array_files=new Array(); array_files[0]=new Array(0,1,"./creao12f.html","2008-06-20","91K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Managing Creativity and Innovation and its Effect on Business Performance: Cultural Assessment of Gender and Nationality Kariv, D.1 1.The School of Business Administration, the College of Management, Rishon Lezion, Israel Abstract The aim of this study is to depict the role of the management of creativity and innovation (C&I) on business performance, measured by longevity, through comparative assessments of gender and national groups, Canadians and Israelis. Drawing on knowledge from Hofstedes (1980) cultural dimensions, i.e., individualism/collectivism and masculinity/femininity, management of C&I is viewed as a form of business capability that varies according to the values of different groups. Comparative analyses of 235 leading male and female entrepreneurs from Canada and Israel revealed significant differences in using C&I strategies, by both gender and nation; in contrast to previous studies, additional hierarchical regressions showed that some strategies are used in a mixed form of masculinity/femininity. Individualism/collectivism have been found to significantly influence business performance, but when assessed along with C&I strategies, the effect of national culture on business performance decreased, implying that C&I management represents a global strategy whose role surpasses gender or national effects on business performance. Implications for theory, practice and policymaking are introduced. Keywords: entrepreneurship; creativity; innovation; business success; gender; international; Canada; Israel Introduction In todays fast-paced competitive environment, firms need to be increasingly nimble and adaptive; therefore, creativity and innovativeness (C&I) have become essential strategies in enabling entrepreneurial businesses to compete in the face of emerging, knowledge-based businesses and improve their "); array_files[1]=new Array(0,1,"./crean11f.html","2008-06-20","91K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Practitioner’s Paper: The Transitional Development Model - Coaching Solo Entrepreneurs Towards Growth and Development 1 Introduction This paper introduces a model for growth and development for one-person businesses. As a small business consultant I have used this model to support one-person business owners exploiting their full entrepreneurial potential. We have found the model useful for guiding their businesses to the next level, and preparing them for future development.   The model introduced here as the Transitional Development (TD) model, has developed based on patterns I have repeatedly encountered among self-employed individuals in the business and professional services sector (‘solo entrepreneurs’). The model describes the solo entrepreneurs’ business life cycle phases and shows that growth and development definitely can be achieved without an increase in personnel. For solo entrepreneurs, growth is not about employing staff (‘expanding’), but about other criteria: developing the level of quality of the services provided and their absolute value, (‘next level productivity’), resulting in growth of labour productivity. The entrepreneurial potential of solo entrepreneurs must not be underestimated. Solo entre­preneurship is often seen as a solution to the weaker labour market participants or as a minor if not hobbyist source of income. Productivity is indeed often poor, but in my experience a) this is predominantly true for solo businesses that got stuck in an early development phase and have not yet developed to their full potential, and b) many solo businesses are currently stagnated in a pre-maturity phase.   This paper introduces the TD model as an instrument to guide solo entrepreneurs through the distinct phases from start to maturity, and suggests further opportunities for (non-expansive) growth. The promising outcomes of TD model based consultancy suggest that the model "); array_files[2]=new Array(0,1,"./creak4s.html","2008-06-20","8K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Chances and Risks for Small and Medium Sized Companies in the Process of Internationalisation and Globalisation (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. The continuous processes of internationalisation comprise several chances for small and medium sized enterprises (SME), but some risks. Germany is still the world’s no. one export nation. But for internationalizing the exporting SMEs reach their limits. The limit of internationalisation potential goes further (e.g. finance, human resources, research, development) than the classical economical areas (acquisition, production, outlet) and is not reached yet by SMEs. That means that there is more potential in the classical area as well as in the extended functional areas of SMEs. In the related research work the current internationalisation strategies as well as the relevant terms such as internationalisation e.g. are introduced and pointed out by examples of successful internationalised SMEs and several big companies concerning their particular potential within their process of internationalisation. Thereby the results show the importance to have a look not only at the Best-price examples of internationalised SMEs but also at the positive and negative examples of big companies for the own internationalisation. The description is carried out through more than 30 guided interviews held with European hidden champions and market leaders as well as through online-questionnaires of suppliers of one of the biggest German car companies. The result of the empirical and practical research gives a reliable guide for successful internationalisation of SME. Term from http://europa.eu/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2003/l_124/l_12420030520en00360041.pdf 07.03.07 compare to Empter/Vehrkamp (Hrsg.) Wirtschaftsstandort Deutschland, 2006 compare to European Commission, Internationalisation of SME, 2004, Page 13-18 Internationalisation is the “genus for all forms of international economical activ "); array_files[3]=new Array(0,1,"./creak23f.html","2008-06-20","103K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Small Firm Internationalisation: The Impact of Size on Inter-organisational Relationships Prof. C. Kalantaridis* & Dr I. Vassilev** *   Professor of Entrepreneurship & Regional Development and Director of the Centre for Enterprise & Innovation Research. His main research interests include internationalisation and entrepreneurial strategies, rural entrepreneurship and networks and relationships.  Address for correspondence: Centre for Enterprise and Innovation Research, Salford Business School, University of Salford, Salford, M5 4WT, Tel. 0161-2955184, E-mail. c.kalantaridis@salford.ac.uk ** Research Fellow. His research interests include: globalisation, governance, business strategy, transformation in Eastern Europe, and social theory, particularly around issues of trust and informality. Address for correspondence: Department of Sociology, Edward Wright Building, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3QY. Introduction The internationalisation of the small firm is one of the fastest growing research areas in the field of entrepreneurial studies. Research in this area is driven by the near universal acknowledgement of the growing integration of firms of all sizes (and particularly small) in international and global networks of production and distribution. This trend is facilitated by changes in information and communication technologies, the adoption of more liberal global structures governing trade, the emergence of global buyers, and the increased modularisation (fragmentation) of production and service provision (Scott, 2006). Research on the internationalisation of the small firm draws upon the fundamental premise that ‘size matters’. The impact of smallness is invariably conceptualised in terms of resource-related constraints (OECD, 2002), as well as the over-arching influence of the entrepreneurial personality upon internationalisation (McDougal and Oviatt, 2000).  The argument goes that as a res "); array_files[4]=new Array(0,1,"./creag3f.html","2008-06-20","54K","Overcoming Barriers to Entrepreneurship and SME Development","",""," Overcoming Barriers to Entrepreneurship and SME Development 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Business Relationship and the Growth of Start-Up Firms in Japan Hiroyuki OKAMURO May 2008 Hitotsubashi University, Graduate School of Economics, Naka 2-1, Kunitachi Tokyo 186-8601 Japan Tel.: +81-42-580-8792; Fax: +81-42-580-8882 E-mail: okamuro@econ.hit-u.ac.jp Abstract: Start-up firms suffer from shortages of various business resources. Business relationship can play a crucial role in overcoming this problem, but it has rather been neglected in the previous literature. We examine the impact of initial business relationship on the employment growth of start-up firms, using original survey data from Japan. Empirical results using robust OLS and Probit estimations suggest that the growth of start-up firms is significantly influenced by the dependence on a sole large customer as well as the pattern and variety of supports from the main customer at the early stage. These results support most of our hypotheses. Keywords: Start-up firm; Post-Entry Performance; Growth; Business Relationship * The author is Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Economics, Hitotsubashi University. His research interests cover entrepreneurship, innovation and research partnership. 1. Introduction     A firm can be regarded as a pool of various tangible and intangible business resources, and the capability and potential of the firm depends on the quality and quantity of the available resources. Many small firms, specifically start-up firms, suffer from the insufficiency of resources, while large incumbents accumulate them abundantly both in quality and quantity. Many start-up firms have therefore difficulties to survive and grow. Business resources in wider sense include various intangible assets such as market information, management know-how and credibility. Start-up firms can obtain and complement lacking resources through networks with external persons and organizations. So we may assume that those "); array_files[5]=new Array(0,1,"./creae1f.html","2008-06-20","69K","Governance and Ownership of Small Firms, Including Family Firms and Entrepreneurial Firms","",""," Governance and Ownership of Small Firms, Including Family Firms and Entrepreneurial Firms 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Analysing the impact of entrepreneur’s economic motivations on new firm’s growth using a longitudinal empirical analysis BARBA-SÁNCHEZ, VIRGINIA University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) MARTÍNEZ-RUIZ, MARÍA DEL PILAR University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) GARCÍA-PÉREZ, MARÍA EMILIA University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) Authors Biography Dr. Virgina Barba-Sánchez is Associate Professor at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). Her current research interests are entrepreneurial motivation, new ventures growth and environmental issues in business transactions. Dr. María Pilar Martínez-Ruiz is Associate Professor at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). Her research lines are new product development, innovation, marketing communications and entrepreneurial motivation. Dr. María Emilia García-Pérez is Associate Profesor at the University of Castilla-La Mancha. Her research lines are methodological and statistical issues in business studies. Abstract This study attempts to analyse the relationship between the entrepreneurial motivation and the new venture’s growth –measured in terms of increase in number of workers –in today’s Spanish economic scenario. More specifically, the present study attempts to contribute to this research line by analyzing the relationship between the company performance –measured in terms of employees –and the economic entrepreneur’s motivations. The results have shown how economic entrepreneur’s motivation has a non-zero effect on the success of the firm, though it does not determine if a company will succeed or fail. Keywords SMEs, new firm’s growth, entrepreneur, economic motivations. INTRODUCTION No doubt that the emergence and growth of small and medium-sized companies has attracted a significant interest among policy makers and researchers because of its potential to contribute to "); array_files[6]=new Array(0,1,"./cread6f.html","2008-06-20","90K","Entrepreneurship and the Commercialization of R&D","",""," Entrepreneurship and the Commercialization of R&D 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference New High Tech Firm Contributions to Economic Growth Bruce A. Kirchhoff, New Jersey Institute of Technology Aron Spencer, New Jersey Institute of Technology Abstract This paper examines the new job formation role of small high technology firms, and the resulting contributions to economic growth. There is a rich literature examining the relationship of technological innovation to economic growth but research on new job formation comparing large and small, low and high technology firms is lacking. We use tabulations of the Census Bureau’s longitudinal database of all U.S. business establishments to compare job creation of small and large high-tech firms and all other firms from 1998 to 2002. Small high-tech firms increased employment; larger firms reduced employment. This suggests that federal and state entities should recognize the value of small high-tech firms when creating public policy. Introduction Economists have long been studying the linkage between technological innovation and economic growth. This research has been driven by Schumpeter’s (1934) description of technological innovation as the source of economic growth. From Solow (1957) through Scherer (1984) and Link and Scherer (2005) the literature is rich with many analyses based on a variety of mathematical and statistical models. However, from the practical view, the question rarely treated is: What is the relative contribution to growth made by small compared to large high-tech firms? Kirchhoff (1994, p. 187) raised this question and found that from 1977-78 through 1983-84, the young, high tech firms created a greater percentage increase of net new jobs than did the other categories of young firms. Kirchhoff did not provide, and our search of the economics and business literature failed to reveal, any effort to examine the economic growth contribution of small versus large firms categorized by high and low tech. For this reaso "); array_files[7]=new Array(0,1,"./creae4f.html","2008-06-20","92K","Governance and Ownership of Small Firms, Including Family Firms and Entrepreneurial Firms","",""," Governance and Ownership of Small Firms, Including Family Firms and Entrepreneurial Firms 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Buying and Selling of SMEs: Identifying and Responding to Market Failure in the UK I.E. Stone1*, P.J.A. Robson1 and P. Braidford2 1 Durham Business School Durham University Mill Hill Lane Durham DH1 3LB England * Corresponding Author i.e.stone@durham.ac.uk 2 St Chad’s College Durham University Ian Stone is a Professorial Fellow in Economics at Durham Business School and at St Chad’s College, Durham University, where he is Director of the Policy Research Group for Skills and Enterprise. His current research interests are in the areas of entrepreneurship, small business and skills. Paul Robson is a Reader in Entrepreneurship at Durham University. His current research interests in the field of entrepreneurship and small business cover business advice, networks, innovation, growth, training, finance, and regional growth and development. Paul Braidford is a Senior Research Fellow at St Chad’s College, Durham University. As a member of the Policy Research Group, his current research interests cover entrepreneurship and small business development at local and national levels. Abstract The objective of the paper is to provide a better understanding of the operation of the UK market for the buying and selling of SMEs. Relatively little research has been undertaken on the actual processes of commercial business transfer. Findings from the study indicated that the markets for specific types of businesses, with well-defined characteristics and clear market and valuation indicators, function relatively efficiently. In addition, the UK has some of the most developed private sector matching databases in Europe, suggesting relatively little need for government intervention in this area. There are areas, however, especially relating to viable smaller businesses, where the market operations are less efficient, particularly with respect to information failures. Network t "); array_files[8]=new Array(0,1,"./enth3f.html","2008-06-20","53K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Effects of Mandatory and Voluntary Simulation Game Seminars on Entrepreneurs’ and Students’ Learning Prof. Dr. Christian Lendner University of Applied Sciences Deggendorf Edlmairstr. 6 + 8 94469 Deggendorf christian.lendner@fh-deggendorf.de fon: +49 991 3615 330 fax: +49 991 3615 81 330 Dr. Jutta Huebscher Passau University Innstr. 27 94032 Passau jutta.huebscher@uni-passau.de fon: +49 851 509 2546 fax: +49 851 509 2542 Author Biography: Prof. Dr. Christian Lendner Christian Lendner is endowed chair for entrepreneurship by the Hans-Lindner-Institute, Arnstorf, at the University of Applied Sciences Deggendorf, Germany. His research interests include entrepreneurship education, university incubators and innovation. Dr. Jutta Huebscher Jutta Huebscher is senior research assistant at the University of Passau, Germany. Her research interests include entrepreneuship education, regional entrepreneurship and innovation. Effects of Mandatory and Voluntary Simulation Game Seminars on Entrepreneurs’ and Students’ Learning Christian LENDNER and Jutta HUEBSCHER Summary We suggest entrepreneurship simulation seminars as a viable method to teach complex business interrelationships to entrepreneurs as well as students with different motivations of participation. We check the learning effects the simulation game seminar can bring about by analyzing a unique data set of 2,161 participants of 108 simulation game seminars collected in Germany. In doing this, we do not only look at the knowledge content common in entrepreneurship education, but we test for specific learning effects that should be achieved especially by simulation games as constructivist teaching method. Analysis of variance shows that the experienced learning effects are held to be professionally useful by the participants, even by those taking part mandatorily. 1. Motivating the Paper The value of the entrepreneur to the economy as well as to society "); array_files[9]=new Array(0,1,"./chald26f.html","2008-06-20","508K","Entrepreneurship and SME Development in Transition and Developing Economies","",""," Entrepreneurship and SME Development in Transition and Developing Economies 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Blueprint for a Successful SME in South Africa Contents SME Survey 2007 Contents Abstract Introduction What keeps SME decision-makers awake at night? Methodology SME Survey Research Methodology The Findings Demographic data.. Decision makers surveyed Gender of Company Owners Gender of Respondents Number of Employees Number of computers Industry Sector. Business Type Business Stage Turnover Profitability Target Markets BEE Status BEE Status by region BEE Status by company size Resources Used BY SMEs Connectivity IT resources Human Resources and Training- Services Used Business Expert Services Used Marketing and Sales Resources Used Government Support Programmes Used Tables of Resources used by SMEs The complete listing Resources listed by usage Resource Satisfaction Index Importance of access to resources Access to Finance Access to Skills and Expertise Access to Staff. Access to Other General Resources Access to Internet Infrastructure Access to General IT Infrastructure Access to BEE Status Satisfaction with Resources Access to Finance Access to Skills and Expertise Access to Other General resources (premises, transport, infrastructure, etc) Access to Staff. Access to General IT Infrastructure Access to the Internet Access to BEE Status The Satisfaction Index Importance of learning skills for running SMEs Sources of Expertise Work Experience. Tertiary Education Training Courses. School Influence. Business Experience Business Centre. Family and Friends The big picture for gaining skills to start and run an SME FINANCE Banks used by SMEs Preferred Bank Online Banking Importance of sources of finance Profits from Business Share Capital Government Support Programmes Credit and Loans. Venture Capital. Government Finance Sales of Assets. Family and Friends Impact of Government financial support programmes Satisfaction with the cost of access to the internet What gives SME "); array_files[10]=new Array(0,1,"./chalm3f.html","2008-06-20","99K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Entrepreneurship “Volatility”? Linking Entrepreneurial Dynamics to Entrepreneurial Framework Conditions José Ernesto Amorós, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, Universidad del Desarrollo. Av. La Plaza 700. Las Condes, 761-0658 Santiago, Chile Tel +56 2 299 9438  Fax +56 2 299 9241 e-mail: eamoros@udd.cl ESADE Business School. Av Pedralbes 60-62 08034, Barcelona Spain Tel and Fax +34 932 806 162 e-mail: ernesto.amoros@esade.edu Oscar Cristi Companies and Business Research Center, Universidad del Desarrollo. Av. La Plaza 700. Las Condes, 761-0658 Santiago, Chile. Tel +56 2 299 9372  Fax +56 2 299 9241 e-mail: ocristi@udd.cl  Erkko Autio Imperial College, Tanaka Business School. South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK Tel +44 20 7594 1991   Fax +44 20 7594 5915 e-mail: erkko.autio@imperial.ac.uk Dr Amorós is Researcher and Professor of Entrepreneurship at School of Business and Economics, Universidad del Desarrollo and academic collaborator and research fellow at ESADE Business School.  His research interests are entrepreneurship and development, new venture growth and innovation. Dr Cristi is a Research Fellow at the Centro de Investigación en Empresas y Negocios (Companies and Business Research Center), CIEN, Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile.  His fields of interest are: Resource economics, water economics, competitiveness dynamics, development of electronic markets for natural resources, production and risk. Dr. Autio, is QinetiQ-EPSRC Chair in Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship, Imperial College-Tanaka Business School. His research interests are technology-based venturing, with focus on new firm creation, growth, and internationalization; particularly interested in global start-ups in high-technology sectors such as ICT. Entrepreneurship “Volatility”? Linking Entrepreneurial Dynamics to Entrepreneurial Framework Conditions Abstract Variability of entrepreneurial dynamics am "); array_files[11]=new Array(0,1,"./creao2f.html","2008-06-20","69K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Addressing Gender in Enterprise Development Programs: Current Practices and a Proposed Approach Afreen Huq, Ph.D. Lecturer RMIT University School of Management Level 16, 239 Bourke Street Melbourne, Vic 3001, Australia Tel: +61 3 9925 5198 (Off) +61 3 9558 3445 (Home) Fax: + 61 3 9925 5960 Email: afreen.huq@rmit.edu.au AFM Abdul Moyeen, Ph.D. Lecturer University of Ballarat Mount Helen Campus Ballarat, Vic 3353, Australia Tel: +61 3 5327 9360 Fax: +61 3 5327 9405 Email: a.moyeen@ballarat.edu.au The correspondence should be sent to Afreen Huq at afreen.huq@rmit.edu.au Dr. Afreen Huq is a lecturer at the School of Management, RMIT University, Australia. Her current research interests include women’s entrepreneurship, gender in enterprise development and social entrepreneurship. Dr. Abdul Moyeen is a lecturer at the School of Business, University of Ballarat, Australia. His current research interests include entrepreneurship, strategic management and corporate social responsibility. Addressing Gender in Enterprise Development Programs: Current Practices and a Proposed Approach ABSTRACT Enterprise development programs recognize ‘gender’ as an important cross-cutting issue. Strategy to address gender, however, is loosely defined with interpretations varying across agencies. Many such programs consider ‘gender’ more like an ‘annex’ rather than effectively addressing gender issues in the project design, with appropriate provisions for gender mainstreaming. In spite of the importance of research on the role of enterprise development initiatives implementing BDS market development approach to facilitating women’s entrepreneurship and economic growth, the issue has not been adequately studied. Further, academic research with data from such programs is almost non-existent. This paper makes an attempt to address this research gap by pr "); array_files[12]=new Array(0,1,"./creaf1f.html","2008-06-20","123K","Micro-finance, Development Banking, Innovative SME Financing","",""," Micro-finance, Development Banking, Innovative SME Financing 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference An Estimation on Performance of Credit Guarantee to SMEs by Treatment Effect Method   Chung, Yeonseung*, Ahn, Byungleep** * Senior Research Fellow, Korea Small Business Institute (KOSBI) yschung@kosbi.re.kr, 1-82-2-707-9822. Research Interests: Optimal Standards of SMEs, Financing of SMEs, Education of Entrepreneurship ** Researcher, Korea Small Business Institute (KOSBI) blahn@kosbi.re.kr, 1-82-2-707-9874 Research Interests: Statistical Analysis Abstract. There has not been much research on performance of credit guarantee even though the appropriateness of the level of credit guarantee has been controversial for sometime in Korea. We develop a model to analyze the effect of credit guarantee where failure of firms is an explicit possibility and firms, banks, credit guarantee institutions and the government together determine credit guarantee. Two observations emerge. First, rather than using the probability of repayment as the only criteria, the expected amount of profit of firms need be considered in providing credit guarantee. Second, even though firms demand guarantee as they believe they can make profit out of loan, in reality, many firms fail. The credit guarantee institutions need enhance their ability to screen and help firms to succeed.  There is not much ‘treatment effect’ of the credit guarantee by Korea Credit Guarantee Fund (KODIT) to firms for the period between 2001 and 2005. But the estimation result is only a part of the ‘treatment effect’ of guarantee. The benefits to firms which could have perished and to the workers working for these firms are not measured. Introduction Credit guarantee is necessary in the credit society. Banks require credit guarantee often when small and medium enterprises (SMEs) ask for loans. If firms are supported by the credit guarantee institutions, banks can lend money to SMEs with much ease. There are many SMEs which have the abili "); array_files[13]=new Array(0,1,"./creation_o.html","2008-06-20","9K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) A Comparative Analysis of Characteristics and Challenges of Male and Female Entrpreneurs in India Addressing Gender in Enterprise Development Programs: Current Practices and a Proposed Approach Analysing the Influence of Gender Upon the Accumulation and Utilisation of Business Finance by Male and Female Entrepreneurs An Exploration of the Relationship between Business Strategy and Human Resource Strategy in Women Owned Businesses Barriers faced by Women in British Columbia Case Study of Womens Enterprise Centres Research Project on Womens Issues in Transisitioning to Self-Employment Collective Entrepreneurship and Small Business Performance: An Examination of the Moderating Effects of Firm Age, Size, Ownership, and Industry Growth Continuation of the Family-Owned Business: The Influence of Gender and Help-Seeking Behavior Foundation Propensity and Entrepreneurship Characteristics of Students in Germany How the Daughters of Family Enterprise Perceive Their Careers as Entrepreneurs Issues and Challenges Facing Canadian Women Entrepreneurs in Advanced Technology Sectors: Research Results and Public Policy Considerations Managing Creativity and Innovation and its Effect on Business Performance: Cultural Assessment of Gender and Nationality Micro credit for Women Micro Entrepreneurs Novice, Serial and Portfolio Entrepreneurship Shifting from Reactive to Proactive in Small Business Stepping from Employment into Self-employment: An Examination of the ‘Tipping Point’ Factors Influencing Decision-Making Testing the “Women Don’t Ask” Hypothesis:  A Qualitative Study of Contract Negotiation in the Private Equity Investment Process The Business Incubator and the Female High Technology Entrepreneur: A Perfect Match The Influences of C "); array_files[14]=new Array(0,1,"./creao21s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Youth Entrepreneurship Journey in New Zealand: A Career or a Calling? (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Kate Lewis As entrepreneurship as a field has matured it has become more complex in what it offers to explain entrepreneurship as a ‘lived experience’. One construct receiving attention is entrepreneurial identity. This study focuses on how, in choosing whether to assume an entrepreneurial identity, young New Zealand business owners conceptualise ‘what they do’. The project involved multiple, in-depth, interviews with 10 young New Zealand entrepreneurs. The findings include the diverse and complex nature of the relationship to ‘work’ the young entrepreneurs experienced. Of interest is the potential for understanding running a business for them as a calling, rather than a ‘career’ Conference Website Home "); array_files[15]=new Array(0,1,"./creao21f.html","2008-06-20","57K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Youth Entrepreneurship Journey in New Zealand: A Career or a Calling? Kate Lewis Department of Management & New Zealand Centre for SME Research Massey University Private Box 756, Wellington, New Zealand, Tel: 64 4 801 5799 E-mail: K.V.Lewis@massey.ac.nz Abstract As entrepreneurship as a field has matured it has become more complex in what it offers to explain entrepreneurship as a ‘lived experience’. One construct receiving attention is entrepreneurial identity. This study focuses on how, in choosing whether to assume an entrepreneurial identity, young New Zealand business owners conceptualise ‘what they do’. The project involved multiple, in-depth, interviews with 10 young New Zealand entrepreneurs. The findings include the diverse and complex nature of the relationship to ‘work’ the young entrepreneurs experienced. Of interest is the potential for understanding running a business for them as a calling, rather than a ‘career’. Introduction As entrepreneurship as a field has matured it has become both more coherent and complex in what it offers to explain entrepreneurship as a ‘lived experience’ for the individuals involved. Whilst some elements of the process have reached a state of explanatory clarity (for example, the motivation to enter self-employment), others have remained more elusive. Typically the intangible and/or subjective aspects of the entrepreneurial experience are those that remain most fuzzy, or considered unworthy of sustained attention. However, some advances in this regard have been possible. Largely thanks to the innovative methodological and conceptual approaches by those researchers who take a holistic approach to understanding the nature of entrepreneurship – or those who appreciate it as a sociological, as well as economic, phenomenon. One construct receiving such attention is that of "); array_files[16]=new Array(0,1,"./chald11s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Entrepreneurship and SME Development in Transition and Developing Economies","",""," Entrepreneurship and SME Development in Transition and Developing Economies 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Entrepreneurial Alertness and its Antecedents: An Empirical Study of a Taiwanese Franchise (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Sheng-Tsung Hou Abstract This paper elaborated Kirzner’s concept of entrepreneurial alertness by three antecedents: awareness, motivation, and capability.  These antecedents of entrepreneurial alertness were investigated in the context of a self-employment franchise chain. The research sample was the largest franchise taxi fleet in Taiwan. The results showed that several factors including environmental scanning (the indicator of awareness), psychological ownership (the indicator of motivation), prior performance, level of education, and working duration in the franchise (the indicator of capability) affect the entrepreneurial alertness. The theoretical and practical implications of the results were discussed. Conference Website Home "); array_files[17]=new Array(0,1,"./creao20s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Unique Character of Managing Enterprises by Women in Poland (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Prof. Hanna Mizgajska The Poznan University of Economics al. Niepodległości 10 60-967 Poznań h.mizgajska@ae.poznan.pl Member of the Faculty of Management, Poznań University of Economics. Her research concentrates on SME with special attention devoted to entrepreneurship and innovativeness. The paper discusses differences between the way small enterprises are managed by women and men in Poland. The following aspects of managing a business have been included: objects of activity, profit allocation, management style, use of experts and economic-financial standing. It has been assumed that the way a business is managed is influenced by the level of education attained by proprietors and their participation in industry-oriented and management training. The differences in management by women and men lie mainly in women’s failure to delegate tasks and avail themselves of the assistance offered by experts regardless of women’s level of education. Whereas other aspects of managing a business such as use of credits, IT, application for EU funds are related to the level of education and participation in training sessions. Conference Website Home "); array_files[18]=new Array(0,1,"./creao20f.html","2008-06-20","47K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Unique Character of Managing Enterprises by Women in Poland Prof. Hanna Mizgajska The Poznan University of Economics al. Niepodległości 10 60-967 Poznań h.mizgajska@ae.poznan.pl Member of the Faculty of Management, Poznań University of Economics. Her research concentrates on SME with special attention devoted to entrepreneurship and innovativeness. The Unique Character of Managing Enterprises by Women in Poland Summary The paper discusses differences between the way small enterprises are managed by women and men in Poland. The following aspects of managing a business have been included: objects of activity, profit allocation, management style, use of experts and economic-financial standing. It has been assumed that the way a business is managed is influenced by the level of education attained by proprietors and their participation in industry-oriented and management training. The differences in management by women and men lie mainly in women’s failure to delegate tasks and avail themselves of the assistance offered by experts regardless of women’s level of education. Whereas other aspects of managing a business such as use of credits, IT, application for EU funds are related to the level of education and participation in training sessions. Introduction Ownership transformations and the restructuring of the economy are major causes of unemployment in Poland. A fall in employment, brought about by enterprises’ adjusting to the new rules of market economy, has affected women as well. Their share in the number of unemployed who lost their jobs in 1996-1999 exceeded a half (55%). After 1999, the occupational activity of women has fallen dramatically. This is seen in the woman occupational activity index falling from 57% in 1988 to 49.2% in 2002 (GUS, 2003). The fall of the index resulted from the attitudes of employers who, faced "); array_files[19]=new Array(0,1,"./chalh15f.html","2008-06-20","38K","Overcoming Barriers to Entrepreneurship and SME Development","",""," Overcoming Barriers to Entrepreneurship and SME Development 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Social Security System for Entrepreneurs and Their Assisting Partners by Jennifer Telussa and Jacqueline Snijders Abstract: Entrepreneurship as an occupational choice has been the subject of analysis in many studies. A potentially relevant determinant that has yet received little attention is social security. According to starters in Europe, important aspects of social security are related to contributions, benefits and arrangements for family members. This paper focuses on these aspects of social security and explores how these aspects may be addressed by policy. To this end an inventory of policy measures was made by the ENSR network in Europe. 1. Introduction Entrepreneurship as an occupational choice has been the subject of analysis in many empirical studies. Determinants of entrepreneurial activity include economic as well as technological, demographic, social and cultural factors. A potentially relevant determinant that has so far received little attention is social security. Institutional social security arrangements may influence decisions taken by individuals when choosing between alternative types of employment. Verheul et al. (2004) introduced a framework which describes the process by which the actual rate of entrepreneurship of a country is established. The decision to become an entrepreneur may be viewed as weighting risks and rewards. The risks and rewards of entrepreneurship may be compared with the risks and rewards of alternative types of employment (wage employment or unemployment). When people will be able to make a choice between wage employment and entrepreneurship, people may be less inclined to exploit business opportunities when the opportunity costs of entrepreneurship are high. Opportunity costs of entrepreneurship related to social security may be: the loss of accrued entitlements when transferring to self-employment, the loss of the right to insurance for "); array_files[20]=new Array(0,1,"./creal1f.html","2008-06-20","100K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Entrepreneurship and Spirituality An Exploration Using Grounded Theory Florida Gulf Coast University Lutgert College of Business 10501 FGCU Blvd, S., Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565 Tel: 760 534 2123 email: skauanui@fgcu.edu, swking@csupomona.edu Mr. Kevin D. Thomas, Doctoral Student University of Texas at Austin Department of Advertising 1 University Station A1200, Austin, TX 78712, USA Tel: 213 550-9983 email: kthomas76@msn.com Ms. Cynthia L. Sherman, Doctoral Student Claremont Graduate University School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences 150 E. 10th Street Claremont, CA 91711 Tel: 626 786-1920 email: cls@dworldstudio.net Dr. Gail Ross Waters, Professor California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Management and Human Resources College of Business Administration 3801 West Temple Ave., Pomona, CA 91768, USA Tel:  909 356-4026 email: grwaters@csupomona.edu Ms. Mihaela Gilea, MBA California State Polytechnic University, Pomona College of Business Administration 3801 West Temple Ave., Pomona, CA 91768, USA Tel: 626 298 5517 email: miha_gl@hotmail.com Keywords:  behaviors, entrepreneur/entrepreneurship, meaning, purpose, spiritual/spirituality, ‘work as calling’ Entrepreneurship and Spirituality: An Exploration Using Grounded Theory Most spirituality and work literature refers only to larger firms. Entrepreneurship literature has been based on behavior, intentions, and contextual variables and ignores or subordinates spiritual concepts. A grounded theory research project was conducted to explore the relationship between spirituality and entrepreneurship. The inclusion of spiritual concepts enabled deeper values of business owners to surface and new models to emerge. Initially, three distinct modalities of entrepreneurs were identified, which were expanded into five: ‘Make me Whole,’ ‘Soul Seekers,’ ‘Conflicting Goals,’ ‘Mostly Business,’ a "); array_files[21]=new Array(0,1,"./socie6f.html","2008-06-20","82K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference L’engagement Environnemental des PME Familiales Dr. Sandrine Berger-Douce Maître de conférences University of Valenciennes Business Administration Institute (IAE) LARIME Research Laboratory Tel: (33) 3 27 51 77 10 / Fax: (33) 3 27 51 77 04 Rue des Cent Têtes – Les Tertiales, 59313 Valenciennes Cedex 9, France Email: sandrine.berger-douce@univ-valenciennes.fr Sandrine Berger-Douce, Docteur en Sciences de Gestion, est Maître de Conférences à l’IAE de Valenciennes (Université de Valenciennes et du Hainaut Cambrésis) et directrice du LARIME (Laboratoire d’Analyses et de Recherches Interdisciplinaires en Management des Entreprises). Ses travaux de recherche portent sur le management environnemental en contexte PME, notamment sur les démarches collectives, et sur la Responsabilité Sociétale des Entreprises (RSE).  L’engagement environnemental des PME familiales Résumé Ce papier présente les résultats d’une étude empirique qui examine l’impact des particularités des PME familiales sur leur engagement environnemental. L’engagement environnemental est analyse selon trois dimensions: son intégration dans la stratégie d’entreprise; son volontarisme et son degré de formalisation. Une enquête quantitative exploratoire a été réalisée auprès de 53 PME familiales et de 31 non familiales en France. Les principaux résultats montrent que les PME familiales intègrent davantage les questions environnementales dans leur stratégie et font preuve d’un niveau plus élevé de volontarisme et de formalisation. Un effet taille a également été mis en évidence dans notre échantillon. Introduction Dès les années 1980, Martinet (1984) se faisait l’écho en France de la pertinence du terme «stratégie sociétale» sans visiblement convaincre la communauté scientifique française de l’époque. Depuis, le thème de la Responsabilité "); array_files[22]=new Array(0,1,"./creak6f.html","2008-06-20","102K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Early Internationalizing SMEs: The Case of Puerto Rico By Ramachandra K. Asundi, PhD #557 Las Caiseas, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 00681 Email: rasundi1@yahoo.com Leonora C. Hamilton, PhD P.O. box 5484 College Station, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico 00681 Phone: (787) 265-8532 Email: leo_hamilton@yahoo.com and Karen Orengo-Serra, PhD #15 Granada St. Urb. Ponce de León, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 00681 Email: korengo@uprm.edu Abstract This study identifies the main traits, motivations and performance of SMEs in Puerto Rico that export early after getting established. The study utilizes the case analysis and the results of an in-depth survey of firms CEOs. It also aims to design a conceptual framework to assist firm to export.  Evidence shows that early international experience, entrepreneurial motivation, networking, differentiated products, and niches are the major factors for firms to go abroad early and succeed. Findings from the firms focused and differentiated strategies will allow constructing a framework to guide new established SMEs foreign market entry EARLY INTERNATIONALIZING SMES: THE CASE OF PUERTO RICO By Ramachandra K. Asundi, PhD, Leonora C. Hamilton, PhD and Karen Orengo-Serra, PhD Abstract This study identifies the main traits, motivations and performance of SMEs that export early after getting established, focusing on Puerto Rico. The study utilizes the case analysis and the results of an in-depth survey of firms CEOs. It also aims at designing a conceptual framework for identifying exporting firms.  Evidence shows that early international experience, entrepreneurial motivation, networking, access to raw material, and niches are the major decisive factors for firms to go abroad early and succeed. Findings from the firms focused and differentiated strategies will allow constructing a framework to guide new established SMEs foreign market entry. Introduction This study is undertaken to investigate the main traits, activi "); array_files[23]=new Array(0,1,"./creae7f.html","2008-06-20","220K","Governance and Ownership of Small Firms, Including Family Firms and Entrepreneurial Firms","",""," Governance and Ownership of Small Firms, Including Family Firms and Entrepreneurial Firms 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Influences on the Entrepreneurs Expected Mode of Exit Dr. Bernadette Power, University College Cork. E-mail: b.power@ucc.ie             Dr. Geraldine Ryan, University College Cork. E-mail: g.ryan@ucc.ie Abstract This paper presents novel evidence on the potential end-games available to small firms (that is family succession, trade-sale, management buyout or asset disposal). We assess the influence of firm-specific, market-specific and regional-specific variables on the chosen expected end-game of a sample of Scottish entrepreneurs.  A multinomial probit model estimation suggests that the value of the enterprise, the pool of buyers, geographic location, attitudes to risk, the level of diversification of the business and both personal and emotional aspects influence the entrepreneurs expectations for its’ end-game.  Each of these end-games has different consequences for the continued operation of the mature small firm. Keywords: Endgames, Small-Medium Enterprises, Firm Location. JEL Classification:  L21, L26, M21, R11 Introduction Eventually, there comes a time when the owner-managers of small firms choose, or are required by circumstances, to retire.  This decision gives rise to a succession problem.  This predicament can be resolved in a number of ways: a family member could take over the running of the business; the entrepreneur could sell the firm to an outsider; management/ employees could take over the operation of the business; or the owner-manager could close down the firm through either selling or disposing of its assets.  Each of these end-games, or ‘harvesting strategies’ as referred to by Zajec, Tajnikar and Dosenovic-Bonca (2006), have different consequences for the continued operation of the mature small firm.  Little is known on what determines the owner-manager’s choice of end-game (for example trade-sale, family succes "); array_files[24]=new Array(0,1,"./chall4f.html","2008-06-20","87K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Effect of Human Capital, Social Capital and Perceptual Values on Nascent Entrepreneurs’ Export Intentions Majbritt Rostgaard Evald * University of Southern Denmark, Engstien 1, DK-6000 Kolding, Denmark; E-mail: mre@sam.sdu.dk; Tel: +45 6550 1315; Fax: +45 6550 1357. Kim Klyver University of Southern Denmark, Engstien 1, DK-6000 Kolding, Denmark; E-mail: kkl@sam.sdu.dk; Tel: +45 6550 1463; Fax: +45 6550 1357. Poul Rind Christensen Aarhus School of Business, University of Aarhus, Haslegaardsvej 10, DK-8210 Aarhus V, Denmark; E-mail: rind@asb.dk; Tel: +45 8948 6679; Fax: +45 8948 6125. Abstract This study investigates the influence of human capital, social capital and perceptual values on nascent entrepreneurs’ export intentions. The study makes an original contribution because of the focus on “Real” Born Globals. Using national probability samples from 45 countries (N=7,190) we focus on individuals who prior to their business establishment consider whether they should engage in export from the very start of their business venture. The results indicate that while human capital and social capital influence the level of intended export, it does not seem that perceptual values influence the intended level of export. Introduction Using data from 45 countries world wide, this study provides an investigation on how human capital, social capital and perceptual values influence nascent entrepreneurs’ intention to engage in export activities. It contributes to the debate on which factors initiate entrepreneurs’ engagement in international activities, and is unique in its focus on the pre-internationalization phase. Discussions concerning what stimulate export in the initial phase and the further commitment to export have drawn a lot of attention from various researchers (Katsikeas, 1996). Often, researchers tend to focus on the effects of either external or internal changes that initiate export because these effects "); array_files[25]=new Array(0,1,"./creak29f.html","2008-06-20","148K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Typology of SMEs: Risk Management Abstract Concerning risk management practices in Germany, there have been conducted many studies that deal with very large enterprises. Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), however, have been neglected in risk management considerations. This empirical investigation aims at filling this gap. The findings reported here are part of a larger research project dealing with an assessment of the risk management sophistication of SMEs. The paper is structured as follows: Firstly, the importance of risk management for German SMEs, in particular due to new legal regulations, will be emphasized. Then some remarks on risk management basics and the definition of SMEs follow. After that the research method of the questionnaire survey is described by which this investigation has been carried out. Next, the questionnaire results are presented, with special emphasis on multivariate analyses. The paper concludes with a discussion of the research findings and their practical implications. Table of Content 1.   Introduction 2.   Importance of Risk Management in Germany 3.   Classification of Risk and Risk Management 4.   Definition of Small to Medium-sized Enterprises 5.   Research Design 6.   Research Results 7.   Conclusion References 1.      Introduction In 2004, there were a total of 2,915,482 companies in Germany, 99.7% of them being SMEs (according to calculations made by the IfM Institut für Mittelstandsforschung – Institute for SME Research). These SMEs employed 20.1 million people or around 70.5% of all employees in the Federal Republic (Günterberg and Kayser, 2004). The percentage indicates very clearly the significance which SMEs have for Germany. But apart from constituting the overwhelming majority of all enterprises, German SMEs have a high value in other national economic functions. For example, during periods of high unemployment the employment function of SMEs bec "); array_files[26]=new Array(0,1,"./creao19s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Influences of Childhood Upbringing on Women Entrepreneurs: Experiences from Lampung, Indonesia (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Cindy Iannarelli, Leann Mischel and Hazel Gooding Abstract This study is based on the theoretical perspective that childhood experiences influence behavior in adult life.  Specifically, we investigated the theory that there is a direct correlation between the childrearing practices of parents and the development of entrepreneurial traits of women. The researchers studied the experiences of subjects between 30 and 61 years of age in Lampung, Indonesia.  Results indicated that to compete successfully as adults in the world of business, parents’ upbringing is only part of the picture.  A structured educational curriculum geared towards the fostering of entrepreneurship is required to boost efforts of parents cultivating successful business traits. Conference Website Home "); array_files[27]=new Array(0,1,"./creak18f.html","2008-06-20","82K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Internationalization Dynamic of Eastern German SMEs Dr. Utz Dornberger is an Assistant Professor and Director of International ‘Small Enterprise Promotion and Training (SEPT)’ Program in University of Leipzig – Germany. His current research interests include Innovation and Entrepreneurship Promotion in Developing Countries, International Marketing of High-tech SMEs, and Biotechnology Promotion. Telephone: +49-341-9737039/ Fax: +49-341-9737048 Email: dornberg@uni-leipzig.de Noor Un Nabi, Md. is Research Assistant and PhD candidate in International ‘Small Enterprise Promotion and Training (SEPT)’ Program in University of Leipzig – Germany. His current research interests include Internationalization of Technology-dependent Firms from Developing Countries, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship Promotion through Global Value Chain. Telephone: +49-341-9737145/ Fax: +49-341-9737048 Email: noor@uni-leipzig.de Utz Dornberger, International ‘Small Enterprise Promotion and Training (SEPT)’ Program, University of Leipzig Noor Un Nabi Md., International ‘Small Enterprise Promotion and Training (SEPT)’ Program, University of Leipzig Abstract A dynamic model of the internationalization process of firms has been proposed in this paper. The model deals with two issues, ‘what enable firms to go to international market’, and ‘what enable firms to spread in the international market’. The firms from the industries, which have scope both in the domestic and international market have been the initial purview of the model development. A theoretical model development has been supplemented by the analysis of selected cases from Eastern German SMEs. These cases provide an explanatory perspective to the proposed model. Since the reunification of Germany, many technology-oriented SMEs in the eastern part of the country have demonstrated a particular dynamics of development, which was based strongly on their structural and o "); array_files[28]=new Array(0,1,"./creah2f.html","2008-06-20","107K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Characteristics of Home-Based Businesses in the UK Colin Mason*, Sara Carter* and Stephen Tagg** * Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, University of Strathclyde, 26 Richmond Street, Glasgow, G1 1XH, Scotland. colin.mason@strath.ac.uk, sara.carter@strath.ac.uk ** Department of Marketing, University of Strathclyde, 173 Cathedral Street Glasgow G4 0RQ, Scotland.s.k.tagg@strath.ac.uk  April 2008 _____________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT. Home-based businesses (HBBs) are now a significant proportion of the small business sector and account for an increasing proportion of business start-ups. However, they are largely invisible, not separately identified in official statistics and difficult to survey. The absence of a clear evidence base has given rise to two stereotypes about HBBs. One dismisses them as lifestyle businesses with no economic potential whereas the other emphasises their environmental, community and social benefits. This paper uses the 2005 survey of members of the Federation of Small Businesses to provide the most comprehensive profile of home based businesses in the UK to date. Home based businesses account for 36% of all businesses. The majority are full-time businesses and around one in ten have achieved a significant scale (10 or more employees, turnover in excess of £250,000). Home based businesses are heterogeneous in terms of their industry sector. Only a small minority are largely or exclusively engaged in e-commerce. There is a striking association between areas with the highest proportions of home based businesses and the geography of economic prosperity. The implication for local authorities is that they should shift their agnostic and in some cases hostile stance towards home based business and instead make them a focus for local economic development. Key words: home working, home-based business, small business, e-commerce, local economic developme "); array_files[29]=new Array(0,1,"./creag9f.html","2008-06-20","110K","Overcoming Barriers to Entrepreneurship and SME Development","",""," Overcoming Barriers to Entrepreneurship and SME Development 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Rethinking the way we engage with entrepreneurs: The application of Value Innovation in the design and delivery of publicly funded business support in South West Wales. Rhidian Morgan, Welsh Assembly Government Tel: +0044 (0)1792 222471 Fax: +0044 (0)1792 222498 E-mail: rhidian.morgan@wales.gsi.gov.uk Ian Rees, Riverside Consultancies Tel: +0044 (0)1792 655968 Fax: +0044 (0)870 1992418 E-mail: ianhrees@riverside-water.co.uk Steve Marshall, The Business Centre Swansea Tel: +0044 (0)1792 545061 E-mail: steve.marshall@swansea.gov.uk Abstract Government funded business support is an important instrument that seeks to assist entrepreneurial firms and individuals develop and exploit commercial ideas that can contribute significantly in improving regional wealth and prosperity. Public sector intervention has been developed over many decades in the UK and has become sophisticated both in terms of structure and delivery. Whilst outwardly users of these services may observe constant change in reality the offerings of those services and products have not changed significantly and the support industry has arguably become particularly overcrowded. Despite this trend and the well documented evidence that suggests businesses utilising structured developmental support increase growth and survival prospects, there is corresponding evidence that indicates reluctance by a large majority of entrepreneurs to engage with the public sector. Our perspective on this phenomenon suggests that the problem of engagement is not necessarily a result of the various service offerings made available but more of the manner in which the public sector is restricted in its ability to engage with the private sector. Our study will develop the application of Value Innovation in designing a new, highly innovative delivery methodology for public funded business support that will allow us to reach beyond existing demand whilst re "); array_files[30]=new Array(0,1,"./creao19f.html","2008-06-20","39K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Influences of Childhood Upbringing on Women Entrepreneurs: Experiences from Lampung, Indonesia Cindy Iannarelli Bernelli University 412.220.2500 (office telephone) 412.551.5117 (cell) Email: drcindy@bernelli.edu Leann Mischel Susquehanna University 570.372.4513 (office telephone) 570.372.4451 (office fax) Email: mischel@susqu.edu Hazel Gooding Bernelli University 212.906.5458 (office telephone) 516.489.4146 (fax) Email: gooding.h@bernelli.edu   This research was conducted as part of a dissertation done by Bustim Hussin.  This paper is dedicated to his memory. Abstract This study is based on the theoretical perspective that childhood experiences influence behavior in adult life.  Specifically, we investigated the theory that there is a direct correlation between the childrearing practices of parents and the development of entrepreneurial traits of women. The researchers studied the experiences of subjects between 30 and 61 years of age in Lampung, Indonesia.  Results indicated that to compete successfully as adults in the world of business, parents’ upbringing is only part of the picture.  A structured educational curriculum geared towards the fostering of entrepreneurship is required to boost efforts of parents cultivating successful business traits. Introduction Family businesses have long been recognized as the backbone of the American economy.  In 1991, almost 29 percent of all American businesses were family businesses and most notably, owned by women.  