Small Business Ownership Research Articles

Enterprise in Albion: Thatcherism, entrepreneurialism, historicity

ABSTRACT During the 1980s, Thatcherism sought to align British citizens with market rationalities, not least through discourse and policies of entrepreneurialism. During that decade, Pete, a wheelwright and the subject of this essay, began an entrepreneurial trajectory. His path to independent small business ownership was deeply informed by his own personal experiences and by a particular reading of history, one that apparently placed him at odds with Thatcherism. In revealing the historicization of Pete’s entrepreneurialism we also confront how Margaret Thatcher’s beliefs were no less anchored in history.

How small business owners navigate stress for improved performance: Building psychological capital through peer interactions

ABSTRACT This study explores whether small business owners’ personal networks can enhance business performance by offering psychological benefits to owners, particularly, in navigating stress-inducing challenges inherent in small business ownership. Our argument centers on how peer interactions within these networks promote small business owners’ development of psychological capital, ultimately, leading to improved business performance. Drawing on social support, community psychology, and social comparison theories, we propose a model with two pathways. Structural equation modeling of survey data from the Aba industrial district in Nigeria strongly supports our model. The study advances small business literature by demonstrating the significance of personal networks in facilitating the development of internal resources, offering a new perspective on the value of these networks beyond their often-discussed role in facilitating access to external resources.

Economic Diversification in Kuwait Macroeconomic Implications

The extraction of oil remains the single dominant economic activity in Kuwait. While it has long been understood that economic diversification is needed to support a more stable economic base and a higher standard of living, this has been challenging in Kuwait and other GCC countries. The petroleum revenues of Kuwait cannot last forever, however public and private sector industry is nearly entirely dependent on this source of revenue. Various planning and projects have been undertaken as a means of achieving some measure of economic diversification. This paper undertakes an integrative review to synthesizing the measures undertaken in Kuwait towards the aim of economic diversification and evaluation of those projects, considering current evidence and frameworks. The study found that one area where the economic future needs of Kuwait and the cultural sensibility align is in small business ownership, and this in combination with the latent and undercapitalized, well-educated labor force presents many opportunities for growth, diversification, and innovation by providing for new opportunities for Kuwaiti citizens in Kuwait.

Analysis of problems in increasing beef production with the Interpretative Structural Modeling (ISM) approach in North Sumatera

The consumption rate is not in line with the rate of beef production, causing problems in fulfilling beef. This study aims to explore problems in increasing beef production and to create graphs and hierarchical diagrams of priority problem solving using the Interpretative Structural Modeling method. The shortage of beef production is caused by several problems, including 1) slaughtering productive female cattle, 2) reproductive disorders due to disease and malnutrition, 3) limited productive females as breeders, 4) limited skilled workers in the field of artificial insemination, 5) limited superior bulls, 6) limited knowledge about cattle farming, 7) small business ownership scale, 8) lack of motivation of farmers, 9) limited insight in feed processing technology, 10) limited capital, 11) limitations sources of feed or limited supply of grazing land due to land conversion, 12) Imports of cattle, 13) Sales of cattle outside North Sumatra, 14) Prices of beef. The final results of the Reachability Matrix have 3 categories of problem solving based on graphs and hierarchies, namely Top-Level variables sub elements E1 and E2, then Middle Level variables sub elements E11, (E2 with E3), E9, E6, E14, E4 and E7 and Low Level Variables sub elements E10, E5, E12 and E13.

Does adaptability, rurality and previous business ownership matter for entrepreneurial identity?

