Women empowerment in restaurants: effects of femvertising, purplewashing and feminist identity on consumers’ willingness to pay a premium

Purpose Despite the increasing popularity of women-owned businesses in the marketplace, relatively few studies in the hospitality literature have focused on these businesses. Hence, this study aims to examine the impact of femvertising and purplewashing on consumers’ willingness to pay a premium at women-owned restaurants, as well as the role of feminist self-identification and psychological closeness underlying these associated effects. The study aims to provide insights into women-owned restaurant marketing strategies and to highlight the importance of authentic brand activism in consumer behavior in the restaurant industry. Design/methodology/approach Building on Construal Level Theory, this paper conducts two online experiments with 486 US participants who have dined at or ordered takeout from a restaurant. The studies aim to investigate consumers’ opinions about brand activism strategies (i.e. femvertising and purplewashing) in restaurants. Findings The results of two experimental studies indicate that a femvertising strategy increases consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for a women-owned restaurant compared to a non-women-owned restaurant. Moreover, consumers who identify more strongly as feminists are more likely to pay more for women-owned restaurants when purplewashing is absent (vs present). Additionally, psychological closeness serves as an underlying mechanism that explains these effects. Practical implications This study provides clear and actionable recommendations to help business stakeholders, owners and managers to market and advertise women-owned restaurants. For example, women-owned restaurant practitioners should feature women empowerment messaging in their advertisements to attract more consumers. However, they should avoid using purplewashing and other inauthentic brand activism practices in advertisements. Originality/value This research contributes to the hospitality literature on women entrepreneurship by exploring the effective marketing strategies of women-owned restaurants and investigating how to advertise women-owned businesses in the hospitality field. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is also the very first study to explore the role of femvertising and purplewashing in consumers’ food-related decision-making.

Economic influence of prosperity gospel on individual followers in neo-Pentecostal movements in Karingani Ward Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya

The study sought to investigate how prosperity gospel influences the economic aspect of its followers in neo-Pentecostal movements in Karingani Ward Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. In Kenya, Neo-Pentecostal movements are growing and spreading from urban to rural areas, as witnessed in Karingani Ward, Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. There has been an increase in self-founded churches, commonly known as charismatic movements, over the past decade. The Functionalism Theory guided the study in analysing the prosperity gospel's influence on its followers' economic aspect. The theory indicates that religion is a social influencer that leads to changes in behaviour and perception or worldview that are essential to economic growth. The study applied the descriptive survey design. Yamane’s formula was applied to obtain a sample size of 288 respondents. In addition, six pastors were selected from the churches; the total sample was 294 respondents. In the six selected churches, a larger population was between (20-50 years); the majority were women and indicated to be small business owners and employed in the private sector. The research instruments utilised were questionnaires, interviews, and focused group discussions. The study's findings revealed that prosperity teachings in Neo-Pentecostal movements positively influenced its followers. Prosperity teaching with biblical grounding had influenced adherents in these movements to have financial, investment, and entrepreneurial abilities through seminars, idea sharing, and continuous assistance from members, which have impacted their followers to experience social status mobility. This paper recommends a future study on how perceived YouTube or social media incomes can benefit all adherents.

The Impact of Financial Literacy, Inclusion, and Access on Msme Growth and Welfare in North Sumatra: A Mediating Role of Business Growth

This study examines the impact of financial literacy, financial inclusion, and financial access on the growth and welfare of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in North Sumatra, Indonesia, with business growth acting as a mediating factor. Using a quantitative research design and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis, data were collected from 306 MSME operators selected via purposive sampling. The findings reveal that while financial literacy does not have a significant direct effect on MSME growth and welfare, both financial inclusion and financial access significantly enhance business growth and welfare. Furthermore, business growth serves as a mediating variable, amplifying the positive effects of financial inclusion and access on MSME welfare. The results indicate that MSMEs benefit from better access to formal financial services, such as credit and insurance, which facilitates business expansion and improves the overall welfare of business owners. However, the lack of significant impact from financial literacy suggests that practical financial education initiatives should be paired with improved access to capital and market opportunities. This study highlights the need for integrated policy efforts to enhance financial literacy, expand financial inclusion, and provide easier access to credit to foster MSME growth and welfare in North Sumatra.