According to Business Week article, Engendering Female Entrepreneurs, (February 2005), female-owned businesses accounted for almost 50 percent of privately-held companies, generating approximately 2.3 trillion in annual revenue, and therefore demonstrating the significant role women play in the economic development of the country. The participation of women in the workforce "); array_files[31]=new Array(0,1,"./creag11f.html","2008-06-20","50K","Overcoming Barriers to Entrepreneurship and SME Development","",""," Overcoming Barriers to Entrepreneurship and SME Development 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Tax Compliance Burden: The Canadian Perspective Doug Bruce Director of Research Canadian Federation of Independent Business 4141 Yonge Street Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2P 2A6 doug.bruce@cfib.ca 416-222-8022 and Lucie Charron Senior Economist Canadian Federation of Independent Business 99 Metcalfe Street Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1P 6L7 lucie.charron@cfib.ca 613-235-2373 ABSTRACT Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) thrive in an environment that is fast paced, innovative and fiercely competitive. But this environment is not without its additional costs created by the complexities of the tax system. For SMEs, the challenge rests in dealing with tax administration without hindering their performance. For the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and provincial revenue departments, the challenge rests with ensuring tax administrations do not impede the potential of the business. Unfortunately, the tax compliance costs on the taxpayer are an after-thought in formulating tax policy, while the effects on government revenue and taxpayer behaviour take precedence. The purpose of this study is to provide up-to-date estimates of the costs of complying with the Canadian tax system for SMEs. These estimates also reflect the larger business sector, making the total estimate of tax compliance applicable to the full business population. This analysis can be used to gauge the level of progress by the CRA and provincial/local governments to help lower the compliance burden on SMEs. The study is based on survey data from 8,271 SME owners. Additional insight on the issue is provided through a similar survey of 472 tax practitioners that provide tax services to SME clients. INTRODUCTION Tax compliance costs affect everyone, from an individual taxpayer, a local business owner, multi-national firms, but also government employees responsible for administering tax laws and regulations. They go back centuries ago and ha "); array_files[32]=new Array(0,1,"./chald1f.html","2008-06-20","50K","Entrepreneurship and SME Development in Transition and Developing Economies","",""," Entrepreneurship and SME Development in Transition and Developing Economies 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Case Study on the Global Strategy of Korean IT Firm: The Transition from Strategic Technology Alliances to M&A and Internationalization of the Firm Chan-Soo Park Doctoral Candidate School of Business, Sogang University Seoul, South Korea (82)-2-885-2662 Abstract Purpose: This paper examines a Korean software company, CCMedia, for its successful global strategy in emerging market. Methodology/approach: The case is based on field study accomplished with overseas managers and the President of CCMedia.  Findings: Intangible assets, such as Web technology, could enable CCMedia to earn overseas capital investment through the merger. With capital backup from the Taiwan based company, IT Inspire Inc., the former technology alliance partner, CCMedia could enter foreign markets. This paper examines a successful case of the transformation of strategic alliances into mergers and acquisitions that reaches from alliance to hierarchical structures. Originality/value: Recently international entrepreneurship research did not pay attention to the particular characteristics of technology products and markets in emerging markets. The paper would encourage greater attention in future research into international entrepreneurship of small IT ventures. Keywords: SMEs, Overcoming Barriers, Entrepreneurship, M&A Paper Type: Case study I. Introduction For CCMedia Inc. a Korean software company, 2005 was a year with a turning point. Mr. Lee, President of CCMedia Inc., decided to be merged with IT Inspire Inc., the former technology alliance partner, through equity swap. When CCMedia management first made the decision to merge with the Taiwan based company in order to enter the international markets, industry observers viewed the move as risky and reckless. But it turned out to be a great success. The capital backup and marketing resources from the Taiwan based company served as a stepping s "); array_files[33]=new Array(0,1,"./chald17f.html","2008-06-20","80K","Entrepreneurship and SME Development in Transition and Developing Economies","",""," Entrepreneurship and SME Development in Transition and Developing Economies 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Graduates Work Experiences in SMEs in the Northern States of Malaysia MOHD NOOR MOHD SHARIFF MOHD YUSOP JANI College of Business Universiti Utara Malaysia ABSTRACT This paper was designed to examine university graduates’ expectations and experiences of employment in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Northern States of Malaysia. A self-reported questionnaire data was gathered from 84 graduate employees. Graduates reported positive experiences in many areas. These often exceeded their expectations, and in general over-met expectations were much more common than under-met ones. The graduates’ work appeared to offer quite high autonomy, the chance to develop a wide range of skills, and to progress towards career goals, at least in the short term. In line with previous research, there were signs that pay; within enterprise career prospects and training were relatively weak areas. Taken as a whole, the results substantiated previous research done and challenge more negative images of employment in small enterprises, and also the preoccupation with under-met expectations in the literature on new entrants to enterprises. KEY WORDS: employment; experiences; graduates; Northern States of Malaysia; SMEs. INTRODUCTION Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are considered to be an engine for growth in both developed and developing countries. They have the potential to play a crucial role in supporting balanced growth across the economy (Bannock and Albach, 1991). The benefits of a vibrant SME sector include: the creation of employment opportunities; the strengthening of industrial linkages; the promotion of flexibility and innovation; and the generation of export revenues (Harvie and Lee, 2001; Lerner, 2002; and Mensah, 1996). To sustain growth, an economy needs to be supported by its SMEs, because large-scale enterprises (LEs) might have negative as well as positive e "); array_files[34]=new Array(0,1,"./enth5f.html","2008-06-20","66K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Entrepreneurship Courses at the Technological Education Institutes (T.E.I.) of Greece Anthony Primentas PhD, F.T.I., C.Text., F.R.S.A., Associate Professor Department of Textile Engineering, Technological Education Institute (T.E.I.) of Piraeus, 250 Thivon Street & P. Ralli, Athens 122 44, GREECE Ph.: + 30 (210) 45 15 137 Fax: + 30 (210) 41 22 977 Mob. + 30 697 20 19 517 E-mail: aprim@teipir.gr Author Biography Dr Primentas is at present working as an Associate Professor of Textile Engineering at the Technological Education Institute (T.E.I.) of Piraeus, Greece. Apart from his research on textile engineering and quality control, he is much involved in teaching production management and entrepreneurship in the textile sector. Entrepreneurship Courses at the Technological Education Institutes(T.E.I.) of Greece The syllabus design, the educators’ skills and the criteria for their satisfactory matching in the textile sector Abstract Greece desires to drive forward a knowledge-based economy in order to be competitive in the international marketplace. The promotion of the entrepreneurship education through academic institutions aims at this target. A special entrepreneurship course was designed for the Department of Textile Engineering, T.E.I. of Piraeus, to meet the particular needs of the Greek textile enterprises. The subjects of this course and the carefully set professional and academic educators’ skills, conduced to satisfactory results of the textile students participating in entrepreneurial business games, could be considered as a promising effort to develop successful entrepreneurs in the uncertain global business environment. Introduction: Globalization: The Situation Today In the dawn of the 21st century, the tremendous progress in telecommunication and transportation technologies in combination with the withdrawal of trade barriers provide more and new opportunities for economic growth. Toge "); array_files[35]=new Array(0,1,"./creao18s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Business Incubator and the Female High Technology Entrepreneur: A Perfect Match (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Maura McAdam and Susan Marlow This paper explores a key, yet neglected area of policy and research, that of the start up and growth patterns of new firms owned by female entrepreneurs in the field of Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) located within business incubators. To add to contemporary debate, this discussion utilises a feminist perspective to explore the existing literature pertaining to women’s experiences as entrepreneurs within the SET sector. Empirical evidence from a single case study of an SET female entrepreneur sited within a business incubator unit is then described. Drawing from the analysis of the extant literature and the case study evidence, the paper serves four purposes. Firstly, it offers a theoretical consideration of the impact of gender upon women’s experience of SET business ownership; secondly, it advances conceptual understanding of the entrepreneurial project in society by exploring how women ‘fit’ into sectors and environments where traditionally, their presence has been weak. Thirdly, the paper adds to the limited empirical evidence regarding female SET entrepreneurs and finally, it explores policy issues regarding the nature and extent of support offered to women entrepreneurs within business incubator units. Conference Website Home "); array_files[36]=new Array(0,1,"./enta17f.html","2008-06-20","63K","Advancing Entrepreneurship, Including Education","",""," Advancing Entrepreneurship, Including Education 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Perceptions of an Entrepreneurial University That Provides a Fertile Ground for Entrepreneurship Education Forsman, Helena, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lahti Unit, Finland Author Biography Helena Forsman, D.Sc.(Tech), is a Senior Researcher at Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lahti Unit, Finland. Her research interest focuses on business development and innovation management in small business context. Contact Information For further information of this article, contact: eMail helena.forsman@pp.inet.fi Tel. + 358 40 527 1211 (Finland) and + 30 6996 444 722 (Greece) Address Ilvestie 2, 12540 Launonen, Finland and Pentelis 22, Kefalari - Kifissia, 14562, Athens, Greece 2 Abstract This paper aims to provide a viewpoint into an entrepreneurial university. The key question is: What are the features of a university that provides a fertile ground to boost the entrepreneurial process of students. The paper explores pedagogical approaches of university doers and tries to increase understanding of the impact that the pedagogical approach has on an individual‟s perceptions of effective entrepreneurship education. The focus is on the perceptions of university instructors/lecturers, managers and R&D-staff. The findings display three pedagogical profiles for entrepreneurship education. The profile seems to have a connection with an individual‟s perceptions of the entrepreneurial process by affecting the preferences as to its facilitation. The evidence demonstrates a goals-methods conflict in entrepreneurship education. The goals of the education demand to strengthen entrepreneurial attitudes and to develop personal attributes. Nonetheless, the methods preferred in entrepreneurship education seek to transmit past knowledge of small business management and to teach the mechanics of analyzing businesses. Introduction It has been a common trait that students‟ willingness to start their own b "); array_files[37]=new Array(0,1,"./creao18f.html","2008-06-20","78K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Business Incubator and the Female High Technology Entrepreneur: A Perfect Match Dr Maura McAdam School of Management and Economics Queen’s University, Belfast Belfast BT7 1NN Northern Ireland Tel +44 28 90972521 Fax: +44 28 9033 5156 E-mail: m.mcadam@qub.ac.uk Professor Susan Marlow Dept of Human Resource Management De Montfort University The Gateway, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK Tel +44 116 2577236 Fax +44 116 2517548 Email: smhum@dmu.ac.uk Abstract This paper explores a key, yet neglected area of policy and research, that of the start up and growth patterns of new firms owned by female entrepreneurs in the field of Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) located within business incubators. To add to contemporary debate, this discussion utilises a feminist perspective to explore the existing literature pertaining to women’s experiences as entrepreneurs within the SET sector. Empirical evidence from a single case study of an SET female entrepreneur sited within a business incubator unit is then described. Drawing from the analysis of the extant literature and the case study evidence, the paper serves four purposes. Firstly, it offers a theoretical consideration of the impact of gender upon women’s experience of SET business ownership; secondly, it advances conceptual understanding of the entrepreneurial project in society by exploring how women ‘fit’ into sectors and environments where traditionally, their presence has been weak. Thirdly, the paper adds to the limited empirical evidence regarding female SET entrepreneurs and finally, it explores policy issues regarding the nature and extent of support offered to women entrepreneurs within business incubator units. Key Words: Science Engineering and Technology (SET); female entrepreneurs; the business incubator Introduction Since the 1950s, women have increased their visible presen "); array_files[38]=new Array(0,1,"./enta14f.html","2008-06-20","56K","Advancing Entrepreneurship, Including Education","",""," Advancing Entrepreneurship, Including Education 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Implementing Entrepreneurship Education Through Curriculum Reform Jaana Seikkula-Leino Ph. D., Adjunct Professor of entrepreneurship education Research interests: entrepreneurship education, curriculum reform, learning entrepreneurial and enterprising readiness Abstract This paper aims at presenting how entrepreneurship education has been implemented through curriculum reform in Finnish comprehensive school. The research questions were: 1) What is the feeling of responsibility for implementing entrepreneurship education? 2) What kind of knowledge is there about entrepreneurship education? The survey was carried in two parts (2005 – 2006) in 43 municipalities representing different educational and socioeconomic backgrounds. The questionnaires were sent to the representatives of education and municipalities’ economical life. The results indicate that the atmosphere of responsibility for implementing entrepreneurship education is developing rather well although teachers do not know how to implement entrepreneurship education. Key words: comprehensive school, curriculum reform, entrepreneurship education, partnership model Introduction The strategy of the European Union highlights the importance of the development of entrepreneurial culture by fostering the right mindset, entrepreneurship skills and awareness of career opportunities. According to the European Union policy, entrepreneurship should be included into all educational levels and throughout the common curricula (Commission of the European Communities 2006). Developing entrepreneurship through mainstreaming is still quite rare. Mainstreaming, presents the idea that entrepreneurship is embedded in all subjects and pedagogy, not applied as a specific subject, is still quite rare despite the existing background of policy recommendations.  However, especially Finland has extensively mainstreamed it at all education levels, including primary an "); array_files[39]=new Array(0,1,"./chali2f.html","2008-06-20","227K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Assessment of Impact of Technology Suitability on Grass-root Food Processing Enterprise in Selected Rural Communities in South West Nigeria Osun State, Nigeria Akinbami, C.A.O., Aluko, M.A.O. and Momodu, A.S. Abstract Women at grassroots level are neglected and do not have suitable tools to improve on their business performance. Two food-processing businesses engaged in by women at the grassroots level were analyzed. Though these two food processing businesses do not operate the same mode of technology, they both work with traditional technology and operate in the same clime. To examine the relationship of performance against available technology, a hypothesis was postulated, based on Liberal Feminism theory. Structured questionnaire and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) were used to capture primary data. The structured questionnaire was administered to 265 women involved in garri and palm oil processing industry at six purposively selected rural settlements in Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State. The settlements include: Ita Elewa, Eleso, Abule Ooni Ilare I, Ooni Ilare II, Eleweran and Kajola. The study examined relationship between independent variables such as infrastructural facilities, suitable technological resources, and access to raw material that affect the dependent variable i.e. performance (measured by profitability, productivity and employment generation). The Contingency model is adopted to examine the interconnections amongst these variables. 78% of the women are involved in garri processing while approximately 38% were involved in palm oil production. As for business ownership, 51% owned garri making business while 46% of the respondents own palm oil making. In terms of production capacity, the study revealed that each respondent produces an average of 6 kg of garri per day while 150 liters of palm oil is produced by each respondent per season. In terms of profit/loss of the businesses, e "); array_files[40]=new Array(0,1,"./creao17s.html","2008-06-20","8K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Testing the “Women Don’t Ask” Hypothesis:  A Qualitative Study of Contract Negotiation in the Private Equity Investment Process (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Frances M. Amatucci Associate Professor School of Business Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, PA 16057 E-mail: amatuccif@comcast.net Ethne Swartz Chair, Dept. of Marketing and Entrepreneurial Studies Silberman College of Business Fairleigh Dickinson University Madison, NJ  07940 E-mail: swartz@fdu.edu Susan Coleman Ansley Professor of Finance Barney School of Business University of Hartford Hartford, CT  06117 E-mail: scoleman@hartford.edu Abstract Access to financial resources remains an important aspect of new venture start-up and growth strategies.  While women still obtain a small amount of total private equity investment, they are increasingly involved in the developing high growth ventures which may be attractive investment opportunities for venture capitalists and business angels.  Contract, or term sheet, negotiation is an important stage of the investment process.  While gender-related differences in negotiation styles are well documented in other fields, they have not been examined in entrepreneurship.  This research proposes a qualitative study of gender and negotiation strategies employed during the private equity investment process. Conference Website Home "); array_files[41]=new Array(0,1,"./creao17f.html","2008-06-20","21K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Testing the “Women Don’t Ask” Hypothesis:  A Qualitative Study of Contract Negotiation in the Private Equity Investment Process Frances M. Amatucci Associate Professor School of Business Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, PA 16057 E-mail: amatuccif@comcast.net Ethne Swartz Chair, Dept. of Marketing and Entrepreneurial Studies Silberman College of Business Fairleigh Dickinson University Madison, NJ  07940 E-mail: swartz@fdu.edu Susan Coleman Ansley Professor of Finance Barney School of Business University of Hartford Hartford, CT  06117 E-mail: scoleman@hartford.edu Abstract Access to financial resources remains an important aspect of new venture start-up and growth strategies.  While women still obtain a small amount of total private equity investment, they are increasingly involved in the developing high growth ventures which may be attractive investment opportunities for venture capitalists and business angels.  Contract, or term sheet, negotiation is an important stage of the investment process.  While gender-related differences in negotiation styles are well documented in other fields, they have not been examined in entrepreneurship.  This research proposes a qualitative study of gender and negotiation strategies employed during the private equity investment process. Introduction Although gender-related differences in the negotiation process are well documented in the organizational behavior and conflict management disciplines, this topic remains unchartered territory in entrepreneurship research.  While women entrepreneurs still obtain only a small portion of total private equity investment, the importance of developing effective negotiation strategies with potential investors cannot be under-estimated.  Babcock and Laschever (2003) describe the “women don’t ask” phenomenon and estimate a powerful multiplier "); array_files[42]=new Array(0,1,"./francg2s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Les Profils, les Entreprises, les Obstacles, les Défis et l’orientation par Rapport au Travail: Comparaison de Deux Générations d’entrepreneures (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Egbert McGraw, Yves Robichaud, Yvon Gasse and Jean-Marie Nkongolo-Bakenda Les résultats des recherches sur les femmes entrepreneures rapportent l’existence de caractéristiques personnelles et organisationnelles ainsi que des problématiques spécifiques aux femmes entrepreneures. Étant donné que le profil des femmes entrepreneures évolue, que les caractéristiques de leur entreprise ainsi que les problématiques changent également, il est nécessaire d’aller mettre à jour l’état des connaissances dans ce champ d’études. C’est dans cette perspective que notre proposition de recherche présente les résultats de groupes de discussion afin d’en apprendre davantage sur l’entrepreneuriat féminin. Conference Website Home "); array_files[43]=new Array(0,1,"./francg2f.html","2008-06-20","77K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Les Profils, les Entreprises, les Obstacles, les Défis et l’orientation par Rapport au Travail: Comparaison de Deux Générations d’entrepreneures Les résultats des recherches sur les femmes entrepreneures rapportent l’existence de caractéristiques personnelles et organisationnelles ainsi que des problématiques spécifiques aux femmes entrepreneures. Étant donné que le profil des femmes entrepreneures évolue, que les caractéristiques de leur entreprise ainsi que les problématiques changent également, il est nécessaire d’aller mettre à jour l’état des connaissances dans ce champ d’études. C’est dans cette perspective que notre proposition de recherche présente les résultats de groupes de discussion afin d’en apprendre davantage sur l’entrepreneuriat féminin.       On assiste ces dernières décennies à un accroissement du nombre d’entreprises créées par des femmes. A titre d’exemple, en 2001 près de la moitié des PME canadiennes comptait au moins une entrepreneure comme propriétaire pour un total d’environ 715 500 PME. En 2000, les PME où les femmes étaient propriétaires majoritaires ont, au total, généré des recettes annuelles de 72 milliards de dollars soit 8% environ de l’ensemble des recettes des PME canadiennes. (Carrington, 2006)  Le nombre accru d’entrepreneures au cours des dernières décennies s’est accompagné par une augmentation des écrits en entrepreneuriat féminin. Ces écrits rapportent qu’ils existent des problématiques propres aux femmes entrepreneures telles que l’accès au financement,  la fréquentation des réseaux et le conflit travail-famille (Scarborough et Zimmerer 2000; Coleman 2002;  Bruni, Gherardi et Poggiro 2004, Greve et Salaf 2003; Sheldon 2006; Shaw et al. 2006; Orser, Riding et Manley 2006; Carter et al. 2007), qu’elles possèdent des caractéristiques personnelles différentes de celles des hom "); array_files[44]=new Array(0,1,"./enti1s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Social, Environmental, and Ethic Responsibility and Sustainable Development SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethic Responsibility and Sustainable Development SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Social, Environmental, and Ethic Responsibility and Sustainable Development SMEs (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Robert DIntino Abstract University students are our future generation of engaged global citizens. Two significant challenges facing them will be how to effectively address the economic inequalities of extreme poverty in the less-developed regions of the world, and how to preserve the future by effectively sustaining the global natural environment. This article presents recommendations for the design and teaching of university undergraduate and graduate sustainable social entrepreneurship courses. These courses emphasize economic development, ecological awareness, and social change along with illustrations of sustainable social entrepreneurship best practices and case examples of global solutions to extreme poverty and environmental destruction. Conference Website Home "); array_files[45]=new Array(0,1,"./enth7f.html","2008-06-20","62K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Planning the History, Theory, and Impact of the Teaching of Business Planning in Contemporary Business Schools: A Critical Perspective Benson Honig Wilfrid Laurier University School of Business and Economics Waterloo, Ontario Canada N2L3C5 Phone 519-884-0710 ext.2909, Fax: 519-884-0201 E-mail:bhonig@wlu.ca Abstract This paper provides a critical view of the planning industry, using empirical studies that challenge the utility of planning for entrepreneurial ventures. It provides a  definition and discussion of what plans are and how they are used, including an overview of planning history and the implications for public policy.   Extensive empirical research is cited, and alternative planning activities are suggested  Pedagogical insights into the planning paradigm are also introduced regarding contingency planning. The paper  concludes with a summary of how contemporary business leaders might improve organizational planning, and of the implications for pedagogy, in University education. Introduction: Why do people plan? Whether it be a business plan to start a new restaurant, an urban plan for economic redevelopment, or national plan to encourage weight reduction and fitness, we live in an era where planning is both encouraged and expected.  It is so well engrained in our contemporary consciousness that asking the question “why plan” is tantamount to asking “why learn”?  When I first started studying this phenomenon, I was struck by how militant advocates of planning appeared to be. When I asked my colleagues “do plans actually help facilitate organizational activity” I was virtually accosted by professional and professors who make a comfortable living teaching novices the subtle techniques of business planning. “Of course they help!” the chorus rang out! “Why, anyone ignorant enough to start a new business without first writing a carefully constructed business plan is almost ce "); array_files[46]=new Array(0,1,"./enth6f.html","2008-06-20","55K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Evaluating the Learning Experience of Entrepreneurship Students Exposed to an Unconventional Teaching Approach                                                                                             Author: Retha Strydom Institution: University of Pretoria, South Africa               E-mail: Retha.strydom@up.ac.za Telephone: +27-12-420-3398 Biography: Retha Strydom is a lecturer in the Department of Business Management at the University of Pretoria. Her research interests focus on entrepreneurship education, social entrepreneurship and facilitating start-ups. Co-author: Menisha Adams Institution: University of Pretoria, South Africa   E-mail:  menisha.adams@up.ac.za Telephone: +27-12-420-4667 Biography: Menisha Adams is a lecturer in the Department of Business Management at the University of Pretoria. Her research interests focus on entrepreneurship education, the small business-enabling environment and local economic development. Abstract At the University of Pretoria in South Africa, the teaching personnel decided to implement, in addition to the conventional teaching approach, an unconventional approach towards teaching entrepreneurship. The third year entrepreneurship course is enriched with an assignment to start and grow an actual business.  The purpose of this assignment is not only the practical application of the theory taught, but also to provide an opportunity for the student to start a business in a protected environment in order to break down any psychological barriers. The lecturer guides the students through the entrepreneurial process from finding an idea to organising the business. This paper evaluates the learning experience of the students exposed to the unconventional teaching approach. Introduction As a developing country, South Africa is in dire need of entrepreneurs in sm "); array_files[47]=new Array(0,1,"./creao16s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Stepping from Employment into Self-employment: An Examination of the ‘Tipping Point’ Factors Influencing Decision-Making Janine Swail and Elaine Ramsey This paper will, through mixed methodologies, examine the transference of an original idea into a viable business opportunity among Northern Irish nascent female entrepreneurs. It will examine the culmination of ‘tipping point’ factors where the individual is ‘on the cusp’ of making her decision and battling internally with indecisiveness. Bird and Brush (2002) suggested that there are particular feminine processes and behaviours influencing business start-up which are underexplored. Gatewood et al. (2003) highlighted heterogeneity within groups of women and by failing to recognise such contextual differences we are failing in our attempts to understand the complexities of the entrepreneurial process. This paper reveals differences in managing risk and self-efficacy perceptions as a result of employment status and age. Conference Website Home "); array_files[48]=new Array(0,1,"./creak2s.html","2008-06-20","8K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference A Two-Dimensional Framework for Knowledge Management Systems in Small and Medium Enterprises (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Stefania Testa University of Genova, Department of Communication, Computer and System Science V.le Causa 13 - 16145 Genova (Italy) Tel +39 010 3532135 Fax +39 010 3532948.e-mail address: stefania.testa@unige.it Corresponding author and presenter Silvia Massa University of Genova, Department of Communication, Computer and System Science V.le Causa 13 - 16145 Genova (Italy) Tel. +39 010 3532747 Fax +39 010 3532948. e-mail address: silvia.massa@unige.it Abstract This study develops a categorization framework for knowledge management systems based on two dimensions. Such dimensions have been identified as: company knowledge domain (organization, marketing and technology) and company innovation behavior (high and low). The reported empirical findings are derived from six case studies. The findings represent the six categories obtained from combining the two dimensions mentioned above. The various case studies have been selected among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the food industry. The data suggest that the two dimensions make significant distinctions between different kinds of knowledge management systems. Keywords: Knowledge management strategy, Knowledge creation, Knowledge transfer, Tacit knowledge, Codified knowledge, Organizational knowledge Conference Website Home "); array_files[49]=new Array(0,1,"./creak13f.html","2008-06-20","52K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Generating a Case for Growth Discourse Analysis of the Entrepreneurs’ Accounts on Growth Ulla Hytti – Jarna Heinonen – Kaisu Paasio Turku School of Economics, TSE Entre Rehtorinpellonkatu 3, 20500 Turku, Finland Tel. +358 2481481, Fax +358 2 4814 393 Email: firstname.lastname@tse.fi Author Biographies Adjunct Professor, Dr. Ulla Hytti works as a Research Manager at the TSE Entre of the Turku School of Economics in Finland. She has a PhD “Stories of Entrepreneurs: Narrative Construction of Identities” from Turku School of Economics. She has published research on technology incubators, entrepreneurial identities and entrepreneurship education in academic journals and books. Professor (fixed term), Dr. Jarna Heinonen is a Director of the TSE Entre within the Turku School of Economics in Finland. Her focal research areas include entrepreneurship, especially growth and family entrepreneurship, corporate entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education as well as entrepreneurship policy. M.Sc. Kaisu Paasio works a Research Associate in Entrepreneurship at the Turku School of Economics. Her focal areas of interest are entrepreneurial intentions and motivation, academic entrepreneurship as well as enterprise education. Her ongoing PhD research project is titled “Entrepreneurship discourses in Finland”. Generating a case for growth: discourse analysis of the entrepreneurs’ accounts on growth Abstract The bulk of the research on growth is based on purely economic approach. The growth as a self-evident goal is seen to be realized through the necessary resources with the help of a growth strategy. This study takes an alternative stance and presents the results from a discursive analysis of the accounts on growth of the entrepreneurs from four growth firms. The goal was on identifying clusters of interpretative resources for characterizing growth. Results suggest that the growth is presented as an ideal irrespective of "); array_files[50]=new Array(0,1,"./creao15s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Shifting from Reactive to Proactive in Small Business Pam Paquet Abstract: Entrepreneurship does not have to be as lonely as once thought nor does the business need to be as stereotypical as history dictates.  As a professional and an entrepreneur, I have personally experienced the shift from individual and stereotypical thinking to supportive and creative thinking in an innovative business venture.   This workshop focuses on describing the three elements that facilitated a successful entrepreneurship:  1) the programs that provided support, guidance and education; 2) the moments and critical learning that challenged assumptions while encouraging creativity; and 3) the people who taught business strategies to combine professionalism and business excellence.  Conference Website Home "); array_files[51]=new Array(0,1,"./creak12s.html","2008-06-20","8K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference From an Intention to Realized Firm Growth Pekka Stenholm George Mason University, School of Public Policy 4400 University Drive, VA 22030, USA Turku School of Economics, TSE Entre Rehtorinpellonkatu 3, FI-20500, Turku, Finland Phone: +240-565 7454, Email: pekka.stenholm@tse.fi Summary This study examines the association between growth intentions and realized growth of the firm, and the role of innovative strategies in this relationship. Analyses are based on a longitudinal data with 232 observations from Finnish small and medium-sized firms. Results show that willingness to grow is positively related to actual firm growth. This finding is consistent with previous results emphasizing the importance of growth intentions for the firm growth. The relationship between growth intentions and firm growth is, however, moderated by innovativeness, especially by renewal and development of internal procedures. This illustrates that initial growth intentions are enhanced by the internal innovative activities. In addition, results show that innovativeness, especially acquiring new technologies and improving internal procedures, increase the likelihood of firm growth independently. The direct and moderating effects of innovativeness on firm growth found provide a new insight for the previous knowledge on growth intentions and realized firm growth. Author gratefully recognizes the support of Academy of Finland, Foundation for Economic Education, and the Paulo Foundation. Conference Website Home "); array_files[52]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj4f.html","2008-06-20","82K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Assessing the Willingness to Pay for Management Accounting Advice to Small Firms Luiz Carlos Miranda, Ph.D. - lc-miranda@uol.com.br Professor at Accounting Department, UFPE, Brazil Leader of a research group on accounting to small business. Deivisson Rattacaso Freire - deivissonrattacaso@yahoo.com.br Undergraduate student, UFPE, Brazil Recipient of a CNPq’s scholarship for initiation in research. Roberta Lira Caneca - robertacaneca@gmail.com Graduate (M.Sc.) student at UFPE, Recife, Brazil. Researching on the supply of accounting to small business. Wesley Serbim Umbelino - wserbim@gmail.com Researching on the demand of accounting services by small business. Tayana de Lourdes Lima Diniz - tayanadiniz@bol.com.br Undergraduate student, UFPE, Brazil Dr. Jose Ricardo Maia de Siqueira - jrms@facc.ufrj.br Professor at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Researching on social accounting. Full contact details: Luiz Carlos Miranda, Ph.D. lc-miranda@uol.com.br; www.ufpe.br/conpe/ UFPE – R. Joao Fragoso de Medeiros, 34/101 54.430-250 – Candeias – Jaboatao – PE – Brazil Phone: 55-81-3363-0150 or 2126-8369 Financial support for this project was provided by UFPE and CNPq, Brazil.  Assessing the Willingness to Pay for Management Accounting Advice to Small Firms Abstract This paper investigates qualitative aspects of demand and supply of accounting services to Brazilian small business enterprise. Particularly, it investigates the willingness to pay for accountant business advice (managerial accounting) and the price of such services. The survey asked owner-managers of 53 mini-markets and 62 inns. The main conclusions are: (a) 68% of the respondents are willing to pay more to their accountants, if they receive better information to run their business; (b) they are willing to pay 21% more (average) than they are paying now; and (c) 1/3 of them would lay off accountants if tax system is simplified. The study p "); array_files[53]=new Array(0,1,"./creao14s.html","2008-06-20","8K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Novice, Serial and Portfolio Entrepreneurship (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Piers Thompson (University of Glamorgan) Business School, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, United Kingdom, CF37 1DL. Email: pthompso@glam.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0) 1443 483572 Dylan Jones-Evans  (Cardiff University) Centre for Advanced Studies , 44-45 Park Place, Cathays Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom, CF10 3BB. Email: enlli@btconnect.com Phone: +44 (0)29 208 76063 Caleb Kwong (University of Glamorgan) Business School, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, United Kingdom, CF37 1DL. Email: ccykwong@glam.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0) 1443 483572 Many enterprise policies have examined the different routes by which a greater level of participation in new business ownership can be encouraged. Often, policymakers have concentrated their efforts on developing novice entrepreneurs, with little focus on those individuals who have previously been involved in business ownership. Using data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), this study compares the businesses of first-time entrepreneurs with those established by those with previous owner-management experience such as serial or portfolio entrepreneurs. The paper shows that those with previous experience of entrepreneurship are more likely to be starting or intending to start a new venture. Where businesses are being formed by habitual entrepreneurs, expectations for employment and turnover are higher and portfolio entrepreneurs, in particular, expect their businesses to be more innovative than novice entrepreneurs. The results call into question whether resources aimed at generating new entrepreneurs would be better utilised if a greater focus was made on habitual entrepreneurs. Conference Website Home "); array_files[54]=new Array(0,1,"./creao14f.html","2008-06-20","177K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Novice, Serial and Portfolio Entrepreneurship Piers Thompson (University of Glamorgan) Business School, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, United Kingdom, CF37 1DL. Email: pthompso@glam.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0) 1443 483572 Dr Piers Thompson is a research assistant at the National Entrepreneurship Observatory for Wales and is based in the Business School at the University of Glamorgan. He has been conducting research in the fields of informal investment and ethnic minority entrepreneurship Dylan Jones-Evans  (Cardiff University) Centre for Advanced Studies , 44-45 Park Place, Cathays Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom, CF10 3BB. Email: enlli@btconnect.com Phone: +44 (0)29 208 76063 Professor Dylan Jones-Evans is Director of the National Entrepreneurship Observatory for Wales, and is based at the Centre for Advanced Studies in Cardiff University. He has published over 100 papers in entrepreneurship and small business studies. Caleb Kwong (University of Glamorgan) Business School, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, United Kingdom, CF37 1DL. Email: ccykwong@glam.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0) 1443 483572 Dr Caleb Kwong is a research assistant at the National Entrepreneurship Observatory for Wales and is based in the Business School at the University of Glamorgan. His main areas of interest within the enterprise field include ethnic minority entrepreneurship and female entrepreneurship. Many enterprise policies have examined the different routes by which a greater level of participation in new business ownership can be encouraged. Often, policymakers have concentrated their efforts on developing novice entrepreneurs, with little focus on those individuals who have previously been involved in business ownership. Using data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), this study compares the businesses of first-time entrepreneurs with those established by t "); array_files[55]=new Array(0,1,"./creai4f.html","2008-06-20","110K","Research Methodology and Theory Development in the Field","",""," Research Methodology and Theory Development in the Field 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Developing An Instrument To Examine The Goals Of SME Owner-Operators Rick Newby Department of Accounting and Finance The University of Western Australia John Watson Author for correspondence Department of Accounting and Finance The University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway Crawley  WA  6009  Australia Telephone: +61 8 6488 2876 E mail:  John.Watson@uwa.edu.au David Woodliff Department of Accounting and Finance The University of Western Australia Developing an Instrument to Examine the Goals of SME Owner-Operators Abstract The aim of this study was to develop a parsimonious scale to measure the objectives (goals) of SME owner-operators. Our results, using both qualitative and quantitative analysis, indicate that SME owner operator objectives cannot be satisfactorily proxied by economic factors alone but can be appropriately assessed using four multi item factors (extrinsic rewards; time flexibility; family; and staff relations) and three single item measures (customer relations; independence; and intrinsic rewards). Introduction Goal theory suggests that “goals serve a directive function; they direct attention and effort toward goal-relevant activities and away from goal-irrelevant activities” (Locke and Latham, 2002, p.706). Further, examination of the SME literature suggests that the goals and expectations of owner-operators impact on how they evaluate their firm’s performance. For example, Buttner and Moore (1997, p.34) discovered that female small business owners measured success in terms of “self fulfilment and goal achievement. Profits and business growth, while important, were less substantial measures of their success.” However, in spite of this acknowledgement of the importance of non financial objectives, it seems that: Studies on entrepreneurs have adopted a limited view of success, focusing almost exclusively on their business success as indexed by ‘hard "); array_files[56]=new Array(0,1,"./creag7s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Overcoming Barriers to Entrepreneurship and SME Development","",""," Overcoming Barriers to Entrepreneurship and SME Development 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Issues of Trust Affecting Domestic and Intercultural E-Business Emilie W. Gould                       Assistant Professor, Communication Manning School of Business      Acadia University, Wolfville, NS emilie.gould@acadiau.ca                                   Summary for Proceedings: Many entrepreneurs in North America are encouraged to develop a website to publicize their business and develop credibility. Others seek to direct customers to the web to keep overhead low.  But web-based businesses frequently fail to live up to expectations.  The difficulty of establishing developing effective online relationships with buyers is under-recognized.  This poster will feature highlights from a set of focus groups with Canadian and international student that looked at barriers and enablers to e-commerce.  For some student groups, BJ Fogg’s typology of online credibility provides guidance for increasing trust between sellers and buyers. Conference Website Home "); array_files[57]=new Array(0,1,"./creaf8s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Micro-finance, Development Banking, Innovative SME Financing","",""," Micro-finance, Development Banking, Innovative SME Financing 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Determinants of Capital Structure in Small Firms:  New Evidence from the 2003 Survey of Small Business Finance (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Presented by Dr. Susan Coleman University of Hartford West Hartford, CT 06117 USA Tel: 860-768-4690 Fax: 860-768-4911 Email: scoleman@hartford.edu Abstract This article examines the applicability of various theories of capital structure to small firms.  Although there is little support for Modigliani & Miller’s theory of capital structure, these results do provide support for the Pecking Order, Signaling, and Life Cycle theories.  Further, the “lack of separation” between the financial affairs of the firm and those of the firm owner appears to have an effect on capital structure decision-making as do the informational asymmetries typical of small, privately-held firms. Conference Website Home "); array_files[58]=new Array(0,1,"./creaf8f.html","2008-06-20","64K","Micro-finance, Development Banking, Innovative SME Financing","",""," Micro-finance, Development Banking, Innovative SME Financing 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Determinants of Capital Structure in Small Firms:  New Evidence from the 2003 Survey of Small Business Finance Presented by Dr. Susan Coleman University of Hartford West Hartford, CT 06117 USA Tel: 860-768-4690 Fax: 860-768-4911 Email: scoleman@hartford.edu                                                             Summary This article tests the relevance of current theories pertaining to capital structure and leverage within a small firm context using newly released data from the 2003 Survey of Small Firm Finances.  Prior research on capital structure focuses heavily on the use of debt in large corporations, while there are relatively few studies on the capital structure of smaller firms.  This research explores small firm use of debt using a large, national sample of firms. Within the field of finance, capital structure theory is grounded in the work of Modigliani and Miller (1958) who initially wrote on the subject of capital structure in the electric utility industry. The results of this research indicate that, although small firm capital structure strategy is not consistent with Modigliani & Miller, it is consistent with a number of subsequent theories regarding capital structure.  Further, these results reveal that, although debt is less costly than equity due to the deductibility of interest expense, approximately half of the firms in this study used no external debt at all.  This would suggest that small firm owners are motivated by capital structure considerations separate from minimizing their weighted average cost of capital. The Determinants of Capital Structure in Small Firms:  New Evidence from the 2003 Survey of Small Business Finances Abstract This article examines the applicability of various theories of capital structure to small firms.  Although there is little support for Modigliani & Mill "); array_files[59]=new Array(0,1,"./creae8s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Governance and Ownership of Small Firms, Including Family Firms and Entrepreneurial Firms","",""," Governance and Ownership of Small Firms, Including Family Firms and Entrepreneurial Firms 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Involvement in Family Firms as Mediator to Entrepreneurial Intent: An Attitudinal Analysis of Children of Family Firm Owners J.H. van Zyl and R.B. van Buuren This paper focuses on the involvement of children in family businesses as mediator of their attitude towards entrepreneurial intent. In particular, involvement in family businesses, attitudes towards family businesses in general, working for and reporting to parents, and entrepreneurial efficacy was analysed as mediators to entrepreneurial intent. Although it is not always feasible for all of the children to be involved in the family business, this project concluded that children with a positive attitude towards the business need to be identified early, and need to be properly trained and involved in the family business from an early age. Specific attention need to be given in dealing with the uncertainty and risks in succession management. Conference Website Home "); array_files[60]=new Array(0,1,"./creae12s.html","2008-06-20","6K","Governance and Ownership of Small Firms, Including Family Firms and Entrepreneurial Firms","",""," Governance and Ownership of Small Firms, Including Family Firms and Entrepreneurial Firms 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Characteristics of Home-based Businesses in the UK Stephen Tagg, Sara Carter and Colin Mason The popular view is that most small business owners are willing to sacrifice earnings for the non-pecuniary benefits of owning a business. However, this statement has never been empirically tested. Based on responses from nearly 20,000 business owners in the UK this paper suggests that a superior quality of life and financial success - achieved through the creation of a successful businss - go hand in hand. Conference Website Home "); array_files[61]=new Array(0,1,"./cread4s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Entrepreneurship and the Commercialization of R&D","",""," Entrepreneurship and the Commercialization of R&D 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Examining the effects of Trust and Governance in Key Relationships of Emerging Technology Firms Paul Kirwan and Steven Walsh It has been widely recognized that small firms are often the first to commercialize emerging technologies even though their larger cousins often initiate the first investigation into these technologies.  Further it has been shown that governments and in particular the defense industry are often the initial customer for these emerging technologies.  Given that small firms are the harbingers of these new technologies and national security is often the first customers, this paper investigates whether differing trust and governance issues arise in the development of these relationships and we further examine how trust and governance effect performance.     Conference Website Home "); array_files[62]=new Array(0,1,"./creac5s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Entrepreneurship and SME Development in Transition and Developing Economies","",""," Entrepreneurship and SME Development in Transition and Developing Economies 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Family Business Motivations and Challenges in Africa: A Case Study of Samuko Closed Corporation Sam Kongwa, Senior Lecturer Walter Sisulu University Tel +27 822662094 E-mail kkongwa@yahoo.com This paper offers an empirical narrative and evidence from a typical small entrepreneurial family business in Africa. The focus of this paper is two-fold: First, to explore the reasons that motivated the founding family business members to establish the business. Second, to establish why the business collapsed after five years of operation. The most cogent reasons for starting the family business were that they were tired of working for other people and wanted therefore to be their own bosses; they perceived that their future income would not support the old lifestyle.  Other reasons included: prospects for better remuneration in private business; more leisure time; variety of tasks relevant to their education, experience and creative skills. Reasons for business failure included: management inexperience and incompetence; undercapitalisation; poor cash management; lack of strategic management; weak market plan; uncontrolled growth; poor location; poor inventory control and inability to make the entrepreneurial transition. Conference Website Home "); array_files[63]=new Array(0,1,"./creaa5f.html","2008-06-20","40K","Advancing Entrepreneurship, Including Education","",""," Advancing Entrepreneurship, Including Education 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Impact of Entrepreneurial Skills on Small Business Performance in Lagos - South-Western Nigeria BY AKANDE, O. O. M.CA. (APPLIED COMMUNICATION) UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, IBADAN M.TECH (MANAGEMENT SCIENCE) LADOKE AKINTOLA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OGBOMOSO; PGDFM (FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT) OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY, ILE-IFE; B.B.ED (BUSINESS EDUCATION) AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA; (Ms AKANDE O.O. IS A LECTURER/RESEARCHER WITH INTEREST IN SMALL SCALE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND APPLIED COMMUNICATION) AND OJOKUKU, R. M. (Ph.D) Ph. D (MANAGEMENT SCIENCE) LADOKE AKINTOLA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OGBOMOSO M. SC. (INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT) UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS, AKOKA, YABA, LAGOS B. SC. (HONS) (PSYCHOLOGY) UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS, AKOKA, YABA, LAGOS (Dr OJOKUKU IS A LECTURER INTERESTED IN HUMAN RELATIONS AND PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT) Abstract The study investigated effects of entrepreneurial skills on profitability of small businesses in Nigeria using bakery industry in Lagos, Southwestern Nigeria as the case study. Questionnaire was administered on 158 bakeries selected through a multistage probability technique. Respondents completed the modified but expanded Katz (1974)/Herron (1990) Skill Typology apart from interviews and reports of operations over a three yea- period (2004-2006). Frequency count, percentages and multiple regressions were applied to data collected. Results confirmed positive relationship between the dependent and explanatory variables with business management having the highest contribution.  Suggestions were blueprint on entrepreneurial skills teaching and improvement of infrastructure. Introduction                                                                       In Nigeria, as well as in most other countries of the world, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent the vast majority (99%), of "); array_files[64]=new Array(0,1,"./chalg3f.html","2008-06-20","51K","Micro-Finance, Development Banking, Innovative SME Financing","",""," Micro-Finance, Development Banking, Innovative SME Financing 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Case Study: Al Amana of Morocco Chantal McPhee and Annette St-Onge Abstract The United Nations General Assembly adopted 2005 as the Year of Microcredit, recognizing the link between inclusive financial systems and the economic development of those most at need. Microcredit, or more broadly microfinance (MF) has a role to play in facilitating growth through the provision of credit to entrepreneurs. Association Al Amana for the Promotion of Micro-Enterprises Morocco (Al Amana) is an unusually successful microfinance institution (MFI) registered as a non-profit organization in Morocco. Starting in 1997, with capital provided by USAID, it has grown to become the leading MFI within Morocco and the broader Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) region. It has seen rapid growth in clients and assets while also reaching a level of financial sustainability uncommon among MFIs. Why has Al Amana been so successful? This paper will seek to examine this question, highlighting key internal and external factors that have contributed to this organization’s success.  