PurposeThis study explores the role of both trait-like (i.e. adaptability) and situational (previous small business ownership and rurality) variables, on entrepreneurial identity (EI) through a social identity theory lens.Design/methodology/approachPath analysis was used on 376 individuals from across the United States who met various criteria and were recruited using Prolific.FindingsAdaptability and previous small business ownership were found to be predictors of EI. Findings also highlight the moderating role of adaptability on the previous small business ownership-EI and rurality-EI links. Notably, highly adaptable individuals who have previously owned businesses tend to hold more of an EI, and those who are less adaptable and live in rural locations also tend to hold less of an EI.Practical implicationsUnderstanding the conditions under which individuals are likely to hold more of an EI may provide several benefits to organizations and individuals within society, including information that can be used to develop more fine-tuned career counseling and training, risk management strategies, and a more calculated allocation of finite resources.Originality/valueDespite both personal trait-like (i.e. focus/adaptability) and situational (i.e. rurality and previous small business ownership experience) factors likely playing a crucial role in the formation of individuals' perceptions, previous work has largely ignored their interaction in the development of EI. The authors test a model encompassing trait-like (i.e. focus/adaptability) and situational (rurality, previous small business ownership experience) predictors of EI, along with their interactive effects, and illuminate a more holistic picture of EI's antecedents.

Challenges to measuring social value creation through social impact assessments: the case of RVA Works

PurposeDespite the prevalence of academic literature debating and proposing competing conceptions of social value creation through socially driven enterprises, there is a lack of empirical studies on established impact measurement methodologies in the context of real-world ventures. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate a structured process of conducting social impact assessments (SIAs) through the real-world case of Richmond, Virginia Works Enterprise Support (RVA Works), a social enterprise in Richmond, Virginia, that provides educational programming on small business ownership to minorities and lower-income individuals.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative research study incorporates an in-depth case study methodology. Evidence was collected through interpretive/qualitative interviews and direct observations by the researchers.FindingsUsing the example of RVA Works, the authors show that there is a lack of standardization and guidance for social entrepreneurs in choosing methods to assess their organizational performance, and that leading conceptions of social impact continue to face key weaknesses in their methodologies.Practical implicationsBy incorporating a qualitative case study approach, the authors present a real-world study of a social enterprise – specifically a microenterprise development organization – that may serve as a valuable example to social entrepreneurs and not-for-profit leaders facing similar challenges of social value creation and impact measurement.Originality/valueIn studying the experience of conducting SIAs by social enterprises, the authors illustrate the real-world challenges faced by entrepreneurs in applying theoretical conceptions of social value to the outcomes of their ventures, thus illustrating a need for additional clarity and discussion around a more comprehensive, standardized and broadly applicable measurement approach.

Gender and exposure differences in entrepreneurial attitudes of Indian university students

The process of entrepreneurship has undergone rapid changes in India. This includes a large IT segment driving the process and structural industry changes. The inclusion of women as entrepreneurs has generally been slow in India for several reasons. This study provides individual level data on the entrepreneurial attitudes of students in India and how gender and entrepreneurial exposure are related to these attitudes. Exposure was measured through previous work exposure, familial exposure or previous small business ownership. Entrepreneurial attitudes of 127 young adults at a university in India were measured with the entrepreneurial attitudes orientation (EAO) survey instrument which is comprised of four subscales. The Indian males scored higher on all four subscales and the overall EAO score than their female counterparts. Of the three types of exposure only directly working with a small business in the past was associated with statistically significantly higher entrepreneurial attitudes.

Role of gender and exposure on entrepreneurial attitudes of Omani university students

This study adds the Oman context to our knowledge base investigating the entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions of university students across multiple nations. This individual level study examines how gender and the previous work exposure are associated with the entrepreneurial attitudes of the Omani university students. The entrepreneurial attitudes orientation (EAO) survey instrument (with four subscales) was used to measure the entrepreneurial attitudes of 144 Omani students. Exposure was measured through current or previous small business ownership, previous work exposure and family exposure. The research adds to the literature in the cultural and regional context and contributes to the existing knowledge by suggesting a theory-based understanding of the role of attitudes in the formation of entrepreneurial intentions. The study proposes how the policy makers can support young entrepreneurs to start novel business ventures in the region by creating a comprehensive entrepreneurial ecosystem which can contribute in the socio-economic development of the Sultanate of Oman.

Small Business Ownership and Mental Health

Edited byMichelle Cleary, PhD, RNCollege of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania,Sydney, NSW, AustraliaSmall businesses contribute greatly to economic activity and provide employment for lar...