Cannabis Licensing and Municipal Revenues

Municipal license policy has shaped the early roll-out and business outcomes of Proposition 64. Several stakeholders identify license availability as a key constraint to future cannabis market growth in California. Recent studies explore local cannabis licensing policy; however, key questions remain around municipal revenues, business location, and the role of supporting cannabis business ownership. Our paper explores the impacts of cannabis licensing on business locations and municipal taxable revenues. We use publicly-available Department of Cannabis Control licensing data to examine business locations using GIS analysis, conduct a regression analysis of city-level licenses and Department of Tax and Fee Administration revenues across California, and forecast potential municipal taxable revenues in South Bay Los Angeles. We find that licensed cannabis businesses appear to develop in Los Angeles County and are located close to borders of cities not issuing licenses, in areas of favorable zoning, in densely populated locations, and areas with higher poverty and minority populations. Our regression analysis suggests that city population drives municipal taxable revenue, indicating that business follows demand.

The Rise of Remote Work Evidence on Productivity and Preferences From Firm and Worker Surveys

ABSTRACTDrawing on surveys of small business owners and employees, we present three main findings about the evolution of remote work after the onset of COVID‐19. First, uptake of remote work was abrupt and widespread in jobs suitable for telework according to the task‐based measure from Dingel and Neiman (2020). The initial adoption lead to a persistent shift in work arrangements that both firms and workers forecast would continue into the future. Second, business leaders' perceptions of how remote work affected productivity shifted over time. In early 2020, 70% of small business owners reported a productivity dip due to remote work. By contrast, the median business owner reported a positive productivity impact of remote work by 2021. Third, 21% of workers report being willing to accept a pay cut in excess of 10% if it allowed them to continue working from home, but the median worker in a teleworkable job would not tradeoff any compensation for the option of continued remote work. Taken together, our evidence points to perceived productivity gains and some workers' preferences as reasons for the persistence of remote work in the years following the onset of COVID‐19.

The corporate strategy of increasing the visibility of websites by implementing digital marketing

Increasing the visibility of websites by implementing digital marketing is deeply affecting every sphere of life, especially in all economic activities. Websites with more community-focused pages—such as blogs, forums, and connections to other social media sites—are seen more frequently Pant et al. (2017). By utilizing an e-commerce website for digital marketing, business owners may more effectively promote their items and quickly see sales figures Supriyatin, W., & Wisesha, K. (2022).The main aim of the study is to analyze the importance of the increasing the visibility of websites by implementing digital marketing in case of business. The mthodology used consist on qualitative method. Primary data were used to test the hypotheses in the study, while the online questionnaire was used as the research tool for data collection. The questionnaire was prepared in "google forms" and covered a six-month time period for data collection. Respondents were randomly selected after the questionnaire was administered online to a random sample of 150 participants. The study finds that the impact on increasing the visibility of websites in the selection of a search engine by implementing digital marketing is more than just a search. Internet searches in the visibility of specific pages, are a key element in the company's relationship with consumers, which represent perceptions and feelings of consumers about a product or service in which it is related to their performance, which represent everything that means for the product or service to consumers.

An Analysis of Policy Frameworks on Business Formulization and Disaster Management to Mitigate Flood Loss and Damage Among Informal Businesses in Sri Lanka

The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Egypt made a historical decision on disaster loss and damage for vulnerable countries. Even though parties agreed to salvage vulnerable nations with generous support, a fundamental question remains as to the extent to which these vulnerable countries can accurately identify the most vulnerable communities/areas. In Sri Lanka, informal businesses are particularly vulnerable to floods, but their informal status has limited the extent to which they could receive flood protection, including disaster-resilient infrastructure developments. The main objective of this paper, therefore, is to identify challenges that informal businesses have experienced in dealing with flood disaster risks. In doing so, we analyzed government policies and laws that are related to business formalization and disaster management. We also conducted interviews with key informants to verify our data. Our analysis found that the Sri Lankan government requires informal business owners to follow complicated rules to register their businesses. For these owners, who are not highly educated, these processes and fear of high tax rates discouraged registering their businesses. The central government tends to prioritize flood mitigation actions for formalized business areas. Informal businesses are not usually covered by flood insurance and compensation. In conclusion, we emphasize the need to establish widely available legal and administrative support for informal businesses to register. Adopting business continuity plans (BCPs) and keeping standardized business records also help businesses minimize flood loss and damage.