Further, this analysis will examine the organization within its regional enabling environment to highlight those critical issues within an entrepreneurial finance climate that are conducive to MF lending. Additional analysis of Al Amana includes a review of their portfolio, key financial indicators, and other bank strategies that have been instrumental in their financial growth and success. Lastly, the analysis will conclude with a discussion of the key factors that will become important to the sustainability of the bank as well as its growth to greater serve the needs of entrepreneurs in Morocco. The methodology for the research consisted of a literature review of MFI activity in Morocco and the MENA region, an examination of key elements within the enabling environment, and a financial review of Al Amana and its key financial resul "); array_files[65]=new Array(0,1,"./creao13s.html","2008-06-20","8K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Micro credit for Women Micro Entrepreneurs (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. By: Madhavi A Lokhande Associate Professor Welingkar Institute of Management 11, Emen Arcade, Krishnanagar Industrial Estate, Hosur Road, Bangalore 560029 Tel: +91 80 41303781/82 Fax: +91 80 41303784 Email 1: madhavial@yahoo.com Email 2: madhavi.lokhande@welingkar.org Author Biography: Madhavi Lokhande is currently working as Associate Professor (Finance) in Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research, Bangalore, India. Her research interests include studies on Micro credit and Women entrepreneurs in the small and medium enterprise sector. Paper Type - Research This paper aims to highlight the central role that Credit plays in the lives of Women Micro Entrepreneurs. It describes the current scenario of the woman and her enterprise, highlighting the emerging perspectives which should help policy makers, financial institutions, government agencies, training organizations, and Non Government Organizations to design and implement measures to facilitate entrepreneurship among women and ensure credit availability. Women make tremendous contribution to the economic development of any country and this contribution needs to be recognized. This paper attempts to look at the credit facility available for women today, to be able to start an enterprise, whether the women are aware of micro credit. Key Words: Women Entrepreneur, Micro credit, Empowerment of Women, Funding needs of Women Entrepreneur. Conference Website Home "); array_files[66]=new Array(0,1,"./creao13f.html","2008-06-20","69K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Micro credit for Women Micro Entrepreneurs 1. Introduction 1.1 The research aim of the paper. Women make tremendous contribution to the economic development of any country and this contribution needs to be recognized. Women have been working in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy in several roles. The contribution of women in factories, fields, showrooms, offices, classrooms, and even homes has been sidelined. Empirical evidence shows that women contribute significantly to the running of family businesses mostly in the form of unpaid effort and skills. The value of this effort is underestimated both by the families and the society. It has also been observed that many of the enterprises defined as being run by women (that is, enterprises in which women hold the controlling share) are in fact being run in their names by men who control operations and decision making. Programs meant to reach women entrepreneurs can succeed only if they take note of this paradox as well as of the familial and social conditioning that reduces the confidence, independence and mobility of women. A strong change of traditional attitudes is required in order to promote entrepreneurship amongst women. This is not as simple as creation of jobs for women as it involves a cluster of activities such as societal change, attitudinal changes, group formations, training, creation of subsidies, credit allocations and other support services for the women entrepreneurs. Programs for encouraging entrepreneurship among women will fail or be ineffective if they are taken up in isolation. This is because entrepreneurship by definition implies being in control of ones life and activities. It is precisely this independence that has been denied to women all along. Micro credit, in the sense of small loans to the poor, is of ancient origin in India. Traders and moneyle "); array_files[67]=new Array(0,1,"./chalb2f.html","2008-06-20","103K","Advancing Entrepreneurship, Including Education","",""," Advancing Entrepreneurship, Including Education 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Measuring Entrepreneurship - The Personal Agency Belief Approach Bamidele Adekunle, Research Associate, SEDRD, University of Guelph, Canada Email: badekunl@uoguelph.ca Bamidele Adekunle is a research associate at the Department of Capacity Development and Extension. His research interests include entrepreneurship, small business development, financial intermediation and poverty alleviation Abstract To measure entrepreneurship I used a concept developed by Harper (2003) which suggests that entrepreneurship can be measured using personal agency belief. Personal agency belief is a multiplicative function of locus of control (Rotter 1966; revised by Muller et. al 2000) and perceived self-efficacy (Chen et. al 1998). This paper presents the outcome of a study conducted in Nigeria during the summer of 2005 on microentrepreneurs in the agricultural/food processing sector. The results indicate that members of Cooperative Thrift and Credit Societies have better personal agency belief and accessibility to resources. Keywords Entrepreneurship; Locus of Control; Perceived Self-Efficacy; Cooperative Thrift and Credit Societies; Personal Agency Belief. Introduction The mainstream neo-classical economics accords little recognition for the concept of entrepreneurship because of their inability to measure it as a constrained optimization problem. The best they did was to recognise it as a factor of production that coordinates all the other factors of production. Meanwhile, the Austrian economists have continued to develop concept and phenomenon that will aid our understanding of what is entrepreneurship and how we can measure this concept though there are a lot of complexities involved. A significant advancement in the field of entrepreneurship was the development of a psychological construct (personal agency belief) developed by Harper (2003). Harper also suggests that entrepreneurship operates within culture and s "); array_files[68]=new Array(0,1,"./creao12s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Managing Creativity and Innovation and its Effect on Business Performance: Cultural Assessment of Gender and Nationality (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Dafna Kariv The aim of this study is to depict the role of the management of creativity and innovation (C&I) on business performance, measured by longevity, through comparative assessments of gender and national groups, Canadians and Israelis. Drawing on knowledge from Hofstedes (1980) cultural dimensions, i.e., individualism/collectivism and masculinity/femininity, management of C&I is viewed as a form of business capability that varies according to the values of different groups. Comparative analyses of 235 leading male and female entrepreneurs from Canada and Israel revealed significant differences in using C&I strategies, by both gender and nation; in contrast to previous studies, additional hierarchical regressions showed that some strategies are used in a mixed form of masculinity/femininity. Individualism/collectivism have been found to significantly influence business performance, but when assessed along with C&I strategies, the effect of national culture on business performance decreased, implying that C&I management represents a global strategy whose role surpasses gender or national effects on business performance. Implications for theory, practice and policymaking are introduced. Conference Website Home "); array_files[69]=new Array(0,1,"./social_f.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs Copreneurs and Business Social Responsibility Government as Social Entrepreneur: A Theoretical Basis for Empirical Research On a Path to a Sustainable Livelihood Regeneration Techno-Entrepreneurship Ecology and Wealth Creation: The African Nile Valley Papyrus Reed Institutionalized Innovation: B.C. 8000 - AD 1200 Social Entrepreneurship Activity and Different Skills Associated with Successful Social Entrepreneurship in South Africa Social Entrepreneurship in Practice at a Small, Rural, Liberal Arts College Understanding Social Enterprise: A Typology of Organizational Types and the Entrepreneurial Implications Conference Website Home "); array_files[70]=new Array(0,1,"./socif7s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Understanding Social Enterprise: A Typology of Organizational Types and the Entrepreneurial Implications (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Monica Diochon, Alistair Anderson and Heather Fulford The argument of this paper is that social enterprise has become a broad umbrella term, underneath which shelter many different types of ventures. The appeal of an “enterprising” label hides the diversity, perhaps even a spurious attribution of entrepreneurship, to fundamentally different sorts of objectives, motives and organizations. This may lead to flawed expectations about what the different sorts of social enterprise can achieve. Thus the paper’s contribution is in the examination of the nature of the social enterprise process to be able to show how strategies, activities, structures and people embedded in the organisational frameworks, determine what is possible. Conference Website Home "); array_files[71]=new Array(0,1,"./socif7f.html","2008-06-20","100K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Understanding Social Enterprise: A Typology of Organizational Types and the Entrepreneurial Implications The argument of this paper is that social enterprise has become a broad umbrella term, underneath which shelter many different types of ventures. The appeal of an “enterprising” label hides the diversity, perhaps even a spurious attribution of entrepreneurship, to fundamentally different sorts of objectives, motives and organizations. This may lead to flawed expectations about what the different sorts of social enterprise can achieve. Thus the paper’s contribution is in the examination of the nature of the social enterprise process to be able to show how strategies, activities, structures and people embedded in the organisational frameworks, determine what is possible. The argument developed in this paper is simple. The remarkable growth in the number of ventures described as social enterprises can be attributed to the attraction of the label “enterprising”. However, the diversity of the sector; the variety in types of ventures, strategies, processes and aspirations, means that the organisational forms that have arisen are so fundamentally different that we cannot use the same conceptualisation for understanding processes and outcomes. Moreover, the now traditional way of differentiating the “social” and the “enterprise”, contrasting the welfare agenda and the business agenda of these ventures, no longer appears to offer sufficient explanatory power to distinguish the different natures of these organisations. Indeed, it is this fusion of social and enterprising that is the focus of this paper; the combination provides the research problematic that we want to explore. Our method is also simple, we first examine the evolution of social enterprise, tracing its origins, or rather the terminology, from the emergence of the enterprise culture. We show that social enterprise, like its many "); array_files[72]=new Array(0,1,"./creao11s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Issues and Challenges Facing Canadian Women Entrepreneurs in Advanced Technology Sectors: Research Results and Public Policy Considerations Barbara J. Orser, Mary Kilfoil and Sandra Saric Abstract This workshop session will examine findings of three recently completed Canadian studies examining issues and challenges facing Canadian women entrepreneurs in advanced technology industries. The implications for policy related to training and support programs will be considered. Although Canada is recognized as a global leader in business start-up rates for women (GEM, 2000), like other OECD member countries, majority women-owned Canadian firms are on average, significantly smaller, less profitable and less likely to grow compared to those firms owned by men. This session will focus on how gender is associated with firm and industry performance within the advanced technology sectors. The objective of the post-panel discussion is to share best practices and strategies to inform policy about supporting women entrepreneurs in the advanced technology sectors.       Participation rates of Canadian women business owners is similar to those in the United States and higher than those of Denmark, Finland, and New Zealand (Brush, Carter, Gatewood, Greene, & Hart, 2006). Conference Website Home "); array_files[73]=new Array(0,1,"./socif6s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Social Entrepreneurship in Practice at a Small, Rural, Liberal Arts College (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Reuben Domike and James Hornsten             The College of Wooster has completed a three year experiment in bringing an academic course in social entrepreneurship to an undergraduate, rural liberal arts campus.  The course focuses on the practice of entrepreneurship: a team composed of three or four students with a faculty advisor plans a for-profit business to support a local nonprofit agency. To date, fifteen teams have participated in the course working with a range of fourteen unique non-profit organizations. The college has leveraged the success of the social entrepreneurship program to receive a multi-year, multi-million dollar external grant for the creation of a center for entrepreneurship. Conference Website Home "); array_files[74]=new Array(0,1,"./socif6f.html","2008-06-20","10K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Social Entrepreneurship in Practice at a Small, Rural, Liberal Arts College The College of Wooster Social Entrepreneurship Program Submitted by: Reuben Domike (rdomike@wooster.edu), James Hornsten (jhornsten@wooster.edu) For: ICSB 2008 World Conference             Over the past three years, The College of Wooster (Wooster, OH, USA) has completed an experiment in bringing an academic course in social entrepreneurship to an undergraduate, rural liberal arts campus of 1,800 students that is without a business school.  The course participants are provided with an academic introduction to entrepreneurship and business plan writing via a set of three seminar weekends.  The focus of the course then quickly turns to the practice of entrepreneurship: a team from the college, composed of three or four students and a faculty advisor, plans a for-profit business to support a local nonprofit agency.  At the conclusion of this business plan creation, the agency can apply for subsidized venture capital to pursue the idea. Over the three years of the social entrepreneurship program, fifteen teams have participated in the course working with a range of fourteen unique non-profit organizations.  These fifteen teams included a total of fifty-one unique students from across fifteen areas of study (many are attracted by the “social” aspect).  Additionally, ten unique faculty and staff members were involved in training and leading the teams.  To date, of the fifteen business plans prepared, two social entrepreneurship ventures were created and several others are still under consideration for pursuit. The program had five distinct goals: 1) Introduce students and faculty from across the campus to the concept of (social) entrepreneurship and develop an appreciation for those kinds of activities. 2) Introduce students and faculty to the writing of business plans. 3) Aid local non-profits by providing an ave "); array_files[75]=new Array(0,1,"./creao10s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference How the Daughters of Family Enterprise Perceive Their Careers as Entrepreneurs (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Teresa Nelson, Constance T.F. De Brun and Indra Guertler In general, there are particular and extraordinary challenges that women face in assuming the top leadership role in a parents’ enterprise. Some of these challenges are related to the social construction of gender in work and others to the dynamics of gender in the family. However, research in entrepreneurship demonstrates that having entrepreneurial parents is a strong predictor of a person’s propensity to be an entrepreneur. In this study we look at the intersection of these ideas conceptually and empirically to explore the commitment of daughters of family enterprise to become entrepreneurs, as well as their propensity to reject their own family’s enterprise as a context in which to do so. Conference Website Home "); array_files[76]=new Array(0,1,"./creao10f.html","2008-06-20","43K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference How the Daughters of Family Enterprise Perceive Their Careers as Entrepreneurs NELSON, TERESA Elizabeth J. McCandless Professor of Entrepreneurship Simmons School of Management 409 Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA  02215 Telephone: 617-521-3867 Email: teresa.nelson@simmons.edu (corresponding author) CONSTANCE T.F. DE BRUN MBA Candidate ‘08 Simmons School of Management Email: constance.debrun@simmons.edu GUERTLER, INDRA Instructor in Finance  Simmons School of Management Email: indra.guertler@simmons.edu Please direct inquiries to the corresponding author. HOW THE DAUGHTERS OF FAMILY ENTERPRISE PERCEIVE THEIR CAREERS AS ENTREPRENEURS Abstract: In general, there are particular and extraordinary challenges that women face in assuming the top leadership role in a parents’ enterprise. Some of these challenges are related to the social construction of gender in work and others to the dynamics of gender in the family. However, research in entrepreneurship demonstrates that having entrepreneurial parents is a strong predictor of a person’s propensity to be an entrepreneur. In this study we look at the intersection of these ideas conceptually and empirically to explore the commitment of daughters of family enterprise to become entrepreneurs, as well as their propensity to reject their own family’s enterprise as a context in which to do so. Keywords: Family business Women Gender Succession Daughters  Introduction A complicated set of issues face early career daughters of family enterprise as they consider their professional futures. Traditionally, there are particular and extraordinary challenges for daughters assuming the top leadership role in their own family’s enterprise: sons have been favored as managerial heirs (Allen and Langowitz, 2003; Miller et al, 2003), and daughters have been relatively disadvantaged in terms of key experien "); array_files[77]=new Array(0,1,"./socif5s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Social Entrepreneurship Activity and Different Skills Associated with Successful Social Entrepreneurship in South Africa (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. BORIS URBAN Summary In South Africa, social entrepreneurship has unequivocal application where traditional government initiatives are unable to satisfy the country’s social deficit. This exploratory empirical study surveys a sample of 287 respondents, and reports on the number of active and future social entrepreneurs in SA, together with the mix of entrepreneurial and managerial skills associated with successful social entrepreneurship. The empirical findings, may serve as catalyst for this emerging and important activity where social entrepreneurs contribute to an economy by providing an alternative delivery system for public services such as health, education, housing and community support –which are in crises in SA. Conference Website Home "); array_files[78]=new Array(0,1,"./socif5f.html","2008-06-20","91K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Social Entrepreneurship Activity and Different Skills Associated with Successful Social Entrepreneurship in South Africa Autobiographical note: Dr Boris Urban (PhD) University of Johannesburg/www.uj.ac.za/borisu@uj.ac.za Faculty of Management/Department of Entrepreneurship ABSTRACT Purpose – The various theoretical issues and debates regarding social entrepreneurship are investigated. A quantitative analysis is then conducted into social entrepreneurship activity (SEA) in South Africa together with the skills associated with social entrepreneurship. Methodology – Primarily an exploratory study, with factor analysis and inferential statistical testing, based on a surveyed sample of 287 respondents. SEA with the concomitant skills required for successful SEA was operationalised, and subsequently study’s empirical findings were interrogated in the context of existing research.   Findings – Findings were modest, particularly in the number of active and future social entrepreneurs, moreover the validity and reliability of the instrument used to assess competencies was established which offers insights into SEA and skills required. Limitations – Study is limited by early stage of theoretical development on construct. Implications – Based on the empirical findings, understanding of SEA and what skills are associated with it, serves as a catalyst for this emerging and important activity in SA. Originality of paper – A first where SEA was empirically measured with concomitant skills. This initial South African interrogation advances the topic where it has much relevance. Key words: Social Entrepreneurship, South Africa, entrepreneurial and managerial skills. Paper type: Research paper INTRODUCTION As with any change orientated activity , social entrepreneurship (SE) has not evolved in a vacuum, but rather within a complex framework of political , economic and social changes occurring at the global "); array_files[79]=new Array(0,1,"./creao9f.html","2008-06-20","61K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Foundation Propensity and Entrepreneurship Characteristics of Students in Germany Walter Ruda (author for correspondence) Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences, Campus Zweibrücken and ZMG German Center for Entrepreneurship Amerikastraße 1, D-66482 Zweibrücken, Germany Universidad Tecnológica Nacional Rafaela, Argentina Tel. +49-6332-914-240/-243, fax: +49-6332-914-248 E-mail: walter.ruda@fh-kl.de Thomas A. Martin Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences and ZMG German Center for Entrepreneurship Ernst-Boehe-Str. 4, D-67059 Ludwigshafen/Rhine, Germany Tel. +49-621-5203-138, fax: +49-621-5203-112 E-mail: thomas.martin@fh-lu.de Members of the European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ECSB) Rubén Ascúa Universidad Tecnológica Nacional Rafaela, Argentina and ZMG German Center for Entrepreneurship Rivadavia Str. N° 703, 2300 Rafaela, Argentina Tel: +54-3492-502063, fax: +54-3492-437463 E-mail: rubascua@arnet.com.ar Member of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) and President of Red Pymes Mercosur Benjamin Danko Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences, Campus Zweibrücken Amerikastr. 1, D-66482 Zweibrücken, Germany Tel: +49-6332-967-538, fax: +49-6332-914-248 E-mail: benjamin.danko@fh-kl.de Member of the FGF Förderkreis Gründungs-Forschung e.V. – Entrepreneurship Research Abstract The aim in this paper is to explore the students’ foundation propensities and the students’ entrepreneurial characteristics in Germany in order to overview the prospective trend of student as well as academic start-ups and entrepreneurship. Based on a literature review concerning entrepreneurial ambitions, particularly of the target group of students, and previous studies in this recent area of research, hypotheses are derived and tested. Data collection of about 700 students in Germany was conducted by me "); array_files[80]=new Array(0,1,"./creao9s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Foundation Propensity and Entrepreneurship Characteristics of Students in Germany (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. The aim in this paper is to explore the students’ foundation tendencies and concerns with entrepreneurship in Germany in order to overview the prospective trend of academic start-ups and entrepreneurship. Based on a literature review concerning entrepreneurial ambitions, particularly of the target group of students, and previous studies in this recent area of research, hypotheses are derived and tested. Data were collected from a survey of a designed standardized questionnaire with about 700 students in Germany. Some findings of the research into significant varieties regarding foundation aspects of different groups are illustrated. Finally, the implications of the findings are discussed. Conference Website Home "); array_files[81]=new Array(0,1,"./socif4s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Regeneration Techno-Entrepreneurship Ecology and Wealth Creation: The African Nile Valley Papyrus Reed Institutionalized Innovation: B.C. 8000 - AD 1200 Enongene Metuge This study presents the basic concepts and methodological issues on regeneration techno-entrepreneurship ecology theory in the development of sustainability in advancing entrepreneurship excellence in education, research and development.  It posits that from a rear-mirror view entrepreneurship ecology perspectives we can reapply innovations in regeneration entrepreneurship ecology if the low cost ancient African Nile Valley Papyrus Reed and Endod Phytolacca dodecendra brand values in renewing our inquiry into the essence of millennium sustainability to create wealth at low cost.  It develops the concept of fusing innovations in works of mind in a memory endowed mind in ecology time, space and causality dynamics, with ecology entropy, cybernetics and chaos in accumulating values and entrepreneurship virtue.  Regeneration entrepreneurship ecology theory monitors and evaluates WTO-Trips Rules, UN Millennium Development Goals and World Bank Sustainable Development of balancing options as inadequate and unproductive. Conference Website Home "); array_files[82]=new Array(0,1,"./socif3s.html","2008-06-20","6K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference On a Path to a Sustainable Livelihood Momentum Kellie Anderson Kelliea@momentum.org Established in 2004, Momentum’s Women’s Venture Program is a self-employment training program that supports women in low-income situations to develop their assets, with the aim of achieving a sustainable livelihood for themselves and their families.  This workshop is to share the successes and challenges of the Women’s Venture Program and the learning’s from 2 years of research from eight sites across Canada. It is also to discuss the unique components of women specific training and the social return on investment to the community. Conference Website Home "); array_files[83]=new Array(0,1,"./socif2s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Government as Social Entrepreneur: A Theoretical Basis for Empirical Research Gordon Shockley Short Summary The objective of this paper is to develop that theoretical basis for perceiving certain governmental activity as social entrepreneurship.  Schumpeter and Kirzner conceptualized a pair of insights that substantially form the basis of what might be called the “classical view” of entrepreneurship in economics.  The proposed paper begins with the classical view and continues by considering, critiquing, and incorporating prominent theories of social entrepreneurship as well as those of entrepreneurship in public affairs.  The paper will then conclude a handful of short cases or instances to begin to test the viability of the theoretical basis of government as social entrepreneur. Conference Website Home "); array_files[84]=new Array(0,1,"./socif1s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Copreneurs and Business Social Responsibility Margaret A. Fitzgerald, Glenn Muske and Kara L. Muske             The purpose of this study is to compare copreneurs to other family business owners on their use of socially responsible business practices and to ascertain the impact of community socioeconomic vulnerability on these practices. Additionally, continuing (n = 88), discontinued (n = 44), and “recent” (n = 42) copreneurs are compared to each other on the same variables. Data are from the United States National Family Business Survey (NFBS), 1997 and 2000 panels. Findings indicate copreneurs have a higher level of interest in social responsibility on certain variables than noncopreneurs, particularly if they are located in economically vulnerable communities. Conference Website Home "); array_files[85]=new Array(0,1,"./social_e.html","2008-06-20","7K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs An Exploratory Analysis of Social, Ethical and Environmental Responsibility Practices Among Small and Medium-Sized Canadian Companies Developing A Scale to Measure Social Responsibility Activities at SME Environmental Commitment in Family SMEs Ethical Perceptions of Entrepreneurial Tricks Exploring the Sustainability-Orientation of Venture Capital-Companies L’engagement Environnemental des PME Familiales Opportunities for Sustainable Prosperity and the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act Small and Medium Enterprises in India: Are They Socially Responsible? Strategic Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development for SMEs in Indigenous Communities The Adoption of ISO 14001 by New Zealand SMEs: Perceived Barriers and Benefits Conference Website Home "); array_files[86]=new Array(0,1,"./socie10s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Adoption of ISO 14001 by New Zealand SMEs: Perceived Barriers and Benefits (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Sue Cassells, Alec Findlater and Kate Lewis The adoption of an Environmental Management System (EMS) is an important decision. The process and outcomes of EMS adoption differ according to firm size. In New Zealand formal adoption of EMS has been slow. This paper reports on the results of a questionnaire administered to the 126 firms registered as having ISO 14001 accreditation in 2007. There was a 47% response rate, and 25 of the 59 responding firms were SMEs. The data were analysed using non-parametric testing, and compared according to firm size. This paper reports motivating factors; perceived benefits; critical success factors; and key difficulties faced during implementation. Conference Website Home "); array_files[87]=new Array(0,1,"./socie10f.html","2008-06-20","46K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Adoption of ISO 14001 by New Zealand SMEs: Perceived Barriers and Benefits Sue Cassells 1, Alec Findlater 2 & Kate Lewis 3 1. Department of Economics & Finance & New Zealand Centre for SME Research Massey University Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North, New Zealand, Tel: 64 6 3569099 E-mail: S.M.Cassells@massey.ac.nz 2. MBA student, Massey University 3. Department of Management & New Zealand Centre for SME Research Massey University Private Box 756, Wellington, New Zealand, Tel: 64 4 801 5799 E-mail: K.V.Lewis@massey.ac.nz Abstract The adoption of an Environmental Management System (EMS) is an important decision. The process and outcomes of EMS adoption differ according to firm size. In New Zealand formal adoption of EMS has been slow. This paper reports on the results of a questionnaire administered to the 126 firms registered as having ISO 14001 accreditation in 2007. There was a 47% response rate, and 25 of the 59 responding firms were SMEs. The data were analysed using non-parametric testing, and compared according to firm size. This paper reports motivating factors; perceived benefits; critical success factors; and key difficulties faced during implementation. Introduction The impact of the environment on firms and business practices (and vice versa) is becoming increasingly important. The adoption of an Environmental Management System (EMS) by a firm is one manifestation of responding to what could be described as the ‘green business imperative’. The decision to adopt an EMS, or not, is an important one. Research suggests that both the process and outcomes of adoption of an EMS differ according to firm size. For small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) the barriers to adoption, as well as benefits of implementation, are posited to be different to those for large firms. Indeed, it is frequently suggested that large firms are not onl "); array_files[88]=new Array(0,1,"./creao8s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Continuation of the Family-Owned Business: The Influence of Gender and Help-Seeking Behavior (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Margaret Fitzgerald, Candace Philbrick and Cathy Folker Abstract This paper compares family-owned businesses who continue over time to those that close to determine if seeking help from community resources contributes to sustainability.  Data are from the U. S. National Family Business Survey (NFBS) 1997 and 2000 panels.  Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance compared men and women whose businesses stayed open (306 men and 97 women) to closed businesses (62 male-owned and 38 female owned).  Age of business, health status, overall perceived success of business, and seeking help from the extension service were significant predictors of continuance in a multivariate analysis.  Implications for policy development are discussed. Conference Website Home "); array_files[89]=new Array(0,1,"./creao8f.html","2008-06-20","66K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Continuation of the Family-Owned Business: The Influence of Gender and Help-Seeking Behavior Margaret A. Fitzgerald, Ph.D. Candace A. Philbrick, Ph.D. Department of Child Development and Family Science North Dakota State University Fargo, ND 58105-5057  USA Cathleen Folker, Ph.D. Department of Business School of Business & Technology University of Wisconsin - Parkside Kenosha, WI 53141 Contact Author:  Margaret A. Fitzgerald Telephone (701)-231-8280 e-mail:  Margaret.Fitzgerald@ndsu.edu A paper presented at the International Council for Small Business Annual Conference Halifax, Nova Scotia June 22-25, 2008 Abstract This paper compares men and women whose family-owned businesses continue over time to those that close to determine if seeking help from community resources contributes to sustainability.  Data are from the U. S. National Family Business Survey (NFBS) 1997 and 2000 panels.  Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance are used to compare men and women whose businesses stayed open (306 men and 97 women) to those that closed (62 male-owned and 38 female owned) between 1997 and 2000.  Age of the business, health status, overall perceived success of the business and seeking help from the extension service were significant predictors of continuance in a multivariate analysis.  Implications for policy development are discussed. The purpose of this paper is to compare men and women family-owned businesses which continue over time to those that close to determine whether or not seeking help from community resources contributes to sustainability.  Specifically, investigated was whether or not business owners seek help from the Small Business Administration, state or local economic development offices, the local Chamber of Commerce, county or state extension offices, or other organizations.  Data are from the National Fami "); array_files[90]=new Array(0,1,"./socie9s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Strategic Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development for SMEs in Indigenous Communities ICSB 2008 Halifax, NS Ronald D. Camp II Robert B. Anderson University of Regina, Canada Strategic Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development for SMEs in Indigenous Communities This paper develops a framework of major contextual forces affecting strategy and operations in Indigenous communities and then suggests CSR responses to these contextual forces. In three sections the paper: proposes a matrix of approaches to CSR based on the perceived strategic importance and nature of socially responsible behaviour; addresses different, often-conflicting expectations regarding appropriate corporate behaviour from the perspectives of community, civil sector, state and environmental actors; and addresses managerial implications and approaches to CSR and sustainable development in Indigenous communities. The paper concludes that SMEs in Indigenous communities must treat CSR and sustainable development as strategic rather than ad hoc tactical issues. Conference Website Home "); array_files[91]=new Array(0,1,"./socie8f.html","2008-06-20","70K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Small and Medium Enterprises in India: Are They Socially Responsible? Abhishek Nirjar Associate Professor, Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship, Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, Prabandhnagar, Off Sitapur Road, Lucknow -226013(India) Email: abhishek@iiml.ac.in; abhishek.nirjar@gmail.com Ph: +91-5222736616; +91-9936292055; Fax: +91-522-2734026 Biography: Dr. Abhishek Nirjar is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management at the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow India. His current research interests are: Corporate Social Responsibility, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Strategies for Corporate Renewal.  Small and medium sized Enterprises in India: Are they socially responsible? Abstract Social responsibility is acquiring a place of prime importance among large and small firms alike. This paper presents the findings of an empirical survey undertaken for identifying the extent and motives of social responsiveness of Indian small and medium sized enterprises in the manufacturing sector. The sectors selected are ‘ceramic pottery-ware’, ‘footwear’ and ‘brassware’. The study revealed that entrepreneurs across the three sectors had almost similar initiatives, which are apparently focussed more on the internal stakeholders. ‘Brassware’ and ‘footwear’ sectors depicted both enterprise and sector level initiatives of welfare and charity while the ‘ceramic pottery-ware’ sector was more confined to enterprise level initiatives. The prime motives for engaging in social responsible behaviour were confined to having a satisfied workforce with high morale and to build credibility of a responsible business entity thereby enhancing their acceptability across different markets. Introduction The interest in the ethical behaviour of business organizations in both corporate world and in academic circles is gaining impor "); array_files[92]=new Array(0,1,"./socie8s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Small and Medium Enterprises in India: Are They Socially Responsible? (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. ABHISHEK NIRJAR This paper presents the findings of an empirical survey of the extent and motives of social responsiveness of Indian small and medium sized enterprises in three manufacturing sector. The study revealed that entrepreneurs across the three sectors had similar initiatives that are apparently focussed more on the internal stakeholders. Some sectors depicted both enterprise and sector level initiatives of welfare and charity while one of them was confined to enterprise level initiatives. Prime motives for engaging in CSR activities were confined to having a satisfied workforce and to build credibility of a responsible business entity thereby enhancing their acceptability across different markets. Conference Website Home "); array_files[93]=new Array(0,1,"./creao7s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Collective Entrepreneurship and Small Business Performance: An Examination of the Moderating Effects of Firm Age, Size, Ownership, and Industry Growth Jun Yan Abstract This study examines the direct influence of collective entrepreneurship on small business performance.  It also examines the moderating effects of firm age, size, ownership, and industry growth on the relationship between collective entrepreneurship and small business performance.  Hierarchical moderated regression analysis of data collected from 196 small businesses revealed significant and positive relationship between collective entrepreneurship and business performance.  Analysis also revealed significant but negative moderating effects of firm age, size and family ownership on the collective entrepreneurship—small business performance relationship.  No moderating effect was found from industry growth.  Implications of these findings were discussed.  Conference Website Home "); array_files[94]=new Array(0,1,"./creao6s.html","2008-06-20","6K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Case Study of Womens Enterprise Centres Research Project on Womens Issues in Transisitioning to Self-Employment In 2006, Women s Enterprise Centre conducted research into the needs assessment of programs that can help women entrepreneurs in British Columbia overcome barriers to entering self-employment. This project provides an excellent case study on the process of conducting a research project from research to program design used by a business service provider. The Centre will explain the process they used, focusing on primary data collection, the findings, and program design. Participants will gain valuable knowledge to apply to their own research needs as practitioners. Conference Website Home "); array_files[95]=new Array(0,1,"./socie7s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Opportunities for Sustainable Prosperity and the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act Chantal Pelham and Paul Taylor The Province of Nova Scotia continues to be a leader in sustainable prosperity.  Through the development of the economic growth strategy, Opportunities for Sustainable Prosperity, and the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act, the Province is showing its commitment to the environment and the well being of all Nova Scotians.  These two documents showcase the understanding that the prosperity of the environment does not have to be to the detriment of the economy.  Most importantly, a strong commitment to preservation and well being of today’s environment will help to ensure a strong economy for the next generation. Conference Website Home "); array_files[96]=new Array(0,1,"./creao5s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Barriers faced by Women in British Columbia Although women entrepreneurs in British Columbia have been leading the way in business start-ups, there is evidence to suggest that women owned businesses tend to be smaller and less financially robust than those owned by men. Data, collected by Women s Enterprise Centre in 2006 and 2008, was used to assess the barriers facing potential and current BC women entrepreneurs and their satisfaction with their own business performance. Financial resources and lack of business skills and personal development were identified as the main barriers to success. The relationship between finances, skills, performance, and satisfaction has important implications for policy and programs to remove identified gaps barriers. Conference Website Home "); array_files[97]=new Array(0,1,"./socie6s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference L’engagement Environnemental des PME Familiales (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. This study investigates the impact of SMEs’ family particularities on their environmental commitment. Environmental commitment was analyzed through three dimensions: its integration into the company strategy; the voluntarist nature of the commitment and its degree of formalization. An exploratory quantitative survey of 53 family SMEs and 31 non family SMEs was carried out in France. The main findings were that the family SMEs integrate environmental issues into their company strategy to a greater degree and demonstrate a higher level of voluntarism and formalization in their behavior. A size-effect was found to exist among the family SMEs. Conference Website Home "); array_files[98]=new Array(0,1,"./creao4s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference An Exploration of the Relationship between Business Strategy and Human Resource Strategy in Women Owned Businesses Stephanie Newell, Sanjib Chowdhury and Kunal Banerji This paper explores the link between human resource strategies and business strategies in women owned businesses in the US.  Interview data indicates that many women owned businesses do emphasize training, teamwork and reduced hierarchy.  There is also evidence that women owned businesses employ barter for services within a network of businesses.  The preliminary results also support the belief that women owned businesses focus less on fast growth and more on stability in order to ensure positive customer service and positive work environments.  We argue that this focus may help build successful businesses but leaves these businesses less attractive to investors. Conference Website Home "); array_files[99]=new Array(0,1,"./creao3s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Analysing the Influence of Gender Upon the Accumulation and Utilisation of Business Finance by Male and Female Entrepreneurs (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Susan Marlow, Sara Carter and Eleanor Shaw Despite contemporary evidence suggesting an adequate supply of small business finance, female entrepreneurs substantially under-capitalise their ventures; this has a negative effect upon business sustainability and growth. Accordingly, women’s ventures are defined as under achieving relative to those of men. This paper critically evaluates the notion of under capitalisation through a conceptual exploration of the relationship between entrepreneurship, gender, finance and risk utilising a feminist perspective. From this framework, we argue that normative assumptions and current policy imperatives imply that if women are to gain legitimacy as entrepreneurs, they must adapt their behaviour so as to act as honorary men. Conference Website Home "); array_files[100]=new Array(0,1,"./creao3f.html","2008-06-20","77K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Analysing the Influence of Gender Upon the Accumulation and Utilisation of Business Finance by Male and Female Entrepreneurs Professor Susan Marlow Dept of HRM Leicester Business School De Montfort University The Gateway Leicester LE1 9BH smhum@dmu.ac.uk Dr Eleanor Shaw Dept of Marketing University of Strathclyde Cathedral Street Glasgow Eleanor.shaw@strath.ac.uk Professor Sara Carter Hunter Centre Richmond Street Glasgow Sara.carter@strath.ac.k Despite contemporary evidence suggesting an adequate supply of small business finance, female entrepreneurs substantially under-capitalise their ventures; this has a negative effect upon business sustainability and growth. Accordingly, women’s ventures are defined as under achieving relative to those of men. This paper critically evaluates the notion of under capitalisation through a conceptual exploration of the relationship between entrepreneurship, gender, finance and risk utilising a feminist perspective. From this framework, we argue that normative assumptions and current policy imperatives imply that if women are to gain legitimacy as entrepreneurs, they must adapt their behaviour so as to act as honorary men. Introduction Contemporary debate suggests that the latent entrepreneurial potential of women should be exploited to a greater extent to stimulate the creation of more new firms and so, generate further wealth and employment within in developing, developed and transitional economies (Welter, et al. 2003; Minetti, 2005; Brush et al. 2006; GEM, 2006; dBERR, 2008).  As Reynolds et al. (2001:5) argue, ‘there is no greater initiative a country can take to accelerate its pace of entrepreneurial activity than to encourage more of its women to participate’. However, increasing the number of women entrepreneurs and enabling them to grow their businesses appears challenging as, on a global "); array_files[101]=new Array(0,1,"./socie5s.html","2008-06-20","9K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Exploring the Sustainability-Orientation of Venture Capital-Companies Benjamin Pfeifer and Heinz Klandt On the way to more sustainable companies in general there are many different actors playing an important role. Because of the growing influence of Venture Capital firms (VC) on the economy we can take the opinion that the topic “risk management and business generation through sustainability” is becoming an important topic, especially for VC companies. Until now it is not yet researched how this “perception of responsibility” manifests itself in the framework of the precedent orientation to profit realisation (profit maximization) of these investors. The „sustainability-orientation“ of VC companies or their investment managers may not be unambiguously examined yet, since there is a lack of commonly accepted concept for the operationalization and measurement of these items. A contingency-theoretic model, that explains the connection between the design of management accounting systems (MAS) and internal and external company traits as well as the individual attitudes of decision makers, was used to examine the relevance of the sustainability concept for Venture Capital firms. The model links these two parts by the premise that the concrete organization and structure of control systems depend on individual aims and other contingencies of an individual firm. The presence of sustainability orientation can herewith be assumed, if sustainability-relevant contents are applied in a systematic manner. As a result, the following central questions of this research are proposed: 1: How do VC firms perceive and evaluate recent political and societal trends? Do certain firm characteristics let to differences in the evaluation? 2: How important are specific, sustainability-related management accounting-contents for these investors? Are there differences between spec "); array_files[102]=new Array(0,1,"./socie4f.html","2008-06-20","49K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Ethical Perceptions of Entrepreneurial Tricks Miroslav Pivoda Bernelli University, International Graduate School, Foundation, 3132 Millers Run Road, Cecil, Pennsylvania 15321, U. S. A. www.bernelli.edu Phone: 001-412-220-2500, Cell Phone: ++420-604-875-404 (Czech Republic) E-mail: m.pivoda@gmail.com, Skype: mirek.pivoda Dan Mosher Memorial University - SWGC Campus, Corner Brook Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. http://www.swgc.mun.ca/, Dan Mosher (dmosher@swgc.mun.ca) Frank Hoy Director, Centers for Entrepreneurial Development, Advancement, Research and Support (CEDARS), University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA http://organizations.utep.edu/Default.aspx?alias=organizations.utep.edu/cedars E-mail: Fhoy@utep.edu, Phone: 1-915-747-7727 Jason P. McNicol International Business Doctoral Program, University of Texas at El Paso College of Business Administration. Phone: 915.747.7724, jpmcnicol@miners.utep.edu Author Biography Miroslav Pivoda works for Bernelli University as a professor, teaching mostly via the Internet. His research interests are innovation and entrepreneurship. Dan Mosher is an assistant professor at Memorial University. His research interests are entrepreneurship and family business. Frank Hoy is a professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Texas at El Paso where he also serves as director of the Centers for Entrepreneurial Development, Advancement, Research and Support. Jason P. McNicol is a doctoral student at the University of Texas at El Paso. Abstract As new ventures are difficult to start, entrepreneurs sometimes use creative techniques (tricks) to overcome this. In a web-based questionnaire, 192 respondents from the Czech Republic, United States, and Canada used a Likert scale for evaluation of five short cases of entrepreneurial tricks, stated their perceptions of necessity and limits of the trick usage, and expectations "); array_files[103]=new Array(0,1,"./creao2s.html","2008-06-20","8K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Addressing Gender in Enterprise Development Programs: Current Practices and a Proposed Approach (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Afreen Huq, Ph.D. Lecturer RMIT University School of Management Level 16, 239 Bourke Street Melbourne, Vic 3001, Australia Tel: +61 3 9925 5198 (Off) Fax: + 61 3 9925 5960 Email: afreen.huq@rmit.edu.au AFM Abdul Moyeen, Ph.D. Lecturer University of Ballarat Mount Helen Campus Ballarat, Vic 3353, Australia Tel: +61 3 5327 9360 Fax: +61 3 5327 9405 Email: a.moyeen@ballarat.edu.au Summary Enterprise development programs recognize ‘gender’ as an important cross-cutting issue. Strategy to address gender, however, is loosely defined with interpretations varying across agencies. Many such programs consider ‘gender’ more like an ‘annex’ rather than effectively addressing gender issues in the project design, with appropriate provisions for gender mainstreaming. In spite of the importance of research on the role of enterprise development initiatives implementing BDS market development approach to facilitating women’s entrepreneurship and economic growth, the issue has not been adequately studied. Further, academic research with data from such programs is almost non-existent. This paper makes an attempt to address this research gap by presenting data on how development programs address or struggle to address gender as a cross-cutting issue. It further builds on data of 120 male and female entrepreneurs and business development service providers. The paper argues that addressing gender should often be a matter of ‘choice’ for impact, outreach and sustainability and not always of ‘cost effectiveness’ of program interventions.  Conference Website Home "); array_files[104]=new Array(0,1,"./socie4s.html","2008-06-20","9K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs ","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Ethical Perceptions of Entrepreneurial Tricks (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Miroslav Pivoda Bernelli University, International Graduate School, Foundation, 3132 Millers Run Road, Cecil, Pennsylvania 15321, U. S. A. www.bernelli.edu Phone: 001-412-220-2500, Cell Phone: ++420-604-875-404 (Czech Republic) E-mail: m.pivoda@gmail.com, Skype: mirek.pivoda Dan Mosher Memorial University - SWGC Campus, Corner Brook Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. http://www.swgc.mun.ca/, Dan Mosher (dmosher@swgc.mun.ca) Frank Hoy Director, Centers for Entrepreneurial Development, Advancement, Research and Support (CEDARS), University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA http://organizations.utep.edu/Default.aspx?alias=organizations.utep.edu/cedars E-mail: Fhoy@utep.edu, Phone: 1-915-747-7727 Jason P. McNicol International Business Doctoral Program, University of Texas at El Paso College of Business Administration. Phone: 915.747.7724, jpmcnicol@miners.utep.edu Author Biography Miroslav Pivoda works for Bernelli University as a professor, teaching mostly via the Internet. His research interests are innovation and entrepreneurship. Dan Mosher is an assistant professor at Memorial University. His research interests are entrepreneurship and family business. Frank Hoy is a professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Texas at El Paso where he also serves as director of the Centers for Entrepreneurial Development, Advancement, Research and Support. Jason P. McNicol is a doctoral student at the University of Texas at El Paso. Abstract As new ventures are difficult to start, entrepreneurs sometimes use creative techniques (tricks) to overcome this. In a web-based questionnaire, 192 respondents from the Czech Republic, United States, and Canada used a Likert scale for evaluation of five short cases of entrepreneurial tricks, stated their perceptions of necessity and "); array_files[105]=new Array(0,1,"./creao1s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference A Comparative Analysis of Characteristics and Challenges of Male and Female Entrpreneurs in India (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Dr. D.D. Sharma Professor and Head  Entrepreneurship Development & Industrial Coordination Department NITTTR, Chandigarh, India Email : ddsharmattti@yahoo.com   Dr. S.C. Laroiya Director, NITTTR Chandigarh, India Email :  drsclaroiya@hotmail.com The study aims at investigating status of women entrepreneurship in India vis-à-vis in the world economy.  Characteristics of male and female entrepreneurs have been compared and analysed by taking a random purposive sample of existing and established male and female entrepreneurs of India.  It has been found that there are some unique characteristics of female entrepreneurs viz., making things happen, challenging and changing the status quo, more adroit and goal directed, more socially driven and confident, big dreamers, consensus builders, perfectionists and more energetic.  Government must come-up with encouraging policy guidelines with incentive schemes to promote further the women entrepreneurship. Conference Website Home "); array_files[106]=new Array(0,1,"./creao1f.html","2008-06-20","51K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship)","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs (eg Women, Minorities and Community and Social Entrepreneurship) 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference A Comparative Analysis of Characteristics and Challenges of Male and Female Entrpreneurs in India Abstract In real sense there is hardly much of difference in performance between male and female entrepreneurs.  But many experts are of opinion that there exists a marked difference between the male and female entrepreneurs characteristics.  Biologically both male and female entrepreneurs are different.  Women are regarded as a fair sex because they are physically weaker than their male counterparts.  There are certain inherent characteristics which women entrepreneurs exhibit more than men.  Common traits of successful entrepreneurs irrespective of their sex are : high need for achievement, internal locus of control, high need for independence and effective leadership, high need for autonomy, information processing capabilities, reference for moderate level of risks, low conformity, aggression, support & benevolence, high energy level and readiness for change, dominance, endurance and innovation, self-esteem, low-anxiety level, and high cognitive structure, low interpersonal affects, social adroitness, low harm avoidance, and low succorance.  However, some other experts Yonekura (1984) and Burch (1986) among many others have put forward separate lists of characteristics in general. Personal characteristics of successful women entrepreneurs as given by Marsha Firestone, President and founder of Women Presidents’ Organisation (WPO) are : [1] They make things happen, [2] driven and confident, [3] self-confident and risk-takers, [4] intelligent and innovative – but not ‘A’ grade students, [5] challenging and changing the status quo, and [6] they have big dreams.  Fisher has identified the prominent characteristics of successful women entrepreneurs’ as : [i] communication, [ii] people management, [iii] web-thinking, [iv] cons "); array_files[107]=new Array(0,1,"./socie3s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Environmental Commitment in Family SMEs (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. This study investigates the impact of SMEs’ family particularities on their environmental commitment. Environmental commitment was analyzed through three dimensions: its integration into the company strategy; the voluntarist nature of the commitment and its degree of formalization. An exploratory quantitative survey of 53 family SMEs and 31 non family SMEs was carried out in France. The main findings were that the family SMEs integrate environmental issues into their company strategy to a greater degree and demonstrate a higher level of voluntarism and formalization in their behavior. A size-effect was found to exist among the family SMEs. Conference Website Home "); array_files[108]=new Array(0,1,"./socie3f.html","2008-06-20","83K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Environmental Commitment in Family SMEs L’engagement environnemental des PME familiales Dr. Sandrine Berger-Douce Maître de conférences University of Valenciennes Business Administration Institute (IAE) LARIME Research Laboratory Tel: (33) 3 27 51 77 10 / Fax: (33) 3 27 51 77 04 Rue des Cent Têtes – Les Tertiales, 59313 Valenciennes Cedex 9, France Email: sandrine.berger-douce@univ-valenciennes.fr Sandrine Berger-Douce, Docteur en Sciences de Gestion, est Maître de Conférences à l’IAE de Valenciennes (Université de Valenciennes et du Hainaut Cambrésis) et directrice du LARIME (Laboratoire d’Analyses et de Recherches Interdisciplinaires en Management des Entreprises). Ses travaux de recherche portent sur le management environnemental en contexte PME, notamment sur les démarches collectives, et sur la Responsabilité Sociétale des Entreprises (RSE).  L’engagement environnemental des PME familiales Résumé Ce papier présente les résultats d’une étude empirique qui examine l’impact des particularités des PME familiales sur leur engagement environnemental. L’engagement environnemental est analyse selon trois dimensions: son intégration dans la stratégie d’entreprise; son volontarisme et son degré de formalisation. Une enquête quantitative exploratoire a été réalisée auprès de 53 PME familiales et de 31 non familiales en France. Les principaux résultats montrent que les PME familiales intègrent davantage les questions environnementales dans leur stratégie et font preuve d’un niveau plus élevé de volontarisme et de formalisation. Un effet taille a également été mis en évidence dans notre échantillon. Introduction Dès les années 1980, Martinet (1984) se faisait l’écho en France de la pertinence du terme «stratégie sociétale» sans visiblement convaincre la communauté scientifique française de l’époque. "); array_files[109]=new Array(0,1,"./creation_n.html","2008-06-20","7K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Training and Development of Entrepreneurs Achieving Self-Realization and Commercial Success in Entrepreneurial Ventures Balance & Energy Staying Motivated & Balancing Life in Entrepreneurship Catalyzing Regional Entrepreneurial Activity Self-Efficacy and Entrepreneurial Intentions Enhancing Management Control in SMEs Entrepreneurship and Innovation - Creating a New Generation of Business Leaders in Atlantic Canada Entrepreneurship As A Career Option: A presentation from a practitioner’s point of view European Network of Entrepreneurship Angels: A European Project Targeted at Business Start-Up Harvesting Everyday Strategies With the End in Mind Mentor and Mentee Attitudes in Mentoring for New Entrepreneurs Participants vs. Facilitator Led Curriculum on Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Management: Our Experience at Abjuba Enterprise Agengy (AEA) Practitioner’s Paper: The Transitional Development Model - Coaching Solo Entrepreneurs Towards Growth and Development The Role and Impact of the Kiwanis Enterprise Centre in Dawson Creek, BC The Value of Mentoring for New and Existing Entrepreneurs Training for Growth – A Study of a Growth Programme for SMEs Conference Website Home "); array_files[110]=new Array(0,1,"./crean14s.html","2008-06-20","8K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Training for Growth – A Study of a Growth Programme for SMEs (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Kirsi Lamminpää Turku School of Economics, TSE exe Rehtorinpellonkatu 3, FIN-20500 Turku, Finland Tel. +358 2 4814 476, +358 50502 7075 Fax +358 2 4814 393 E-mail: Kirsi.Lamminpaa@tse.fi Author Biography M.A. Kirsi Lamminpää works as a Project Manager in TSE exe in Turku School of Economics and is responsible for projects related to business development and change processes in organisations (such as growth, business succession). She is acquainted with qualitative materials and methods in her research activities.  