Suriyeli Mültecilerin Esnaflaşmasını Anlamada Bourdieucu Yaklaşımın Olanakları

his study shows that existing theoretical approaches in understanding migrant small-business ownership do not provide a composite, multi-layered framework. The dynamics of hardship faced by Syrian refugees and Syrian survival strategies are asserted to be unable to be fully understood through existing theoretical approaches. The existing literature on refugee-owned small businesses is discussed under three groupings: agency-oriented theories, structuralism, and the mixed approaches of embeddedness. This paper adopts a Bourdieusian approach to exploring the opportunities provided by Bourdieusian sociology in understanding the multi-layered dynamics of Syrian entrepreneurship. The main research questions of the paper are as follows: What are the possible opportunities in Bourdieu’s concepts for shedding light on Syrian small-business ownership? Does Bourdieusian field theory provide a composite, relational approach in understanding Syrian refugee small-business ownership? In so doing, the multi-layered and relational concepts of Bourdieusian sociology are operationalized in order to fill in the gaps within the existing literature on migrant/refugee entrepreneurship. This paper provides researchers with a toolkit for working on migrant/refugee smallbusiness ownership and contains five sections. The first section sets the aim and methodology of the study. The second section discusses the analytical models for understanding migrant entrepreneurship. The third section elaborates on the theoretical approaches that shed light on migrant entrepreneurship. These last two sections critically engage with these models and theoretical approaches by showing the gaps within them. The fourth section sets out the Bourdieusian approach and operationalizes his concepts into the research area of Syrian small-business ownership in Turkey. The paper concludes with key research findings and implications for researchers and practitioners.

The potential of online coaching to develop female entrepreneurial self-efficacy

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the potential of coaching to develop female entrepreneurship by overcoming potential barriers. It sought to understand how entrepreneurial self-efficacy can be applied to development relationships, through on-line coaching, examining changes in the four key elements of entrepreneurial self-efficacy enactive mastery, vicarious experiences, social persuasion and psychological arousal. The study examines the impact of coaching relationships on female entrepreneurial self-efficacy compared to a control group. The participant group was matched with coaches and undertook a structured six months’ coaching programme.Design/methodology/approachThis was a longitudinal study using a mixed methods approach. Questionnaires investigating entrepreneurial self-efficacy were collected at two time points for both the coaching and control group. After the first time point, the coaching group was supported through a six months coaching development programme. At the second time point, questionnaires were again completed by both groups and qualitative data gather via interviews with the coaching group.FindingsThe findings from this study showed that coaching relationships had a positive impact on coachees’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy, compared to the control group in terms of enactive mastery, vicarious experience, social persuasion and psychological arousal. This suggests that coaching is a development intervention which can be used to enhance self-efficacy beliefs of female entrepreneurs, thereby increasing their chances of engaging in successful business creation and operation.Research limitations/implicationsThe group size was a problem, with four of the coaching group and ten of the control group dropping out. The coaching participants left the intervention due to personal reasons but no reason could be established for the control group participants leaving the study. The problem of ‘Type II’ was considered and in an attempt to overcome this problem, data were shown at below 10% (p < 0.10). It would also have been useful to collect more qualitative data from the control group.Practical implicationsAn online coaching programme provided by women for women, which is tailored to the individual, can support female entrepreneurs through the difficult stages of start-up and development phases of business development. Creating more successful women owned businesses will not only provide financial benefits, but should help provide additional entrepreneurial networks for women, as well as more positive female role models. Exposure to positive role models has been found to have a direct effect on entrepreneurial self-efficacy. This circular affect should in theory keep on increasing, if female entrepreneurs have access to the tailored support provided by coaching programmes such as the one used here.Social implicationsConsidering the current global economic climate, it is increasingly important for women to be supported in small business ownership (Denis, 2012). Countries which actively promote women entering into business ownership will ultimately share the gains in terms of wider issues, i.e. improving education and health, and economic growth (Harding, 2007). If female entrepreneurship is to be encouraged and supported, provision needs to be designed and developed based on female entrepreneurs’ needs and requirements, rather than simply conforming to traditional business support models.Originality/valueThis study contributes to learning and theoretical debates by providing an understanding of female entrepreneurs' needs with regard to business support and how this can be related to and supported by coaching. It also adds to the literature on entrepreneurial self-efficacy, coaching and learning by providing empirical evidence to illustrate how coaching interventions, including the use of online methods, can have a positive impact on female entrepreneurial self-efficacy.

