The Experts below are selected from a list of 300 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Eleanor Hamilton - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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a study of a university led entrepreneurship education programme for Small Business Owner managers
Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, 2012Co-Authors: Ian Gordon, Eleanor Hamilton, Sarah JackAbstract:The Small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector is crucial to regional and national economies [Thorpe, R., J. Cope, M. Ram, and M. Pedler. 2009. Leadership development in Small-and medium-sized enterprises: The case for action learning. Action Learning: Research and Practice 6, no. 3: 201–8; Jones, O., A. Macpherson, and R. Thorpe. 2010. Learning in Owner-managed Small firms: Mediating artefacts and strategic space. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development 22, no. 7/8: 649–73]. In recognition of this, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been supported through government policy to provide training programmes for SMEs aimed at developing a higher level of skills that will support growth [Lambert Review of Business-University Collaboration. 2003. Final Report, KM Treasury, London. http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk; HM Treasury. 2006. The Leitch Review of Skills: Prosperity for all in the global economy – World class skills. London: HM Treasury; DIUS (Department for Business Innovation Universities and...
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a process model of Small Business Owner managers learning in peer networks
Journal of Education and Training, 2009Co-Authors: Jing Zhang, Eleanor HamiltonAbstract:Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore how Owner‐managers of Small Businesses can learn in peer networks to improve their management skills. It aims to offer a new way of understanding Owner‐managers' learning as part of a social process, by highlighting the complex, interactive relationship that exists between the Owner‐manager, his or her peers, and the wider environment.Design/methodology/approach – A peer learning environment was created for 67 Owner‐managers by providing a one‐year management training programme, and interviewing participants in the entry‐, mid‐ and post‐stages of the programme. Drawing upon the cases of six sample participants, a theoretical framework for understanding how Owner‐managers learn in peer networks is proposed.Findings – First, this paper compares the value of peer networks and other types of networks such as families and customers/suppliers, and second, highlights the role of peer networks in facilitating critical reflection in the learning process. Theoretica...
Tara Smith - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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online learning an effective means for developing Small Business Owner managers capabilities
Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 2016Co-Authors: Tara Smith, Rowena BarrettAbstract:Purpose – If Owner-managers engage in management development activities then chances of success may be improved for Small Businesses. But Small Business Owner-managers (SBOMs) are a difficult group to engage in management development activities. While practitioners worry about timing, content and location of development activities, the purpose of this paper is to examine what drives SBOMs to participate in an online discussion forum (ODF) as a form of management development. An ODF was run with SBOMs and the factors affecting their participation are reported from this exploratory study. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative methodology was used where data gathered from three sources, the ODF posts, in-depth interviews with participants and a focus group with non-participants. These were analysed to evaluate factors affecting participation of SBOMs in an ODF. Findings – The findings point to the importance of Owner-managers’ attitudes. Attitudes that positively affected SBOMs participation in the ODF included; appreciating that learning leads to Business success; positive self-efficacy developed through prior online experience; and an occupational identity as a Business manager. Research limitations/implications – Few SBOMs participated in the ODF, which is consistent with research finding that they are a difficult group to engage in management development learning activities. Three forms of data were analysed to strengthen results. Practical implications – Caution should be exercised when considering investment in e-learning to develop the managerial capabilities of SBOMs. Originality/value – Evidence of the factors important for participation in an informal voluntary ODF. The findings suggest greater emphasis should be placed on changing attitudes if SBOMs are to be encouraged to participate in management development activities.
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An Analysis of Small Business Owners' Participation in Online Learning
2009Co-Authors: Tara Smith, Susan Stoney, Elizabeth WalkerAbstract:Small Business Owner-managers are a difficult group to engage in training and learning activities and the delivery medium has often been cited as a reason. This paper reports the preliminary findings of a qualitative research project regarding Small Business Owner-manager participation in an online collaborative learning forum. The findings suggest that three principle themes emerged to explain why some Small Business Owner-managers participated in the forum. These include; access to a networked computer; the personal characteristics of the Small Business Owner-manager, and the design of the online learning forum. The findings also suggest that learning styles need to be specifically tailored to suit the learner and that conventional learning delivery and styles may not be particularly appropriate to this cohort.