Company growth is not one dimensional or monotonic phenomenon. It can take many different shapes and it is dynamic by nature. Training is one hands-on instrument for fostering company growth. Consequently, in order to be efficient and helpful educational and other support measures should reflect the recent research findings and understanding on company growth. This paper outlines key aspects of one Finnish training and development programme for growth companies, Kasvamo, presenting general achievement of the programme and two different instrumental company cases. Theoretical framework of the training and development programme was based on a three-dimensional model on conditions of growth (willingness, ability, and opportunity). The model has proven to be successful because of its’ flexibility in providing and supporting the capabilities of individual entrepreneurs and companies to focus, plan and carry out their business growth processes successfully. Keywords: SME growth, business development, training programmes Conference Website Home "); array_files[111]=new Array(0,1,"./crean14f.html","2008-06-20","64K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Training for Growth – A Study of a Growth Programme for SMEs Kirsi Lamminpää Turku School of Economics, TSE exe Rehtorinpellonkatu 3, FIN-20500 Turku, Finland Tel. +358 2 4814 476, +358 50502 7075 Fax +358 2 4814 393 E-mail: Kirsi.Lamminpaa@tse.fi Author Biography M.A. Kirsi Lamminpää works as a Project Manager in TSE exe in Turku School of Economics and is responsible for projects related to business development and change processes in organisations (such as growth, business succession). She is acquainted with qualitative materials and methods in her research activities.  Paper to be submitted in the ICSB World Conference 2008 Training for Growth – A Study of a Growth Programme for SMEs Abstract Company growth is not one dimensional or monotonic phenomenon. It can take many different shapes and it is dynamic by nature. Training is one hands-on instrument for fostering company growth. Consequently, in order to be efficient and helpful educational and other support measures should reflect the recent research findings and understanding on company growth. This paper outlines key aspects of one Finnish training and development programme for growth companies, Kasvamo, presenting general achievement of the programme and two different instrumental company cases. Theoretical framework of the training and development programme was based on a three-dimensional model on conditions of growth (willingness, ability, and opportunity). The model has proven to be successful because of its’ flexibility in providing and supporting the capabilities of individual entrepreneurs and companies to focus, plan and carry out their business growth processes successfully. Keywords: SME growth, business development, training programmes Introduction Promoting entrepreneurship and company growth is one of the most important aims for the industrial and entrepreneurship policies globally. For example European Commission has exp "); array_files[112]=new Array(0,1,"./crean13s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Value of Mentoring for New and Existing Entrepreneurs Primary Track: Training and Development of Entrepreneurs Workshop Leaders: Rena Posteraro, B.A., Med, APEC CBC                                 Karen Martin, B.J. APEC CBC This workshop will explore the value of mentoring in assisting entrepreneurs in creating successful enterprises. The insight and knowledge of an experienced business mentor can be invaluable to micro and small business owners in any phase of their business life cycle. The workshop will provide participants with information about the roles and responsibilities of both the mentor and mentee, using a business counseling model. It will present a working model or system of a successful business mentoring program and share best practices for developing and implementing a business mentoring program that is client-driven. It will also share the success stories of clients who have participated in an established mentoring program. Conference Website Home "); array_files[113]=new Array(0,1,"./crean12s.html","2008-06-20","6K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Role and Impact of the Kiwanis Enterprise Centre in Dawson Creek, BC Doris Brocke The Kiwanis Enterprise Centre is a successful small business incubator situated beside the local high school. This project-based non-profit society has offered entrepreneurship education and small business start-up services to the school district and community of Dawson Creek, BC since 1986. Over the period of twenty years the Kiwanis Enterprise Centre has developed various programs to meet the needs of the community. This has resulted in a unique model that continues to nurture and build an entrepreneurial culture. This case study/workshop explores the current role of the Kiwanis Enterprise Centre and how it impacts the school district and community of Dawson Creek, BC. Conference Website Home "); array_files[114]=new Array(0,1,"./crean11s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Practitioner’s Paper: The Transitional Development Model - Coaching Solo Entrepreneurs Towards Growth and Development (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Maud de Vries Ever growing numbers of ‘knowledge workers’ are becoming solo entrepreneurs, owning a one-person business. Specific instruments are needed to coach these entrepreneurs who after start-up want to continue on solo. The Transitional Development (TD) model offers such an instrument. Originating from coaching practice, the TD model describes the successive life cycle stages in a one-person business, and the transitions in between. Every phase comes with its own characteristics, pitfalls, learning goals and required entrepreneurial skills. Neglected aspects in one phase thwart the following transition. Coaching solo entrepreneurs through all phases, enables a full realization of entrepreneurial potential. Conference Website Home "); array_files[115]=new Array(0,1,"./socie2s.html","2008-06-20","8K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs ","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Developing A Scale to Measure Social Responsibility Activities at SME (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Dr. Lorea Narvaiza, Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Deusto. Researchinterest on Social Responsibility and Marketing. Dr. Asunción Ibañez, Assistant Professor of Entreprenurship, University of Deusto. Research interests in Social Responsibility and Entrepreneurship. Dr. Cristina Aragón, Assistant Professor of  Strategic Management, University of Deusto. Research interests in Social Responsibility and Family Business. Dr. Cristina Iturrioz, Associate Professor of Information Systems, University of Deusto. Research Interests in Social Responsibility and SME. Dr. Francisco J. Olarte: Professor Emeritus of University of Deusto. Research interests in Social Responsibility. Author’s affiliation: ESTE – School of Management University of Deusto Camino Mundaiz, 50 20012 San Sebastián (Spain) Tf:  00-34- 943 32 66 00 Fax: 00-34-943 27 39 32 Email address: lnarvaiz@ud-ss.deusto.es ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to develop a Social Responsibility scale for SMEs.  We have followed the usual methodology for building scales in social studies. The definitive questionnaire was answered by a sample of 245 SME in The Basque Country (Spain). In light of the results obtained, the scale’s psychometric features were analysed and there were obtained satisfactory reliability and validity values. Factor analysis helped us to identify the most significant dimensions of the social responsibility scale. Findings indicate that the Social Responsibility scale is formed by 10 dimensions. The results offer important implications for managers and researchers. Conference Website Home "); array_files[116]=new Array(0,1,"./socie2f.html","2008-06-20","208K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Developing A Scale to Measure Social Responsibility Activities at SME Dr. Lorea Narbaiza, Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Deusto. Research interest on Social Responsibility and Marketing. Dr. Asunción Ibañez, Assistant Professor of Entreprenurship, University of Deusto. Research interests in Social Responsibility and Entrepreneurship. Dr. Cristina Aragón, Assistant Professor of  Strategic Management, University of Deusto. Research interests in Social Responsibility and Family Business. Dr. Cristina Iturrioz, Associate Professor of Information Systems, University of Deusto. Research Interests in Social Responsibility and SME. Dr. Francisco J. Olarte: Professor Emeritus of University of Deusto. Research interests in Social Responsibility. Author’s affiliation: ESTE – School of Management University of Deusto Camino Mundaiz, 50 20012 San Sebastián (Spain) Tf:  00-34- 943 32 66 00 Fax: 00-34-943 27 39 32 Email address: lnarvaiz@ud-ss.deusto.es Abstract The aim of this study is to propose a social responsibility scale for SME.  We have followed the usual methodology for building scales in social studies. The definitive questionnaire was answered by a sample of 245 SME in The Basque Country (Spain). In light of the results obtained, the scale’s psychometric features were analysed and there were obtained satisfactory reliability and validity values. Factor analysis helped us to identify the most significant dimensions of the social responsibility scale. Introduction Social Responsibility (hereafter SR) defined as “the extent to which firms integrate on a voluntary basis social and environmental concerns into their ongoing operations an interactios with stakeholders” (Perrini and Minoja, 2008) is increasing the interest of researchers and managers. Although this emphasis in the study of SR there are still some gaps to fill (Perrini an "); array_files[117]=new Array(0,1,"./crean10s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Participants vs. Facilitator Led Curriculum on Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Management: Our Experience at Abjuba Enterprise Agengy (AEA) (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper.                                                                                                    Taofeek Adejare OWOSENI Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA) 22, Kudang Street, Wuse 2, Abuja, Nigeria Tel. +234 9 4139617, Fax +234 9 4139616 Email: jareowo@yahoo.com; taofeek@abujaenterprise.org The paper demonstrates the impact of entrepreneurship and enterprise management training through participants led curriculum approach in practice.   From a sample of 65 respondents that attended courses using both teacher-led and participant-led curriculum at Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA), the results show that 76% of respondents who attended participant-led courses and 63% from teacher-led courses participants agreed that the courses impacted positively on their performances. In practice, participatory curriculum appears to make greater impact especially in enterprise management training. The paper reinforces the need for trainer-learners partnership, identifies good practice, lessons learned and areas of further research. Conference Website Home "); array_files[118]=new Array(0,1,"./crean10f.html","2008-06-20","70K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Participants vs. Facilitator Led Curriculum on Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Management: Our Experience at Abjuba Enterprise Agengy (AEA)                                                                                                    Taofeek Adejare OWOSENI Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA) 22, Kudang Street, Wuse 2, Abuja, Nigeria Tel. +234 9 4139617, Fax +234 9 4139616 Email: jareowo@yahoo.com; taofeek@abujaenterprise.org    If you wish to plan for a year sow seeds   If you wish to plan for ten years plant trees  If you wish to plan for a hundred years develop people… – Kuan Chung Tzu (1970) Abstract The paper demonstrates one way of improving the impact of training and development programmes in entrepreneurship and enterprise management in practice by relating the methodologies and processes of evolving participants-led curriculum by AEA. In addition, it discusses facilitator-led approach to curriculum that is flexible enough to accommodate diverse clients in a training environment. From a sample of 65 respondents that have attended training courses using the two curriculum approaches at AEA, the results analysed using simple percentage scoring technique show that 76% of respondents who attended participant led courses and 63% of respondents who attended facilitator-led courses agreed that the courses impacted positively on their performances. From our findings based on field experience and survey, the two approaches do make a difference but participatory curriculum appears to make greater impact especially in enterprise management training where participants seek training that will provide just in time solutions. The paper reinforces the need for trainers to be partners in a mutually shared learning venture with the participants. It provides a reflective appraisal of AEA practices, lessons learne "); array_files[119]=new Array(0,1,"./crean9s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Mentor and Mentee Attitudes in Mentoring for New Entrepreneurs (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Jimmy Wikholm, Thomas Henningson and Claes M. Hultman ABSTRACT A national governmental mentoring programme for new entrepreneurs was launched in Sweden in 2005. In Sweden there are now just over 2,000 mentors and mentees involved in the national programme. The purpose of this paper is to report of mentor and mentee attitudes towards participation in this mentoring programme. Data is based on extensive nationwide telephone interviews with 200 of the mentors and mentees involved. These results indicate that mentoring can be used to a much greater extent than was previously considered possible. If we harness the power of mentoring, we will see our new entrepreneurs developing much healthier and stronger enterprises. Conference Website Home "); array_files[120]=new Array(0,1,"./crean9f.html","2008-06-20","89K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Mentor and Mentee Attitudes in Mentoring for New Entrepreneurs Jimmy Wikholm ALMI Företagspartner / ALMI Businesspartner Klarabergsviadukten 70, PO Box 703 94, SE-103 27 Stockholm, Sweden Email: jimmy.wikholm@almi.se Thomas Henningson ALMI Företagspartner / ALMI Businesspartner Köpmangatan 23-25, PO Box 8023, SE-700 08 Örebro, Sweden Email: thomas.henningson@almi.se Claes M. Hultman Swedish Business School at Örebro University, ESI, SE-701 82 Örebro, Sweden Email: claes.hultman@oru.se ABSTRACT A national governmental mentoring programme for new entrepreneurs was launched in Sweden in 2005. This programme has so far been very successful and experience gained in this process has been reported successively at ICSB conferences. The purpose of this paper is to report of mentor and mentee attitudes towards participation in this mentoring programme. Data is based on extensive nationwide telephone interviews with 200 of the mentors and mentees involved. Measuring the value of mentoring is a complex matter. Following interviews with both mentors and mentees, the answer is unambiguous. Mentoring creates value for mentees who are involved. It is thus evident that mentoring of new entrepreneurs carries very high value. Value that must be recognised and used to its full potential. In Sweden there are now just over 2,000 mentors and mentees involved in the national programme aimed at new entrepreneurs, in a country with around nine million inhabitants and about 44,000 newly-launched companies a year. We are firmly convinced that it would be possible to set up at least four times as many mentoring pairs a year because of the tremendous demand and the voluntary resources available in society. These results indicate that mentoring can be used to a much greater extent than was previously considered possible. We intend to continue sharing what we learn from managing the mentoring programme in Sweden through our papers "); array_files[121]=new Array(0,1,"./crean8s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Harvesting Everyday Strategies With the End in Mind (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Johan van Zyl and Orpha Lotz Through harvesting entrepreneurs exit their business to reap the value of their investment. Many South-African retired people use their pension funds to start a business in the hospitality industry based on the growing South African tourism market. Good harvesting strategies of existing entrepreneurs in the hospitality businesses can contribute to economic growth in the region.  The overall aim of this study was to determine if entrepreneurs owning Guesthouse and Restaurant businesses have a harvesting goal. Entrepreneurs should be sensitised on the importance of formulating harvesting strategies. Government should integrate harvesting strategies during policy formulation and establishment of SME support services.  Conference Website Home "); array_files[122]=new Array(0,1,"./crean8f.html","2008-06-20","119K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Harvesting Everyday Strategies With the End in Mind JH van Zyl Department of Business Management, University of the Free State PO Box 339, Bloemfontein, South Africa. E-mail vanzyljh.ekw@ufs.ac.za  Tel 27 51 4012286 (work), Cell 27 832554057, Fax 27 51 4445345 He is appointed as a senior lecturer and is director of the Unit for Entrepreneurship.  His current research interests include entrepreneurial development. JO Lotz Department of Business Management, University of the Free State PO Box 339, Bloemfontein, South Africa. E-mail lotzjo.ekw@ufs.ac.za  Tel 27 51 4019411 (work) , 27 51 5227325 (home), Cell 27 827885915, Fax 27 51 4445345 She is appointed as a senior lecturer.  Her current research interests include harvesting strategies and the practical relevance of business models. Abstract Through harvesting entrepreneurs exit their business to reap the value of their investment. Many South-African retired people use their pension funds to start a business in the hospitality industry based on the growing South African tourism market. Good harvesting strategies of existing entrepreneurs in the hospitality businesses can contribute to economic growth in the region.  The overall aim of this study was to determine if entrepreneurs owning Guesthouse and Restaurant businesses have a harvesting goal. Entrepreneurs should be sensitised on the importance of formulating harvesting strategies. Government should integrate harvesting strategies during policy formulation and establishment of SME support services.  Introduction The three phases of entrepreneurship are start-up, manage and growth and harvest (Short & Dunn, 2003).  Through harvesting entrepreneurs can exit their businesses and, ideally, reap the value of their strategies and investment. Based on the growing South African tourism market, an unprecedented number of retired people use their pension funds to start a business in the hospitality ind "); array_files[123]=new Array(0,1,"./crean7s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference European Network of Entrepreneurship Angels: A European Project Targeted at Business Start-Up (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Giampaolo Rossi, Michela Vecchia, Gordon Rutherford, Viera Slavikova, Martina Prokopova, Anja Graversen, Helena Malisova and Lucie Filoposka Abstract The ENEA project focused on the identification of an ideal profile of the new European Tutor specialising in new business creation, and to define a common training path for professional tutors. Through improved assistance to potential businessmen/women it is expected that the project will boost the establishment of new companies and increase the sustainability of newly created SMEs. Target groups for the project are, in the short term, training organisations and the trainers of trainers; in the long term, it will be entrepreneurs  who need specific support in order to avoid making mistakes which could undermine their business project. Conference Website Home "); array_files[124]=new Array(0,1,"./crean7f.html","2008-06-20","20K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference European Network of Entrepreneurship Angels: A European Project Targeted at Business Start-Up ENEA is a European financed project under the Leonardo da Vinci programme that aims to identify and deliver a common training programme for business advisors and trainers across Europe. A constructive and creative approach in developing and training those new to the business advisory profession in the EU to assist first-time business starts and would be entrepreneurs. The project is built on constructing effective relationships between advisors and entrepreneurs, technically how these relationships can be achieved and managed. The project is therefore targeted at business advisory and training organisations, the trainers of trainers and new entrants to the business advisory profession. The partners initially identified a major methodological gap in the support of would-be entrepreneurs in the European Union. The project recognised the need for identifying, engaging and promoting key skills in the business tutor/advisor to the entrepreneur and on training those involved in the support of would-be entrepreneurs during the business idea development and start-up phase. A tutor/advisor able to accompany the prospective entrepreneur is considered as a key actor as he/she can help the entrepreneur in making choices and in focusing on resources and actions to be undertaken. Project phases Initially, research involved the exploration of the mentoring process from the participants’ point of view and emphasised how and why events occur and give meaning to both business advisor and client. Data was collected through individual interviews of business advisors, coaches and mentors. The study interviewed predominately people who were engaged, involved or experienced in the business advisory process. The project started with an international survey of more than 20 countries in Europe aimed, firstly, at providing a comparative "); array_files[125]=new Array(0,1,"./socie1s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference An Exploratory Analysis of Social, Ethical and Environmental Responsibility Practices Among Small and Medium-Sized Canadian Companies Mary A. Kilfoil Abstract The increasing importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been recognised within the academic literature by a proliferation of conceptual and empirical work. Earlier research paid particular attention to the relationships between CSR and corporate financial performance (Waddock and Graves 1997; McWilliams and Siegel 2000), consumer perceptions of product quality (Sen and Bhattacharya 2001), employee morale, productivity, recruitment and retention (Turban and Greening 1997), and company ownership characteristics (Graves and Waddock 1994; Johnson and Greening 1999). This paper offers an exploratory analysis of the motives and drivers for social, ethical and environmental responsibility practices among small and medium-sized Canadian companies. The results of this analysis are based on a small sample web-based survey of small and medium-sized Canadian companies. This analysis shows that the motivation of small and medium sized companies differs from that of larger corporate entities for many of the activities identified in the literature. Conference Website Home "); array_files[126]=new Array(0,1,"./crean6s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Entrepreneurship As A Career Option: A presentation from a practitioner’s point of view Brent Kreuger Vice President, Global Infobrokers Inc. Principal, Praxis International Institute 2160 Easthill, Saskatoon, SK S7J 3C9 306 664 0500 or 306 955 7691 fax brent@globalinfobrokers.ca Given that entrepreneurship denotes the number one choice for Canadians as a rewarding career path (CFIB) and 2.5 million Canadians have chosen business ownership as their occupation, why is this option not promoted more in learning institutions?  This workshop will provide an overview of a post secondary Entrepreneurship program provided since 1991 that uses a practical and applied approach to training based on a progressive learning model that more than doubles the chances of long term success for the entrepreneur.  It will also demonstrate how this approach has been applied in the creation and development a new high school founded on entrepreneurial thinking.  At the core of both applications is the belief that entrepreneurs should be teaching entrepreneurs. Conference Website Home "); array_files[127]=new Array(0,1,"./social_d.html","2008-06-20","6K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference SME Management and Growth Sponsorship Activity across Small Enterprises: An Empirical Study Sustainable Entrepreneurship – A Case of the Indian SMEs Conference Website Home "); array_files[128]=new Array(0,1,"./socid2s.html","2008-06-20","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Sustainable Entrepreneurship – A Case of the Indian SMEs Dr. Saroj Koul Assistant Professor, Acadia University, CANADA, saroj(dot)koul(at)acadiau.ca ABSTRACT Sustainable entrepreneurship involves enhancing and balancing a company’s personnel, profit, and environmental profile. Sustainable entrepreneurship benefits both business and society and offers opportunities for cost reduction, market development and long-term continuity. Concurrently, it opens avenues towards social development and environmental improvement. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the newly industrialized countries have great untapped potential for value creation through sustainable entrepreneurship. Corporate social responsibility (CSR), where sustainable entrepreneurship has been put firmly on the government agenda, also becomes a factor. This paper examines two challenging questions: 1) what sustainable activities do SMEs already undertake and 2) what barriers do entrepreneurs face. Conference Website Home "); array_files[129]=new Array(0,1,"./socid1s.html","2008-06-20","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Sponsorship Activity across Small Enterprises: An Empirical Study J. Terence Zinger Norm O’Reilly (paper #252) SUMMARY This paper analyzes sponsorship activity within the Canadian small business sector.  Of the 109 sponsors in our sample, 35 were small firms, 22 of which employed fewer than ten people. The monetary commitment to sponsorships was relatively modest: for example, only 23 percent of these small businesses spend more than 10,000 annually on sponsorship rights fees. Yet, the breadth of engagement in sponsorships was striking: 63 percent of the respondents had at least four sponsorship arrangements, which encompassed the full range of sponsorship types, from cause-related marketing to the arts. Moreover, nearly one-third of the sample firms committed at least an additional 2,000 per year to the leveraging of their sponsorships; the aggregate small firm leverage ratio of 1.02:1 compares favourably to the .46 ratio for the broader sample.   Conference Website Home "); array_files[130]=new Array(0,1,"./socic1s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Entrepreneurship and SME Development in Transition and Developing Economies","",""," Entrepreneurship and SME Development in Transition and Developing Economies 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Innovative Business Models at the Base of the Pyramid: Agora Partnerships Nicaragua Niels Billou Agora Partnerships is a non-profit organization committed to providing entrepreneurs in emerging markets with the tools, networks, and financing necessary to launch successful, socially responsible businesses. Its innovative approach to assisting and financing promising entrepreneurs can be seen as a model for the development and enhancement of entrepreneurship in emerging countries around the globe. The Agora business model offers several innovations for encouraging entrepreneurship in emerging markets. First, its extends the notion from the micro-lending model that the poor are credit-worthy and applies this logic to making equity investments. Second, it  uses creative deal structuring to overcome one of the major impediments to equity investing in micro businesses, a viable exit. Finally, it brings best-in-class management practices to small enterprise owners through the use of high quality consulting and management boards. Conference Website Home "); array_files[131]=new Array(0,1,"./crean5s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Entrepreneurship and Innovation - Creating a New Generation of Business Leaders in Atlantic Canada Michael Sanderson and Anna Marenick Ignite© - Lights, Camera, Action! Ignite © is an approach to Innovation and Creative thinking. The Saint Marys University Business Development Centre will take you through a program designed to stimulate discussion and help you look at your business in a more innovative and creative way. In this workshop, the SMUBDC will show you a 5-step process to guide your thinking: Frame, Illuminate, Create, Stretch & Build, and Embed. Frame: Are we all agreed on what the question is and how we will answer it? Illuminate: What are the other viewpoints on the question? What is working well? What isn’t? What are the opportunities? Create: Are the right people together to make the best of our opportunities? How can we best generate ideas? Stretch & Build: How do we select the best ideas and implement them? Are we looking at all angles of our opportunity? Embed: How do we transform our solution into tangible business results? Join us for a lively, fun discussion on how to ignite your creativity! Conference Website Home "); array_files[132]=new Array(0,1,"./social_c.html","2008-06-20","6K","Entrepreneurship and SME Development in Transition and Developing Economies","",""," Entrepreneurship and SME Development in Transition and Developing Economies 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Entrepreneurship and SME Development in Transition and Developing Economies Innovative Business Models at the Base of the Pyramid: Agora Partnerships Nicaragua Conference Website Home "); array_files[133]=new Array(0,1,"./crean4s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Enhancing Management Control in SMEs (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Marja-Liisa Jullenmaa Satakunta University of Applied Sciences Tiedepuisto 3, 28600 PORI. Finland Tel. +358 2 6203377 Email: marja-liisa.jullenmaa@samk.fi Esa Puolamäki Turku School of Economics, Pori Unit Pohjoisranta 11, 28100 PORI, Finland Tel. +358 2 6272753 Email: esa.puolamaki@tse.fi Abstract The purpose of this paper is to describe one practical approach for promoting business competence and management control in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) by educational means. It focuses on the experiences of the authors during a project called “Business Control in SMEs” arranged 2005 – 2007 in western Finland by local universities. The project was funded by European Social Fund (ESF) and the main target groups were operative managers and financial personnel of growth-oriented SMEs and personnel of accountancy firms. The study contributes to our general knowledge of organizing management training in SMEs by focusing on how to find and to activate the growth-oriented entrepreneurs, and finally to meet the learning needs of the participants. The study utilizes the theoretical concept of critical events (Deakins et al., 2001). Conference Website Home "); array_files[134]=new Array(0,1,"./crean4f.html","2008-06-20","54K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Enhancing Management Control in SMEs Marja-Liisa Jullenmaa Satakunta University of Applied Sciences Tiedepuisto 3, 28600 PORI. Finland Tel. +358 2 6203377 Email: marja-liisa.jullenmaa@samk.fi Esa Puolamäki Turku School of Economics, Pori Unit Pohjoisranta 11, 28100 PORI, Finland Tel. +358 2 6272753 Email: esa.puolamaki@tse.fi Abstract The purpose of this paper is to describe one practical approach for promoting business competence and management control in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) by educational means. It focuses on the experiences of the authors during a project called “Business Control in SMEs” arranged 2005 – 2007 in western Finland by local universities. The project was funded by European Social Fund (ESF) and the main target groups were operative managers and financial personnel of growth-oriented SMEs and personnel of accountancy firms. The study contributes to our general knowledge of organizing management training in SMEs by focusing on how to find and to activate the growth-oriented entrepreneurs, and finally to meet the learning needs of the participants. The study utilizes the theoretical concept of critical events (Deakins et al., 2001). Biographical notes Marja-Liisa Jullenmaa M Sc (Econ.) is lecturer in financial accounting at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences. Her current research interest is the changing role of accounting firm. Esa Puolamäki Ph.D. (Econ. and Bus.Adm.) is an acting professor in accounting at Turku School of Economics, Pori Unit. His current interests are strategic management accounting and management control. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to describe one practical approach for promoting business competence in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) by educational means. This paper draws on a survey and interviews of managers in SMEs as well as personal experiences of the authors in a project called “Business Control in SMEs "); array_files[135]=new Array(0,1,"./social_b.html","2008-06-20","6K","Corporate Entrepreneurship","",""," Corporate Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Corporate Entrepreneurship Effective Entrepreneurs Build Cultures That Lead to High Performance Outcomes Conference Website Home "); array_files[136]=new Array(0,1,"./socib1s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Corporate Entrepreneurship","",""," Corporate Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Effective Entrepreneurs Build Cultures That Lead to High Performance Outcomes Marshall Sashkin and Ayman El Tarabishy The specific contextual focus of the research program is on entrepreneurial leadership and the culture and performance of entrepreneurial organizations. The central premise of this research is that leaders’ character affects organizational performance outcomes by operating through leaders’ actions and the organizational culture leaders construct by means of their actions.  Sashkin and El Tarabishy (2008) examined a variety of leader behaviors and found that a key factor in the linkages from leader character through leader behavior to organizational performance is trust in the leader (as seen by organization members).  Such trust is developed by leaders through their actions.   Conference Website Home "); array_files[137]=new Array(0,1,"./cream3f.html","2008-06-20","60K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Evaluating the Strategy of Local Public Technology Centers in Regional Innovation Systems Evidence from Japan FUKUGAWA Nobuya Department of Economics, University of Nagasaki 123 Kawashimo Sasebo Nagasaki 858-8580 Japan +81-956-472171 nfukugawa@gmail.com Abstract Local public technology centers, administrated by the prefectural governments, engage in providing technological support to small local firms. Using a comprehensive database, this paper quantitatively examines whether their strategy is contingent on, or independent of the characteristics of regional innovation system. The statistical analyses show that there are no significant differences between the strategies adopted by local public technology centers in line with the characteristics of the regional innovation system. This implies that the strategies were inefficient because regional economic welfare would have improved if resources had been allocated in accordancen with the characteristics of regional innovation system. Keywords: local public technology centers, knowledge transfer, regional innovation system, small firms, Japan JEL: O38, O33, R11, R58 1. Introduction Regional systems of innovation are attracting research attention (Howells, 1999; Acs ed., 2000; Cooke et al. eds., 2004). Space and geography are significant for innovation because the geographical range of knowledge diffusion can be constrained due to the tacitness of the knowledge, implying that while one economic agent in agglomeration benefits from knowledge spillover, another in a geographically isolated area does not. If this is the case, regional innovation policy is substantial for regional economic development because well-designed policy instruments for promoting knowledge interactions between the players of a regional innovation system will result in a regional difference in knowledge productivity (Fritsch, 2004; Fritsch and Franke, 2004; Ronde and Hussler, 2005). Among regi "); array_files[138]=new Array(0,1,"./crean3f.html","2008-06-20","85K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Catalyzing Regional Entrepreneurial Activity Self-Efficacy and Entrepreneurial Intentions Mark Pruett Walker College of Business Appalachian State University Boone, North Carolina  28608 (828) 262-7341 pruettmw@appstate.edu Benjamin Powell Walker College of Business Appalachian State University Boone, North Carolina  28608 powellbc@appstate.edu Bryan Toney Walker College of Business Appalachian State University Boone, North Carolina  28608 toneybc@appstate.edu Abstract Catalyzing Regional Entrepreneurial Activity: Self-Efficacy and Entrepreneurial Intentions This study tests the effectiveness of an entrepreneurship support program consisting of a series of three inter-linked workshops involving an executive mentoring component.  Although a variety of entrepreneurship training programs are offered by chambers of commerce, not-for-profit organizations, and for-profit incubators or accelerators, there is little research available to guide the design of such programs.  Analysis suggests that participants enter the program with substantial differences in self-efficacy, entrepreneurial disposition, and other personal characteristics and experiences. Focusing on the workshop series, our results suggest that the workshop series has a significant effect on self-efficacy and, subsequently, on entrepreneurial intentions.    Catalyzing Regional Entrepreneurial Activity: Self-Efficacy and Entrepreneurial Intentions This study tests the effectiveness of an entrepreneurship support program consisting of a series of three inter-linked workshops involving an executive mentoring component.  Although a variety of entrepreneurship training programs are offered by chambers of commerce, not-for-profit organizations, and for-profit incubators or accelerators, there is little research available to guide the design of such programs.  Research examining the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education has generally focused "); array_files[139]=new Array(0,1,"./crean3s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Catalyzing Regional Entrepreneurial Activity Self-Efficacy and Entrepreneurial Intentions (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Mark Pruett, Benjamin Powell, and Bryan Toney This study tests the effectiveness of an entrepreneurship support program consisting of a series of three inter-linked workshops involving an executive mentoring component.  Although a variety of entrepreneurship training programs are offered by chambers of commerce, not-for-profit organizations, and for-profit incubators or accelerators, there is little research available to guide the design of such programs.  Analysis suggests that participants enter the program with substantial differences in self-efficacy, entrepreneurial disposition, and other personal characteristics and experiences. Focusing on the workshop series, our results suggest that the workshop series has a significant effect on self-efficacy and, subsequently, on entrepreneurial intentions.    Conference Website Home "); array_files[140]=new Array(0,1,"./crean2s.html","2008-06-20","6K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Balance & Energy Staying Motivated & Balancing Life in Entrepreneurship Pam Paquet Abstract: Entrepreneurship is unique because success is usually measured by profits.  Under this pressure, entrepreneurs will sometimes sacrifice things such as enjoyment in life, family and home time.  This workshop will teach participants how to shift business from all-consuming to finding a balance that re-energizes them and helps entrepreneurship feel like a good fit again.  Entrepreneurs will learn the strategies and tools to keep motivated as the business evolves and grows.   Reducing the risk of business failure and keeping your family happy and intact, are components of entrepreneurship that will keep your business growing and strong.  Conference Website Home "); array_files[141]=new Array(0,1,"./crean1s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Achieving Self-Realization and Commercial Success in Entrepreneurial Ventures Simon Halberstadt, Matthias Raith, Thomas Zomack The fascination of venture creation is associated with an entrepreneur’s opportunity of achieving personal fulfillment. In reality, however, many nascent entrepreneurs discover that much of their original vision is sacrificed in the process of creating a startup. In this paper we address the intrapersonal conflict between the entrepreneur’s fulfillment and the startup’s competitiveness from a negotiation-analytic perspective. We show how the nature of this conflict is transformed in the process of business planning, and we demonstrate how a purely market-oriented focus on expansion serves to enhance personal fulfillment. Our analytical approach has practical implications for business planning and entrepreneurial education. Conference Website Home "); array_files[142]=new Array(0,1,"./social_a.html","2008-06-20","7K","Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice","",""," Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice Developing an Entrepreneurship Outcomes System for Product/Service Development, Ongoing Quality Improvement, and Research in Health Care Businesses Entrepreneurship as an Agent for Social Development and Value How Can We Matter in Practice as Well as Research Social Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development Strategic Planning for Not-for-Profit Organizations Sustainable Development and SMEs: A North-South Comparison of Their Commitment The “Research in the Rough” Model The Role of Sustainability in Community and Regional Development in Europe Town Hall Meeting on Social & Sustainable Entrepreneurship What Makes Not-For-Profits Entrepreneurial? Conference Website Home "); array_files[143]=new Array(0,1,"./socia10s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice","",""," Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference What Makes Not-For-Profits Entrepreneurial? Edward Gamble Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan Peter W. Moroz Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship Abstract Too often, researchers are distracted by the uncompromising challenge of reconciling entrepreneurial behavior within a not-for-profit (NFP) context.  This study illustrates the necessity for seeking a general understanding of entrepreneurship that can be applied to all settings and contexts in order to effectively study NFP entrepreneurship.  The authors provide several propositions developed from a general understanding of entrepreneurship and then combine this framework with what is specific in the NFP context.  Our findings suggest that entrepreneurial behavior is dictated by the cognitive schema, motivations, attitudes and processes that are distinct to individuals, regardless of for-profit or not-for-profit contexts. Conference Website Home "); array_files[144]=new Array(0,1,"./creation_m.html","2008-06-20","6K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Policy and Regulatory Environment Capital Account Liberalisation and Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Survival in Nigeria Case Studies of Clustering Efforts in Europe: Analysis of Their Potential for Promoting Innovation and Competitiveness Evaluating the Strategy of Local Public Technology Centers in Regional Innovation Systems Evidence from Japan Policy Issues in Dutch Nascent Entrepreneurship Small Business Owners’ Perceptions of Growth and Productivity The Internationalization of SMEs: Bridging Research and Public Policy Conference Website Home "); array_files[145]=new Array(0,1,"./cream6s.html","2008-06-20","6K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Internationalization of SMEs: Bridging Research and Public Policy The presentation will showcase findings from the largest, most comprehensive Canadian study about SME exporters. Panelists willalso discuss research in the context of export policy, loan guarantees schemes and promotion programs. Attendees will then be provided an opportunity to share “best practices” in facilitating international trade and innovative policies to support SME exporters. Panelists: Denis Martel, Director, Small Business Policy Branch (SBPB), Industry Canada Dr. Barbara Orser, Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa Peter Hall, Vice-President and Chief Economist, Export Development Canada Dr. Nancy Mathis, Executive Director, G. Wallace F. McCain Institute for Business Leadership Conference Website Home "); array_files[146]=new Array(0,1,"./socia9s.html","2008-06-20","6K","Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice","",""," Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Town Hall Meeting on Social & Sustainable Entrepreneurship Norris Krueger, Dianne Welsh, Bob D’Intino and Bill Schulte We invite the ICSB membership to join an open “town hall” style discussion on how ICSB and its members can best help advance social and sustainable entrepreneurship – in our research, in our teaching and in our outreach. ICSB has a unique position to make this truly global! Will you join us? Conference Website Home "); array_files[147]=new Array(0,1,"./socia8s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice","",""," Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Role of Sustainability in Community and Regional Development in Europe Nicole Myers and Vanessa Ratten Summary Regions around the world are focusing on sustainability as an elemental and critical part of their economic survival. The aim of this paper is to examine how sustainability drives community and regional development in Europe. It begins by defining sustainability and the different contexts in which it has come to be understood. A case study methodology is then used to examine how cities like Cologne, Germany have fostered sustainability. Entrepreneurship and its role in community development are also addressed. It concludes with policy implications as well as the potential significant impact on businesses and communities in the United States. Conference Website Home "); array_files[148]=new Array(0,1,"./cream5s.html","2008-06-20","6K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Small Business Owners’ Perceptions of Growth and Productivity Much of the discussion in policy and academic circles surrounding economic growth has focused on the importance of productivity. Unfortunately, macroeconomic productivity measures are of little relevance to understanding the productivity performance of individual businesses. The goal of this study was to examine small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) productivity from the perspective small business owners. By collecting the opinions of business owners regarding the productivity of their own firm, we attempted to estimate SME productivity growth from a firm-level perspective. Results from the logistic regression analysis suggest that various factors are linked to a higher likelihood of productivity gains. Conference Website Home "); array_files[149]=new Array(0,1,"./socia7s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice","",""," Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The “Research in the Rough” Model Robert D’Intino, Willam Schulte, Dianne H.B. Welsh and Norris Krueger Following on the successful model of coaching cutting edge research that originated in the Academy of Management, called “Cognition in the Rough”, we offer a workshop where attendees can receive significant feedback about their current and future research efforts in social and sustainable entrepreneurship research from leading scholars and content matter experts in these areas and from facilitated roundtable discussion. Preceding the roundtable reviews, we open the workshop with quick overviews of the key research areas. This list will depend on the audience demand as well as the available expertise. Conference Website Home "); array_files[150]=new Array(0,1,"./cream4s.html","2008-06-20","6K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Policy Issues in Dutch Nascent Entrepreneurship Marco Van Gelderen This research was commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, in order to find out whether nascent entrepreneurs (NEs) were thwarted by (a) governmental rules and regulations; (b) insufficient provision of capital by banks; and (c) unsatisfactory information and guidance facilities. A sample of 414 NEs was tracked over a three year period. Overall, our conclusion is negative. The vast majority of NEs were unaffected by any of the issues investigated. If problems were encountered, they tended to be overcome or worked around. Policy relevant issues were hardly mentioned by abandoning NEs when asked about their reasons to quit. Conference Website Home "); array_files[151]=new Array(0,1,"./socia6s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice","",""," Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Sustainable Development and SMEs: A North-South Comparison of Their Commitment Martine Spence, Jouhaina Ben Boubaker Gherib and Viviane Ondoua Biwolé The adoption of sustainable development (SD) practices is increasingly becoming a prerequisite for SMEs to be integrated into the global value chain. This study compares the intensity and diversity of SMEs commitment in SD among three countries with different cultures and levels of development and  analyses their major factors of commitment. Findings show that SMEs commitment to SD is still weak, featuring a low level of formalisation in the three countries. Common explanatory factors to SD commitment include the personal characteristics of the entrepreneur which constitute a driver, and organizational characteristics such as financial and human resources which are generally barriers to their engagement. Implications for entrepreneurs, decision-makers and researchers are provided. Conference Website Home "); array_files[152]=new Array(0,1,"./socia5s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice","",""," Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Strategic Planning for Not-for-Profit Organizations Joel Stoddart Not-for-profit (NFP) organizations are among the foremost drivers of social entrepreneurship. These groups – including charities, foundations, educational institutions, associations, governmental, faith, and political-based groups – contribute to an entrepreneurial culture in a very special way. And yet, in an attempt to achieve their non-monetary outcomes, many not-for-profits overlook the need to remain financially and operationally sustainable. In ‘Strategic Planning for Not-for-Profit Organizations’, Joel Stoddart (Acadia Centre for Social and Business Entrepreneurship) will review a proven model for ensuring NFPs find a balanced approach in achieving their “double bottom line”. Vision, mission, core values, internal/external analysis, goal setting – and the interrelationship between these areas – will be discussed. Conference Website Home "); array_files[153]=new Array(0,1,"./cream3s.html","2008-06-20","7K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Evaluating the Strategy of Local Public Technology Centers in Regional Innovation Systems Evidence from Japan (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. FUKUGAWA Nobuya Department of Economics, University of Nagasaki 123 Kawashimo Sasebo Nagasaki 858-8580 Japan +81-956-472171 nfukugawa@gmail.com Abstract Local public technology centers, administrated by the prefectural governments, engage in providing technological support to small local firms. Using a comprehensive database, this paper quantitatively examines whether their strategy is contingent on, or independent of the characteristics of regional innovation system. The statistical analyses show that there are no significant differences between the strategies adopted by local public technology centers in line with the characteristics of the regional innovation system. This implies that the strategies were inefficient because regional economic welfare would have improved if resources had been allocated in accordancen with the characteristics of regional innovation system. Keywords: local public technology centers, knowledge transfer, regional innovation system, small firms, Japan JEL: O38, O33, R11, R58 Conference Website Home "); array_files[154]=new Array(0,1,"./socia4s.html","2008-06-20","8K","Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice","",""," Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Social Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development William Kelley, EWU, Spokane, WA Eastern Washington University College of Business and Public Administration 668 N. Riverpoint Spokane, WA  99223, USA Tel. 509-358-2226, Fax 509 3582060 Email:  wkelley@ewu.edu Vincent J. Pascal, EWU, Spokane, WA Email:  vpascal@ewu.edu Wendy Eager, EWU, Spokane, WA Email:  weager@ewu.edu Robert G. Schwartz, EWU, Spokane, WA Email:  rschwartz@ewu.edu ABSTRACT Local Economic Development (LED) is a process by which diverse public, private, and not for profit partners in a community work collaboratively to create improved conditions for economic growth and increased employment.  Strategic planning and action are considered essential to successful outcomes.  How strategic action is best developed is not clear.  Some have suggested that better understanding of interrelations between context, process and outcome can contribute.  This study explored that possibility by asking LED practitioners in the Inland Northwest (US) a set of question regarding their organizations, their preference of social entrepreneurship (SE) strategies and attributes, and their desired outcomes for organization and community. The results from statistical analysis in this study indicated that neither organizational focus nor size appeared to significantly (< 0.10) influence selection of SE strategies.  And with one exception, no significant (< 0.10) differences between organization type and preferred outcomes were found. Conference Website Home "); array_files[155]=new Array(0,1,"./socia3s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice","",""," Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference How Can We Matter in Practice as Well as Research 659: The “In the Rough” Model – Teaching & Outreach Robert D’Intino, Willam Schulte, Dianne H.B. Welsh and Norris Krueger Following on the successful model of coaching cutting edge research that originated in the Academy of Management called “Cognition in the Rough”, we offer a workshop where attendees can receive significant feedback about their current and future efforts in social and sustainable entrepreneurship teaching and outreach from leading experts in teaching and community outreach and from facilitated roundtable discussion. Preceding the roundtable, we open the workshop with quick overviews of  key content areas for pedagogy and outreach. This list will depend on the audience demand as well as the available expertise. Conference Website Home "); array_files[156]=new Array(0,1,"./socia2s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice","",""," Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Entrepreneurship as an Agent for Social Development and Value Denise-Margaret Thompson and Charlene E, Mendez Although entrepreneurship features prominently as a tool for economic development, its impact on social development remains less well understood.  This study develops a metric to examine the relationship between entrepreneurship and social development and value, using government historical data on entrepreneurship represented by business start-ups, and social indicators represented by (i) expenditures on education, (ii) health, and (iii) infant mortality.  Linear regression analysis suggests that levels of entrepreneurial activity explain 83% of the variation in indicators of social development represented by expenditures on education and health.  