Leveraging Innovation Capability and Organizational Resilience for Business Sustainability Among Small and Medium Enterprises: A PLS-SEM Approach

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of innovation capability on business sustainability in Nigerian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as consider the effects of organizational resilience, sustainable competitive advantage, and environmental dynamism as mediators in succession. A quantitative approach was adopted to collect data from 401 employees in SMEs in the Lagos Metropolitan Area of Nigeria. We conducted the analysis of the collected data using the partial least squares approach (PLS-SEM). This research establishes that innovation capabilities are beneficial for ensuring business sustainability. The findings further corroborate the importance of sustainable competitive advantage and environmental dynamism for business sustainability. Finally, the results show that environmental dynamism is important for helping small business owners sustain their businesses and increase their innovation capabilities. Similarly, the indirect paths also showed that resilience organizations, like SMEs, play a role in the paradigm. However, businesses can benefit from this study’s findings by crafting strategies that adapt more quickly to changing market dynamics and capitalize on emerging possibilities. This way, businesses may take the necessary measures to stay ahead of the competition while guaranteeing sustainability. Even though the heuristic model emphasizes originality, the current research on how to successfully link innovative capacity to sustainability and build sustainability in dynamic environments is sparse.

Chartism’s Critical Carbon Theology: What Fossil Power’s Nineteenth-Century Demonizers Contribute to the Ethics of Energy Justice Today

Recent scholarship on religion and energy highlights the religious attachments some groups of people form with fossil fuels that have served to facilitate their extraction and use in building socially and economically stratified worlds. This scholarship foregrounds the business owners, managers, scientists, inventors, industrial spokespersons, and other panegyrists of the beneficent, civilizing power of coal and oil. However, little research to date has examined the religious attachments formed with fossil fuels by those who mined them, labored with machines powered by them, and lived in places that were diminished to extract, burn, and waste them. This article builds on the work of Andreas Malm and Terra Schwerin Rowe to examine these “critical carbon theologies”. It focuses in particular on the theological themes in popular literature produced by the nineteenth-century British Chartist movement—the first great social movement led by those who experienced in their bodies, communities, and environments the traumas that accompanied the introduction of fossil fuels as a motive power. These Chartist activist-theologians condemned coal power as a demonic force in history and envisioned a way to exorcize an industrializing society of its demons. This article uncovers and evaluates the largely overlooked theological dimensions of this movement and applies them toward a consideration of the ethics of energy transition today.

“Vacunas”: Permanence of Crime in The New Dynamics of Violence and Post-Agreement in Colombia

Objective: This study aims to explore the criminal dynamics and socioeconomic implications of extortion, specifically the "vacuna" (protection payment) phenomenon, in Colombia. It seeks to understand how this practice contributes to the persistence of crime and violence, and how victims manage and cope with this form of violence. Theoretical Frmework: The literature review is based on the theory of psychological coercion, where the threat and intimidation through force are used as a means of social control, as well as the economics of crime, which proposes that criminality is a rational act aimed at maximizing benefits for offenders. Finally, the theory of the state and security explains how the absence of the state in Colombia allows criminal groups to assume roles of "protection." Method: A qualitative approach was adopted, using semi-structured and unstructured interviews with merchants and business owners in the Department of Santander, Colombia. The study focuses on a narrative approach, allowing victims to express their experiences with extortion. This method aims to capture the diversity of perspectives and coping practices in response to the crime. Results and Discussion: The results reveal that extortion persists as a common practice due to weak state presence and the transformation of criminal actors. It was observed that victims, both individually and collectively, develop diverse strategies to confront extortion. The study also identifies the perpetrators, although in many cases, victims are unable or unwilling to directly point out their aggressors due to fear of reprisals. Research Implications: The findings suggest the need to rethink public policies focused on security and wealth distribution in Colombia. Strengthening state presence in regions most affected by violence and improving protection mechanisms for extortion victims is crucial. Originality/Value: This study provides a detailed and contextualized analysis of a criminal practice that has been underrepresented in academic literature. By focusing on the voices and experiences of the victims, it offers new insights into the dynamics of power and violence in Colombia, highlighting the importance of addressing structural inequalities to mitigate crime and violence.

Analysis on Family Business and Succession Planning in Hotel and Hospitality Sector in Uganda: A Case of White Horse Inn Kabale