Joann C. Carland - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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A proclivity for entrepreneurship: A comparison of entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, and corporate managers
Journal of Business Venturing, 1999Co-Authors: Wayne H. Stewart, Warren E. Watson, Joann C. CarlandAbstract:Abstract Despite intensive inquiry, relatively little is known about the entrepreneur, the central figure in entrepreneurship. The question of how an individual who operates his or her own Business differs from a corporate manager remains unanswered. In addressing this question, the primary purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of psychological constructs to predict a proclivity for entrepreneurship. The research model includes three classic themes in the literature: achievement motivation, risk-taking propensity, and preference for innovation. A survey of 767 Small Business Owner-managers and corporate managers was assembled from a 20-state region, primarily the southeastern United States. The participants completed a questionnaire composed of the Achievement Scale of the Personality Research Form, the Risk-Taking and Innovation Scales of the Jackson Personality Inventory and questions pertaining to numerous individual and organizational variables. Respondents were first divided into two groups, managers and Small Business Owner-managers. Subsequently, due to the often cited variations in entrepreneurs, the Owner-managers were further categorized as either an entrepreneur or Small Business Owner, using the widely cited Carland et al. (1984) theoretical definitions. Entrepreneurs are defined by their goals of profit and growth for their ventures and by their use of strategic planning. Alternatively, Small Business Owners focus on providing family income and view the venture as an extension of their personalities. In this study, both groups of Owner-managers were simultaneously compared with managers using hierarchical set multinomial LOGIT regression. The results indicated that the psychological constructs are associated with Small Business Ownership, but with some important caveats. As hypothesized, those labeled entrepreneurs were higher in achievement motivation, risk-taking propensity, and preference for innovation than were both the corporate managers and the Small Business Owners. This profile of the entrepreneur as a driven, creative risk-taker is consistent with much of the classic literature concerning the entrepreneur. Nonetheless, not all of the Owner-managers fit this profile. When compared with managers, the Small Business Owners demonstrated only a significantly higher risk-taking propensity. In terms of the constructs studied, the Small Business Owners were more comparable to managers than to entrepreneurs. In addition to theoretical and methodological implications, the results presented here have important implications for Small Business Owner-managers of both types. A major issue is the connection between the Owner’s psychological profile and the characteristics of the venture, including performance. It would appear that psychological antecedents are associated with Owner goals for the venture. Some Owners will be more growth oriented than will others, and performance should be assessed in light of the Owner’s aspirations for the venture. Moreover, Owners should be aware of their own personality sets, including risk preferences, which may be more or less suited to different venture circumstances, including those with relatively high levels of risk. Planning in Small Businesses appears to enhance venture performance. Research has demonstrated the connections between psychological factors and planning behaviors in Small Businesses. Those labeled entrepreneurs in this study have goals of profit and growth, and tend to engage in more planning. An awareness of these psychological preferences and concomitant attention to planning behaviors have the potential to improve the performance of the venture, irrespective of Owner aspirations. Venture teaming is becoming more popular among entrepreneurs. Balanced venture teams appear to improve the chances of entrepreneurial success (Timmons 1990) , but a common source of conflict among venture team members is inconsistent or ambiguous motives for the new venture. Awareness of venture partners’ psychological predispositions in areas such as risk-taking could be used to identify and reconcile areas of potential conflict, and enhance the planning process in the Small firm. In sum, an individual’s awareness of his or her psychological profile provides a number of advantages, not only to existing entrepreneurs, but also to aspiring entrepreneurs who should assess their perceived entrepreneurial opportunities against the backdrop of their psychological proclivity for entrepreneurship.
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A proclivity for entrepreneurship: A comparison of entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, and corporate managers
Journal of Business Venturing, 1999Co-Authors: Wayne H. Stewart, Warren E. Watson, Joann C. CarlandAbstract:Despite intensive inquiry, relatively little is known about the entrepreneur, the central figure in entrepreneurship. The question of how an individual who operates his or her own Business differs from a corporate manager remains unanswered. In addressing this question, the primary purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of psychological constructs to predict a proclivity for entrepreneurship. The research model includes three classic themes in the literature: achievement motivation, risk-taking propensity, and preference for innovation. A survey of 767 Small Business Owner-managers and corporate managers was assembled from a 20-state region, primarily the southeastern United States. The participants completed a questionnaire composed of the Achievement Scale of the Personality Research Form, the Risk-Taking and Innovation Scales of the Jackson Personality Inventory and questions pertaining to numerous individual and organizational variables. Respondents were first divided into two groups, managers and Small Business Owner-managers. Subsequently, due to the often cited variations in entrepreneurs, the Owner-managers were further categorized as either an entrepreneur or Small Business Owner, using the widely cited Carland et al. (1984) theoretical definitions. Entrepreneurs are defined by their goals of profit and growth for their ventures and by their use of strategic planning. Alternatively, Small Business Owners