Infant mortality however, shows no significant accountable variation. Conference Website Home "); array_files[157]=new Array(0,1,"./socia1s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice","",""," Advances in Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research, Education and Practice 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Developing an Entrepreneurship Outcomes System for Product/Service Development, Ongoing Quality Improvement, and Research in Health Care Businesses Patricia Lindley, Sally Fletcher, Patricia Chiverton and Donna Tortoretti Offering multiple innovative health care services and products requires an organized, integrated approach to evaluating customer, patient, product, service, and business outcomes over time. This paper describes the design and pilot testing of an entrepreneurship outcomes system (EOS) at an academic nursing entrepreneurship center. The EOS incorporates multiple measurements at the individual client and corporate units of analyses for common and unique outcomes across the health care businesses and entrepreneurial initiatives. Methodological considerations of choosing outcomes and measurements, monitoring outcomes over time, and analyzing and interpreting data for product/service development, quality improvement, strategic planning, and research purposes are discussed. Conference Website Home "); array_files[158]=new Array(0,1,"./challenges_o.html","2008-06-20","8K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs A Critical Perspective on Equality and Innovation Assessment and Measurement A Country in Transition:  An Enquiry into the Disparity in Embeddedness of Entrepreneurship Among Various Ethnic Groups An Investigation of new Firm Performance by Owner Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Artists as Entrepreneurs Benefits and Barriers to Immigrant Entrepreneurship Bringing Social Skills into Social Networks Closing the Racial Wealth Gap through Entrepreneurship Emerging Inuit Small Business from Caribou in Coral Harbour, Nunavut, Canada Enhancing the ICT Capacity of Disadvantaged Youth Affected by Social and Economic Factors such as Low Income, Geographical Isolation, and Disability Entrepreneurship at Later Life – Intentions, Motivations and Perceptions of Entrepreneurship Among Aging Population Entrepreneurs in Emerging high Tech Industries: Between Experts and Kamikazes Growing Pains Women of Color Entrepreneurs and Business Owners Growth Strategies of Women-Owned Businesses: An Emerging Market Perspective Managing Racism and Sexism – The Intersections of Class, Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Among Asian Immigrant Women Entrepreneurs in Canada and Australia Measuring Ethnic and National Differences in the Utilisation of Social Capital The Differences in Financing Sources between Saudis & non-Saudis Owned Small Business in Saudi Arabia The Entrepreneurial Intention of Native American Indian Graduates A Case for Intergenerational Mobility The Study of Factors Influencing Immigrant Entrepreneurship: A Discussion of Methodology and Outcomes Transnational Entrepreneurship in the Tourism Industry: Geographical, Social and Lifestyles Dimensions Women Business Owners in the Middle East and North Africa: A 5-Country Research Study Women and the Creative Industries: Exploring the Popular Appeal Conference Website Home "); array_files[159]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo21s.html","2008-06-20","9K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Women and the Creative Industries: Exploring the Popular Appeal (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Julie R. Weeks, Womenable Study Abstract A survey among women business owners in five countries in the Middle East and North Africa (Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates) was undertaken in order to: assess the characteristics and challenges of women business owners in these countries, compare and contrast the findings, build collaboration between women’s business associations and research institutes in these countries, and build organizational capacity and interest in advocacy activities. Research teams in each country consisted of a women’s business association and a research institute. A common survey instrument was used, although country-specific questions could be added. The data collection varied somewhat in each country, but for the most part information was captured via face-to-face interviews. A total of 1,228 interviews were conducted (245 in Bahrain, 444 in Jordan, 232 in Lebanon, 197 in Tunisia and 110 in the UAE). While not representative of all women business owners in each country (since they were largely members of each respective association), this project represents the largest scale quantitative survey among women business owners in any of these countries to date. Among the many important findings from this study are the following: women business owners in the region are largely optimistic and poised for growth but show a need for direction and assistance in improving their management skills; women’s business associations have not yet built a sense of community among these women – there is as yet no sense of a women’s business “movement”; women business owners are a largely hidden economic engine – the women surveyed own full-time businesses that are employing thousands, and are doing so in a largely unheralded manner.  A key goal of this "); array_files[160]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo21f.html","2008-06-20","56K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Women and the Creative Industries: Exploring the Popular Appeal Julie R. Weeks, President and CEO  Womenable 13601 S. Beaver Pond Road, Empire MI USA 49630 Tel:  +1.231.326.3300  E-mail: jweeks@womenable.com Website: www.womenable.com Julie R. Weeks is the President and CEO of Womenable, a research, program and policy development consultancy whose mission is to enable womens entrepreneurship worldwide. Weeks’ research interests include women’s enterprise development generally, and more specifically the enablers and barriers to growth – both internal and external. A survey among women business owners in five countries in the Middle East and North Africa (Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates) was undertaken in order to: assess the characteristics and challenges of women business owners in these countries, compare and contrast the findings, build collaboration between women’s business associations and research institutes in these countries, and build organizational capacity and interest in advocacy activities. Among the many important findings from this study: women business owners in the region are largely optimistic and poised for growth but show a need for direction and assistance in improving their management skills; women’s business associations have not yet built a sense of community – there is as yet no sense of a women’s business “movement”; women business owners are a largely hidden economic engine – the women surveyed own full-time businesses that are employing thousands, and are doing so in a largely unheralded manner.  The study yielded these primary recommendations: policy makers should address the issue of the time and cost of business registration (especially in Jordan and Lebanon); financial institutions should consider addressing the women’s business market through closer networking with women’s business associations; and women’s busi "); array_files[161]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo20s.html","2008-06-20","8K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Women Business Owners in the Middle East and North Africa: A 5-Country Research Study Key Words: Women, creative industries, entrepreneurship, gender, feminisation. Author & Contact Details: Dr. Colette Henry Centre for Entrepreneurship Research Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT) Dublin Road Dundalk, Co Louth Ireland Tel:       +353-42-9381773 E-mail: Colette.henry@dkit.ie Web:    www.entrepreneurshipresearch.com Biography: Colette Henry is Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship at Dundalk Institute of Technology, Ireland, and President of ISBE. Her research interests include entrepreneurship education, female entrepreneurship and the creative industries. SUMMARY Recently, the literature has reported a disproportionate share of women working in the creative industries. The fashion, broadcast media and publishing sectors appear to be especially appealing to women in terms of employment opportunity and entrepreneurship potential. Drawing on extant literature, this paper explores the particular appeal of the creative industries to women. It examines the gender-related barriers that exist in the sector, and argues that inherent ‘stealth’ barriers, which have been traditionally downplayed in the literature, are actually holding women back. The paper finds that while women are failing to realise their full potential in the creative industries, men are capturing the headline successes. Conference Website Home "); array_files[162]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo19s.html","2008-06-20","8K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Transnational Entrepreneurship in the Tourism Industry: Geographical, Social and Lifestyles Dimensions Barbara A. Carmichael, Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario N2L3C5, Canada. Tel 519 884 1970 ext 2609, Fax 519 725 1342 email: bcarmich@wlu.ca Benson Honig, Professor, School of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, N2K2G3, Canada. Tel 519 884 1970 ext 2909 email: bhonig@wlu.ca and Alison Morrison, Professor, Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Strathclyde, 94 Cathedral Street,Glasgow G4 OLG,Scotland. Tel-00-44-(0)141-548-3952 Fax-00-44-(0)141-552-2870 email: Alison.j.morrison@strath.ac.uk Abstract Transnational entrepreneurs (TEs) migrate from one country to another, concurrently maintaining business-related linkages with their countries of origin and currently adopted countries and communities. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize the geographical, social and lifestyle dimensions of transnational entrepreneurship within the tourism industry. Our research objective is to explore how TEs apply different strategies and hold different motivations in founding new businesses in their new counties while maintaining ties in their former home countries or in countries where they have created social ties and spatial knowledge through travel to meet the differing needs of customers. Keywords: transnational tourism entrepreneurship Conference Website Home "); array_files[163]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo18s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Study of Factors Influencing Immigrant Entrepreneurship: A Discussion of Methodology and Outcomes H.P. de Vries and Kevin Voges Department of Management, University of Canterbury Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand Telephone 64 3 3642987, E-mail herb.devries@canterbury.ac.nz Abstract The difficulty associated with determining what constitutes immigrant entrepreneurial behaviour lies in the road being travelled differently by immigrants from dissimilar backgrounds, value systems, and cultural heritages. This research, undertook a grounded theory approach to the development of a multi-dimensional model that encapsulates the immigrant entrepreneurship process. This paper describes how the methodology was applied to four ethnic groups: immigrant entrepreneurs from the communities of the Chinese, Dutch, Indian and Pacific Peoples in New Zealand, and explains how the research lead to the establishment of four constructs - migration, settlement, cultural and business - which impact on immigrant entrepreneurship patterns. Conference Website Home "); array_files[164]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo17s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Entrepreneurial Intention of Native American Indian Graduates A Case for Intergenerational Mobility (Summary) - Click here to read summary. (Full Paper) - Click here to read full paper. These papers are in .pdf format, and require Adobe Reader to view them. If you do not have Adobe Reader on your system, you can download it here. Conference Website Home "); array_files[165]=new Array(0,1,"./cream2s.html","2008-06-20","7K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Case Studies of Clustering Efforts in Europe: Analysis of Their Potential for Promoting Innovation and Competitiveness (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Miia Tiainen-Paquaux and Emiliano Duch This paper illustrates how some clustering efforts have helped move the companies towards new market and knowledge relationships and others have nearly helped to defend acquired positions in traditional sectors. 10 case studies cover two ingredients for developing innovation and competitiveness: development of lead markets and help in redirecting resources for R&D&I to new innovative players. The analysis suggests that clustering efforts may not always build up favourable conditions for innovative and competitive companies. This finding is interesting now that the use of clustering tools is becoming widespread, and not always with the healthy goal of promoting innovation and competitiveness. Conference Website Home "); array_files[166]=new Array(0,1,"./cream2f.html","2008-06-20","52K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Case Studies of Clustering Efforts in Europe: Analysis of Their Potential for Promoting Innovation and Competitiveness Miia Tiainen-Paquaux, mtiainenpaquaux@competitiveness.com, Coordinator of The Cluster Competitiveness Group. How to best accompany regional authorities and multilateral institutions in regional competitiveness reinforcement initiatives. Emiliano Duch, educh@competitiveness.com, President and International Expert of The Cluster Competitiveness Group, founder and active member of The Competitiveness Institute (TCI). How to best accompany regional authorities and multilateral institutions in regional competitiveness reinforcement initiatives. How Clustering Efforts Promote Innovation And Competitiveness This paper illustrates how some clustering efforts have helped move the companies towards new market and knowledge relationships and others have nearly helped to defend acquired positions in traditional sectors. 10 case studies cover two ingredients for developing innovation and competitiveness: development of lead markets and help in redirecting resources for R&D&I to new innovative players. The analysis suggests that clustering efforts may not always build up favourable conditions for innovative and competitive companies. This finding is interesting now that the use of clustering tools is becoming widespread, and not always with the healthy goal of promoting innovation and competitiveness. The case studies of this paper do not evaluate the results of the different clustering efforts, something for which there still does not exist any commonly accepted methodology, but the analysis of the case studies focuses on their contribution to the two following ingredients, necessary for developing innovation and competitiveness: their contribution to the development of new and lead markets of products and services, and their help in redirecting resources for R&D&I to new innovative player "); array_files[167]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo16s.html","2008-06-20","9K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Differences in Financing Sources between Saudis & non-Saudis Owned Small Business in Saudi Arabia (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Abstract This study attempts to explain the differences in small business financing sources between Saudi & non-Saudi owned small businesses in Saudi Arabia. In addition, the study tries to assess the status of those two groups owned small businesses in the eastern province of the country (Alhassa). The collection of data and information necessary to complete this study was conducted by using a survey instrument developed by the researchers after meeting certain conditions.  The small firms chosen are from the service sector and wholly owned by the private sector and operate independently. The study noted that the Saudis have scientific qualifications outweigh the qualifications to non-Saudis. This confirms the impression prevails in Saudi Arabia that educational level of non-Saudi employees is very low. As regard to the years of experience before entering the work, there is a similarity to a large extent between Saudis and non-Saudis. The findings of the study also suggest the same thing with regard to the age of the project where there is no significant difference between Saudis and non-Saudis in this regard. In this study, the economic motives are the most important motives for Saudi entrepreneurs, and then followed by the exploitation of previous experience, and lastly the freedom and independence. By contrast, we find that the use of previous experience came in first place by non-Saudis, then the economic returns and, finally, freedom and independence. With regard to financial issue, the study found that both types of small firms owners rely primarily on sources of self financial needs, both at the stage of foundation and through the stages of growth and expansion, which means that there is almost total absence of the role of the financial institu "); array_files[168]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo16f.html","2008-06-20","91K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Differences in Financing Sources between Saudis & non-Saudis Owned Small Business in Saudi Arabia   Abstract This study attempts to explain the differences in small business financing sources between Saudi & non-Saudi owned small businesses in Saudi Arabia. In addition, the study tries to assess the status of those two groups owned small businesses in the eastern province of the country (Alhassa). The collection of data and information necessary to complete this study was conducted by using a survey instrument developed by the researchers after meeting certain conditions.  The small firms chosen are from the service sector and wholly owned by the private sector and operate independently. The study noted that the Saudis have scientific qualifications outweigh the qualifications to non-Saudis. This confirms the impression prevails in Saudi Arabia that educational level of non-Saudi employees is very low. As regard to the years of experience before entering the work, there is a similarity to a large extent between Saudis and non-Saudis. The findings of the study also suggest the same thing with regard to the age of the project where there is no significant difference between Saudis and non-Saudis in this regard. In this study, the economic motives are the most important motives for Saudi entrepreneurs, and then followed by the exploitation of previous experience, and lastly the freedom and independence. By contrast, we find that the use of previous experience came in first place by non-Saudis, then the economic returns and, finally, freedom and independence. With regard to financial issue, the study found that both types of small firms owners rely primarily on sources of self financial needs, both at the stage of foundation and through the stages of growth and expansion, which means that there is almost total absence of the role of the financial institutions especially specialized banks, comm "); array_files[169]=new Array(0,1,"./cream1f.html","2008-06-20","64K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Capital Account Liberalisation and Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Survival in Nigeria Abstract: This study investigates the impact of capital account liberalisation on the access to finance as well as the cost of access to finance for investment and operations of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) following capital account liberalisation in Nigeria. The policy was expected to encourage the inflow of investible funds into Nigeria and make new funds available for investments to SMEs. The results show that although capital account liberalisation improved the availability of funds in Nigeria, it neither reduced the cost of accessing finance nor did it provide new sources of funding for SMEs operations contrary to policy objectives. Paper type: Research Keywords: Capital account, liberalisation, SMEs, interest rate, inflation, survival Introduction This study investigates the impact of capital account liberalisation on the access to finance as well as the cost of access to funds for investment by Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The paper draws on a range of SME development initiatives following the financial sector reforms in Nigeria. Financial sector reforms started in Nigeria in August 1987 with the deregulation of interest rates which culminated in the complete liberalisation of the capital account in 1992 (IDRC, 2005). The liberalisation of capital account was expected to encourage an inflow of investible funds into Nigeria and make new funds available for investments, especially to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The action was intended to boost economic development through private sector participation to revive the economy following the early 1980s economic downturn and crisis in the international oil market (Akinlo, 1996; Ayadi and Hyman, 2006). The contributions of manufacturing SMEs to economic development especially in the developing countries like Nigeria cannot be over-e "); array_files[170]=new Array(0,1,"./cream1s.html","2008-06-20","7K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Capital Account Liberalisation and Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Survival in Nigeria (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Lawrence Ogechukwu OBOKOH                                                                         This study investigates the impact of capital account liberalisation on the access to finance as well as the cost of access to finance for investment and operations of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) following capital account liberalisation in Nigeria. The policy was expected to encourage the inflow of investible funds into Nigeria and make new funds available for investments to SMEs. The results show that although capital account liberalisation improved the availability of funds in Nigeria, it neither reduced the cost of accessing finance nor did it provide new sources of funding for SMEs operations contrary to policy objectives. Conference Website Home "); array_files[171]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo15s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Measuring Ethnic and National Differences in the Utilisation of Social Capital Bruce Mitchell and Mary Jesselyn Co Ethnic entrepreneurs rely upon social capital created by their common membership to reach economic ends. The group’s collective resources help overcome the disadvantages of outsider status and maximise their human and financial capital. This research aims to compare how entrepreneurs from different ethnicities and nationalities use social capital.  It uses data from 325 entrepreneurs from South Africa and 210 entrepreneurs from the Philippines.  Analysis will be performed to determine if there are inter-country and inter-ethnic group differences in the social capital variables and to ascertain whether the social capital scale could significantly distinguish between the ethnic groups and nationalities. Conference Website Home "); array_files[172]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo14s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Managing Racism and Sexism – The Intersections of Class, Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Among Asian Immigrant Women Entrepreneurs in Canada and Australia (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Frances Chiang, Ph.D. Department of Sociology Kwantlen University College Angeline Low, Ph.D. School of Finance and Economics University of Technology Sydney Abstract Using the intersectional theory, this paper examines how Asian immigrant women entrepreneurs in Canada and Australia are racialized and gendered. The primary focus is to listen to the voices of these women on their experiences of racism and sexism and to understand the strategies they use in managing discrimination to protect themselves and their businesses. The biographical analyses show how these women entrepreneurs are alone and helpless in their fight for business survival in a discriminatory environment. Our study leaves room for further enquiry to raise community awareness and policy considerations to empower and protect immigrant women entrepreneurs against discrimination. Conference Website Home "); array_files[173]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo14f.html","2008-06-20","75K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Managing Racism and Sexism – The Intersections of Class, Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Among Asian Immigrant Women Entrepreneurs in Canada and Australia Frances Chiang, Ph.D. Department of Sociology Kwantlen University College Angeline Low, Ph.D. School of Finance and Economics University of Technology Sydney Authors’ Contact information: Dr. Frances Chiang, Department of Sociology, Kwantlen University College, 12666-72nd Ave, Surrey, British Columbia, V3W 2M8, Canada. Phone: + 604-267-0621 or + 604-599-2518; Fax:  + 604-599-2716; Email: frances.chiang@kwantlen.ca Dr. Angeline Low, School of Finance and Economics, Faculty of Business, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia, Phone: + 612-9514-4303 (direct line); Fax: + 612-9969-6259; Email: Angeline.Low@uts.edu.au Author Biographies: Dr. Frances Chiang is professor in the Department of Sociology, Kwantlen University College, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Dr. Chiang’s current research interests are in the areas of ethnic/minority women entrepreneurship, feminist theory and methodology, and class, gender, race/ethnicity, and immigration Dr. Angeline Low is the UTS Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia. Dr. Low’s current research interests include entrepreneurship, leadership, social innovation, and gender Abstract Using the intersectional theory, this paper examines how Asian immigrant women entrepreneurs in Canada and Australia are racialized and gendered. The primary focus is to listen to the voices of these women on their experiences of racism and sexism and to understand the strategies they use in managing discrimination to protect themselves and their businesses. The biographical analyses show how these women entrepreneurs are alone and helpless in their fight for business survival in a discriminatory environment. Our study leaves room for furthe "); array_files[174]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo13s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Growth Strategies of Women-Owned Businesses: An Emerging Market Perspective Kojo Saffu, Samuel Apori, Angela Mensah and Adote Anum Abstract While women-owned businesses (WOBs) are on the increase globally, they are    underrepresented in the proportion of high-growth firms. Research has not fully explained this phenomenon. Using Penrose’s theory of firm growth as an anchor, this study tests for differences between high-growth oriented and low-growth oriented WOBs on strategic success factors (SF) and entrepreneurial intensity (EI). Two hypotheses are tested by a sample of 184 WOBs randomly selected in the Accra-Tema metropolis of Ghana. Consistent with our prediction, high-growth oriented businesses were more likely to attribute their success to competent sales people than low-growth oriented businesses. However, low-growth oriented businesses were more likely to attribute their success to strategic planning than high-growth oriented firm. Contrary to our prediction, low-growth firms have a slightly higher entrepreneurial intensity compared to high-growth oriented firms. We draw out the implications of the findings for policy and future research. Conference Website Home "); array_files[175]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo12s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Growing Pains Women of Color Entrepreneurs and Business Owners Gwen Martin and Becky Melzer This research investigates women business owners of color and their firms to better understand growth issues using Participatory Action Research (PARS).  Findings reveal a triple bind – being a small business owner, a woman, and of color.  They face multi-dimensional obstacles when compared to men and/or Caucasian women.  How women of color business owners and entrepreneurs experience the day-to-day management and growth of their firms reveals the extent to which race and gender are embedded. This research posits a new business model that incorporates the best of what is and the best of what could be if the right support mechanisms are in place.  Insights provide an opportunity to develop new ways of doing business within a community and doing business with corporations and governments. Authors:  Gwen Martin, Ph.D. Center for Women’s Business Research 1411 K Street, NW, Suite 1350 Washington, DC 20005 202-638-3060, ext. 724 gmartin@cfwbr.org Becky Melzer, M.A. 5801 Inman Park Circle Rockville, MD 20852 240-994-0143 bmelzer@gmail.com Conference Website Home "); array_files[176]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo11s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Entrepreneurs in Emerging high Tech Industries: Between Experts and Kamikazes ROBERT Frank, MARQUES Pierre, LASCH Frank and LE ROY Frédéric Analysing 469 entrepreneurs, specificities of ICT entrepreneurship in France were revealed: sub sector differences, regional disparities, underrepresentation of female entrepreneurs, high qualification, insufficient preparation activities, low level of entrepreneurship training, and surprisingly high proportion of necessity entrepreneurship. Four groups of entrepreneurs are identified: ‘expert’, ‘freshman’, well prepared ‘provident’, and ‘kamikaze’. The expert with industry experience contrasts with the inexperienced freshman. The careful preparer displays a technical profile, little management experience but intense preparation. His opposition is the kamikaze: lack of specific knowledge, low education, little preparation. Implications for stakeholders are suggested to assess and adjust measures for each type. Conference Website Home "); array_files[177]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo10s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Entrepreneurship at Later Life – Intentions, Motivations and Perceptions of Entrepreneurship Among Aging Population (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Elisa Akola The aim of this paper is to analyse entrepreneurial intentions and motivations of older people in order to understand better the suitability and possibilities entrepreneurship have in lengthening careers of older people. In addition, general perceptions of older people towards entrepreneurship are examined. The data used in the study consists of Finnish Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data from the years 2001–2006, including 3353 respondents at the age of 50–64. The results of the study indicate that Third Age population seems to have positive perceptions about entrepreneurship; however their entrepreneurial intentions are rather low. Opportunity-driven motivation was dominant among Third Age entrepreneurs suggesting at the same time some gender-based variations. Conference Website Home "); array_files[178]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo10f.html","2008-06-20","83K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Entrepreneurship at Later Life – Intentions, Motivations and Perceptions of Entrepreneurship Among Aging Population Elisa Akola Turku School of Economics, TSE Entre Rehtorinpellonkatu 3, 20500 Turku, Finland Tel. +358 2 4814517 Fax +358 2 4814 393 Email: Elisa.Akola@tse.fi Author Biography Elisa Akola is a Ph.D. student and a researcher in TSE Entre, Turku School of Economics. Her current research interests include Third Age and youth entrepreneurship, career development and entrepreneurial motivation. Entrepreneurship at Later Life – Intentions, Motivations and Perceptions of Entrepreneurship among Aging Population Elisa Akola, Turku School of Economics, TSE Entre Abstract The aim of this paper is to analyse entrepreneurial intentions and motivations of older people in order to understand better the suitability and possibilities entrepreneurship have in lengthening careers of older people. In addition, general perceptions of older people towards entrepreneurship are examined. The data used in the study consists of Finnish Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data from the years 2001–2006, including 3353 respondents at the age of 50–64. The results of the study indicate that Third Age population seems to have positive perceptions about entrepreneurship; however their entrepreneurial intentions are rather low. Opportunity-driven motivation was dominant among Third Age entrepreneurs suggesting at the same time some gender-based variations. Keywords: perceptions about entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial intentions, entrepreneurial motivations, old age, Third Age entrepreneurs Introduction Aging of the population has been recognized as a challenge to the labour markets, economic growth and social protection systems in the developed countries worldwide. Population will soon stop growing in size, the proportion of older persons will increase whereas proportion of working age population will decrease. For exa "); array_files[179]=new Array(0,1,"./creation_l.html","2008-06-20","6K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs Entrepreneurship and Spirituality An Exploration Using Grounded Theory Conference Website Home "); array_files[180]=new Array(0,1,"./creal1s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs","",""," Social, Environmental, and Ethical Responsibility and Sustainable Development of SMEs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Entrepreneurship and Spirituality An Exploration Using Grounded Theory (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Sandra Kauanui, Kevin Thomas, Cynthia Sherman, Gail Waters and Mihaela G Most spirituality and work literature refers only to larger firms. Entrepreneurship literature has been based on behavior, intentions, and contextual variables and ignores or subordinates spiritual concepts. A grounded theory research project was conducted to explore the relationship between spirituality and entrepreneurship. The inclusion of spiritual concepts enabled deeper values of business owners to surface and new models to emerge. Initially, three distinct modalities of entrepreneurs were identified, which were expanded into five: ‘Make me Whole,’ ‘Soul Seekers,’ ‘Conflicting Goals,’ ‘Mostly Business,’ and ‘Strictly Business.’ Respondent comments that represent each modality are presented and indicate various levels of dependency or independency on spiritually-oriented attributes. Conference Website Home "); array_files[181]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo9s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Enhancing the ICT Capacity of Disadvantaged Youth Affected by Social and Economic Factors such as Low Income, Geographical Isolation, and Disability (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Authors: Dr. Kyeong Seok Han Professor, Department of Management, Soongsil University, Seoul, South Korea Phone: (+82-2) 820-0585, Fax: (+82-2) 824-4384, E-mail: kshan@ssu.ac.kr Mr. Chris Pelham Executive Director of the Acadia Centre for Small Business & Entrepreneurship Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada Phone: (+1-902) 585-1180, Fax: (+1-902) 585-1057, E-mail: acsbe@acadiau.ca Summary: The purpose of this research is to evaluate the performance in order to identify the level of learning satisfaction that has been received by the disadvantage youth as the users of e-learning modules. The research shows that disadvantage youth who studied the e-learning modules will experience a high level of learning satisfaction. The research was tested 158 disadvantage youth in APEC regions. The disadvantage youth are very able to enhance their skills in computer literature that will be used to manage start-up businesses, find a great job and support their career in the future in order to become successful entrepreneurs. Conference Website Home "); array_files[182]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo9f.html","2008-06-20","45K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Enhancing the ICT Capacity of Disadvantaged Youth Affected by Social and Economic Factors such as Low Income, Geographical Isolation, and Disability Dr. Kyeong Seok Han, Professor, Department of Management, Soongsil University, Seoul, 156-743, Korea Phone: (+82-2) 820-0585, Fax: (+82-2) 824-4384, E-mail: kshan@ssu.ac.kr And Mr. Chris Pelham, Executive Director of the Acadia Centre for Small Business & Entrepreneurship, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, B4P 2R6, Canada Phone: (+1-902) 585-1180, Fax: (+1-902) 585-1057, E-mail: acsbe@acadiau.ca Abstract The purpose of this research is to evaluate the project performance in order to identify the level of learning satisfaction that has been received by the disadvantage youth as the users of the e-learning modules.  This research contains about a project that has been done with the financial support from APEC Education Foundation.  The research posits that disadvantage youth who studied the vocational training based on e-learning modules will show a high level of learning satisfaction.  The research was tested 158 disadvantage youth in APEC regions.  Through the vocational training based on e-learning modules, the disadvantage youth will be very helpful to enhance their skills in computer literature that will be used to find a great job and support their career in the future in order to become successful entrepreneurs. Keywords: APEC; Disadvantage youth; ICT; Vocational training; e-learning; Entrepreneur. Introduction Information Communication Technology (ICT) development is becoming a higher priority for many people in everywhere, because many things can be done with more effective and efficient through ICT.  This research contains about a project that has been done with the financial support from APEC Education Foundation. The main purpose of the project is to create e-learning modules about MS-Office 2003 which intend to assist disadvanta "); array_files[183]=new Array(0,1,"./creation_k.html","2008-06-20","9K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference SME Management and Growth A Growth Dilemma of SMEs: A Case Study on Employees Perception on Bureaucratization Versus Entrepreneurialism A Two-Dimensional Framework for Knowledge Management Systems in Small and Medium Enterprises Business Models That Matter - Towards a Classification of Business Models in SME Context Chances and Risks for Small and Medium Sized Companies in the Process of Internationalisation and Globalisation Do Growth Firms Grow in a Particular Way or Do They Just Grow? Early Internationalizing SMEs: The Case of Puerto Rico Economic Downturn as an Environmental Shock Emerging from Maturity: The Case of the Italian Manufacturing Industry Empowering the Small Investor: Practical Equity Asset Allocation Tools that Bridge the Gap Between Theory and Practice Factors Contributing to the Success of Malaysian Biotechnology SMEs Finding Employees and Keeping Them From an Intention to Realized Firm Growth Generating a Case for Growth Discourse Analysis of the Entrepreneurs’ Accounts on Growth Human Capital Strategies of Successful Entrepreneurial Firms Importance of Brand Management in Regional SMEs Innovate or Evaporate: Lessons from Japanese SMEs International Growth of Finnish Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Internationalization Dynamic of Eastern German SMEs Internationalization of Malaysian SMEs Influencing Factors, Sources of Information and Options Internationalizing the Entrepreneurial Orientation Construct: An In-Depth Interview Proactive vs. Reactive Opportunity Recognition and Start-Up Outcomes Productivity as an Opportunity for Sustainable Growth of SMEs Small Firm Internationalisation: The Impact of Size on Inter-organisational Relationships Small Firm Performance: An Examination of the Role of Ambidexterity, Strategic Planning and Entrepreneurial Orientation Successor’s Actions and Post Transfer Performance in SME’s The Impact of Entrepreneurs’ Past Experience on the Internationalisation "); array_files[184]=new Array(0,1,"./creak30s.html","2008-06-20","6K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Web Site Utilization in SME Business Strategy: An International Comparison in the Global Wine Industry Judith Madill, Leighann Neilson and George Haines Abstract This paper reports on empirical research assessing and comparing the utilization and management of web sites by SMEs in the wine industry operating in four countries across the globe.   Results show (a) most wineries have adopted web sites as part of their marketing/business strategies, (b) most utilize their web sites to provide information to consumers, (c) SME wineries are weak in the use of their web sites to create relationships with consumers, and (d) considerable global variation exists in the use of web sites as on line sales channels. Policy and practitioner implications are drawn from the findings. Conference Website Home "); array_files[185]=new Array(0,1,"./creak29s.html","2008-06-20","9K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Typology of SMEs: Risk Management (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Thomas Henschel Hochschule Merseburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaften Geusaer Strasse 88 D-06217 Merseburg e-mail: thomas.henschel@hs-merseburg.de Tel: +49-3461-46 2443 Fax: + 49-3461 -46 2422 ABSTRACT The business management literature has largely neglected the theme of risk management for SMEs. So the aim of this research was to explore the current state of risk management in German SMEs and to reveal the problems which firms have with implementing of a risk management system. Risk management is a relatively new discipline. Thus until now no general standard has been developed what to understand by a holistic risk management. Based on an extensive literature analysis, this paper – besides risk management in the stricter sense – also sees the following components as essential for a holistic risk management: business planning and modern instruments of performance measurement. The present investigation places a special focus on these subsystems. Because of lacking empirical data a nationwide postal questionnaire has been chosen to obtain a broad picture of current risk management practices in German SMEs. A validation and further deepening of the results has been carried out by a larger number of research interviews. Derived from a comprehensive analysis of the questionnaire and the interview results, a scoring approach to assess the risk management sophistication of SMEs has been developed. The approach does not, as usual, evaluate one single scoring figure. Instead it allows a differentiated assessment by evaluating separate scoring figures for each component of a holistic risk management system. The scoring approach presented is very transparent and thus can easily be adapted for similar research problems of risk management. Based on the scoring approach, this paper introduces a new typology of r "); array_files[186]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo8f.html","2008-06-20","48K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Emerging Inuit Small Business from Caribou in Coral Harbour, Nunavut, Canada Aldene Meis Mason*, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Regina, Canada Leo-Paul Dana, Associate Professor, Faculty of Management, University of Canterbury, New Zealand Robert Anderson, Professor, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Regina, Canada *Corresponding author:  E-mail: aldene.meismason@uregina.ca ABSTRACT: The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement 1993 granted Inuit rights for subsistence and commercial caribou use. Exploratory, field based Indigenous research was conducted in 2007 in Coral Harbour, Nunavut with interviews, participatory observation and document review. Individual, community, cooperative and public companies demonstrated formal and informal entrepreneurship. Lack of infrastructure, financial resources, and business knowledge combined with remoteness, high costs, and language presented obstacles. Inuit entrepreneurs drew on traditional knowledge, culture and innovation. Inuit enterprises traded/sold carvings, dolls, jewellery, clothing, meat products, guided hunting, and tourism. Inuit specific, holistic approaches for economic development and entrepreneurship had resulted in positive community and individual impacts. Introduction Inuit in Nunavut had never signed a treaty with France or England or Canada.  Therefore they retained their Aboriginal title to the lands they traditionally used and occupied.  After more than 20 years of negotiation, the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NLCA) was signed in 1993. Inuit rights to the use of use of caribou for sustainable subsistence and commercial purposes were granted in the Article 5.1.2 - “Inuit are the traditional and current users of wildlife; the legal rights of Inuit to harvest wildlife follow from their traditional and current use”.  Article 5.6.1 “… in the Nunavut Settlement Area up to the level of his o "); array_files[187]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo8s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Emerging Inuit Small Business from Caribou in Coral Harbour, Nunavut, Canada (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Aldene Meis Mason*, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Regina, Canada Leo-Paul Dana, Faculty of Management, University of Canterbury, New Zealand Robert Anderson, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Regina, Canada *Contact:  aldene.meismason@uregina.ca The Nunavut Land Claims Settlement granted Inuit rights for subsistence and commercial caribou use. Exploratory, field based Indigenous research was conducted in 2007 in Coral Harbour, Nunavut with interviews, participatory observation and document review. Individual, community, cooperative and public companies demonstrated formal and informal entrepreneurship. Lack of infrastructure, financial resources, and business knowledge combined with remoteness, high costs, and language presented obstacles. Inuit entrepreneurs drew on traditional knowledge, culture and innovation. They traded/sold carvings, dolls, jewellery, clothing, meat products, guided hunting, and eco-tourism. Inuit specific, holistic approaches for economic development and entrepreneurship had resulted in positive community and individual impacts. Conference Website Home "); array_files[188]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo7s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Closing the Racial Wealth Gap through Entrepreneurship Julie Abrams, Karuna Jaggar and Elizabeth de Renzy Women’s Initiative for Self Employment presents new research from a nine year study documenting the role of microenterprise in building household wealth for low-income families. These findings are based on a sample of 691 low-income women who participated in business training to start or expand their businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area from 1998-2006. In this interactive session, learn how to use these results to improve services, further fundraising programs and to advocate for microenterprise policies and programs, especially those targeting women and minorities. Discuss public policy implications and explore how to collect data on your own programs. Conference Website Home "); array_files[189]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo6s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Bringing Social Skills into Social Networks (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Lei Chi*, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, chil2@rpi.edu Ruolian Fang, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, fang0106@umn.edu Manli Chen, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, chenm6@rpi.edu Robert A. Baron, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, baronr@rpi.edu *Corresponding Author Submitted to the 2008 ICSB World Conference as an Academic Paper for the Track of “Types of Entrepreneurships and Entrepreneurs (Women Entrepreneurship) April 28, 2008 Summary This study examines the dynamic processes of how social skills and social networks interplay to influence entrepreneurial performance. We interviewed women entrepreneurs in the New England area. Our interviews reveal notable behavioral characteristics of women entrepreneurs, and how they develop and use their social networks. Conference Website Home "); array_files[190]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo6f.html","2008-06-20","76K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Bringing Social Skills into Social Networks Lei Chi Assistant Professor 2216 Pittsburg Building Lally School of Management and Technology Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY 12180 Phone: 518-276-2768 Fax: 518-276-8661 Email: chil2@rpi.edu Ruolian Fang 3-300D Carlson School of Management University of Minnesota 321 19th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55455 Phone: 612-624-4179 Fax: 612-624-8360 Email: fang0106@umn.edu  Manli Chen Lally School of Management and Technology Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY 12180 Phone: 617-901-3455 Fax: 518-276-8661 Email: chenm6@rpi.edu Robert A. Baron Wellington Professor of Management Lally School of Management and Technology Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY 12180 Phone: 518-276-2864 Fax: 518-276-8661 Email: baronr@rpi.edu April 26, 2008 Bringing Social Skills into Social Networks: Findings of a Field Study of Women Entrepreneurs Abstract Increasingly, literature examines the importance of the social networks of the entrepreneur to influence entrepreneurial performance as it relates to management and entrepreneurship. Yet, there have been limited studies about how entrepreneurs construct and mobilize their social networks as well as resources embedded in the networks to achieve venture performance (e.g., venture survival, venture growth, making profits). Our research is an inquiry into why some entrepreneurs are better at, or more aware of new opportunities available to achieve venture success, and why when given the same level of accessible network resources, some entrepreneurs are better able to mobilize resources better than others? To obtain an in-depth understanding of the dynamic process of entrepreneurial networking, we conducted field interviews with 12 women entrepreneurs in the New England area. Our interviews provide convincing evidence to support our theoretical model, and greatly advance our understanding of the dynamic processes of how "); array_files[191]=new Array(0,1,"./creak28s.html","2008-06-20","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Theory of the Threshold of Consequence Necessity Based Entrepreneurs and Their Exit from Self-Employment, a Grounded Theory Study (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Marylou DeWald and David Gilbert Corporate downsizing events create many necessity based entrepreneurs who are often strongly encouraged to enter self-employment as an alternative to returning to traditional based employment options. However, once they enter the entrepreneurial realm, most do not remain in self-employment for more than five years. In this paper we developed an emergent theory, the theory of the threshold of consequence that hopes to answer the following public policy question: is self-employment a viable option for this category of individuals? Finally, this paper looks to see if the theory can be utilized as a predictor of future entrepreneurial success. Conference Website Home "); array_files[192]=new Array(0,1,"./creak28f.html","2008-06-20","83K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Theory of the Threshold of Consequence Necessity Based Entrepreneurs and Their Exit from Self-Employment, a Grounded Theory Study Dr. Marylou DeWald School of Business, Ottawa University, Ottawa, Kansas USA Email: marylou.dewald@ottawa.edu & Dr. David Gilbert School of Management, RMIT University, Melbourne Australia Email: david.gilbert@rmit.edu.au Preferred Stream: Stream 12, SME Management & Growth Dr. Marylou DeWald is the Chairperson of the Division of Business and Public Policy at Ottawa University.  She began her business career in corporate lending and later entered the realm of small business as an entrepreneur, starting and selling several successful businesses. Marylou has authored two texts on entrepreneurship and she was selected as the National Entrepreneurship Education Instructor of the year in 1997.  She his known for her work with troubled firms and specialized in workouts and turnarounds. Dr. David Gilbert is Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Program Director of the Bachelor Business (Entrepreneurship) at the School of Management, RMIT University Melbourne. David has created and grown several successful ventures in Asia in particular Japan and is currently President of a diversified trading company employing over 500 people. He has a keen interest in innovativeness and entrepreneurship as a result of extensive industry experience in both corporate Japan and in running his own businesses. The Theory of the Threshold of Consequence: Necessity Based Entrepreneurs and Their Exit from Self-Employment, a Grounded Theory Study ABSTRACT According to Stevenson (2000), self-employment as an alternative to traditional employment for displaced workers is one of the most important issues in entrepreneurship today. Corporate downsizing events create many necessity based entrepreneurs who are often strongly encouraged to enter self-employment as an alternative to returning to tradit "); array_files[193]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo5s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Benefits and Barriers to Immigrant Entrepreneurship Francine Schlosser Gerry Kerr Odette School of Business University of Windsor Our goal is to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the social processes and business issues shaping the success of immigrant entrepreneurs.  We are currently conducting qualitative research to develop a conceptual model.  First results indicate that the ability to transform human and social investments into valuable capital hinges on the structural similarities of targeted investments that provide immigrants a fair and structured playing field. Thus, immigrants who understand “the rules” and build trust in selected social settings increase their personal control over interactions. Business development, therefore, is a direct result of the complex interplay between the structure of an industry and a variety of key investments. Conference Website Home "); array_files[194]=new Array(0,1,"./creak25f.html","2008-06-20","26K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Successor’s Actions and Post Transfer Performance in SME’s Lex van Teeffelen1 Utrecht Business School, Hogeschool van Utrecht P.O. Box 85029, 3508 AA Utrecht The Netherlands lex.vanteeffelen@hu.nl Marcel Peek Economic Department, ING Bank P.O. Box 1800, 1000 BV Amsterdam The Netherlands marcelpeek@mail.ing.nl In this study we test if successor’s timing of the acquisition and his actions account for better firm performance. We surveyed 500 Dutch SME successor’s two to six years after their acquisition. With ANOVA we tested successor’s timing (declining, average and increasing economical growth) and actions taken (organizational change, innovation, extending markets, no change). Firm’s acquired in declining economical conditions perform best. All tested actions improve post transfer performance compared to no action taken. No interaction effects are found between timing and actions suggesting that actions are beneficial to performance in any macro economical situation. Introduction In this study we test if successor’s actions account for a better overall performance of SME’s after the transfer has taken place. In doing so we step in the two competing paradigms in the business transfer literature: that of radical transformation and continuity, which more or less parallels the discussion if family or non-family transfers are better for business and/or performance (Uhlaner et al., 2007). Although we don’t opt for radical transformation - we are more interested in change than in transformation – focussing on successor’s actions opposes to continuity which is translated in no action in our study. Recent SME transfer models for family (Le Breton-Miller et al., 2004) and general use (Meijaard, 2005) look strongly at predecessor’s and successor’s characteristic, internal or external business and managerial experience, education and the relationship between successor and predecessor. Also the model used by "); array_files[195]=new Array(0,1,"./creak27s.html","2008-06-20","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Role of Accounting Information in UK SMEs Javed Hussain, Harry Matlay and Fiona Williams Birmingham City University, Birmingham, B42 2SU United Kingdom Tel. +44 121 331   Fax. +44 121 331 6366 Email: Javed.Hussain@bcu.ac.uk Harry.Matlay@bcu.ac.uk This paper sets out to examine the changing role of management accounting in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the UK. Preliminary results show that accounting information used in decision making processes can be of considerable use to owner / managers and key members of the management team. Time constraints, costs and lack of skills to apply such information can significantly limit the impact of accounting information upon the competitiveness of SMEs. Accurate and timely accounting information was found to be particularly relevant to growth oriented SMEs that rely on increased profitability to finance business devolvement strategies through stakeholder investment. Conference Website Home "); array_files[196]=new Array(0,1,"./creak26s.html","2008-06-20","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Impact of Entrepreneurs’ Past Experience on the Internationalisation of French New Ventures Cabrol Mathieu – Groupe ESC-Troyes – Mathieu.cabrol@groupe-esc-troyes.com - 0033 (0)3 25 71 22 50 Nlemvo Frédéric – Groupe ESC-Troyes – Frederic.Nlemvo@groupe-esc-troyes.com – 0033 (0)3 25 71 22 45 Arild Aspelund – NTNU - arild.aspelund@iot.ntnu.no The purpose of the paper is to determine to what extent various experiences explain the level of internationalisation of new ventures. According to international entrepreneurship literature the international orientation of these kind of ventures is attributable to cognitive processes or experiential knowledge accumulated from previous activities, more specifically international activities. The entrepreneur is thus able to see and act upon opportunities on foreign markets that others do not see. Regression analyses were conducted on a sample of 68 early-internationalising firms from the Rhone-Alps region in France. The results indicate significant positive impact of past experience (as measured by experience in international settings and expertise in the industry) on the level of internationalisation. Conference Website Home "); array_files[197]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo4s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Artists as Entrepreneurs (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Keramat Poorsoltan Abstract Do artists possess at least some of the traits attributed to entrepreneurs? For this research, three of the traits- tolerance for ambiguity, risk-taking, and internal locus of control- were selected. Tolerance for ambiguity: As creative persons, artists are tolerant to ambiguity and prepared for unstructured situations.  Other studies have shown a significant and positive relationship exists between creativity and tolerance for ambiguity. Risk-taking: Artists just by simple act of creating new things are risk-takers. Artists have to take risk if they desire to be well known in an environment that is highly competitive and not much rewarding. Risk-taking artists through experimentation in form and/or content, blur the boundaries of the traditional disciplines. Internal locus of control: The third finding of the study supported the prior assumption that artists have internal locus of control that is the creative people not only are risk takers, and are comfortable with ambiguities, but also believe in themselves and state they are in control of their decisions and activities. Conference Website Home "); array_files[198]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo4f.html","2008-06-20","75K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Artists as Entrepreneurs Keramat Poorsoltan College of Business, Frostburg State University Frostburg, Maryland 21502, USA Tel. +301-687-7498, Fax +301-687-4405 Email: kpoorsoltan@frostburg.edu Keramat Poorsoltan currently is a management professor at Frostburg State University, Maryland. He has taught in Iran, Ecuador, and Semester at Sea Program. He is joining Dubai Aerospace Enterprise University in United Arab Emirates. His areas of teaching are entrepreneurship, strategic management, and international business.       Main areas of his research are: Ethnic entrepreneurs, artists as entrepreneurs, and quality management.                Artists As Entrepreneurs Abstract Do artists possess at least some of the traits attributed to entrepreneurs? For this research, three of the traits- tolerance for ambiguity, risk-taking, and internal locus of control- were selected. Tolerance for ambiguity: As creative persons, artists are tolerant to ambiguity and prepared for unstructured situations.  