Purpose: The study was set to examine the relationship between family business and succession planning in hotel and hospitality sector in Uganda, focusing on White Horse Inn Kabale as a case study. The study explored the strategies employed by leaders in family businesses for effective succession planning. Materials and Methods: The study used a mixed research design with quantitative and qualitative approaches to obtain in-depth information about family business and succession planning strategies in Uganda. Out of 150, a sample size of 108 (including 93 quantitative and 15 qualitative) was selected from different staff of White Horse Inn Kabale as the established family enterprise selected for the study (Krejcie & Morgan, 1970). The tools used for data collection were questionnaires, an interview guide, and documentary checklist. Data was collected from the managerial and non-managerial staff of the White Horse Inn Kabale. Findings: The Pearson correlation coefficient r=.618, P<0.05 indicates that there is a positive significant correlation coefficient between family business and succession planning. The model summary findings presents that Family Business, β=.618, t=7.666, p<.005. This meant that a unit change in family business would lead to an increase in succession planning in White Horse Inn Kabale. The study findings reveals that the relationship between Family Business and Succession Planning was statistically significant, F=58.775, P<0.05. This means that succession planning in a family business is a crucial process that ensures the long-term sustainability and success of the company. The results from regression model summary explain that family business caused a variation of 38.2% in succession planning. This indicates that succession planning in a family business is a crucial process that ensures the long-term sustainability and success. This therefore means that other factors not studied in this research contribute 61.8% of the succession planning. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommends that family business should formally document succession plans as an integral component of the business strategy, irrespective of the intentions regarding succession. Furthermore, fostering open and adaptable communication that promotes participatory decision-making is strongly recommended. A clear process for identifying essential competencies, along with a competency catalog, should be established to provide a solid foundation for business owners to evaluate potential successors, pinpoint competency deficiencies, and devise suitable plans for their development.

The White privilege of self-determination in entrepreneurship: how educational supports pipeline White students into business ownership

Worker cooperative entrepreneur spaces are predominantly White despite these companies building the foundation of their business model on equity and sustainability. While some studies have investigated racism in entrepreneurship development, no in-depth study has investigated White privilege in this space. Therefore, this study used a qualitative critical narrative analysis approach to explore White privilege in the entrepreneurship journeys of six White individuals who formed a worker cooperative business. Findings suggest that formal and informal educational experiences fostered four themes of White privilege in entrepreneurship: belongingness and competence in privileged entrepreneurship identity, resource-rich support systems, anti-meritocracy perceptions of competence, and privileged psychology of wealth. Findings suggest that educational spaces foster basic psychological needs of intrinsic motivation required for entrepreneurship, however, racialized gatekept access to these spaces perpetuates racial disproportionality in entrepreneurship. This article concludes with situating findings within self-determination theory and discussions of study limitations, implications, and future directions.

The distribution of privately held business assets in the United States

Although privately held businesses are central to the economy and society, little is known about how their assets are distributed among the population. To better understand rising and persistent wealth inequalities, this paper describes the household distribution of private business assets in the United States and examines how it has changed over time. Using data from the 1989–2019 Survey of Consumer Finances, we show that the relative number of business owners has remained stagnant at low levels and that assets in privately held firms have become increasingly concentrated. In 2019, the top 1 % of households controlled nearly 80 % of the equity in private businesses, up from about 70 % in the late 1980s. Moreover, we find that these trends appear to be quite general and do not merely reflect dynamics among elites or in specific sectors of the economy. We discuss implications for the organization of the US economy, wealth inequality, and public policy.

An Exploration of Entrepreneurs’ Socio-economic Situation and Its Impact on Micro and Small Businesses in South Andaman

This study aims to investigate the socio-economic conditions of entrepreneurs that influence the growth of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in the South Andaman District. In this study, a scheduled questionnaire-based survey research design was used, and a sample of 344 small business owners was collected for analysis. The data were processed using SPSS, and chi-squared test was applied for statistical analysis. The study’s findings revealed that factors such as entrepreneurs’ business experience, income levels, the number of working employees and ownership of house property significantly impact the growth of enterprises in the island region. However, factors like business location and sector of enterprises were found to be statistically insignificant in determining MSEs’ growth in the island region. The study suggests that policymakers and local administrations should enhance support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in island regions by implementing policies such as island capital investment subsidies and island transport subsidies for MSEs. As a result, small businesses play a pivotal role by contributing to local employment, production and investment opportunities in the island region.

Business Feasibility Analysis of Processed Sweet Potato Products at MSME Karya Indah Bandorasa Wetan

Sweet potato processing is a vital part of the local economy. In this study, the business costs incurred and feasibility of processing sweet potato product businesses in the Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Karya Indah in Bandorasa Wetan are analyzed. The research is based on a census technique, namely, the MSME Karyan Wetans, which is used as the population and sample in the research. The business costs are calculated to calculate various costs associated with running a business consisting of fixed costs and variable costs. The acceptance feasibility ratio was found to be 1.455, so it is greater than 1 and is in the feasible and feasible category. This research offers practical guidance for MSMEs in assessing their operational efficiency and helps business owners make informed decisions about investment and expansion. Furthermore, it contributes to the broader understanding of sustainable business practices in the agricultural processing sector, specifically focusing on sweet potato products. Moreover, analyzing the impact of technological improvements or more efficient production methods on reducing costs and increasing productivity could provide valuable insights for enhancing business operations.