focus on providing family income and view the venture as an extension of their personalities. In this study, both groups of Owner-managers were simultaneously compared with managers using hierarchical set multinomial LOGIT regression. The results indicated that the psychological constructs are associated with Small Business Ownership, but with some important caveats. As hypothesized, those labeled entrepreneurs were higher in achievement motivation, risk-taking propensity, and preference for innovation than were both the corporate managers and the Small Business Owners. This profile of the entrepreneur as a driven, creative risk-taker is consistent with much of the classic literature concerning the entrepreneur. Nonetheless, not all of the Owner-managers fit this profile. When compared with managers, the Small Business Owners demonstrated only a significantly higher risk-taking propensity. In terms of the constructs studied, the Small Business Owners were more comparable to managers than to entrepreneurs. In addition to theoretical and methodological implications, the results presented here have important implications for Small Business Owner-managers of both types. A major issue is the connection between the Owner's psychological profile and the characteristics of the venture, including performance. It would appear that psychological antecedents are associated with Owner goals for the venture. Some Owners will be more growth oriented than will others, and performance should be assessed in light of the Owner's aspirations for the venture. Moreover, Owners should be aware of their own personality sets, including risk preferences, which may be more or less suited to different venture circumstances, including those with relatively high levels of risk. Planning in Small Businesses appears to enhance venture performance. Research has demonstrated the connections between psychological factors and planning behaviors in Small Businesses. Those labeled entrepreneurs in this study have goals of profit and growth, and tend to engage in more planning. An awareness of these psychological preferences and concomitant attention to planning behaviors have the potential to improve the performance of the venture, irrespective of Owner aspirations. Venture teaming is becoming more popular among entrepreneurs. Balanced venture teams appear to improve the chances of entrepreneurial success (Timmons 1990), but a common source of conflict among venture team members is inconsistent or ambiguous motives for the new venture. Awareness of venture partners' psychological predispositions in areas such as risk-taking could be used to identify and reconcile areas of potential conflict, and enhance the planning process in the Small firm. In sum, an individual's awareness of his or her psychological profile provides a number of advantages, not only to existing entrepreneurs, but also to aspiring entrepreneurs who should assess their perceived entrepreneurial opportunities against the backdrop of their psychological proclivity for entrepreneurship. © 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.
Jing Zhang - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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a process model of Small Business Owner managers learning in peer networks
Journal of Education and Training, 2009Co-Authors: Jing Zhang, Eleanor HamiltonAbstract:Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore how Owner‐managers of Small Businesses can learn in peer networks to improve their management skills. It aims to offer a new way of understanding Owner‐managers' learning as part of a social process, by highlighting the complex, interactive relationship that exists between the Owner‐manager, his or her peers, and the wider environment.Design/methodology/approach – A peer learning environment was created for 67 Owner‐managers by providing a one‐year management training programme, and interviewing participants in the entry‐, mid‐ and post‐stages of the programme. Drawing upon the cases of six sample participants, a theoretical framework for understanding how Owner‐managers learn in peer networks is proposed.Findings – First, this paper compares the value of peer networks and other types of networks such as families and customers/suppliers, and second, highlights the role of peer networks in facilitating critical reflection in the learning process. Theoretica...
Rowena Barrett - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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online learning an effective means for developing Small Business Owner managers capabilities
Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 2016Co-Authors: Tara Smith, Rowena BarrettAbstract:Purpose – If Owner-managers engage in management development activities then chances of success may be improved for Small Businesses. But Small Business Owner-managers (SBOMs) are a difficult group to engage in management development activities. While practitioners worry about timing, content and location of development activities, the purpose of this paper is to examine what drives SBOMs to participate in an online discussion forum (ODF) as a form of management development. An ODF was run with SBOMs and the factors affecting their participation are reported from this exploratory study. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative methodology was used where data gathered from three sources, the ODF posts, in-depth interviews with participants and a focus group with non-participants. These were analysed to evaluate factors affecting participation of SBOMs in an ODF. Findings – The findings point to the importance of Owner-managers’ attitudes. Attitudes that positively affected SBOMs participation in the ODF included; appreciating that learning leads to Business success; positive self-efficacy developed through prior online experience; and an occupational identity as a Business manager. Research limitations/implications – Few SBOMs participated in the ODF, which is consistent with research finding that they are a difficult group to engage in management development learning activities. Three forms of data were analysed to strengthen results. Practical implications – Caution should be exercised when considering investment in e-learning to develop the managerial capabilities of SBOMs. Originality/value – Evidence of the factors important for participation in an informal voluntary ODF. The findings suggest greater emphasis should be placed on changing attitudes if SBOMs are to be encouraged to participate in management development activities.