Other studies have shown a significant and positive relationship exists between creativity and tolerance for ambiguity. Risk-taking: Artists just by simple act of creating new things are risk-takers. Artists have to take risk if they desire to be well known in an environment that is highly competitive and not much rewarding. Risk-taking artists through experimentation in form and/or content, blur the boundaries of the traditional disciplines. Internal locus of control: The third finding of the study supported the prior assumption that artists have internal locus of control that is the creative people not only are risk takers, and are comfortable with ambiguities, but also believe in themselves and state they are in control of their decisions and activities. Introduction The “father” of entrepreneurship, the German economist Joseph Schumpeter (1934), developed an important theory of economic deve "); array_files[199]=new Array(0,1,"./creak25s.html","2008-06-20","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Successor’s Actions and Post Transfer Performance in SME’s (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Lex van Teeffelen Utrecht Business School, Hogeschool van Utrecht P.O. Box 85029, 3508 AA Utrecht The Netherlands lex.vanteeffelen@hu.nl Marcel Peek Economic Department, ING Bank P.O. Box 1800, 1000 BV Amsterdam The Netherlands marcelpeek@mail.ing.nl In this study we test if successor’s timing of the acquisition and his actions account for better firm performance. We surveyed 500 Dutch SME successor’s two to six years after their acquisition. With ANOVA we tested successor’s timing (declining, average and increasing economical growth) and actions taken (organizational change, innovation, extending markets, no change). Firm’s acquired in declining market conditions perform best. All tested actions improve post transfer performance compared to no action taken. No interaction effects are found between timing and actions suggesting that actions are beneficial to performance in any macro economical situation.    For information or contact please adress the first author  Conference Website Home "); array_files[200]=new Array(0,1,"./creak24s.html","2008-06-20","9K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Small Firm Performance: An Examination of the Role of Ambidexterity, Strategic Planning and Entrepreneurial Orientation (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Dr. Marko Kohtamäki E-Mail: marko.kohtamaki@uwasa.fi Marko Kohtamäki is Senior Researcher of Entrepreneurship in the Strategy, Networks and Enterprise (SEN) Research Group at the University of Vaasa, Finland. His current research concerns small business strategy and networks. Prof. Dr. Teemu Kautonen E-Mail: teemu.kautonen@uwasa.fi Teemu Kautonen is Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Strategy, Networks and Enterprise (SEN) Research Group at the University of Vaasa, Finland. His current research concerns small business strategy and entrepreneurship at older ages. Dr. Sascha Kraus E-Mail: sascha.kraus@uwasa.fi Dr. Sascha Kraus is Senior Researcher at the University of Vaasa (Finland), Asc. Senior Researcher at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration (Austria) and Associate Member at the University of Newcastle’s (UK) Centre for Knowledge, Innovation, Technology & Enterprise (KITE). His main research interests are strategic management and entrepreneurship. Postal Address for all authors: University of Vaasa, Department of Management PO Box 700, FI-65101 Vaasa, Finland Abstract This paper focuses on the impact of ambidextrous strategic management (exploration and exploitation) on the performance of small enterprises. Additionally, we explore the indirect effects of strategic planning and the firm’s entrepreneurial orientation on business performance via exploration and exploitation. The resulting research model is examined by utilizing the partial least squares approach to structural equation modelling with a sample of 153 Finnish small firms. The results show that exploitation affects firm performance, while exploration seems to impact on exploration, but not directly on performance. Entrepreneurial orientation supports exploratio "); array_files[201]=new Array(0,1,"./creak24f.html","2008-06-20","70K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Small Firm Performance: An Examination of the Role of Ambidexterity, Strategic Planning and Entrepreneurial Orientation Dr. Marko Kohtamäki E-Mail: marko.kohtamaki@uwasa.fi Marko Kohtamäki is Senior Researcher of Entrepreneurship in the Strategy, Networks and Enterprise (SEN) Research Group at the University of Vaasa, Finland. His current research concerns small business strategy and networks. Prof. Dr. Teemu Kautonen E-Mail: teemu.kautonen@uwasa.fi Teemu Kautonen is Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Strategy, Networks and Enterprise (SEN) Research Group at the University of Vaasa, Finland. His current research concerns small business strategy and entrepreneurship at older ages. Dr. Sascha Kraus E-Mail: sascha.kraus@uwasa.fi Dr. Sascha Kraus is Senior Researcher at the University of Vaasa (Finland), Asc. Senior Researcher at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration (Austria) and Associate Member at the University of Newcastle’s (UK) Centre for Knowledge, Innovation, Technology & Enterprise (KITE). His main research interests are strategic management and entrepreneurship. Postal Address for all authors: University of Vaasa, Department of Management PO Box 700, FI-65101 Vaasa, Finland Abstract This paper focuses on the impact of ambidextrous strategic management (exploration and exploitation) on the performance of small enterprises. Additionally, we explore the indirect effects of strategic planning and the firm’s entrepreneurial orientation on business performance via exploration and exploitation. The resulting research model is examined by utilizing the partial least squares approach to structural equation modelling with a sample of 153 Finnish small firms. The results show that exploitation affects firm performance, while exploration seems to impact on exploration, but not directly on performance. Entrepreneurial orientation supports exploration, while formal strategic planning evident "); array_files[202]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo3s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference An Investigation of new Firm Performance by Owner Race, Ethnicity, and Gender (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Alicia M. Robb, University of California, Santa Cruz & Beacon Economics ABSTRACT There are few longitudinal studies of firm outcomes that analyze the differences between owners of different racial and ethnic groups as well as between men and women. I use the recently released Kauffman Firm Survey (KFS) to take a first look at this issue.  To start, I compare firm and owner characteristics across racial and ethnic groups, as well as by gender. I then use multivariate analyses to investigate the determinants of firm outcomes (survival, profits, and revenue).  Even after controlling for a variety of firm and owner characteristics, businesses owned by blacks and women still tend to have lower performances than their white and male counterparts.  CONTACT: Alicia M. Robb; arobb@ucsc.edu; (T) :415.259.9009. 59 Driftwood Court, San Rafael, CA 94901. Conference Website Home "); array_files[203]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo3f.html","2008-06-20","33K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference An Investigation of new Firm Performance by Owner Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Alicia M. Robb, University of California, Santa Cruz & Beacon Economics ABSTRACT There are few longitudinal studies of firm outcomes that analyze the differences between owners of different racial and ethnic groups as well as between men and women. I use the recently released Kauffman Firm Survey (KFS) to take a first look at this issue.  To start, I compare firm and owner characteristics across racial and ethnic groups, as well as by gender. I then use multivariate analyses to investigate the determinants of firm outcomes (survival, profits, and revenue).  Even after controlling for a variety of firm and owner characteristics, businesses owned by blacks and women still tend to have lower performances than their white and male counterparts.  INTRODUCTION There are large and persistent racial and gender disparities in business ownership and performance in the United States.  The lack of attention is surprising, given the importance of business ownership as a way to make a living for many Americans.  More than 1 in 10 workers are self-employed in the United States.  Yet only 5.1 percent of African-American workers and 7.5 percent of Latino workers own businesses, compared with more than eleven percent of white and Asian workers.  Although female business ownership rates have risen in recent decades, the female self-employment rate is 6.6 percent, which is only 60 percent of the male rate (Fairlie 2006).     Although these disparities in business ownership are perplexing, perhaps a deeper concern is that businesses owned by women and minorities tend to be smaller and less successful than non-minority-owned businesses.  In particular, black- and Latino-owned businesses have lower sales, hire fewer employees, and have smaller payrolls than white-owned businesses, on average (U.S. Census Bureau 2006).  For most outco "); array_files[204]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo2s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference A Country in Transition:  An Enquiry into the Disparity in Embeddedness of Entrepreneurship Among Various Ethnic Groups Bruce Mitchell Ethnic groups in South Africa have historically had different levels of opportunities, including access to ownership, lack of mobility, personal aspirations, education and the ability to mobilize resources from family and government sources. The challenge is to determine the relative impact that this lack of opportunities has had on the different ethnic groups in South Africa. The results, based on over three hundred entrepreneurs illustrated that the most institutionally discriminated ethnic groups tended to have a very homogeneous network, and tended to rely to a greater degree on their own ethnic group for business and financial support rather than institutional support. Conference Website Home "); array_files[205]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo1s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference A Critical Perspective on Equality and Innovation Assessment and Measurement (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Anders W Johansson and Maria Udén Public interventions to promote innovation have been motivated by the existence of market failures. However, public interventions seems to strenghten existing structures instead of compensating for market failures. Thus men are favoured and women discriminated with respect to public funding to promote innovations. The aim of the paper is to illustrate how structural barriers can be analysed and eventually overcome with respect to the advancement of women’s entrepreneurship. The theories of Michael Spence and asymmetric information is used to analyse three cases. It is suggested to take into consideration the existence and variation of signaling costs with respect to innovation. Conference Website Home "); array_files[206]=new Array(0,1,"./chalo1f.html","2008-06-20","65K","Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs","",""," Types of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference A Critical Perspective on Equality and Innovation Assessment and Measurement by Professor Anders W Johansson School of Innovation, Design and Engineering Mälardalen University P O Box 883 S-721 23 Västerås, Sweden anders.w.johansson@mdh.se and Dr Maria Udén Department of Gender, Technology and Organization Luleå University of Technology S-971 87, Luleå, Sweden Abstract Public interventions to promote innovation have been motivated by the existence of market failures. However, public interventions seems to strenghten existing structures instead of compensating for market failures. Thus men are favoured and women discriminated with respect to public funding to promote innovations. The aim of the paper is to illustrate how structural barriers can be analysed and eventually overcome with respect to the advancement of women’s entrepreneurship. The theories of Michael Spence and asymmetric information is used to analyse three cases. It is suggested to take into consideration the existence and variation of signaling costs with respect to innovation. Introduction During the last two decades entrepreneurship policy in many western countries has been devoted to the promotion of innovation systems (Ylinenpää, 2008). The concept relates to the Triple Helix idea formulated by Etzkowitz (2003). By interactions between university, industry and government, innovation, renewal and regional development are anticipated consequences. Within the European Union these ideas have been rooted. During a meeting in year 2000 the European chiefs of state decided upon the Lisbon strategy. The Lisbon strategy proposes to make Europe the most competetive economy in the world as well as the most sustainable and socially inclusive society. The stimulation of innovation has hereby been formulated as one of the keys to perform this strategy. “In the context of the Lisbon strategy, the Commission has adapted its regulatory fra "); array_files[207]=new Array(0,1,"./challenges_n.html","2008-06-20","6K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Training and Development of Entrepreneurs Exploring the Impact of Education on Korean-American Entrepreneurs State of Art of Entrpreneurship Development in Asia-Pacific Countries Women Empowerment by Entrpreneurship Development Conference Website Home "); array_files[208]=new Array(0,1,"./chaln3s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Women Empowerment by Entrpreneurship Development (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Dr Ananthapadhmanabha Achar                                                         INTRODUCTION It has been globally accepted that women entrepreneurship development results in overall economic and social development of the nation.  Being an empowering process, developing entrepreneurship among women brings them into the main stream and thus leads to economic development Women’s entrepreneurial activities are not only a means for economic survival but also, empower them economically and enable them to contribute more to overall development. Now there is a worldwide consensus that Women Entrepreneurship Development leads women empowerment This research paper attempts to evaluates effectives of the Women Entrepreneurship Development (WED) Programmes conducted by two Non Governmental Organizations (NGO)  in the state of Karnataka Viz Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka (AWEK) and Rural Development and Self Employment  training Institute (RUDSETI)   and  its the impact on empowerment of women. The results of the study reveal that entrepreneurship development among women contributed a lot for economic independence and better standard of life in the society.  Key words : women Entrepreneurship  women empowerment  Non Governmental organizations Conference Website Home "); array_files[209]=new Array(0,1,"./chaln3f.html","2008-06-20","56K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Women Empowerment by Entrpreneurship Development INTRODUCTION It has been globally accepted that women entrepreneurship development results in overall economic and social development of the nation.  Being an empowering process, developing entrepreneurship among women brings them into the main stream and thus leads to economic development. Women’s entrepreneurial activities are not only a means for economic survival but also, empower them economically and enable them to contribute more to overall development. Now there is a worldwide consensus that Women Entrepreneurship Development leads women empowerment. Entrepreneurship development among women is one activity that promises encouraging results. By motivating, training and assisting women towards independent business ventures, it may be possible to bring beneficial results in the development of a region. Women’s entrepreneurial activities are not only a means for economic survival but also, empower them economically and enable them to contribute more to overall development.  Women entrepreneurship Development is a major programme of Women Empowerment in India. Both government and non-governmental agencies are actively involved in   the promotion of the women entrepreneurship. Non Governmental organizations (NGO) engaged in Women Entrepreneurship Development (WED) both in rural and urban areas of the country are:(1) National Alliance of young Entrepreneurs (NAYE) (2) World Assembly of Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (WASME), (3) Xavier Institute for Social Studies, (4)Self Employed women Association (SEWA) of Ahmedabad, (4)‘Y’ Self- employment of Calcutta, Association of women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka (AWAKE),  Rural Development and Self Employment Training Institute (RUDSETI) and Asian Centre for Entrepreneurial Initiatives (ACENT). The government agencies engaged in this activity strengthened the NGOs by cooperating and collaborating with "); array_files[210]=new Array(0,1,"./chaln2s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference State of Art of Entrpreneurship Development in Asia-Pacific Countries (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Dr. D.D. Sharma Professor and Head  Entrepreneurship Development & Industrial Coordination (EDIC) Department NITTTR, Chandigarh, India Email : ddsharmattti@yahoo.com The paper aims at studying the state-of-the-art of entrepreneurship development in Asia-Pacific countries.  50 participants of international programmes were interviewed.  The study infers that development of SMEs has great relevance for economic development of the Asia-Pacific region.  Respondents mostly have unfavourable perceptions about teaching, promoting and solving the problems faced by the entrepreneurs.  Respondents suggested for assisting potential entrepreneurs for setting-up and managing their SMEs.  Entrepreneurship is needed to be promoted through favourable policies of governments, launching new schemes for entrepreneurs, and systematically training and motivating students of technical institutions to set-up their SMEs. Conference Website Home "); array_files[211]=new Array(0,1,"./chaln2f.html","2008-06-20","57K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference State of Art of Entrpreneurship Development in Asia-Pacific Countries Dr. D.D. Sharma Professor and Head  Entrepreneurship Development & Industrial Coordination (EDIC) Department NITTTR, Chandigarh, India Email : ddsharmattti@yahoo.com Abstract Entrepreneurship and self-employment has been accepted as a career option for wage employment all over the world.  Problems of unemployment to educated youth and even to uneducated skilled people has become more intensive in countries of Asia-Pacific region including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Srilanka, Fiji, Maldives, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, Mangolia, South Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, etc.  There is a need to orient people of this region to self-employment and entrepreneurship through vocational and entrepreneurial training programmes.  In order to find the state of art of entrepreneurship and self-employment in these countries the present study was undertaken.  The major objectives of this study were : (i) to know the awareness and appreciation about entrepreneurship among people of the Asia-Pacific countries; and (ii) to study the current state of the art of entrepreneurship in these countries. This study was carried out in Colombo Plan Staff College, Philippines.  The respondents included the participants of a regional training programme on Blue Ocean Strategies for Human Resource Development.  It was a two-weeks training programme conducted by Colombo Plan Staff College for Technician Education in Manila, Philippines for teachers and managers of technical and vocational education and training working in Asia-Pacific region countries.  This constituted a sample of 20 persons from various countries.  Thus it was a simple random sample.  Data was collected with the help of semi-structured undisguised questionnaire-cum-interview schedule which was personally administered to the respondents.  The collected "); array_files[212]=new Array(0,1,"./chaln1s.html","2008-06-20","7K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Exploring the Impact of Education on Korean-American Entrepreneurs (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Joseph Onochie, Edward Rogoff, George Haynes, Myung-Soo Lee, Alvin Puryear and Ramona Heck Abstract  This study explores education’s effects on the immigrant entrepreneurship development processes and outcomes in the context of Korean-Americans by comparing a national sample of Korean-Americans with differing amounts of education.  Hypotheses include: that high-education Korean-American businesses will be larger and more successful, will vary more, and follow differing paths to formation; that motivations, goals, and attitudes towards their businesses, families and lives will be different and that confidence and level of satisfaction with their business will be higher. We find that low- and high-education groups vary in their types of, paths followed into, and size of businesses, they are very similar in attitudes, motivations, and family interactions. Conference Website Home "); array_files[213]=new Array(0,1,"./chaln1f.html","2008-06-20","111K","Training and Development of Entrepreneurs","",""," Training and Development of Entrepreneurs 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Exploring the Impact of Education on Korean-American Entrepreneurs List of Coauthors Joseph I. Onochie, contact author Associate Professor, Department of Economics and Finance, Box B 10-225 Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, C.U.N.Y. One Bernard Baruch Way, New York, NY 10010 (646) 312-3483 Joseph_Onochie@baruch.cuny.edu Edward G. Rogoff Professor, Department of Management Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, C.U.N.Y. One Bernard Baruch Way, New York, NY 10010 (646) 312-3632 George W. Haynes Associate Professor, Department of Health and Human Development 205B Herrick Hall, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT  59717 (406) 994-5012 Myung-Soo Lee Professor, Department of Marketing Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, C.U.N.Y. One Bernard Baruch Way, New York, NY 10010 (646) 312-3288 Alvin N. Puryear Professor, Department of Management Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, C.U.N.Y. One Bernard Baruch Way, New York, NY 10010 (646) 312-3636 Ramona K. Z. Heck Professor, Department of Management Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, C.U.N.Y. One Bernard Baruch Way, New York, NY 10010 (646) 312-3649 This study is part of the National Minority Business Owners Surveys (NMBOS) carried out by the Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship at Baruch College between 2003 and 2005 and supported by GreenPoint Financial Corporation and the Marion Ewing Kauffman Foundation. Author Biographies Edward G. Rogoff is Professor in the Department of Management of the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College of the City University of New York.  Dr. Rogoff teaches and conducts research in entrepreneurship, particularly relative to education, technology and regulation. Joseph I. Onochie is Associate Professor of Finance in the Bert Wasserman Department of Economics and Finance, Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, City University of New York. Dr. Onochie’s current research inte "); array_files[214]=new Array(0,1,"./creak23s.html","2008-06-19","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Small Firm Internationalisation: The Impact of Size on Inter-organisational Relationships (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Christos Kalantaridis and Ivo Vassilev Abstract There is growing interest among academics and policy-makers on small firm internationalisation.  Rather unexpectedly, to date there have been no studies exploring the impact of firm size on the nature of relationships created by small firms.  This paper aspires to address this gap in the literature by focusing upon globally integrated small enterprises. The evidence shows that there are no specific types of relationships linked with small firm global integration. Whilst small firms establish relationships that are influenced by the geographic and sectoral context within which they operate, their ability to manage them effectively remains questionable. Conference Website Home "); array_files[215]=new Array(0,1,"./creak22s.html","2008-06-19","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Productivity as an Opportunity for Sustainable Growth of SMEs (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Alexander Poghossian and Irina Hakobyan Sustainability of Armenian SME sector growth raises doubts. Research aims to reveal: 1.productivity drivers, 2.extent to which productivity rise drives sustainable SME growth, 3.increasing productivity is necessary, not sufficient condition for sustainable growth. Estimation of 4 panel regressions revealed: 1.two factors are significant productivity drivers: innovation and corporate governance; 2.productivity growth significantly affects output growth; 3. although productivity elasticity of output is more significant than employment elasticity; two sustainable growth factors drive productivity, we cannot state growth was intensive, since employment grew faster than productivity. Results are ambiguous; therefore, increasing productivity is non-sufficient to sustain SME growth.       Conference Website Home "); array_files[216]=new Array(0,1,"./creak22f.html","2008-06-19","70K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Productivity as an Opportunity for Sustainable Growth of SMEs Alexander Poghossian, Ph.D. Managing Director, Alpha Plus Consulting Yerevan, Armenia alex@interline.am Current research interests: Labor productivity and TFP, migration and foreign remittances Irina Hakobyan, MA Economist –Analyst, Alpha Plus Consulting Yerevan, Armenia ihakobyan@interline.am Current research interests: Labor productivity and TFP, exchange rate bubbles, migration and foreign remittances Abstract Sustainability of Armenian SME sector growth raises doubts. Research aims to reveal: 1.productivity drivers, 2.extent to which productivity rise drives sustainable SME growth, 3.increasing productivity is necessary, not sufficient condition for sustainable growth. Estimation of 4 panel regressions revealed: 1.two factors are significant productivity drivers: innovation and corporate governance; 2.productivity growth significantly affects output growth; 3. although productivity elasticity of output is more significant than employment elasticity; two sustainable growth factors drive productivity, we cannot state growth was intensive, since employment grew faster than productivity. Results are ambiguous; therefore, increasing productivity is non-sufficient to sustain SME growth.      Keywords: SMEs, Productivity, competitiveness, sustainable growth Introduction The recent impressive economic growth in Armenia (around 12% annually, since 2000) is believed to be a result of the first generation structural reforms and macroeconomic stability; however, it is not yet translated into sustainable high productivity job creation. Small and Medium enterprise /SME/ sector makes an important part of Armenian Economy: their share in GDP is more than 40% and share in total employment is around 35%. Number of legal entities has been almost stable over 2003-2005 (SMEs about 97% in total). Share of SMEs in generating GDP increased by about 1.5% on average. Just li "); array_files[217]=new Array(0,1,"./creak21s.html","2008-06-19","8K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Proactive vs. Reactive Opportunity Recognition and Start-Up Outcomes Dr. Jurgita Baltrušaitytė-Axelson Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, Latvia This study examines the relationship between the reactive vs. proactive opportunity recognition (OpR) and new business venture (NBV) start-up outcomes. Multinomial logistic regressions were ran on the OpR variables from the American PSED. Twelve months after the initial interview, proactive nascent entrepreneurs (i.e., those who first decided to start a business and only then recognized an opportunity) were less likely to have an active start-up than an operating business, and reactive nascent entrepreneurs (i.e., those who first recognized an opportunity and then decided to start an NBV) were more likely to have an active start-up than an operating business (p=0.043).  Thirty-six months after the initial interview, there were no statistically significant differences in NBV outcomes observed in regards to the OpR type.  Previous industry experience is positively correlated with shorter NBV gestation times (i.e., the start-up is more likely to become an operating business if the entrepreneur had previous industry experience) and negatively correlated with inactivity or quitting.  Further, there appears to be a positive correlation between previous start-up experience and the likelihood that a start-up will be either active or operating twelve months after the initial interview. Overall, there appears to be a positive relationship between fewer business ideas considered prior to choosing one and the likelihood that the NBV outcome will be more “successful” (i.e., operating or active start-up). Contact Dr. Jurgita Baltrusaityte-Axelson, Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, Latvia. E-mail: Jurgita@sseriga.edu.lv Conference Website Home "); array_files[218]=new Array(0,1,"./creak20s.html","2008-06-19","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Internationalizing the Entrepreneurial Orientation Construct: An In-Depth Interview (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Nathaniel Boso Although the entrepreneurial orientation construct has received considerable attention, there is hardly any systematic research about the nature of entrepreneurial orientation as applied in internationally active small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We provide insight in to how entrepreneurial orientation manifests in SME exporting setting based on an in-depth interview with 10 British exporters. We examine the nature of entrepreneurial orientation, its importance to export success, and the factors that may affect effective implementation of entrepreneurial orientation concept in export operations. Results show different patterns of entrepreneurial activities in exporting SMEs, and different company specific and external environmental drivers, and outcomes. Conference Website Home "); array_files[219]=new Array(0,1,"./creak17f.html","2008-06-19","54K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference International Growth of Finnish Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Eriikka Paavilainen Researcher International Business Department of Marketing Turku School of Economics Rehtorinpellonkatu 3 20100 Turku-Finland Phone: +358 2 4814 113 Fax: +358 2 4814 280 E-mail: eriikka.paavilainen@tse.fi Arto Kuuluvainen Researcher Corporate Research and Education TSE Entre Turku School of Economics Rehtorinpellonkatu 3 20100 Turku-Finland Phone: +358 2 4814 546 Mobile:+358 40 538 7515 E-mail: arto.kuuluvainen@tse.fi Abstract Tough competition among SMEs in Finnish markets and the governmental incentives to SMEs to grow internationally ought to urge SMEs into action. However, in light of empirica evidence this is not the case. The paper focuses on the relatively unstudied topic of international growth (IG) and how it has been perceived and materialised among Finnish SMEs. The aim is to define the role and significance of IG and to address it from a governmental perspective. The data consists of secondary statistical and follow-up survey data from 157 Finnish SMEs in years 2004-2007. The results show that most SMEs operate mainly domestically and are not interested in IG. This is problematic from market and government perspectives, as it does not encourage SMEs to develop their business, and thereof enhance the competitiveness of the country as a whole. Introduction Expanding operations into new geographic markets opens up promising avenues for growth (Lu & Beamish 2001), and studies have show that SMEs are constantly more and more interested in internationalisation (e.g. Oviatt & McDougall 1994; Li, Li & Dalgic 2004, 94). However, despite of the success achieved in domestic markets, it is not guaranteed that the firm will be successful also in international markets (Galunic & Rodan 1998; Ahuja & Katila 2004). Several studies dealing with SMEs concentrate on resources as the main factor affecting company development "); array_files[220]=new Array(0,1,"./creak20f.html","2008-06-19","17K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Internationalizing the Entrepreneurial Orientation Construct: An In-Depth Interview Objectives: The objective of the present study is to extend the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) construct, which was developed in the context of the domestic market, to an international setting, for which there is a paucity of empirical research. By extending the EO construct to the international arena, this study is (1) responding to many calls on researchers to examine the international performance implications of the EO construct (e.g. Lumpkin and Dess, 1996; Yeoh and Jeong, 1995; McDougall and Oviatt, 2000), (2) able to contribute towards the generalisation of previous findings (see Knight, 1997 and Kreiser et al, 2002 for cross-cultural assessments of the construct), and (3) able to provide insights into appropriate measures of the EO construct in the context of internationally active small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). By this, we examined the nature of entrepreneurial orientation, its importance to SME export success, and the factors that may exert influence on the effective implementation of the entrepreneurial orientation concept in SME export operations. Prior work: Exporting has been found to be of great importance for many SMEs because of the growing need for companies to achieve growth objectives, raise sales and profits, diversify their business risks and even retaliate against competitors’ entry into their domestic markets Albaum et al, 2002). Considerable research has been done on the business performance implications of EO for SMEs (e.g. Wiklund and Shepherd, 2005; Ibeh and Young, 2001). Previous researches suggest an extension of what is known about EO in domestic context to international business contexts (Yeoh and Jeong, 1995; McDougall and Oviatt, 2000), and in particular, in the context of exporting SMEs (Balabanis and Katsikea, 2003). However, past empirical works on the intersection between EO and export "); array_files[221]=new Array(0,1,"./creak19s.html","2008-06-19","7K","SME Management and Growth","","","Internationalization of Malaysian SMEs Influencing Factors, Sources of Information and Options SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Internationalization of Malaysian SMEs Influencing Factors, Sources of Information and Options (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Mohd Khairuddin Hashim and Saari Ahmad Internationalization is important not only to large enterprises, but also to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, as an area of research, the review of the small business literature indicates internationalization among SMEs has received limited attention, particularly in the Malaysian context. This study seeks to address this research issue by attempting to investigate internationalization among manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia. The study specifically strived to examine the factors that influence SMEs’ decision to internationalize, sources of information used, and the internationalization options available to SMEs. The results of the study indicate the following; the SMEs’ decisions to internationalize were influenced by various factors, the firms used different information sources, and the firms identified and recommended several internationalization options. Conference Website Home "); array_files[222]=new Array(0,1,"./creak19f.html","2008-06-19","58K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Internationalization of Malaysian SMEs Influencing Factors, Sources of Information and Options Mohd Khairuddin Hashim, College of Business, University Utara Malaysia, Sa’ari Ahmad, College of Business, University Utara Malaysia ABSTRACT. Internationalization presents firms with various opportunities to expand their business operations as well as improve their organizational performance. The review of the small business literature, however, reveals internationalization as an area of research has not attracted much attention, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Malaysian context. This study represents an attempt to investigate internationalization among SMEs in Malaysia. More specifically, the study strived to examine the factors that influence SMEs’ decision to internationalize, sources of information used, and the internationalization options available to Malaysian SMEs. Findings of the study indicate the following; the SMEs’ decisions to internationalize were influenced by different factors, the firms used different sources of information, and the firms identified various internationalization options. Introduction Internationalization presents opportunities and challenges to large companies as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to expand their business activities. Unlike the large firms, however, SMEs have mainly focus their business operations in the domestic market. With regard to this, previous studies have indicated uncertainties, complexities, various barriers, and new challenges in the international marketplace as factors that tend to restrict their interest and frustrate their efforts at internationalizing (De Noble et.al, 1989; Burpitt and Rondinelli, 2000; Fillis, 2002, and Crick and Barr, 2007). Nevertheless, the need for SMEs to internationalize is inevitable. With the acceleration of economic globalisation, stiffer competition from global firms, saturating "); array_files[223]=new Array(0,1,"./challenges_m.html","2008-06-19","6K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Policy and Regulatory Environment An Impact Assessment of Micro Finance Interventions on the Growth of Micro Enterprises in Nairobi, Kenya Croatia - Policy Measures of Removing Administrative Barriers Entrepreneurship “Volatility”? Linking Entrepreneurial Dynamics to Entrepreneurial Framework Conditions Meeting Radical Change - Regional Closedowns and the Role of Entrepreneurship Relevance of Labour Law for Small Enterprises Conference Website Home "); array_files[224]=new Array(0,1,"./chalm5s.html","2008-06-19","10K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Relevance of Labour Law for Small Enterprises (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. by Gopal Joshi ILO Geneva Email: joshi@ilo.org EXPANDED ABSTRACT Labour law has been an integral part of regulatory environment for business enterprises around the world.  Application of the labour law, particularly among micro and small enterprises (MSEs), has been adapted to the country specific situations with differing patterns of enterprise growth.  South Asian countries have inherited colonial tradition of exempting very small enterprises (largely with worker threshold) and have had historically very large informal enterprises. Eighty percent of workers in Bangladesh and India are engaged in non-agricultural informal enterprises (ILO 2006 and Kannan 2008). In general, application thresholds are set for labour inspection, trade union formation, social security contribution and in some cases for application of occupational health & safety related regulations (threshold charts for India & Sri Lanka in the Appendix).  Purpose. The ILO has carried out country reviews and preliminary surveys in South Asia.  Further in-depth studies and surveys are being carried out in four countries in South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Nepal & Sri Lanka) by the ILO to determine what effect such exemptions have had on legal status and growth of enterprises along with working environment.  Methodology. Macro level reviews have been carried out in terms of the impact of policies and labour codes including non-labour regulatory requirements on the growth of MSEs in all four countries.  While two states (Orissa and Tamil Nadu) were chosen for review in India, entire countries were examined with a focus on a few subsectors in each country.  For instance in Bangladesh, the focus was on: i) garments/textile, ii) leather goods; iii) agro/food processing; and iv) light engineering.  Sri Lanka study focussed on agro processing, hosp "); array_files[225]=new Array(0,1,"./chalm5f.html","2008-06-19","165K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment ","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Relevance of Labour Law for Small Enterprises By Dr. Gopal Joshi ILO Geneva 1.  Introduction. Small enterprises have been known to create most jobs in all the economies around the world.  In South Asia also, small enterprises including micro enterprises (MSEs) have provided livelihood and incomes for millions of people otherwise without any prospects of employment in larger enterprises.  A large number of enterprises are actually micro enterprises (those with five or less workers) in India, comprising over 96 per cent of all MSE enterprises in manufacturing. In terms of employment, the micro enterprises account for about 82 per cent of all MSE employment, while in terms of value added, the share of micro enterprise is about 67 per cent.  In Bangladesh, 88 per cent of employment is provided by the MSEs with less than 10 workers (IBA , 2008). However given their size, capital intensity and technology, micro enterprises are positioned at the weakest point in terms of the job quality and income generating capacity in most developing countries.  Even in the emerging markets, MSEs remain detached from overall economic growth taking place in the formal economy. Largely, such weakness in generating increasing numbers of productive, remunerative quality jobs through growth of small enterprises is partly linked to the inability of the MSEs to receive legal recognition and empowerment that comes with such recognition.  Legal recognition confers the MSEs the empowerment for entering and enforcing business contracts, bidding for government contracts and most importantly accessing formal credit and training.  Legal recognition comes from fulfillment of the obligations of registration, taxes and labour law and other regulatory requirements. Labour law as an element of the overall business environment (BE) determines the job creation capabilities of enterprises by providing such legal recognition and empowerment.  En "); array_files[226]=new Array(0,1,"./creak18s.html","2008-06-19","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Internationalization Dynamic of Eastern German SMEs (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Utz Dornberger, International ‘Small Enterprise Promotion and Training (SEPT)’ Program, University of Leipzig Noor Un Nabi Md., International ‘Small Enterprise Promotion and Training (SEPT)’ Program, University of Leipzig The proposed dynamic model of internationalization suggests that firms need some higher-order capabilities to expand further (spread) in the international market, which might not be required in the initial phase (entry time) of internationalization. Capitalizing on flexible production capabilities and client-focused strategies, many technology-based SMEs from eastern regions have successfully positioned them in the reunified German national market. In spite of their huge potentials, they failed to demonstrate significant success in international markets, though their further growth depends mainly on their success here. Analysed cases suggest that their international success depends on how they develop higher-order capabilities in themselves, namely global and entrepreneurial orientation, global marketing strategy, and market-based learning. Conference Website Home "); array_files[227]=new Array(0,1,"./chalm4s.html","2008-06-19","7K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Meeting Radical Change - Regional Closedowns and the Role of Entrepreneurship This paper will describe and analyze the effects of radical changes within regions. The specific focus of the paper is the role of entrepreneurship, both as opportunity-seeking activities in order to find and develop new business undertakings, as well as entrepreneurship as a perspective for supporting activities in public or private agencies. The empirical base is linked to 12 municipalities that belong to various regions. The results presented from the study provide insight into how the development of local economies is affected when conditions change in a region due to the closedown of a major public workplace. The paper will also try to present opportunities where municipalities are able to prepare for and take action to help entrepreneurial activity meet up with ongoing structural changes and a globalized local economy. In addition to a detailed analysis of various typical transformation processes linked to radical changes, the paper’s main findings will focus on two aspects, namely cooperation and attitudes. Conference Website Home "); array_files[228]=new Array(0,1,"./chalm3s.html","2008-06-19","7K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Entrepreneurship “Volatility”? Linking Entrepreneurial Dynamics to Entrepreneurial Framework Conditions (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. José Ernesto Amorós, Oscar Cristi and Erkko Autio Abstract Variability of entrepreneurial dynamics among countries is analyzed using a sample of countries that participate on Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, GEM, Project. Entrepreneurial volatility is measured as the unconditional variance of entrepreneurial activity that is modeled as a function of GDP per capita. With longitudinal data on necessity-motivated entrepreneurial activity from GEM, we find significant differences on entrepreneurship volatility across lower-middle income countries. Results indicate that countries with more predictable and consistent policy taxes and government regulation, with sufficient government subsidies available for new and growing firms and with better entrepreneurship education and training at higher-level educational institutions exhibit lower volatility. Conference Website Home "); array_files[229]=new Array(0,1,"./creak17s.html","2008-06-19","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference International Growth of Finnish Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Eriikka Paavilainen Researcher International Business Department of Marketing Turku School of Economics Rehtorinpellonkatu 3 20100 Turku-Finland Phone: +358 2 4814 113 Fax: +358 2 4814 280 E-mail: eriikka.paavilainen@tse.fi Arto Kuuluvainen Researcher Corporate Research and Education TSE Entre Turku School of Economics Rehtorinpellonkatu 3 20100 Turku-Finland Phone: +358 2 4814 546 Mobile:+358 40 538 7515 E-mail: arto.kuuluvainen@tse.fi Abstract Tough competition among SMEs in Finnish markets and the governmental incentives to SMEs to grow internationally ought to urge SMEs into action. However, in light of empirica evidence this is not the case. The paper focuses on the relatively unstudied topic of international growth (IG) and how it has been perceived and materialised among Finnish SMEs. The aim is to define the role and significance of IG and to address it from a governmental perspective. The data consists of secondary statistical and follow-up survey data from 157 Finnish SMEs in years 2004-2007. The results show that most SMEs operate mainly domestically and are not interested in IG. This is problematic from market and government perspectives, as it does not encourage SMEs to develop their business, and thereof enhance the competitiveness of the country as a whole. Conference Website Home "); array_files[230]=new Array(0,1,"./chalm2s.html","2008-06-19","7K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Croatia - Policy Measures of Removing Administrative Barriers (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Jasminka Keser and Ana Vincent As indicated in the World Bank report “Doing Business 2006”, Croatia has become one of the top ten country reformers in the world. Croatia has a clear and well-structured national strategy for comprehensive business support facilities, including incubation and strategies to improve the range and quality of business support services. Croatia has the most advanced and formalised business simplification strategies. The Government of Croatia launched the “Regulatory Guillotine initiative” HITROREZ as a part of programme HITRO.HR. As one of the measures aimed at removing administrative barriers for entrepreneurs and speeding up the process of development of SMEs,a WEB portal entitled “Business navigator” was launched. Croatia stands out for its development of e-government initiatives and has clearly moved from policy elaboration to the policy implementation phase. The e-Croatia programme leads toward an overall reduction of private sector costs in relation with Govrenmental bodies. In the scope of this presentation achivements in implementation of policy measures of removing administrative barriers will be shown as well as how proactive policy could be directed towards promotion of SMEs development.     Conference Website Home "); array_files[231]=new Array(0,1,"./chalm2f.html","2008-06-19","10K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Croatia - Policy Measures of Removing Administrative Barriers As indicated in the World Bank report “Doing Business 2006”, Croatia has become one of the top ten country reformers in the world. Croatia has a clear and well-structured national strategy for comprehensive business support facilities, including incubation and strategies to improve the range and quality of business support services. Croatia has the most advanced and formalised business simplification strategies. The Government of Croatia launched the “Regulatory Guillotine initiative” HITROREZ as a part of programme HITRO.HR. As one of the measures aimed at removing administrative barriers for entrepreneurs and speeding up the process of development of SMEs,a WEB portal entitled “Business navigator” was launched. Croatia stands out for its development of e-government initiatives and has clearly moved from policy elaboration to the policy implementation phase. HITRO.HR, a service of the Government of the Republic of Croatia intended to enable fast communication of entrepreneurs and citizens with state administration bodies, reached by the end of  2007 the number of 20,000 established companies and trades and crafts. Since it started operating less than two and a half years ago, 20,022 companies and trades and crafts, and 829 foreign investment companies were established. “FINA Compensation”, a new e-service, was presented in September 2007, as an advanced system of multilateral compensations intended for all legal and physical persons performing an independent activity, that are registered in the Republic of Croatia, and have obligations toward other business entities. The Croatian entrepreneurs will, through this service, be able to “close” claims and liabilities, thus increasing their own liquidity and improving business conditions. The introduction of the new service is a result of a series of various market researches, which "); array_files[232]=new Array(0,1,"./chalm1f.html","2008-06-19","64K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference An Impact Assessment of Micro Finance Interventions on the Growth of Micro Enterprises in Nairobi, Kenya By Damary Sikalieh & Patrice Olubendi This study sought to assess the socio-economic impact of micro finance interventions on enterprises in Nairobi, Kenya. The study also sought to evaluate the extent to which the impact from the interventions has influenced the growth of the individual clients, their households and their enterprises after receiving micro finance interventions. The survey design, using longitudinal-panel data from a sample 90 respondents from a population of 817 was used. Pre-intervention and post-intervention data was collected using enterprise records and structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. In order to provide information on the relative changes in the outcome variables between the two retrospective periods of the survey, paired t-tests were carried out. At the household level, the findings show that the entrepreneurs realized an increase in household incomes, household fixed assets, and increased expenditures after the micro finance interventions. At the enterprise level, positive changes were realized through an increase in sales, business profits, employment and fixed assets, while at the individual level, the entrepreneurs realized an increase in personal income and were better skilled to have a control over their incomes and other business resources as well as demonstrate ability to make appropriate decisions both at personal and enterprise levels. In addition, there was an increase in sales, employment and profitability. Following these findings it can be concluded that micro finance interventions had a positive impact at the individual, enterprise and household levels. However, further research needs to be conducted to establish the sustainability of this positive impact. In addition, there is need to establish the trickle down eff "); array_files[233]=new Array(0,1,"./chalm1s.html","2008-06-19","9K","The Policy and Regulatory Environment","",""," The Policy and Regulatory Environment 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference An Impact Assessment of Micro Finance Interventions on the Growth of Micro Enterprises in Nairobi, Kenya (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. By Damary Sikalieh & Patrice Olubendi This study sought to assess the socio-economic impact of micro finance interventions on enterprises in Nairobi, Kenya. The study also sought to evaluate the extent to which the impact from the interventions has influenced the growth of the individual clients, their households and their enterprises after receiving micro finance interventions. The survey design, using longitudinal-panel data from a sample 90 respondents from a population of 817 was used. Pre-intervention and post-intervention data was collected using enterprise records and structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. In order to provide information on the relative changes in the outcome variables between the two retrospective periods of the survey, paired t-tests were carried out. At the household level, the findings show that the entrepreneurs realized an increase in household incomes, household fixed assets, and increased expenditures after the micro finance interventions. At the enterprise level, positive changes were realized through an increase in sales, business profits, employment and fixed assets, while at the individual level, the entrepreneurs realized an increase in personal income and were better skilled to have a control over their incomes and other business resources as well as demonstrate ability to make appropriate decisions both at personal and enterprise levels. In addition, there was an increase in sales, employment and profitability.   Following these findings it can be concluded that micro finance interventions had a positive impact at the individual, enterprise and household levels. However, further research needs to be conducted to establish the sustainability of this positive impact. In addition, "); array_files[234]=new Array(0,1,"./creak16s.html","2008-06-19","6K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Innovate or Evaporate: Lessons from Japanese SMEs (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. David Gilbert The Japanese ‘Art of Management’ has been closely analysed in endeavouring to understand whether the ‘Art’ was transferable to other environments. As the curtain fell on the last century however, the shining light on Japanese management and organisational practices had dimmed appreciably and theorist’s attention was turned elsewhere to more vibrant environments. Meanwhile, in Japan the calls for SMEs to become more innovative and competitive in leading the revitalisation of a long downtrodden economy had become vociferous.  This paper reports on research which sought to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying components of firm innovativeness at the SME level. Conference Website Home "); array_files[235]=new Array(0,1,"./creak16f.html","2008-06-19","84K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Innovate or Evaporate: Lessons from Japanese SMEs Abstract Organisational theorists as a result of the ‘Japanese Miracle’ focussed significant effort and energy in attempting to identify the factors that contributed to Japan’s post-war success. The Japanese ‘Art of Management’ became a holy grail for many, especially in endeavouring to understand whether the ‘Art’ was transferable to other environments. As the curtain fell on the last century however, the shining light on Japanese management and organisational practices had dimmed appreciably and theorist’s attention was turned elsewhere to more vibrant environments. Meanwhile, in Japan the calls for SMEs to become more innovative and competitive in leading the revitalisation of a long downtrodden economy had become vociferous, especially from policy-makers whose penchant for grandiose slogans has been largely vitiated by the lack of coherent structural reform.  