The Role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Employment Generation and Economic Growth: A Study of Marble Industry in Emerging Economy

This study is undertaken to find out how SMEs contribute to the economy in terms of employment generation and its impact on the economic growth of the country. Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) is accepted globally as a tool for empowering the citizenry and economic growth. In Pakistan efforts have been made by successive governments to increase employment opportunities, reduce poverty and accelerate economic growth by increasing foreign direct investment, diversifying the economy, enacting policy frameworks which favor small business ownership and entrepreneurship programs. Specifically, this study tends to figure out: how SMEs contribute to employment generation, whether a significant number of people is employ within the SME sector; whether the SMEs increase the income level of people. The total number of employees was 255 being selected randomly from Swat marble industries. A questionnaire was constructed and distributed to the selected respondents. The responses were collected and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) analytical tool. The study exposes that SMEs play a vital role in employment generation. There is a positive relationship between SMEs and unemployment reduction. The result also shows that there is a positive relationship between SMEs and increase in income level. This study may be beneficial both for practitioners and academicians. For practitioners, the current study may help to devise policies and strategies concerning SMEs to generate employment opportunities. The current study may lead to the generalizability of existing research in the same field as for academic aspect is a concern.

The household as a source of labor for entrepreneurs: Evidence from New York City during industrialization

Research SummaryThis article conceptualizes households as a crucial pool of labor for small entrepreneurs. The household varied historically in its scope (depending on whether bonded workers were included) and work intensity (depending on the authority or coercion exercised by household heads). Drawing on data that enumerate over 100,000 households in New York City, I examine how the shift from institutions of unfree labor to wage labor affected business proprietorship between 1790 and 1850. Given the disproportionate importance of unfree household labor to small entrepreneurs, the contraction of this labor source may offer one general explanation for their decline.Managerial SummaryHow does household scope and composition affect the ability of an individual to run their own business? Historical archives can provide useful insights into this question. They track long‐term declines in family size and the emancipation of non‐family members—such as apprentices, indentured servants, and slaves—from the authority of household heads. Examining records from early New York City, this study shows that business ownership was strongly linked with the ownership of slaves and the presence of dependent males after the American Revolution. Large households and unfree laborers were especially important for entrepreneurship among individuals with limited wealth. For modern economies, the results suggest that policymakers consider potential tensions between small business ownership and the development of free and equitable labor markets.

Migrant Remittances as a Source of Financing for Entrepreneurship

AbstractThe aim of this research is to analyse the likelihood of small business ownership by households receiving remittances in Uzbekistan. As such, this research has important policy implications. Small businesses are crucial for job creation and economic growth. This research shows that households receiving remittances invest in family business only when this inflow is supplemented with sufficient income or savings. Therefore, financial constraints are of paramount importance for a small business and these could be especially hard to overcome in rural areas. The article also finds evidence that remittance senders direct their funds into special business projects.