This paper reports on research which sought to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying components of firm innovativeness at the SME level. Keywords: Firm innovativeness, SME Management, Sustainability Introduction Fostering greater firm innovativeness may just be the most critical advantage organisations must develop to effectively compete in the markets of not only today, but those of tomorrow as well. The connection between volatile and dynamic environments and the strategic need for firms to be more innovative is oft made; this paper reports on research undertaken into the underlying components of firm innovativeness in Japanese Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Japan in particular, has faced over an extended period trying conditions, experiencing perhaps the most prolonged recession any developed country has witnessed since the Great Depression. For SME owner/operators the grandiose slogans offered by disconnected bureaucrats afford little comfort or direction in regard "); array_files[236]=new Array(0,1,"./creak15s.html","2008-06-19","8K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Importance of Brand Management in Regional SMEs (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Zanger, Cornelia (contact: c.zanger@wirtschaft.tu-chemnitz.de) Professor Dr. Cornelia Zanger, Head of the Department of Marketing at Chemnitz University of Technology. The main research are Innovative Marketing Communication (Event Marketing, Sponsorship/Ambush Marketing, Experience Marketing Concepts in Retail Banking), Consumer Behaviour (Cognitive Structures/Values Research, Automobile Purchasing/Mobility Behaviour, Sustainable Consumption) and  Relationship Marketing (Target Group-specific Marketing, Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Klaus, Kerstin (contact: kerstin.klaus@wirtschaft.tu-chemnitz.de) Dr. Kerstin Klaus is presently research assistant of Prof. Dr. Cornelia Zanger, Department of Marketing at Chemnitz University of Technology. The main research is experience marketing and brand management/brand positioning. Kaminski, Sandra (contact: sandra.kaminski@wirtschaft.tu-chemnitz.de) Sandra Kaminski is presently research assistant and PhD Student of Prof. Dr. Cornelia Zanger, Department of Marketing at Chemnitz University of Technology. The main research is brand management/brand positioning and marketing for regional clusters. Abstract Whereas an increasing importance has been attached to brand management in SMEs for the last decades, small, regionally-acting companies frequently show significant deficits in this area. Therefore it is necessary to examine the own brand as regards content. This can start out on the basis of a comprehensive brand analysis. Our paper presents results of a project with a medium-sized private brewery in Germany. The tool of brand core analysis, previously rather employed with large companies, was therefore customized to the particularities of SMEs. This opens up new possibilities for SMEs to systematically utilize the potentials of their own brand thus reacting more effectively to the chan "); array_files[237]=new Array(0,1,"./creak15f.html","2008-06-19","41K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Importance of Brand Management in Regional SMEs Zanger, Cornelia (contact: c.zanger@wirtschaft.tu-chemnitz.de) Professor Dr. Cornelia Zanger, Head of the Department of Marketing at Chemnitz University of Technology. The main research are Innovative Marketing Communication (Event Marketing, Sponsorship/Ambush Marketing, Experience Marketing Concepts in Retail Banking), Consumer Behaviour (Cognitive Structures/Values Research, Automobile Purchasing/Mobility Behaviour, Sustainable Consumption) and  Relationship Marketing (Target Group-specific Marketing, Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Klaus, Kerstin (contact: kerstin.klaus@wirtschaft.tu-chemnitz.de) Dr. Kerstin Klaus is presently research assistant of Prof. Dr. Cornelia Zanger, Department of Marketing at Chemnitz University of Technology. The main research is experience marketing and brand management/brand positioning. Kaminski, Sandra (contact: sandra.kaminski@wirtschaft.tu-chemnitz.de) Sandra Kaminski is presently research assistant and PhD Student of Prof. Dr. Cornelia Zanger, Department of Marketing at Chemnitz University of Technology. The main research is brand management/brand positioning and marketing for regional clusters. Abstract Whereas an increasing importance has been attached to brand management in SMEs for the last decades, small, regionally-acting companies frequently show significant deficits in this area. Therefore it is necessary to examine the own brand as regards content. This can start out on the basis of a comprehensive brand analysis. Our paper presents results of a project with a medium-sized private brewery in Germany. The tool of brand core analysis, previously rather employed with large companies, was therefore customized to the particularities of SMEs. This opens up new possibilities for SMEs to systematically utilize the potentials of their own brand thus reacting more effectively to the changed market conditions. Keywords:      "); array_files[238]=new Array(0,1,"./creak14s.html","2008-06-19","8K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Human Capital Strategies of Successful Entrepreneurial Firms (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. David Tomczyk Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence Department of Management, School of Business The George Washington University, Washington D.C., U.S.A. George Solomon Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence Department of Management, School of Business The George Washington University, Washington D.C., U.S.A. Erik Winslow Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence Department of Management, School of Business The George Washington University, Washington D.C., U.S.A. Abstract Small-business owners encountered increasing difficulties in the late 1990s and 2000s recruiting and hiring qualified employees. People who wanted to work were difficult to locate, let alone people with reasonable skill levels. The problem of attracting and retaining skilled employees soared to one of small businesses most serious. The options available to cushion the problems impact were limited. One of those options was to provide a combination of benefits. Drawing on the data gathered by Entrepreneur Magazine on the 500 fastest growing firms in America, we examine the practices they use to attract the employees who have helped make them the incredible successes they are. Conference Website Home "); array_files[239]=new Array(0,1,"./creak14f.html","2008-06-19","59K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Human Capital Strategies of Successful Entrepreneurial Firms David Tomczyk Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence Department of Management, School of Business The George Washington University, Washington D.C., U.S.A. George Solomon Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence Department of Management, School of Business The George Washington University, Washington D.C., U.S.A. Erik Winslow Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence Department of Management, School of Business The George Washington University, Washington D.C., U.S.A. Abstract Small-business owners encountered increasing difficulties in the late 1990s and 2000s recruiting and hiring qualified employees. People who wanted to work were difficult to locate, let alone people with reasonable skill levels. The problem of attracting and retaining skilled employees soared to one of small businesses most serious. The options available to cushion the problems impact were limited. One of those options was to provide a combination of benefits. Drawing on the data gathered by Entrepreneur Magazine on the 500 fastest growing firms in America, we examine the practices they use to attract the employees who have helped make them the incredible successes they are. Background Employment conditions that characterized the late 1990s changed and required entrepreneurial firms to offer competitive human capital benefits. Labor markets loosened and a more diverse labor market emerged. Yet, there remain large parts of the United Sates where the demand for employees made hiring difficult. In these areas, human capital benefits were still an important way for small entrepreneurial firms to overcome labor shortages and attract and retain employees. Even in areas where labor markets were not tight, more skilled employees are more productive employees and contribute disproportionately to the success of a business. Providing employees in these markets with a competitive benefits package typically pr "); array_files[240]=new Array(0,1,"./challenges_l.html","2008-06-19","6K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference SME Management and Growth Impact of Technology Diffusion on Small & Medium Sized Enterprise Innovation, Competitiveness and Sustainability in South Africa: An Automotive Component Supplier Case Study Learning as a Social Process of Social Interaction in the Knowledge-Based Small Firm Strategic Capabilities for Innovation in Manufacturing SMEs: A Gestalts Perspective The Effect of Human Capital, Social Capital and Perceptual Values on Nascent Entrepreneurs’ Export Intentions The Nature and Role of Strategic Marketing Networks in the Development and Growth of New Technology-based Small Firms Conference Website Home "); array_files[241]=new Array(0,1,"./chall5s.html","2008-06-19","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Nature and Role of Strategic Marketing Networks in the Development and Growth of New Technology-based Small Firms (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Sarah Y Cooper, Senior Lecturer, Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, University of Strathclyde, 26 Richmond Street, Glasgow, G1 1XH, Scotland Fax: 0141 548 4345   Tel: 0141 548 4345   E-mail: sarah.cooper@strath.ac.uk and Pauric McGowan, Director, Northern Ireland Centre for Entrepreneurship, University of Ulster, Jordanstown Campus, Shore Road, Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, BT37 0QB Tel: 02890 368864   Fax: 02890 366015   E-mail: p.mcgowan@ulster.ac.uk Strategic networking is increasingly important for organisations seeking to maximise their resource base and enhance their competitive advantage.  Forging and exploiting relationships may result in more rapid organisational development than would be possible through solely internal activities.  This paper presents evidence from an empirical study of the strategic marketing networks of 94 small, electronics and software firms in the United Kingdom.  It considers the development and nature of their networks which support activities as diverse as new product development and market entry, highlights sectoral differences in network composition/extent, and explores links to growth.  Implication for practitioners and policy-makers are discussed. Conference Website Home "); array_files[242]=new Array(0,1,"./chall5f.html","2008-06-19","65K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Nature and Role of Strategic Marketing Networks in the Development and Growth of New Technology-based Small Firms Sarah Y Cooper Senior Lecturer, Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, University of Strathclyde, 26 Richmond Street, Glasgow, G1 1XH, Scotland. Tel: 0141 548 4345    Fax: 0141 552 7602   E-mail: sarah.cooper@strath.ac.uk Pauric McGowan Director, Northern Ireland Centre for Entrepreneurship, University of Ulster, Jordanstown Campus, Shore Road, Newtownabbey, BT37 0QB, Northern Ireland. Tel: 02890 368864   Fax: 02890 9036 6015   E-mail: p.mcgowan@ulster.ac.uk Abstract Strategic networking is increasingly important for organisations seeking to maximise their resource base and enhance their competitive advantage.  Forging and exploiting relationships may result in more rapid organisational development than would be possible through solely internal activities.  This paper presents evidence from an empirical study of the strategic marketing networks of 94 small, electronics and software firms in the United Kingdom.  It considers the development and nature of their networks which support activities as diverse as new product development and market entry, highlights sectoral differences in network composition/extent, and explores links to growth.  Implication for practitioners and policy-makers are discussed. Introduction The successful operation of increasing numbers of organisations is founded upon their ability to access external knowledge and resources, both tangible and intangible, to enhance their competitive advantage (Timmons 1994).  Forging and exploiting well-chosen relationships to achieve increased competitiveness may result in more rapid organisational development than would be possible through solely internal activities (Cooper 2001).  The ability of any organisation to enhance its capabilities through leveraging external know-how and resources is strongly influenced by the scale and sco "); array_files[243]=new Array(0,1,"./creak13s.html","2008-06-19","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Generating a Case for Growth Discourse Analysis of the Entrepreneurs’ Accounts on Growth (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Ulla Hytti – Jarna Heinonen – Kaisu Paasio Turku School of Economics, TSE Entre Rehtorinpellonkatu 3, 20500 Turku, Finland Tel. +358 2481481, Fax +358 2 4814 393 Email: firstname.lastname@tse.fi Author Biographies Adjunct Professor, Dr. Ulla Hytti works as a Research Manager at the TSE Entre of the Turku School of Economics in Finland. She has a PhD “Stories of Entrepreneurs: Narrative Construction of Identities” from Turku School of Economics. She has published research on technology incubators, entrepreneurial identities and entrepreneurship education in academic journals and books. Professor (fixed term), Dr. Jarna Heinonen is a Director of the TSE Entre within the Turku School of Economics in Finland. Her focal research areas include entrepreneurship, especially growth and family entrepreneurship, corporate entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education as well as entrepreneurship policy. M.Sc. Kaisu Paasio works a Research Associate in Entrepreneurship at the Turku School of Economics. Her focal areas of interest are entrepreneurial intentions and motivation, academic entrepreneurship as well as enterprise education. Her ongoing PhD research project is titled “Entrepreneurship discourses in Finland”. Conference Website Home "); array_files[244]=new Array(0,1,"./chall4s.html","2008-06-19","8K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Effect of Human Capital, Social Capital and Perceptual Values on Nascent Entrepreneurs’ Export Intentions (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Majbritt Rostgaard Evald * University of Southern Denmark, Engstien 1, DK-6000 Kolding, Denmark; E-mail: mre@sam.sdu.dk; Tel: +45 6550 1315; Fax: +45 6550 1357. Kim Klyver University of Southern Denmark, Engstien 1, DK-6000 Kolding, Denmark; E-mail: kkl@sam.sdu.dk; Tel: +45 6550 1463; Fax: +45 6550 1357. Poul Rind Christensen Aarhus School of Business, University of Aarhus, Haslegaardsvej 10, DK-8210 Aarhus V, Denmark; E-mail: rind@asb.dk; Tel: +45 8948 6679; Fax: +45 8948 6125. Abstract This study investigates the influence of human capital, social capital and perceptual values on nascent entrepreneurs’ export intentions. The study makes an original contribution because of the focus on “Real” Born Globals. Using national probability samples from 45 countries (N=7,190) we focus on individuals who prior to their business establishment consider whether they should engage in export from the very start of their business venture. The results indicate that while human capital and social capital influence the level of intended export, it does not seem that perceptual values influence the intended level of export. * Please address correspondence to this author. Conference Website Home "); array_files[245]=new Array(0,1,"./creak11s.html","2008-06-19","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Finding Employees and Keeping Them (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Barbara Reda & Linda Dyer The research examined the link between the personality traits of owner-managers of small businesses and their recruitment and selection practices. We predicted that owners’ conscientiousness and openness to experience would affect hiring practices, and that hiring practices, in turn, would have an impact on employees’ attachment to the firm. Participants were 127 owner-managers and employees in 31 small, independent bakeries. Two questionnaires were distributed to owners and employees, and responses revealed that owner’s openness to experience affected the use of hiring practices. Further, use of formal selection techniques had implications for some forms of employee commitment. Conference Website Home "); array_files[246]=new Array(0,1,"./creak11f.html","2008-06-19","40K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Finding Employees and Keeping Them Barbara Reda and Linda Dyer Department of Management John Molson School of Business Concordia University Barbara Reda is an MSc candidate at the John Molson School of Business (JMSB), Concordia University. Her research interests are in human resource management. Linda Dyer is Professor of Management at the JMSB, Concordia University. She studies small business owner-managers’ interactions with business advisors as well as with employees. Contact Information: Linda Dyer, Department of Management, John Molson School of Business, Concordia University; 1550 de Maisonneuve Blvd West, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1M8 E-mail: dyer@jmsb.concordia.ca Telephone: 514-848-2424 x2936 Finding Employees and Keeping Them: Owners’ Traits and Hiring Practices in the Small Business The research examined the link between the personality traits of owner-managers of small businesses and their recruitment and selection practices. We predicted that owners’ conscientiousness and openness to experience would affect hiring practices, and that hiring practices, in turn, would have an impact on employees’ attachment to the firm. Participants were 127 owner-managers and employees in 31 small, independent bakeries. Two questionnaires were distributed to owners and employees, and responses revealed that owner’s openness to experience affected the use of hiring practices. Further, use of formal selection techniques had implications for some forms of employee commitment. Finding and retaining good employees is an important challenge for small firms. In 2007, 57% of Canadian small business owners mentioned hiring as one of their most significant problems (Canadian Federation for Independent Business, 2008). In a small firm, each employee represents a relatively larger proportion of the total workforce, and so has a relatively larger impact on the firm’s outcomes, than an employee in a large firm (Gatewood and Field, "); array_files[247]=new Array(0,1,"./chall3s.html","2008-06-19","8K","SME Management and Growth ","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Strategic Capabilities for Innovation in Manufacturing SMEs: A Gestalts Perspective (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Louis Raymond Institut de recherche sur les PME Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières C.P. 500 Trois-Rivières, Qc Canada, G9A 5H7 tel.: (819) 376-5011 ext. 3160, fax: (819) 376-5079 email: louis.raymond@uqtr.ca Josée St-Pierre Institut de recherche sur les PME Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières email: josee.st-pierre@uqtr.ca Paper presented to the 53rd ICSB World Conference, Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 22 - 25, 2008 Abstract Relating the strategic capabilities of SMEs to their capacity to innovate is an important issue. From a contingency perspective, the firm’s strategic capabilities can be leveraged for purposes of innovation to the extent that they are in strategic co-alignment, giving rise to the following empirical research questions: Are the networking, R&D and technological capabilities of SMEs co-aligned such that different organisational gestalts can be observed? And does co-alignment lead to a successful outcome in terms of innovation? Through a cluster analysis of a sample of 205 Canadian manufacturing firms, three gestalts are identified, namely entrepreneurial, engineering and administrative SMEs. Conference Website Home "); array_files[248]=new Array(0,1,"./chall3f.html","2008-06-19","76K","SME Management and Growth ","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Strategic Capabilities for Innovation in Manufacturing SMEs: A Gestalts Perspective Louis Raymond Institut de recherche sur les PME Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières C.P. 500 Trois-Rivières, Qc Canada, G9A 5H7 tel.: (819) 376-5011 ext. 3160, fax: (819) 376-5079 email: louis.raymond@uqtr.ca Josée St-Pierre Institut de recherche sur les PME Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières email: josee.st-pierre@uqtr.ca Paper presented to the 53rd ICSB World Conference, Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 22 - 25, 2008 Abstract With the advent of globalisation and the knowledge economy, an important issue in this regard lies in the relationship between the strategic capabilities of SMEs and their capacity to innovate. From a contingency perspective, one would argue that the firm’s strategic capabilities can be leveraged for purposes of innovation to the extent that these capabilities are in strategic co-alignment, giving rise to the following empirical research questions: Are the networking, R&D and technological capabilities of SMEs co-aligned such that one can observe different organisational gestalts? And does co-alignment of these capabilities lead to a successful outcome in terms of innovation? In answer to these questions, this paper presents the results of a study of 205 Canadian manufacturing firms. Through cluster analysis, three gestalts are identified, namely entrepreneurial SMEs, engineering SMEs and administrative SMEs. Analysis of these gestalts indicates that entrepreneurial SMEs clearly lead the other two in terms of R&D and product innovation. Introduction Innovation has long been considered as one of the most if not the most important factor of strategic development for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (Acs, 1995). For these firms, greater innovativeness is deemed essential to counterbalance their greater vulnerability in a complex business environment characterised by a knowledge-based econom "); array_files[249]=new Array(0,1,"./creak10s.html","2008-06-19","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Factors Contributing to the Success of Malaysian Biotechnology SMEs (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. SARIDAN ABU BAKAR, MOHAMED SULAIMAN and INTAN OSMAN Empirical research on factors affecting the success of Malaysian biotechnology SMEs is still scarce.  Thus, current research attempts to enrich the existing body of biotechnology SMEs knowledge in Malaysia.  Using a grounded theory approach, this qualitative research has developed a preliminary conceptual framework that hypothesizes the link between entrepreneur and enterprise factors and the success of biotechnology SMEs.  Entrepreneur’s age, motivation and knowledge-based resources, innovation activities, enterprise and personal linkages, access to financial capital, government assistances, vertical integration, enterprise image, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliance  and halal certification have strong influence on SMEs success. Conference Website Home "); array_files[250]=new Array(0,1,"./creak10f.html","2008-06-19","104K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Factors Contributing to the Success of Malaysian Biotechnology SMEs Saridan Abu Bakar Universiti Teknologi MARA Mohamed Sulaiman Intan Osman Universiti Sains Malaysia ________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT Empirical research on factors affecting the success of Malaysian biotechnology SMEs is still scarce.  Thus, current research attempts to enrich the existing body of biotechnology SMEs knowledge in Malaysia.  Using a grounded theory approach, this qualitative research has developed a preliminary conceptual framework that hypothesizes the link between entrepreneur and enterprise factors and the success of biotechnology SMEs.  Entrepreneur’s age, motivation and knowledge-based resources, innovation activities, enterprise and personal linkages, access to financial capital, government assistances, vertical integration, enterprise image, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliance  and halal certification have strong influence on SMEs success. Keyword(s):     Malaysian Biotechnology SMEs, Grounded Theory, Qualitative Research, Success ________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION Biotechnology may be defined in terms of using biological organisms for the attainment of commercial ends (Fransman, 1991). Biotechnology business use biological organisms, through various biotechnological techniques, to develop products for human and animal healthcare, agricultural productivity, food processing, renewable resources, industrial and environmental management (BIOTEK, 2001; National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau, 2005; Shahi, 2004).  The Malaysian Government has identified biotechnology as one of the five core technologies that will accelerate Malaysia’s transformation into a highly industrialized nation by 2020 (Malaysia, 2001). Accordingly, Malaysia has invested in biotechnology to achieve a rapid advancement in agriculture, human health a "); array_files[251]=new Array(0,1,"./creak9f.html","2008-06-19","104K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Factors Contributing to the Success of Malaysian Biotechnology SMEs Saridan Abu Bakar Universiti Teknologi MARA Mohamed Sulaiman Intan Osman Universiti Sains Malaysia ________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT Empirical research on factors affecting the success of Malaysian biotechnology SMEs is still scarce.  Thus, current research attempts to enrich the existing body of biotechnology SMEs knowledge in Malaysia.  Using a grounded theory approach, this qualitative research has developed a preliminary conceptual framework that hypothesizes the link between entrepreneur and enterprise factors and the success of biotechnology SMEs.  Entrepreneur’s age, motivation and knowledge-based resources, innovation activities, enterprise and personal linkages, access to financial capital, government assistances, vertical integration, enterprise image, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliance  and halal certification have strong influence on SMEs success. Keyword(s):     Malaysian Biotechnology SMEs, Grounded Theory, Qualitative Research, Success ________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION Biotechnology may be defined in terms of using biological organisms for the attainment of commercial ends (Fransman, 1991). Biotechnology business use biological organisms, through various biotechnological techniques, to develop products for human and animal healthcare, agricultural productivity, food processing, renewable resources, industrial and environmental management (BIOTEK, 2001; National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau, 2005; Shahi, 2004).  The Malaysian Government has identified biotechnology as one of the five core technologies that will accelerate Malaysia’s transformation into a highly industrialized nation by 2020 (Malaysia, 2001). Accordingly, Malaysia has invested in biotechnology to achieve a rapid advancement in agriculture, human health a "); array_files[252]=new Array(0,1,"./chall2s.html","2008-06-19","11K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Learning as a Social Process of Social Interaction in the Knowledge-based Small Firm (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. David Higgins University of Huddersfield, Management Dept, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH d.higgins@hud.ac.uk Learning as a social process of social interaction in the Knowledge-based Small Firm The influence of globalisation, dynamic environments, the use and expansion of information systems and technology, has placed a huge influence on how the knowledge-based small firm uses and develops knowledge, (Leonard-Barton, 1995; Brown and Duguid, 1998). Such a focus on firm knowledge and knowing is particularly appropriate in the consideration of the demands which have been placed on the knowledge-based small firm to be innovative and creative, especially in competitive environments where the development and delivery of new services and products is of huge importance and represents an ongoing firm challenge. Dealing effectively with such challenges requires a focus away from the firm’s knowledge base, which currently occupies much of the traditional discussion on organisational knowledge, and towards a focus which draws attention to organisational knowing as an emerging process from the continuous and situated practices of firm agents as they interact and engage with each other and the dynamic environments in which they function. By viewing organisational knowing as a process in which agents are understood to act knowingly as an element of their routines and day to day activities. A firm agent is viewed to be purposeful and spontaneous, continually and routinely reviewing the flow of their actions and of others, coupled to the social contexts in which their own activities are intertwined. As Giddens notes “such activities suggest an immense knowledge ability involved in the conduct of everyday life”, (Giddens and Pierson, 1998, p.90). The knowledge-based small firm constitutes a common interp "); array_files[253]=new Array(0,1,"./chall2f.html","2008-06-19","62K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Learning as a Social Process of Social Interaction in the Knowledge-Based Small Firm David Higgins University of Huddersfield, Management Dept, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH d.higgins@hud.ac.uk Learning as a social process of social interaction in the Knowledge-based Small Firm Abstract The influence of globalisation, dynamic environments, the use and expansion of information systems and technology, has placed a huge influence on how the knowledge-based small firm uses and develops knowledge, (Leonard-Barton, 1995; Brown and Duguid, 1998). Such a focus on firm knowledge and knowing is particularly appropriate in the consideration of the demands which have been placed on the knowledge-based small firm to be innovative and creative, especially in competitive environments where the development and delivery of new services and products is of huge importance and represents an ongoing firm challenge. Dealing effectively with such challenges requires a focus away from the firm’s knowledge base, which currently occupies much of the traditional discussion on organisational knowledge, and towards a focus which draws attention to organisational knowing as an emerging process from the continuous and situated practices of firm agents as they interact and engage with each other and the dynamic environments in which they function. By viewing organisational knowing as a process in which agents are understood to act knowingly as an element of their routines and day to day activities. A firm agent is viewed to be purposeful and spontaneous, continually and routinely reviewing the flow of their actions and of others, coupled to the social contexts in which their own activities are intertwined. As Giddens notes “such activities suggest an immense knowledge ability involved in the conduct of everyday life”, (Giddens and Pierson, 1998, p.90). The knowledge-based small firm constitutes a common interpretative of visions, values and ex "); array_files[254]=new Array(0,1,"./creak9s.html","2008-06-19","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Empowering the Small Investor: Practical Equity Asset Allocation Tools that Bridge the Gap Between Theory and Practice The asset allocation decision is the most important decision any investor can make (Jones, 2004) in an environment riddled with financial choices (Altfest 2004). This research paper puts forward practical solutions to the asset allocation of equity investments, other than random or equal weighting (Elton and Gruber, 1977). The solutions consider the investor’s risk preference and incorporate the use of modern- and post-modern portfolio theory in a practical and logical application. It empowers individual investors and entrepreneurs to apply the complicated theoretical mathematics (without actually having to perform them) in the process of company (or personal) portfolio building. Author: J.R. Kuiper School of Management University of the Free State South Africa E-mail: jrkuiper@gpnet.net Conference Website Home "); array_files[255]=new Array(0,1,"./creak8s.html","2008-06-19","6K","SME Management and Growtht","",""," SME Management and Growtht 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Emerging from Maturity: The Case of the Italian Manufacturing Industry From a strategic point of view industry maturity is a relevant aspect for incumbents, as the range of business opportunities shrink. However also in these industries it is possible to find emerging firms able to sustain paths of growth and development. Referring to the Italian manufacturing industry During 1995-2005 this work tries to give some indications on the theme of firm performance determinants and can be considered a first attempt for Italy to systematically address the issue of the emerging firms in mature industries. Conference Website Home "); array_files[256]=new Array(0,1,"./chall1s.html","2008-06-19","6K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Impact of Technology Diffusion on Small & Medium Sized Enterprise Innovation, Competitiveness and Sustainability in South Africa: An Automotive Component Supplier Case Study David Phaho Tshumisano Trust, Department of Science and Technology, Private Bag 23, The Innovation Hub, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa Danie Hattingh Automotive Components Technology Station, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa Conference Website Home "); array_files[257]=new Array(0,1,"./creak7s.html","2008-06-19","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Economic Downturn as an Environmental Shock William J. Dennis, Jr. NFIB Research Foundation denny.dennis@nfib.org Since last autumn, newspaper headlines regularly trumpeted American economic woes.  The data monitoring economic progress over the period largely concurred.  But, with a possible environmental shock (a recession) looming, American small business owners exhibited no sense of urgency.  Of the 12 potential preparations that respondents to this national telephone survey could have been made, one quarter made none and another 22 percent made one.  The major factor associated with taking more/fewer actions to prepare for this potential shock was the owner/ managers assessment of the firm’s current performance and its immediate prospects.        Conference Website Home "); array_files[258]=new Array(0,1,"./creak4f.html","2008-06-19","45K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Chances and Risks for Small and Medium Sized Companies in the Process of Internationalisation and Globalisation The continuous processes of internationalisation comprise several chances for small and medium sized enterprises1 (SME), but some risks. Chances come in particular in the abilities to export and the occupation of new markets. Germany, and with it its companies, are still the world’s no. one export nation.2 But for internationalising, all economical activities and not only the exporting SMEs reach their limits. On the one hand, many German companies are already internationally active, in the areas of acquisition, export, import and in some parts also by founding subsidiaries in different countries. On the other hand is the limit of potential for internationalisation that goes further (for example finance, human resources, research and development) than the classical economical areas (acquisition, production, outlet) not reached yet by SMEs.3 It stays to state: so far export is still the main instrument for SMEs in the framework for internationalisation. That means that there is more potential concerning the particular process of internationalisation in the classical area as well as in the extended functional areas of SMEs. I. Introduction Everybody is speaking about internationalisation and like “globalisation” it has become an undifferentiatedly used and in the same time context-linked catchword.4 The so called “go international”, the “deeper internationalisation”, with all its different characteristics is inspired by SMEs. Because of a continuous liberalisation of international trade, the international competition will increase. That means that also SMEs with regional or national orientation have to face more and more potential foreign competitors in their ancestral markets. So, the economical ability of taking strategic or operational advantage for your own company out of the arising chances off "); array_files[259]=new Array(0,1,"./creak6s.html","2008-06-19","8K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Early Internationalizing SMEs: The Case of Puerto Rico (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Ramachandra K. Asundi, Leonora C. Hamilton Coplin and Karen Orengo Serra Abstract This study identifies the main traits, motivations and performance of SMEs in Puerto Rico that export early after getting established. The study utilizes the case analysis and the results of an in-depth survey of firms CEOs. It also aims to design a conceptual framework to assist firm to export.  Evidence shows that early international experience, entrepreneurial motivation, networking, differentiated products, and niches are the major factors for firms to go abroad early and succeed. Findings from the firms focused and differentiated strategies will allow constructing a framework to guide new established SMEs foreign market entry. Cette étude identifie les traits majeurs, les motivations et le niveau de performance des PME portoricaines lesquelles s’engagent dans des activités d’exportation très tôt une fois établies. L’étude utilise la méthodologie d’étude de cas, ainsi que les résultats d’un sondage effectué aux PDG des entreprises. La recherche vise également à concevoir un cadre conceptuel qui puisse aider les entreprises à s’engager dans l’export. L’évidence nous montre quune première expérience internationale, l’esprit de l’entrepreneuriat, la gestion des réseaux, les produits différenciés, et les niches, sont les principaux facteurs pour que les entreprises aillent à létranger très tôt et réussissent. Les résultats obtenus, nous permettront de construire un cadre que puisse guider à  l’expansion des PME à l’étranger. Conference Website Home "); array_files[260]=new Array(0,1,"./creak5s.html","2008-06-19","8K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Do Growth Firms Grow in a Particular Way or Do They Just Grow? (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Kuuluvainen, Arto Pukkinen, Tommi Stenholm, Pekka TSE Entre. Turku School of Economics and Business Administration Rehtorinpellonkatu 3, FIN-20500, Turku, Finland Tel. + 358 2481 481, Fax. + 358 2 4814 393 firstname.lastname@tse.fi http://www.tse.fi Summary In this paper we analyse the differences in behavioural patterns between growing and non-growing small and medium-sized firms. We focus on studying if the dynamic behaviour of the firms based on dynamic capabilities and entrepreneurial process differ among these two types of firms. The study is conducted through a longitudinal follow-up survey that was collected from Finnish SMEs in 2004 and 2007. Our results indicate that opportunity search and modification are more prevalent and reconfiguration of resources less prevalent actions among growing firms than non-growing firms. In practical terms, there are several dimensions of dynamic behaviour that may increase the likelihood for firm growth and increase the growth orientation, as well. At the same time the results indicate to policy makers that dynamic change is vital part of business and such activity may be facilitated through industry and entrepreneurship policy.               Kuuluvainen works as a researcher at Turku School of Economics. His research interests include enterprise growth and internationalization, habitual entrepreneurship and sports management.               Pukkinen is working as a researcher at Turku School of Economics. His research work concentrates on enterprise growth and internationalization, graduate entrepreneurship and enterprise policy.               Stenholm is working as a visiting research fellow at the School of Public Policy at the George Mason University, VA, USA. He is conducting research projects on enterprise growth, family entrepreneur "); array_files[261]=new Array(0,1,"./challenges_k.html","2008-06-19","7K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Small Business Support Services Assessing the Role and Value of the Real Enterprise Development (REDDOOR) Progemme to Develop Entrepreneurs and Enterprises in the Western Cape Province of South Africa Impact of Technology Diffusion on Samll & Medium Sized Enterprise Innovation, Competitiveness and Sustainability in South Africa: An Automotive Component Supplier Case Study Small Business Growth through Telecommuting: Grabbing Market Share with a Large Firm Strategy Support for Aboriginal Entrepreneurs in Canada: Options, Access, Utilization, and Perceived Usefulness The Results of the Governments Support Program Promoting Overseas Exports by Small and Medium Enterprises: A Korean Case Study Conference Website Home "); array_files[262]=new Array(0,1,"./chalk5s.html","2008-06-19","8K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Results of the Governments Support Program Promoting Overseas Exports by Small and Medium Enterprises: A Korean Case Study (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Summary Ki-Kwan Yoon CNU R.O KOREA The SMEs themselves are not capable of developing e-Trade experts and also can not export and import. Therefore, each government should put the following policies into practice in order to develop e-Trade experts for the SMEs. First, each government should establish the department of international Trade in each university which teaches the theory and practices concerning international trade. Second, each government should let each university establish such the training center for e-Trade, university enterprise, as the TI and the GTEP in Korea. Each government should make use of GTEP members as SMEs’ export helpers. Third, each government should oblige the GTEP graduates to be employed in the SMEs during given period. Fourth, each government should bring up many e-Trade Companies to be able to let SMEs make use of their experts. Of course, each government should cooperate with them for transferring the GTEP in university into e-Trade company. Fifth, each government should support a lot of benefits in order to upgrade Incubator e-Trade Company into e-Trade Company. Sixth, in the long term each country in East Asian region should participate in the PAA project and the SMEs result in making use of PAA benefit. ICSB should take action in order that East Asian counties yet to participate in PAA join with it. Lastly, such the representative enterprise as KTNET in Korea should be, first of all, to participate into PAA program. ICSB should lead to let each government establish PAA by making use of ADB, ODA, UNDP. Conference Website Home "); array_files[263]=new Array(0,1,"./chalk5f.html","2008-06-19","59K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Results of the Governments Support Program Promoting Overseas Exports by Small and Medium Enterprises: A Korean Case Study Author: YOON Ki-Kwan         Professor of International Trade         Chungnam National University         Republic of Korea I.   Background Most of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the world economy play a considerable role in each country’s economic development. However their business environment is not as good as large enterprises in regards to capital, sales volume, profits, export-import facilitation, tax, insurance, financing, etc. So, developing countries’ governments have been especially trying to promote support systems for SMEs within their own country. East Asian countries often insist that the most imperative tasks in SMEs’ external trade are to simply reduce the trade barriers to facilitate them. The most proper measure in facilitating trade is just to enable them to make use of an e-trade service for trade within the East Asia region. Recently, the introduction of electronic (e-) trade throughout the world has accelerated the rapid diffusion of global e-trade. The essence of global e-trade is the flow and exchange of data among the related parties, businesses, and countries. The proper linkages of trade networks are the fundamental elements to implement global e-trade. In order to create a better environment for global e-trade development, it is necessary for the related parties to align their information systems with those of their trading parties. In view of this necessity, the strengthening and expanding of global e-trade networks are at the core of global e-trade, as well as the significance and requirements of e-trade and e-networks. Today, the Pan-Asian e-Commerce Alliance (PAA) has become the representative symbol of the global e-trade networks. There has been a demand for the active training and development of more e-trade experts "); array_files[264]=new Array(0,1,"./creak5f.html","2008-06-19","111K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Do Growth Firms Grow in a Particular Way or Do They Just Grow? Kuuluvainen, Arto Pukkinen, Tommi Stenholm, Pekka TSE Entre Turku School of Economics and Business Administration Rehtorinpellonkatu 3, FIN-20500, Turku, Finland Tel. + 358 2481 481, Fax. + 358 2 4814 393 firstname.lastname@tse.fi http://www.tse.fi Abstract In this paper we analyse the differences in behavioural patterns between growing and non-growing small and medium-sized firms. We focus on studying if the dynamic behaviour of the firms based on dynamic capabilities and entrepreneurial process differ among these two types of firms. The study is conducted through a longitudinal follow-up survey that was collected from Finnish SMEs in 2004 and 2007. Our results indicate that opportunity search and modification are more prevalent and reconfiguration of resources less prevalent actions among growing firms than non-growing firms. In practical terms, there are several dimensions of dynamic behaviour that may increase the likelihood for firm growth and increase the growth orientation, as well. At the same time the results indicate to policy makers that dynamic change is vital part of business and such activity may be facilitated through industry and entrepreneurship policy. Principal Topic and Aims of the Study In understanding firm performance three extensive and overlapping streams of research are recognized: intra-firm, market-based view and process view of firm performance (Brydon 2006; Wolff and Pett 2006; Ambastha and Momaya 2004; Čater 2003). The intra-firm characteristics include for example strategic management, human resources, technology, production and marketing (Ambastha and Momaya 2004; Porter 1985). In a way these dimensions cover all the operations conducted in the firm. Consequently, Baum, Locke, and Kirkpatrick (2001) showed that internal factors, such as strategic choices, and managerial skills, explain firm growth better than the external fac "); array_files[265]=new Array(0,1,"./chalk4s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Support for Aboriginal Entrepreneurs in Canada: Options, Access, Utilization, and Perceived Usefulness Warren Weir This presentation profiles and assesses Aboriginal (Indian, Métis, and Inuit) and non-Aboriginal programs that promote and support Aboriginal entrepreneurs and small business owners in Canada. Exploratory interviews were conducted with Aboriginal entrepreneurs in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to clarify whether Aboriginal entrepreneurs are aware of these programs, are able to access and/or utilize them, and determine if they found the programs useful.The presentation builds on information gathered from representatives of support organizations that provide services through governmental, non-governmental, financial, corporate, academic, and Aboriginal institutions. Workshop participants will have an opportunity to comment on the research, and make suggestions about support options. Conference Website Home "); array_files[266]=new Array(0,1,"./chalk3s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Small Business Growth through Telecommuting: Grabbing Market Share with a Large Firm Strategy (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. John Pearce This article extracts the key learning points from two decades of business experiences in the use of telecommuting as a structural initiative.  It reveals that new ventures and small firms can use the experiences of larger firms as a springboard for their own telecommuting initiatives.  Rather than rely on a small sample survey of a micro-segment of one possible business application to investigate hypothetical possibilities, this research has extracted reproducible successes in telecommuting from the enormous body of existent literature.  The research reveals that building telecommuting capability into a small business is consistent with its priority to require efficiency in all initiatives. Conference Website Home "); array_files[267]=new Array(0,1,"./chalk3f.html","2008-06-19","64K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Small Business Growth through Telecommuting: Grabbing Market Share with a Large Firm Strategy John A. Pearce II Villanova University Please address all correspondence to Dr. John A. Pearce II, Villanova School of Business, Department of Management and Operations, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, 19085, Phone: (610) 519-4332, Internet: john.pearce@villanova.edu Small Business Growth through Telecommuting: Grabbing Market Share with a Large Firm Strategy Abstract This article extracts the key learning points from two decades of business experiences in the use of telecommuting as a structural initiative.  It reveals that new ventures and small firms can use the experiences of larger firms as a springboard for their own telecommuting initiatives.  Rather than rely on a small sample survey of a micro-segment of one possible business application to investigate hypothetical possibilities, this research has extracted reproducible successes in telecommuting from the enormous body of existent literature.  The research reveals that building telecommuting capability into a small business is consistent with its priority to require efficiency in all initiatives.  Counterintuitive Opportunity Commonly, an industry emerges through entrepreneurial innovation and initiative.  It achieves market traction through painstaking consumer education and marketing.  Then, just as market acceptance is achieved, richly-resourced corporations invade the industry to force out or absorb the thriving but vulnerable founders and to accomplish competitive shakeout.  However, in the case of telecommuting, the roles of small entrepreneurial firms and large corporations can be reversed.  This article reviews a decade of research on the experience of large organizations using telecommuting as a structural initiative.  However, the focus is on the tremendous opportunities that are developing for small and entrepreneuria "); array_files[268]=new Array(0,1,"./chalk2s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Impact of Technology Diffusion on Samll & Medium Sized Enterprise Innovation, Competitiveness and Sustainability in South Africa: An Automotive Component Supplier Case Study David Phaho, Danie Hattingh and Anastassios Pouris Summary The importance of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME’s) is highlighted by their contribution to economic growth and employment creation. This role is underpinned by the production of innovative and world class products, processes and services as well as a skilled labour force. This article illustrates how a formalised intervention by a South African university has benefited an SME operating in the local automotive industry. The involvement of a university based entity has enabled the SME to retain lucrative supply contracts from a leading automotive manufacturer. The success of this intervention point out the importance of technology diffusion as a tool in assisting SME’s to grow and thrive in an increasingly globalised economy. Conference Website Home "); array_files[269]=new Array(0,1,"./chalk1f.html","2008-06-19","45K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Assessing the Role and Value of the Real Enterprise Development (REDDOOR) Progemme to Develop Entrepreneurs and Enterprises in the Western Cape Province of South Africa Dr Marius Venter (D. Com.) University of Johannesburg, mventer@uj.ac.za Abstract The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the perceived value of the Real Enterprise Development (REDDOOR) programme to develop entrepreneurs and enterprises in the Western Cape, South Africa. Business support services are viewed as a key component of local, provincial and national economic development strategies, supporting and accelerating the growth of entrepreneurs and enterprises across all sectors. There is also an increasing demand from practitioners and stakeholders, as well as strategic bodies, to identify and establish good practices and to develop ‘benchmarks’ against which business support management teams can measure and monitor their own performance and so raise the quality and value of business support in South Africa. This paper outlines the results of a case study conducted in the Eden/Karoo district. This comprises: Beaufort West, Knysna, Mosselbay and Oudtshoorn to determine the perceived value of the REDDOOR to different stakeholders. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire asked questions about the perceived value of the services and the role of the REDDOOR to the different stakeholders and the strategic importance of the programme in relation to its contribution (perceived value) towards the capacity building of entrepreneurs, youth, communities, partners, stakeholders and business advisors. Good practice indicators are highlighted on the following key elements of business support: facilities and infrastructure; support processes; and the skills and experience required by business support and management teams. The paper concludes with the lessons learnt that can be used as a mecha "); array_files[270]=new Array(0,1,"./chalk1s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Assessing the Role and Value of the Real Enterprise Development (REDDOOR) Progemme to Develop Entrepreneurs and Enterprises in the Western Cape Province of South Africa (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. MARIUS VENTER The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the perceived value of the Real Enterprise Development (REDDOOR) programme in providing business support services to develop entrepreneurs and enterprises in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Business support services are viewed as a key component of economic development strategies, supporting and accelerating the growth of entrepreneurs and enterprises across all sectors. There is also an increasing demand from practitioners and stakeholders, as well as strategic bodies, to identify and establish good practices and to develop ‘benchmarks’ against which business support management teams can measure and monitor their own performance and so raise the quality and value of business support in South Africa. Conference Website Home "); array_files[271]=new Array(0,1,"./creak3s.html","2008-06-19","6K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Business Models That Matter - Towards a Classification of Business Models in SME Context (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Jussi Puhakainen and Pasi Malinen The business model concept became popular during the so-called e-hype or dot.com period (see for example Morris et al. 2006, Hedman & Kalling 2003). After a brief lapse following the dot.com collapse period, the importance of business models has risen again. Business models can be used for multiple purposes (strategic planning, tweaking operations, communicating between shareholders etc.) and there exists multiple definitions on the concept itself. This paper makes an effort to classify business models from a SME-perspective and discuss the importance of business models for SMEs. Conference Website Home "); array_files[272]=new Array(0,1,"./creak3f.html","2008-06-19","37K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Business Models That Matter - Towards a Classification of Business Models in SME Context Prof. Jussi Puhakainen Business Research and Development Centre, Turku School of Economics Rehtorinpellonkatu 3, FIN-20500 Turku, Finland Phone: +358-2-4814 601 Fax: +358-2-4814 268 Email: jussi.puhakainen@tse.fi Prof. Pasi Malinen Business Research and Development Centre, Turku School of Economics Rehtorinpellonkatu 3, FIN-20500 Turku, Finland Phone: +358-2-4814 579 Fax: +358-2-4814 268 Email: pasi.malinen@tse.fi Abstract The business model concept became popular during the so-called e-hype or dot.com period (see for example Morris et al. 2006, Hedman & Kalling 2003). After a brief lapse following the dot.com collapse period, the importance of business models has risen again. Business models can be used for multiple purposes (strategic planning, tweaking operations, communicating between shareholders etc.) and there exists multiple definitions on the concept itself. This paper makes an effort to classify business models from a SME-perspective and discuss the importance of business models for SMEs. Introduction Ventures fail despite the presence of market opportunities, novel business ideas, adequate resources and talented entrepreneurs. One possible explanation may be the fundamental model driving the business. However, little attention has been given by researchers to the business model concept (Morris, Schindehutte & Allen 2005). During the years 2007-2008, though, there has been a noticeable increase in this interest (see for example Rajala, R. , Westerlund, & Rajala, A. & Leminen 2008). However, most of this recent research is either industry-specific (for example Rajala & Westerlund 2008) or does not take the SME-focus (for example Chesbrough 2007). SMEs are a demanding field of research because of their heterogeneous nature. SMEs should not be considered as smaller versions of large corporations, instead, t "); array_files[273]=new Array(0,1,"./creak2f.html","2008-06-19","55K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference A Two-Dimensional Framework for Knowledge Management Systems in Small and Medium Enterprises Stefania Testa University of Genova, Department of Communication, Computer and System Science V.le Causa 13 - 16145 Genova (Italy) Tel +39 010 3532135 Fax +39 010 3532948. e-mail address: stefania.testa@unige.it Corresponding author and presenter Silvia Massa University of Genova, Department of Communication, Computer and System Science V.le Causa 13 - 16145 Genova (Italy) Tel. +39 010 3532747 Fax +39 010 3532948. e-mail address: silvia.massa@unige.it Stefania Testa is an assistant professor at the Department of Communication, Computer and System Sciences at the University of Genoa (Italy), where she received her PhD. Prior to joining the University as a faculty member, she was a consultant in a leading American consulting company. Her main research interests are innovation and knowledge management in small and large enterprises. Silvia Massa is an assistant professor at the Department of Communication, Computer and System Sciences at the University of Genoa (Italy), where she received her PhD. Her main research interest is knowledge management in organizations. A two-dimensional framework for knowledge management systems in small and medium enterprises Abstract This study develops a categorization framework for knowledge management systems based on two dimensions. Such dimensions have been identified as: company knowledge domain (organization, marketing and technology) and company innovation behavior (high and low). The reported empirical findings are derived from six case studies. The findings represent the six categories obtained from combining the two dimensions mentioned above. The various case studies have been selected among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the food industry. The data suggest that the two dimensions make significant distinctions between different kinds of knowledge management systems. Keywords: Knowl "); array_files[274]=new Array(0,1,"./challenges_j.html","2008-06-19","6K","Research Methodology and Theory Development in the Field","",""," Research Methodology and Theory Development in the Field 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Research Methodology and Theory Development in the Field A Model for Applying Social Network Analysis Methods in Small Business Research and Development Conference Website Home "); array_files[275]=new Array(0,1,"./chalj1s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Research Methodology and Theory Development in the Field","",""," Research Methodology and Theory Development in the Field 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference A Model for Applying Social Network Analysis Methods in Small Business Research and Development (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Christopher J. Hanson Summary - Small businesses in the United States (US) account for over 98% of all business organizations, employ 50.6% of all workers and contribute over 50% of nonfarm gross domestic product (Kobe, 2007). In Europe, small businesses account for an even larger portion of jobs and production (Beaver & Hutchings, 2004). Given the significant role that small business plays in our economic and social well-being, relatively little research has been done to look at how organization development theories can be applied to small business research and development (Beaver & Hutchings, 2004; Hill, 2004; Stewart & Beaver, 2004). There are significant barriers and opportunities in applying such theories to small business (Taylor, Shaw & Thorpe, 2004). This paper presents a model for how social network analysis methods might be used to overcome these barriers and capitalize on these opportunities. Conference Website Home "); array_files[276]=new Array(0,1,"./chalj1f.html","2008-06-19","57K","Research Methodology and Theory Development in the Field","",""," Research Methodology and Theory Development in the Field 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference A Model for Applying Social Network Analysis Methods in Small Business Research and Development Christopher J. Hanson University of Minnesota May 15. 