Exploring the Possible Influence of Women’s Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) on Their Decision to Opt Out from Organizational Career to Self-Employment

The purpose of this study is to explore the possible influence of women’s entrepreneurial orientations (EO) on their decision to opt out from organizational careers to self-employment. It examines how women account for these transitions, reasons for opting for self-employment and experiences of self-employment. This research employs the qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews as the main data collection tool. The study revealed that the entrepreneurial orientations of the women under study are commonly associated with the generally successful entrepreneurial behaviour of risk-taking, creative, proactive, competitive, aggressive and confidence. This suggests that enterprises and their women owners may benefit from efforts to increase their levels of entrepreneurial orientation in order to survive the dynamic, fast-paced and complex business environment characterized by shorter life cycles, globalization, and continuous improvements in technology. Hence for the women under study with higher entrepreneurial orientation levels, their transitions from their organizational career to self-employment or small business ownership are seen as attractive career moves.&#x0D; Keywords: Women’s careers, entrepreneurial orientation, opting out

Small business owners and health

The present article identifies a societal and scholarly neglect for the field of small business ownership and health. We address health capital and its spillover effects and briefly outline a research program discriminating between pathogenic (negative for health) and salutogenic (positive for health) effects for a small business owner’s working life.

Understanding the Pull Motivations of Malaysian Women Music Teachers as Music Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship generally refers to small business ownership which implies quality of innovation and initiative in creating a new venture. Previous studies on entrepreneurship have indicated that pull and push factors in motivation and the environmental influences are the two main dynamic aspects that prompt women into their decision in creating their own business. In the Malaysian context, some women music teachers have ventured into establishing music businesses after several years of contribution in music teaching. What are the pull factors and influences that prompted these women music teachers into music business ownership after some years of music teaching? This study aims to examine and explore the pull motivational and influencing factors of why women music teachers endeavour in setting up music studios, music schools and entering into small music business ownership. In-depth interviews were conducted with 3 women music entrepreneurs and data was analysed for emerging themes. The findings provided evidence for the better understanding of the pull motivational and influencing factors of the women music entrepreneurs.

The Impact of Consumer Credit Access on Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship

We examine how consumer credit access impacts self-employment and small business ownership by building a new dataset that links 3 million individual earnings and credit reports to pass-through tax records. We show that self-employment and employer business ownership increase with personal credit access. We isolate the causal impact of credit on both types of business owners by exploiting bankruptcy flag removals. Following flag removal, self-employed individuals earn and borrow more, and are also more likely to enter capital-intensive industries. Individuals are also more likely to own an employer business and borrow on average 33% ($40k) more after flag removal.

Self-employment: is it a long-term financial strategy for women?

PurposeBecoming self-employed has appeal to both genders. For many women, balancing work and family is a key motivator. However, businesses owned and operated by women are often very small, with limited turnover. This potentially can have disastrous consequences when these women come to retire, unless a solid retirement savings strategy has been considered. The purpose of this paper is to outline many of the issues and implications of a lack of research in this area.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 201 small business owners via a convenience sample derived from various databases. The survey was completed on-line and analysed using SPSS.FindingsMany self-employed women in Australia have neither enough savings for their retirement, or an actual retirement plan. This is exacerbated by the lack of regulation requiring mandatory contributions into a superannuation (personal pension) fund by small business owners, unlike pay as you go employees, whose employers must contribute a certain about on their behalf.Social implicationsMiddle-to-older aged women are the biggest cohort of homeless people in Australia. This is likely to grow as self-employed Baby Boomers stop working and find they do not have sufficient personal financial resources to fund their retirement.Originality/valueWhereas there is much written about gender and small business ownership, as well as retirement and savings planning, these two areas have not been researched before in Australia. Yet it is an issue for the majority of small business owners, particularly women.

Collective Resource Mobilisation for Economic Survival within the Kurdish and Turkish Communities in London

This paper proposes a new conceptual framework in understanding the dynamics within the Kurdish and Turkish (KT) owned firms in London by utilising Charles Tilly’s work concerning collective resource mobilisation. Drawing on 60 in-depth interviews with restaurant, off-licence, kebab-shop, coffee-shop, supermarket, wholesaler owners and various community organisations, the paper sheds light upon the questions of why and how the KT communities in London moved into, and are over represented and why Turkish Cypriots are absent in small business ownership. The re-search illustrates that members of the KT communities aligned in their interests to become small business owners after the demise of textile industry in the midst of 1990s in London. The interest alignment in small business ownership required activation of various forms of capital and transposition of social, cultural and economic capital into one another.