2008 Chris Hanson is currently a Ph.D. student in Organization Development with the Department of Work and Human Resource Education at the University of Minnesota. He has also started and operated six small businesses in the last 25 years. His research interests include organization development of small businesses, social entrepreneurship, social capital and social network analysis in organizations. A Model for Applying Social Network Analysis Methods in Small Business Research and Development Christopher J. Hanson Small businesses in the United States (US) account for over 98% of all business organizations, employ 50.6% of all workers and contribute over 50% of nonfarm gross domestic product (Kobe, 2007). In Europe, small businesses account for an even larger portion of jobs and production (Beaver & Hutchings, 2004). Given the significant role that small business plays in our economic and social well-being, relatively little research has been done to look at how organization development theories can be applied to small business research and development (Beaver & Hutchings, 2004; Hill, 2004; Stewart & Beaver, 2004). There are significant barriers and opportunities in applying such theories to small business (Taylor, Shaw & Thorpe, 2004). This paper presents a model for how social network analysis methods might be used to overcome these barriers and capitalize on these opportunities. Introduction Small business organizations play an increasingly important role in the economic and social well-being of the global community. In the US over 98% of all businesses employ fewer than 100 people (Heneman & Berkley, 1999). These small businesses account for over 50% of all nonfarm related gross domestic product and have accounted for "); array_files[277]=new Array(0,1,"./challenges_i.html","2008-06-19","7K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship A Study of Establishment Processes and Entrepreneurial Industry Emergence in a Swedish Region Facing Difficulties Assessment of Impact of Technology Suitability on Grass-root Food Processing Enterprise in Selected Rural Communities in South West Nigeria Osun State, Nigeria Barriers to Entrepreneurship Development in the Indigenous Communities of Western Niger-Delta, Nigeria Croatia - Regional Differences and SME Projects for Competitiveness Developing Indigenous Community Based Enterprises: Challenges and Prospects Gauging the Pee Dee Region’s Entrepreneurial Potential Industrial Agglomeration and Small Firm Product Development Comparing Cambridgeshire Silicon-Fen and Essex Local Labor Market Endowments, New Business Characteristics, and Performance The Effects of Outshopping on a Small Rural Community The Participation of a Rural Community in Globalization: A South African Case The Role of Gender and Necessity in Regional Entrepreneurship: The Case of Dounreay, Scotland The Development of a Discipline: Entrepreneurship Education at Universities in Canada - Growth, Trends and Pedagogy/Andragogy Tobatí, Paraguay: Indigenous Market Town Revisited Conference Website Home "); array_files[278]=new Array(0,1,"./chali13s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Tobatí, Paraguay: Indigenous Market Town Revisited (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Bob Anderson, Leo Dana and Teresa Given the relative isolation of Paraguay, Indigenous Paraguayans were believed, until the 1950s, to have preserved Guaraní culture in a somewhat pure state. In a landmark ethnographic study of Tobatí, the famous anthropologist Elman Service and his wife Helen suggested that Guaraní traits had been replaced by Hispanic ones. Five decades later, our study observes four conditions bound to fuel value change in Tobatí: (1) an increase in population beyond that which subsistence agriculture can support; (2) the growth of markets and marketing; (3) a leap in communications and transportation infrastructure allowing an unprecedented flow in commerce; and (4) the spread of education and technology. Conference Website Home "); array_files[279]=new Array(0,1,"./chali13f.html","2008-06-19","39K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Tobatí, Paraguay: Indigenous Market Town Revisited Bob Anderson, Leo Paul Dana* and Teresa E. Dana University of Canterbury Private Bag 4800 Christchurch, New Zealand E-mail: leo.dana@canterbury.ac.nz E-mail: teresa.dana@cce.ac.nz *Corresponding author Given the relative isolation of Paraguay, Indigenous Paraguayans were believed, until the 1950s, to have preserved Guaraní culture in a somewhat pure state. In a landmark ethnographic study of Tobatí, the famous anthropologist Elman Service and his wife Helen suggested that Guaraní traits had been replaced by Hispanic ones. Five decades later, our study observes four conditions bound to fuel value change in Tobatí: (1) an increase in population beyond that which subsistence agriculture can support; (2) the growth of markets and marketing; (3) a leap in communications and transportation infrastructure allowing an unprecedented flow in commerce; and (4) the spread of education and technology. Keywords: Latin America; Paraguay; Tobatí; Guaraní; modernisation; economic development. Introduction Surrounded by Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia, the Republic of Paraguay is landlocked, covering 406 750 square kilometres (157 047 square miles). The national capital is Asunción. The Paraguay River divides the country into two geographically distinct areas. The western bank is known as the Chaco, a semi-arid alluvial plain, commonly referred to as Paraguay’s Wild West or Green Hell. (In Quechua, Chuco means ‘hunting ground’). To the east of the Paraguay River are fertile rolling plains. Paraguay is further divided into 18 departments: Alto Paraguay; Alto Paraná; Amambay; Asunción; Boquerón; Caaguazú; Caazapá; Canindeyú; Central; Concepción; Cordillera; Guairá; Itapúa; Misiones; Neembucú; Paraguarí; Presidente Hayes; and San Pedro. While Weber (1930) associated frugality with entrepreneurship, Adams (1933, p.394) wrote, “Guaraní women are hard-workin "); array_files[280]=new Array(0,1,"./creak1s.html","2008-06-19","7K","SME Management and Growth","",""," SME Management and Growth 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference A Growth Dilemma of SMEs: A Case Study on Employees Perception on Bureaucratization Versus Entrepreneurialism Theresa Lau and K.F. Chan As SMEs grow, they experience dramatic changes, of which negative employees’ perception is one of the significant barriers. The issues of the study are to i) examine employees’ perception on the changes required SMEs’ growth, ii) explain the rationale behind the perception, and iii) identify factors affecting the formation of such perception. In-depth interviews with employees in a Hong Kong SME selling fashion related products were conducted. The findings confirm that employees’ perception toward growth changes varies across the levels of management, employees’ background, personal interests and organizational context. Interpretations and recommendations are made with reference to these inconsistent perceptions. Conference Website Home "); array_files[281]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj4s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Assessing the Willingness to Pay for Management Accounting Advice to Small Firms (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Luiz Carlos Miranda, Deivisson Rattacaso Freire, Wesley Serbim, Roberta Lira Caneca, Tayana de Lourdes Lima Diniz and Jose Ricardo Maia Siqueira This paper investigates qualitative aspects of demand and supply of accounting services to Brazilian small business enterprise. Particularly, it investigates the willingness to pay for accountant business advice (managerial accounting) and the price of such services. The survey asked owner-managers of 53 mini-markets and 62 inns. The main conclusions are: (a) 68% of the respondents are willing to pay more to their accountants, if they receive better information to run their business; (b) they are willing to pay 21% more (average) than they are paying now; and (c) 1/3 of them would lay off accountants if tax system is simplified. Conference Website Home "); array_files[282]=new Array(0,1,"./chali12s.html","2008-06-19","8K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Development of a Discipline: Entrepreneurship Education at Universities in Canada - Growth, Trends and Pedagogy/Andragogy Teresa Menzies This paper describes the challenges and opportunities in developing an Indigenous owned and operated community-based enterprise in a remote Indigenous community in Northern Australia. It employs a multi-stakeholder perspective to describe perceptions of social and cultural issues relating to a proposed commercial enterprise by investigating a range of organization-stakeholder relationships.  Preliminary results from the study indicate the following: There are few commercial opportunities in remote areas that allow strictly for-profit ventures to be viable and there is a need to develop community-based enterprises with both economic and social goals. Remote and regional Indigenous communities face significant structural problems in dealing with government agencies that are supposed to support them.  State and federal governments, Aboriginal funding agencies, land councils need to play a key role in supporting enterprise development in remote regions. Communities are forced to work with culturally alien forms of decision-making when The general preference for remote communities is to stay in their land rather than move to regional centers looking for employment. Communities prefer enterprises that can operate on their lands and businesses that involve working on the land itself. Business skills of most community members surveyed were lacking and there is a significant need for business skills training. Conference Website Home "); array_files[283]=new Array(0,1,"./chali11s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Role of Gender and Necessity in Regional Entrepreneurship: The Case of Dounreay, Scotland William Lucas, Sarah Cooper and Stuart Macfarlane Research uses the Entrepreneurial Intention Model to explore the role of gender and other factors in predicting entrepreneurial intention in a declining regional economy.  Survey data are presented for 418 employees/contract personnel at the Dounreay Nuclear facility in North Scotland, soon to be decommissioned with the loss of 1,500 jobs.  Measures of venturing self-efficacy, desirability, perceived urgency and entrepreneurial intention are used to provide insight into how men and women losing their jobs in rural areas respond differently to the urgency of their circumstances.  Regression analysis is used to explore the data.  Implications for theory, policy and practice are discussed. Conference Website Home "); array_files[284]=new Array(0,1,"./chali10s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Participation of a Rural Community in Globalization: A South African Case Louw  Van Der Walt North-West University Potchefstroom South Africa Louw.vanderwalt@nwu.ac.za  A Buys Vaal University of Technology South-Africa Abstract The research questions are why (or not) communities participate in the global economy and how they have participated effectively (or not). The results of the study showed that the Magopa community, which was the focus group, is still extremely poor today, maintains a low standard of living is still struggling to be economically active. This community are not a very active role player in the global economy, although they have no problems with the concept and see globalisation as inevitable. Conference Website Home "); array_files[285]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj10s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Foundation and Development Support for Business Start-Ups and Small Enterprises in Germany (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Christian W. Scheiner University of Erlangen-Nuremberg Lange Gasse 20, 90403 Nuremberg, Germany Tel. +49 911 5302 364, Fax +49 911 5302 238 Email: scheiner@industriebetriebslehre.de Kai-Ingo Voigt University of Erlangen-Nuremberg Lange Gasse 20, 90403 Nuremberg, Germany Tel. +49 911 5302 244, Fax +49 911 5302 238 Email: voigt@industriebetriebslehre.de Abstract Business start-ups and new enterprises are confronted with a multitude of different challenges and problems due to limited resources, insecurities, risks and missing know-how and experience (Achleitner & Engel 2001; Dowling & Drumm 2003). To reduce those problems, start-ups and new enterprises can use offered services of different organisations and networks. Within this study support organisations in Germany were analysed. Next to support activities also network relations to investors, companies, economic organisations and the political and governmental as well as academic area were examined. Shortcomings and problems will be revealed and proposals for improvements submitted. Key words: Start-ups, support activities, incubators, networks, start-up centre, business foundation Conference Website Home "); array_files[286]=new Array(0,1,"./chali9s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Effects of Outshopping on a Small Rural Community (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Cathy Ashley-Cotleur, Ph.D. Frostburg State University ccotleur@myactv.net Carol Gaumer, Ph.D. Frostburg State University cgaumer@frostburg.edu Barry Foltos, Ph.D. Frostburg State University bcfoltos@frostburg.edu Track 5:  Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship ABSTRACT utshopping, or going outside the local community to buy goods, is a phenomenon that particularly affects retailers in small, rural communities.  Reasons given for such behavior include better prices, more stores and broader product depth.  This paper looks at the shopping habits of two distinctly different groups of buyers in a small Maryland town to determine the extent and reasons for outshopping behavior.   The study found that prices and convenience were the most important reasons community residents had for buying certain products.  However, local business owners were more influenced by their desire to purchase from local merchants when they made buying decisions. Conference Website Home "); array_files[287]=new Array(0,1,"./chali9f.html","2008-06-19","27K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference The Effects of Outshopping on a Small Rural Community Cathy Ashley-Cotleur, Ph.D. Frostburg State University ccotleur@myactv.net Carol Gaumer, Ph.D. Frostburg State University cgaumer@frostburg.edu Barry Foltos, Ph.D. Frostburg State University bcfoltos@frostburg.edu Track 5:  Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship ABSTRACT Outshopping, or going outside the local community to buy goods, is a phenomenon that particularly affects retailers in small, rural communities.  Reasons given for such behavior include better prices, more stores and broader product depth.  This paper looks at the shopping habits of two distinctly different groups of buyers in a small Maryland town to determine the extent and reasons for outshopping behavior.   The study found that prices and convenience were the most important reasons community residents had for buying certain products.  However, local business owners were more influenced by their desire to purchase from local merchants when they made buying decisions. INTRODUCTION Small businesses in rural communities face a number of problems:  small market areas, ageing populations, and limited supply sources being but a few.  One of the most vexing problems, however, is the inclination of residents to go outside the community to buy their goods.  Known as outshopping, this phenomenon is particularly prevalent now with the explosion of retail establishments and easy access to major metropolitan areas via the national highway system.  This paper looks at the outshopping issue as it affects a small community in Western Maryland. LITERATURE REVIEW Definition Outshopping can be defined narrowly or broadly.  A narrow definition looks only at those who go outside their local community to make consumer purchases.  This would include those who do so on a regular basis, i.e., short trips to communities for shopping purposes, or those who travel longer distances on an intermittent basis, "); array_files[288]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj7s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Does One Size Fit All? (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Vanessa Gail Perry George Solomon The George Washington University School of Business Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of firm characteristics, management assistance and technical assistance on small business revenues and profitability.  Building on previous research on technical assistance, we propose that financial outcomes for small businesses, such as market share, sales volume, cash flow, and profits, are a function of characteristics of the firm as well as characteristics of the technical assistance provided.  In particular, we examine the effects of firm size measured in revenues, as well as technical assistance provider characteristics, such as the primary industry in which the firm operates.  In terms of management and technical assistance, we test whether assistance with financial management, marketing strategy, human resources, obtaining capital, etc. have a significant impact on financial outcomes.  Finally, we test whether large firms benefit more than small firms from different types of face-to-face counseling. Conference Website Home "); array_files[289]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj6s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Business Banking Relationship Marketing: One Bank’s Strategy for Delivering Increased Value to SMEs (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Guy Francis Pearce Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) contribute significantly to the profitability of the bank under consideration. Business Banking relationship managers can strengthen their interactions with SMEs by delivering superior value to them, using specialized information to better understand their customers, and therefore to be of better service to them in a customer-centric paradigm. This paper presents some relevant theory and a case study that shows how value was created for SMEs by considering them as end-to-end business entities rather than as entities traditionally targeted by often ill-timed, single-product banking interventions. Solid incremental revenue was generated for the bank in the process. Conference Website Home "); array_files[290]=new Array(0,1,"./chali8s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Local Labor Market Endowments, New Business Characteristics, and Performance (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Mark Doms Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, mark.doms@sf.frb.org Ethan Lewis Dartmouth College, ethan.g.lewis@dartmouth.edu Alicia Robb University of California, Santa Cruz, arobb@ucsc.edu JEL codes: O12, R58 Areas:  startup firms, entrepreneurship, labor supply Abstract This study examines how the education and skill level of the local labor force is related to three aspects of new businesses: the education of founders, the industry of the business, and performance.  We find that cities that possess relatively abundant skilled labor forces also possess relatively skilled entrepreneurs.  We further find that highly educated cities have higher rates of self employment.  Finally, we find that education of the business owner is strongly linked to business outcomes.  Additionally, after accounting for the education of the business owner, the education level of the city is sometimes correlated with improved business outcomes.  Conference Website Home "); array_files[291]=new Array(0,1,"./chali8f.html","2008-06-19","40K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Local Labor Market Endowments, New Business Characteristics, and Performance Mark Doms Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, mark.doms@sf.frb.org Ethan Lewis Dartmouth College, ethan.g.lewis@dartmouth.edu Alicia Robb University of California, Santa Cruz, arobb@ucsc.edu JEL codes: O12, R58 Areas:  startup firms, entrepreneurship, labor supply Abstract This study examines how the education and skill level of the local labor force is related to three aspects of new businesses: the education of founders, the industry of the business, and performance.  We find that cities that possess relatively abundant skilled labor forces also possess relatively skilled entrepreneurs.  We further find that highly educated cities have higher rates of self employment.  Finally, we find that education of the business owner is strongly linked to business outcomes.  Additionally, after accounting for the education of the business owner, the education level of the city is sometimes correlated with improved business outcomes.  I.  Introduction This paper is one of the first to exploit the Kauffman Firm Survey (KFS), a new panel dataset on over 4,000 firms that began operations in 2004.  The question that we begin to address in this paper using these new data is how local market conditions are related to entrepreneurship and on business outcomes.  The primary variable of interest is education.  It has long been recognized that education plays a vital role in economic growth, though identifying the exact channels has proved somewhat elusive.   In the U.S., for instance, highly educated cities generally posted above average wage growth over the past several decades (see Beaudry, Doms and Lewis 2007 and Glaeser 2007). A firm-specific channel through which education may affect economic growth is through entrepreneurship.  The relationship between education and entrepreneurship can be thought of in two, inter-related ways; the e "); array_files[292]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj5s.html","2008-06-19","8K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Business Advice in England and Spain Differences in Attitudes to Expert Knowledge in the Post-Industrial Society (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Dr Kevin Mole Warwick Business School, University of Warwick Gibbett Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK Tel: +44 (0)24 7652 3918. Email: kevin.mole@wbs.ac.uk Dr Joan-Lluis Capelleras Dept. of Business Economics, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain. Tel.: +34 935814297. Email: joanlluis.capelleras@uab.es Dr Francis Greene Warwick Business School, University of Warwick Gibbett Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK Tel: +44 (0)24 7652 2233. Email: francis.greene@wbs.ac.uk Abstract This paper contextualizes business advice within broad debates concerning expertise and knowledge in Western societies.  Drawing on three competing explanations of post-industrial society (the knowledge society, the fragmented society and the risk society), we examine the response of new business owners towards business advice in England and Spain.  Empirically, we draw on quantitative surveys of new firms in the two countries.  The paper demonstrates an increased emphasis on knowledge, judged by taking advice, showing some evidence of individualization. It shows different approaches taken by European countries to attack a similar problem highlighting the value of comparative research in public policy. Keywords: Business advice, comparative studies, knowledge. Conference Website Home "); array_files[293]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj3s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference An Industry Review and Analysis for Informal Venture Capital (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Ellen Farrell Adopting an industry perspective, this research examines the informal venture capital industry using Porter’s five forces model of industry competitiveness, Brandenberger and Nalebuff’s co-opetition theme, and Akerlof’s informational economic perspective.   The analyses point out that the essential conditions exist with which to have a profitable informal venture capital industry, but that there is little industry information and valuation knowledge (deferring rather to instinct and intuition).   Applying Akerlof’s informational economic themes to informal venture capital suggests that more and better information has the potential to increase the proportion of high-ability entrepreneurs through better informed buyers of equity.  This a situation which benefits entrepreneurs, business angels and policy makers.  Conference Website Home "); array_files[294]=new Array(0,1,"./chali7s.html","2008-06-19","8K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Industrial Agglomeration and Small Firm Product Development Comparing Cambridgeshire Silicon-Fen and Essex Yazid Abubakar The present exploratory study compares the firms in high agglomeration with low agglomeration firms’ vis-à-vis the knowledge externalities underlying their new product development activities. A model is built which considers external influences on new product development to be separated out into knowledge spillovers, referredto as non-market based externalitiesand pecuniary knowledge externalities i.e. market based externalities.  Accordingly, Cambridge Silicon-Fen and Essex areas were chosen as ‘high agglomeration’ and ‘low agglomeration’ respectively, based on having above or below (East of England) average densities of their workforce and firms in high-tech industries. 12 exploratory interviews were conducted and a survey of 52 small firms in Silicon Fen and 48 in Essex low agglomerations were carried out. We found that while  small firms in high agglomeration with superior new product development capabilities rely fundamentally on externalities which are sensible to agglomeration such as  labour mobility (knowledge spillovers), collaborations with research institutes and technology contracts with competitors (pecuniary knowledge); in contrast, small firms in low agglomeration with superior new product development capabilities are found to be oriented towards reverse engineering, informal use of research institutes (knowledge spillovers) and subcontractors (pecuniary knowledge). The findings draw particular attention to externalities which are less sensitive to geographic distance, in particular, reverse engineering and subcontracting as critical externalities through which new product development capabilities of small firms in low agglomeration could be boosted. Conference Website Home "); array_files[295]=new Array(0,1,"./creation_j.html","2008-06-19","7K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Small Business Support Services Access to Foreign Trade Promotion Schemes in Germany: Are SMEs Disadvantaged? An Experience of Cultivating e-Innovation - The Role of ICT in a Business Incubation Project An Industry Review and Analysis for Informal Venture Capital Assessing the Willingness to Pay for Management Accounting Advice to Small Firms Business Advice in England and Spain Differences in Attitudes to Expert Knowledge in the Post-Industrial Society Business Banking Relationship Marketing: One Bank’s Strategy for Delivering Increased Value to SMEs Does One Size Fit All? Enhancing the Growth and Development of Small Business and Entrepreneurs through a Network of Service Providers Entrepreneurship Development: The Need for Production and Manufacturing Assistance Foundation and Development Support for Business Start-Ups and Small Enterprises in Germany Personal Vision and Entrepreneurial Success: The ACSBE Counselling Model Universities Supporting Start-ups: An Investigation into Assessments of Direct Business Support for SMEs Provided by Universities in the North of England What Women Want – How to Train, Coach, Advise and Inspire Women Entrepreneurs to be Successful in Their Own Business Conference Website Home "); array_files[296]=new Array(0,1,"./chali6s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Gauging the Pee Dee Region’s Entrepreneurial Potential Glenn Chappell Department of Business Administration Coker College 300 East College Avenue Hartsville, South Carolina 29550 gchappell@coker.edu Glenn Chappell is associate professor and chair of the Department of Business Administration at Coker College. His research interests include entrepreneurship and the marketing of higher education. Summary This paper relies heavily on measures of entrepreneurial breadth and depth developed by the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank’s Center for the Study of Rural America. The measures are used to gauge the entrepreneurial activity across the Pee Dee Region of northeastern South Carolina. The analysis focuses on six non-metropolitan, rural counties where small-scale businesses play an important role in the region’s economic development. Entrepreneurs are defined and measures of entrepreneurship breadth and depth in the Pee Dee region are discussed. Regional asset indicators developed by the Center for the Study of Rural America are used to discuss the key factors that foster the levels of entrepreneurial breadth and depth in the Pee Dee region. The asset indicators included are underemployment, banking deposit depth, household wealth, infrastructure, human amenities, innovation, and creative workers. Policy implications for economic development in the Pee Dee region are considered.    Conference Website Home "); array_files[297]=new Array(0,1,"./chali5s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Developing Indigenous Community Based Enterprises: Challenges and Prospects Bobby Banerjee This paper describes the challenges and opportunities in developing an Indigenous owned and operated community-based enterprise in a remote Indigenous community in Northern Australia. It employs a multi-stakeholder perspective to describe perceptions of social and cultural issues relating to a proposed commercial enterprise by investigating a range of organization-stakeholder relationships.  Preliminary results from the study indicate the following: There are few commercial opportunities in remote areas that allow strictly for-profit ventures to be viable and there is a need to develop community-based enterprises with both economic and social goals. Remote and regional Indigenous communities face significant structural problems in dealing with government agencies that are supposed to support them.  State and federal governments, Aboriginal funding agencies, land councils need to play a key role in supporting enterprise development in remote regions. Communities are forced to work with culturally alien forms of decision-making when The general preference for remote communities is to stay in their land rather than move to regional centers looking for employment. Communities prefer enterprises that can operate on their lands and businesses that involve working on the land itself. Business skills of most community members surveyed were lacking and there is a significant need for business skills training. Conference Website Home "); array_files[298]=new Array(0,1,"./chali4s.html","2008-06-19","8K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Croatia - Regional Differences and SME Projects for Competitiveness (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Jasminka Keser The SME sector in Croatia has played an important role in industrial restructuring, competitiveness and innovation, and in generating new employment. It has also been able to absorb a part of the many workers laid off by large enterprises, which have gone through a process of downsizing. The regional competitiveness agenda consists of multiple, interrelated policy agendas falling under the scope of a number of state administration bodies in Croatia – those in charge of regional development, SME development, technology, innovation, R&D, information and communication technologies (ICT). Compared to sectoral, horizontally pursued policies, regional development aims at a coordinated pursuit of sectoral policies in order to achieve a reinforced positive effect on a particular (undeveloped) territory. The approach to regional development in Croatia thus combines direct support to SMEs as well as support for self-government investments into business-related infrastructure (including R&D, technological and ICT-related infrastructure). The regional development legislative framework in Croatia does not contain a unitary legal act systematically addressing regional development issues. The number of acts on underdeveloped and war-affected areas makes Croatia’s regional development policy fragmented. In addition, the current approach does not take into consideration specific development needs and potential of Croatia’s border areas, made up of 18 out of the 21 Counties, which share a border, and consequently the development problems and potentials, with a neighboring country. Croatia is at a disadvantage on two levels in relation to regional competitiveness – firstly, as a still relatively less developed economy within the European context and secondly as a country wherein some region "); array_files[299]=new Array(0,1,"./chali4f.html","2008-06-19","17K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Croatia - Regional Differences and SME Projects for Competitiveness The SME sector in Croatia has played an important role in industrial restructuring, competitiveness and innovation, and in generating new employment. It has also been able to absorb a part of the many workers laid off by large enterprises, which have gone through a process of downsizing. The regional competitiveness agenda consists of multiple, interrelated policy agendas falling under the scope of a number of state administration bodies in Croatia – those in charge of regional development, SME development, technology, innovation, R&D, information and communication technologies (ICT). Compared to sectoral, horizontally pursued policies, regional development aims at a coordinated pursuit of sectoral policies in order to achieve a reinforced positive effect on a particular (undeveloped) territory. The approach to regional development in Croatia thus combines direct support to SMEs as well as support for self-government investments into business-related infrastructure (including R&D, technological and ICT-related infrastructure). The regional development legislative framework in Croatia does not contain a unitary legal act systematically addressing regional development issues. The number of acts on underdeveloped and war-affected areas makes Croatia’s regional development policy fragmented. In addition, the current approach does not take into consideration specific development needs and potential of Croatia’s border areas, made up of 18 out of the 21 Counties, which share a border, and consequently the development problems and potentials, with a neighboring country. Business activity data on the county level measured in contrast to registered companies shows large regional disparity, and density of SMEs in urban centres or their vicinity. Business activity is therefore greatly connected to big centres (Zagreb, Split, Rijeka) and thei "); array_files[300]=new Array(0,1,"./chali3f.html","2008-06-19","47K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Barriers to Entrepreneurship Development in the Indigenous Communities of Western Niger-Delta, Nigeria Tomola M. Obamuyi, Ph.D Department of Banking & Finance Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko NIGERIA Tel: +234 805 350 0258 E-mail:tomolaobamuyi@yahoo.co.uk ABSTRACT This paper identifies the barriers impacting on entrepreneurship development in the indigenous communities of the Western Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Primary data were collected through well-structured face-to-face interviews with entrepreneurs and community leaders. Using descriptive statistics, the paper proves that the fishing activities of the communities are particularly constrained by the problems of finance, infrastructure and environmental degradation. This suggests that government must provide financial resources and adopts growth centre strategy of development for expediting the entrepreneurship development in the indigenous communities. The traditional rulers, as peace-makers, must ensure peaceful co-existence, which is a pre-requisite for entrepreneurship development. Key Words: Entrepreneurship, Indigenous Communities, Niger-Delta, Growth Centre Introduction The Niger Delta Region of Nigeria presents a paradox: the area is rich, but the people are poor.   The region is richly endowed with oil and gas resources and accounts for over 85% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), over 95% of the national budget, over 80% of the nation’s wealth(Aaron, 2005), and about 97% of the country’s total export. As observed by Iyayi(2004), it is the richest wetland in the world.  However, the region is poor because of the years of exploration activities with frequent oil spillages with the resultant environmental destruction on the farmlands, fishing activities and properties (Udonwa et al., 2004). The people have no access to the earnings from the oil resources and continue to suffer from gross social and infrastructural "); array_files[301]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj1s.html","2008-06-19","6K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Access to Foreign Trade Promotion Schemes in Germany: Are SMEs Disadvantaged? (Summary) - Clickhere to read PDF summary paper. (Full Paper) - Clickhere to read PDF full paper. Adobe Reader is required to view these two papers. If you do not have Adobe Reader on your system, click here to download it. Conference Website Home "); array_files[302]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj13s.html","2008-06-19","6K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference What Women Want – How to Train, Coach, Advise and Inspire Women Entrepreneurs to be Successful in Their Own Business With women entrepreneurship on the rise, there are changes taking place in the way business is getting done. Women are no longer satisfied with the typical corporate “task-production” approach to doing business, nor are they satisfied with typical corporate training and development programs. The Seminar Leaders share the female approach to launching and growing a business, and how to design support programs in a language, style and fashion that resonates with women entrepreneurs. Workshop participants learn how to design high impact training, coaching, networking and support services that inspire and motivate women Entrepreneurs to become all they can be. Conference Website Home "); array_files[303]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj12s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Universities Supporting Start-ups: An Investigation into Assessments of Direct Business Support for SMEs Provided by Universities in the North of England Abigail Archer, Sally Bate, Roger Candy, Claire MacLean, Dominic Martinez and Elena Vasilieva This paper investigates start-up support experiences of knowledge-based, SMEs supported by Universities in the North of England.  The results from in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with the owner-managers of 43 SMEs (with reference to their first two years of trading) indicate that, whilst there are a wealth of providers, adequate levels of provision and high levels of satisfaction as a whole, there are still some gaps and areas for improvement which respondents felt Universities should tackle.  The paper addresses a gap in research as it focuses on the demand-side of start-up support. However, findings are limited in their generalisability. Conference Website Home "); array_files[304]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj11s.html","2008-06-19","9K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Personal Vision and Entrepreneurial Success: The ACSBE Counselling Model Deborah Hurst (Athabasca University) and Shelley MacDougall (Acadia University)   The Acadia Centre for Social and Business Entrepreneurship (ACSBE), provides entrepreneurial counseling and skill development programs at Acadia University and in surrounding communities in central and south-western Nova Scotia.  It also provides counselor development programs with partners around the world. For a number of years, ACSBE staff have counseled aspiring entrepreneurs. Over time, they noticed many new clients did not fully identify their personal goals, nor did they have a good understanding of the actual physical, financial or personal demands involved in launching a new entrepreneurial venture.  As ventures developed, some looked successful on the surface (surviving and/or profitable).  However, to the owners, they were not fully successful.  In some instances, the business had been started for the wrong reasons or caused intolerable hardship due to required long hours, time away from family, lack of freedom and other personal sacrifices. Noting the problems arising from this apparent mismatch between personal and business values and goals, the ACSBE team developed a counseling model, called the ACSBE Entrepreneurial Decision Making Cycle©, which places personal values and goals articulation as the preliminary stage of the business counseling process.  During this phase, clients are guided to consider the factors pushing and pulling them into entrepreneurship and think through their personal needs, motivations, goals and values. Through every subsequent stage of the business plan development and startup, clients are encouraged to revisit their original goals and vision to ensure there is still a match. The research described in this paper seeks support for the premise of the ACSBE Entrepreneurial Decision Making Cycle©: the alignment of pers "); array_files[305]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj10f.html","2008-06-19","99K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Foundation and Development Support for Business Start-Ups and Small Enterprises in Germany Christian W. Scheiner University of Erlangen-Nuremberg Lange Gasse 20, 90403 Nuremberg, Germany Tel. +49 911 5302 364, Fax +49 911 5302 238 Email: scheiner@industriebetriebslehre.de Kai-Ingo Voigt University of Erlangen-Nuremberg Lange Gasse 20, 90403 Nuremberg, Germany Tel. +49 911 5302 244, Fax +49 911 5302 238 Email: voigt@industriebetriebslehre.de Abstract Business start-ups and new enterprises are confronted with a multitude of different challenges and problems due to limited resources, insecurities, risks and missing know-how and experience (Achleitner & Engel 2001; Dowling & Drumm 2003). To soften those problems, start-ups and new enterprises can use offered services by and support from different organisations and networks. The aim of this study is to analyse the business foundation support in Germany. The status quo of support activities will be given, shortcomings and problems of the business foundation support by organisations in Germany will be revealed and proposals for improvements submitted. Key words: Start-ups, support activities, incubators, networks, start-up centre, business foundation Introduction Business start-ups and new enterprises are confronted with a multitude of different challenges and problems due to limited resources, insecurities, risks and missing know-how and experience (Achleitner & Engel 2001; Dowling & Drumm 2003). Especially technology-oriented start-ups have to cope with challenges that result from their innovative character (Nathusius 2001) and a higher capital need. To soften those problems, start-ups and new enterprises can use offered services by and support from different organisations and networks. They cover a big variety which reaches from education activities, supply of office space till supply of capital, business plan competitions, fairs and awards etc. Several "); array_files[306]=new Array(0,1,"./chali3s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Barriers to Entrepreneurship Development in the Indigenous Communities of Western Niger-Delta, Nigeria (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Tomola M. Obamuyi, Ph.D Department of Banking & Finance Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko NIGERIA Tel: +234 805 350 0258 E-mail:tomolaobamuyi@yahoo.co.uk ABSTRACT This paper identifies the barriers impacting on entrepreneurship development in the indigenous communities of the Western Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Primary data were collected through well-structured face-to-face interviews with entrepreneurs and community leaders. Using descriptive statistics, the paper proves that the fishing activities of the communities are particularly constrained by the problems of finance, infrastructure and environmental degradation. This suggests that government must provide financial resources and adopts growth centre strategy of development for expediting the entrepreneurship development in the indigenous communities. The traditional rulers, as peace-makers, must ensure peaceful co-existence, which is a pre-requisite for entrepreneurship development. Key Words: Entrepreneurship, Indigenous Communities, Niger-Delta, Growth Centre Conference Website Home "); array_files[307]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj9s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Entrepreneurship Development: The Need for Production and Manufacturing Assistance Marilyn Young, Isaura Flores and Don B. Bradley III This study explores the need for small business assistance in the manufacturing areas.  A basic research question concerns the degree of need for technical assistance and the types of available counseling.  Many businesses go to counselors for start-up information; however, this survey illustrates an existing need for manufacturing assistance.   The survey revealed many types of manufacturing assistance and referral information given to the businesses.  These included governmental agencies, incubators, technical specialty centers, business accelerators, web sites and workshops.  Counselors may be unaware of the available manufacturing assistance sources.  Perhaps more effective communication should increase awareness for effective manufacturing assistance Conference Website Home "); array_files[308]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj8s.html","2008-06-19","6K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Enhancing the Growth and Development of Small Business and Entrepreneurs through a Network of Service Providers Maria Meyers and Homer Erekson Small business and entrepreneurial endeavors may succeed or fail because of the existence or lack of an effective network of social capital.  This paper explores the position and role of business assistance agencies in entrepreneurial networks. Relationships between and among the agencies and small business owners and entrepreneurs, the importance of trust and cooperation with these relationships, and the effectiveness of network activities in providing resources are examined.  A conceptual framework for increasing the efficiency of network interactions between and among assistance agencies and entrepreneurs is presented.  Comparative lessons learned from implementation of the framework in three US regions are provided Conference Website Home "); array_files[309]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj6f.html","2008-06-19","65K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Business Banking Relationship Marketing: One Bank’s Strategy for Delivering Increased Value to SMEs Guy F. Pearce Mr. Pearce is a business banking professional employed by the largest bank in Africa. He applies his strategy, marketing, technology, finance and sales experiences to the customer-centric optimization of the financial services requirements of SMEs. pearcegf@gmail.com Mobile: +27823715914 (GMT + 2) Abstract Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) contribute significantly to the profitability of the bank under consideration. Business Banking relationship managers can strengthen their interactions with SMEs by delivering superior value to them, using specialized information to better understand their customers, and therefore to be of better service to them in a customer-centric paradigm. This paper presents some relevant theory and a case study that shows how value was created for SMEs by considering them as end-to-end business entities rather than as entities traditionally targeted by often ill-timed, single-product banking interventions. Solid incremental revenue was generated for the bank in the process. Keywords Business Banking, customer centricity, relationship marketing, SME, CRM Introduction While customers are unlikely to be impressed by core bank offerings given that there is so little to differentiate between them (Martín-Consuegra, Molina and Esteban 2006), tailored financial services could change this situation as SMEs are “hungry for personalized service.” (Carr 2006). Believing that personalized service could indeed impress customers, a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) project, that is, concerned with managing customers one at a time (Rust and Chung 2006), was initiated. Succinctly, the project sourced, processed and integrated multiple types of internal and external data in order to provide Relationship Managers (RMs) with high quality information, mostly at a per customer level, t "); array_files[310]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj7f.html","2008-06-19","38K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Does One Size Fit All? Vanessa Gail Perry George Solomon The George Washington University School of Business Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of firm characteristics, management assistance and technical assistance on small business revenues and profitability.  Building on previous research on technical assistance, we propose that financial outcomes for small businesses, such as market share, sales volume, cash flow, and profits, are a function of characteristics of the firm as well as characteristics of the technical assistance provided.  In particular, we examine the effects of firm size measured in revenues, as well as technical assistance provider characteristics, such as the primary industry in which the firm operates.  In terms of management and technical assistance, we test whether assistance with financial management, marketing strategy, human resources, obtaining capital, etc. have a significant impact on financial outcomes.  Finally, we test whether large firms benefit more than small firms from different types of face-to-face counseling. Introduction According to previous research, public sector entrepreneurial assistance programs have an indirect positive influence on new venture creation by improving the abilities and problem-solving approaches of potential business founders (Gatewood, 1993).  In addition, these programs may positively affect the economic condition of the firm by leading to revenue and employment growth that exceeds national averages.   Proponents of entrepreneurship programs, including the research, policymakers, and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), are concerned about what, if any, economic impact results from face-to-face counseling of management and technical assistance.  These services are provided by SBA’s three primary entrepreneurial development resource partners – Small Business Development Centers (SBDC’s),  Service Corps "); array_files[311]=new Array(0,1,"./chali2s.html","2008-06-19","8K","Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship","",""," Regional and Rural Entrepreneurship 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Assessment of Impact of Technology Suitability on Grass-root Food Processing Enterprise in Selected Rural Communities in South West Nigeria Osun State, Nigeria (Summary) - Click here to read full paper. Akinbami, C.A.O., Aluko, M.A.O. and Momodu, A.S. Abstract Two food-processing businesses commonly engaged in by women at grassroots level were analyzed. Though, these businesses do not operate the same mode of technology, both works with traditional technology. A hypothesis was postulated, based on Liberal Feminism theory to examine relationship between technology and entrepreneurial performance. Significant relationship was observed between these two variables and the hypothesis accepted. FGD revealed the respondents’ reluctance to accept introduction of improved technology. Probable reasons for this development were ignorance and lack of adequate infrastructural facilities. The study concluded that there is need to overcome reluctance against improved technology amongst grassroots women entrepreneurs. Corresponding author - Centre for Industrial Research and Development, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; Tel: +234-803-344-9681; +234-702-741-4423; email akinbami_cao@yahoo.com Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; Tel +234-803-705-8719 Centre for Energy Research and Development, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife; Tel: +234-806-139-9185; +234-702-741-8568; email: cenedudev@yahoo.com Conference Website Home "); array_files[312]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj5f.html","2008-06-19","112K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Business Advice in England and Spain Differences in Attitudes to Expert Knowledge in the Post-Industrial Society Dr Kevin Mole Warwick Business School, University of Warwick Gibbett Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK Tel: +44 (0)24 7652 3918. Email: kevin.mole@wbs.ac.uk Dr Joan-Lluis Capelleras Dept. of Business Economics, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain. Tel.: +34 935814297. Email: joanlluis.capelleras@uab.es Dr Francis Greene Warwick Business School, University of Warwick Gibbett Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK Tel: +44 (0)24 7652 2233. Email: francis.greene@wbs.ac.uk Business Advice in England and Spain: Differences in Attitudes to Expert Knowledge in the Post-Industrial Society? Abstract This paper contextualizes business advice within broad debates concerning expertise and knowledge in Western societies.  Drawing on three competing explanations of post-industrial society (the knowledge society, the fragmented society and the risk society), we examine the response of new business owners towards business advice in England and Spain.  Empirically, we draw on quantitative surveys of new firms in the two countries.  The paper demonstrates an increased emphasis on knowledge, judged by taking advice, showing some evidence of individualization. It shows different approaches taken by European countries to attack a similar problem highlighting the value of comparative research in public policy. Keywords: Business advice, comparative studies, knowledge. Introduction Prior work has suggested that the role of business advice may be increasing in importance reflecting knowledge as a factor of production (Bennett and Robson, 2004; Mole and Keogh, forthcoming) and the wider recognition of the place of advisory services within the resources available to the firm (Chrisman and McMullan, 2004). The taking of advice from others is subject to a degree of trust in the knowledge and impartiality "); array_files[313]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj2f.html","2008-06-19","83K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference An Industry Review and Analysis for Informal Venture Capital Ellen Farrell Sobey School of Business, CANADA Summary Adopting an industry perspective, this research examines the informal venture capital industry using Porter’s five forces model of industry competitiveness, Brandenberger and Nalebuff’s co-opetition theme, and Akerlof’s informational economic perspective.   The analyses point out that the essential conditions exist with which to have a profitable informal venture capital industry, but that there is little industry information and valuation knowledge (deferring rather to instinct and intuition).   Applying Akerlof’s informational economic themes to informal venture capital suggests that more and better information has the potential to increase the proportion of high-ability entrepreneurs through better informed buyers of equity.  This situation benefits entrepreneurs, business angels and policy makers.  Introduction Baty and Summer (2002) argue that “the ratio of understanding of the angel capital market to its impact on the economy is lower than just about any other economic contributor” (p. 289).  Despite the importance of informal venture capital (InfVC) to economies at a macro level (Van Osnabrugge and Robinson, 2000), market inefficiencies, the highly fragmented nature of the marketplace, and the unorganized nature of the individuals involved have fostered a reluctance to refer to InfVC as an industry.   However, large estimates of InfVC activity (Farrell, 1998, 2000a, Mason and Harrison, 2001, Sohl, 2003), the formation of networks to increase communication, the formation of BISs to facilitate transactions, and the formation of angel academies for angel edification (San Jose, Roure and Aernoudt, 2005) all suggest that industry analysis and market structure perspectives are warranted.  This viewpoint has been largely missing from the literature.  The purpose of this paper is "); array_files[314]=new Array(0,1,"./creaj2s.html","2008-06-19","7K","Research Methodology and Theory Development in the Field","",""," Research Methodology and Theory Development in the Field 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference An Experience of Cultivating e-Innovation - The Role of ICT in a Business Incubation Project (Summary) - Clickhere to read full paper. Diana Thompson and Garry Homer This paper examines the impact of the provision of IT support and advice on the development of a Business Incubation Centre. The study evaluates the existing business incubation literature and identifies some of the critical factors for successful incubation. An individual case study methodology is employed which attempts to evaluate several aspects of the e-Innovation Centre project based at the Telford campus of the University of Wolverhampton. The paper examines and analyses the type and detail of the consultancy and support provided to each of the incubator tenants and attempts to categorise this support and the impact of this support on the incubator companies. Conference Website Home "); array_files[315]=new Array(0,1,"./creai16f.html","2008-06-19","45K","Small Business Support Services","",""," Small Business Support Services 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference An Experience of Cultivating e-Innovation - The Role of ICT in a Business Incubation Project Mrs D M Thompson Diana is the Business Director of the e-Innovation Centre, University of Wolverhampton. She is a Mathematician with a special interest in Business Incubators. Dr G R Homer Technical Director of e-Innovation Centre, Garry was originally a ;Metallurgist who re-trained as a Computer Professional in the early 70’s. His interest range from RFID, Smart Card Technologies through to computer process control and systems integration. Affiliation: e-Innovation Centre University of Wolverhampton Contact Details: d.thompson@wlv.ac.uk g.homer@wlv.ac.uk Abstract Aim of the Study This paper examines the impact of the provision of IT support and advice on the development of a Business Incubation Centre. The study evaluates the existing business incubation literature and identifies some of the critical factors for successful incubation. Design Methodology This paper employs an individual case study methodology which attempts to evaluate several aspects of the e-Innovation Centre project based at the Telford campus of the University of Wolverhampton. A range of qualitative and quantitative methods were employed to ascertain the views and experiences of the companies who occupied the Centre in its first year (2006/7) of operation. The paper also examines relevant literature regarding the measures of success for other incubation projects and the critical factors that contribute to achieving a successful outcome. The paper attempts to compare and contrast the findings of the literature search with specific experiences and outcomes of the e-Innovation Centre. The Project - Results The e-Innovation Centre is housed in a purpose-designed building on the University campus and opened at the end of 2005. The Centre was part financed by the Regional development Agency (Advantage West Midlands-AWM) and as a condition of that financia "); array_files[316]=new Array(0,1,"./creation_i.html","2008-06-19","7K","Research Methodology and Theory Development in the Field","",""," Research Methodology and Theory Development in the Field 2008 International Council for Small Business World Conference Research Methodology and Theory Development in the Field A Decision-Analytic Approach to Blue-Ocean Strategy Development Brand Management Thinking as Part of the Strategy Development in New Ventures Characteristics of Fast Growth and Highly Successful Business – Problems in Approaches and Methods of Analysing the Data Developing An Instrument To Examine The Goals Of SME Owner-Operators Entrepre