| Building the Virtual Organization - A Resource-Based Perspective |
| | Borch, Odd-Jarl | Nordland Research Institute | odd.jarl.borch@hibo.no | +4775517600 |
| | Extreme flexibility and superior learning abilities are among the most crucial strategic factors in the creation of sustainable competitive advantage in turbulent markets. The pace of change and intense rivalry of the global markets call for creative organizational solutions improving the first-mover advantage of smaller firms. This paper presents the virtual organization as a cost-efficient organizational form improving the adaptability and innovative capacity of SMEs. The configuration of the firm as a virtual organization opens for continuous impulses from critical parts of the environment. Secondly, it increases the speed of internal knowledge dispersion and response to a rapidly-changing competitive environment. A managerial challenge in such open-ended organizations is how to achieve management coordination and control within a firm with less clear borders and a limited hierarchy. In this paper, we elaborate on the proper mix of governance tools to reduce the managerial costs of the virtual
organization. Results from in-depth studies within the emerging aquaculture industry are presented. |
| | Keywords: strategic factors; virtual organization; governance |
| Determinants of Entrepreneurial Behavior Within Foundations: An Examination of Factors Affecting Start-up, Effective Management and Continuity |
| | Upton, Nancy B. | Baylor U. | Nancy_Upton@baylor.edu | [(254)-710-4155] |
| | Moore, Carlos | Baylor U. | carlos_moore@baylor.edu | 254-710-6176 |
| | Approximately 30,000 foundations exist today of which, approximately 20,000 are family foundations. Although family foundations are the fastest growing segment of the foundation population, little research exists to assist the approximately 20,000 entrepreneurs who will have sufficient surplus funds to set up their own foundations. This paper examines various aspects of family foundation establishment and management. Foundations were surveyed to ascertain determinants of philanthropy, role of donor vision, and an evaluation of effectiveness as determined by overhead and payout ratios. In addition, foundations identified areas of concern specific to family management and continuity. |
| | Keywords: Family Foundations; Foundation Mangement; Entrepreneurship |
| Who Will Build and Who Will Come? Examining Three Macroentrepreneurship Models of Technopolis Development |
| | Das, Shobha S. | Nanyang Technological U., Singapore | asdas@ntu.edu.sg | (65)-790-5724 |
| | Chua, Yang Boon | Nanyang Technological U., Singapore | asdas@ntu.edu.sg | (65)-790-5724 |
| | Kang, Leng Lay | Nanyang Technological U., Singapore | asdas@ntu.edu.sg | (65) 790-5724 |
| | Tan, Fei Ling | Nanyang Technological U., Singapore | asdas@ntu.edu.sg | (65)-790-5724 |
| | Technopolies, or technology-cities, are springing up everywhere. Usually inspired by Silicon Valley, these sites attempt to
sustain entrepreneurial ventures and support business concerns. Traditionally, a technopolis was set up for either of two
purposes, as an incubator or an attractor of research and development activities. Today, nearly all technopolies are moving
away from the former purpose toward the latter. There is also much more planning involved in the setting up of a technopolis.
They don't just happen, they are planned for.
Macroentrepreneurship, or the collective action of a coalition of entrepreneurs from the private, public, and not-for-profit sector,
plays a key role. Yet, the nature of macroentrepreneurship varies. We identify three models of macroentrepreneurship that are
utilized for technopolis development. Data collected on six technopolies, Silicon Valley in USA, Cambridge in UK, Tsukuba in
Japan, Hsinchu in Taiwan, Bangalore in India, and Multimedia Super Corridor in Malaysia are used to illustrate the three models.
We then examine the implications of the three models for firm strategy. |
| | Keywords: entrepreneurship; technopolis; clustering |
| The Role of Cultural Dimensions on National Entrepreneurship |
| | Brice, Jr., Jeff | Mississippi State U. | jbricejr@bully.net | (601) 320-9147 |
| | While cultural dichotomies have been used to examine a number of individual and organizational phenomena, no research has identified an ideal cultural dimensionality profile that encourages higher levels of national entrepreneurship. This paper explores the concept of an ideal national entrepreneurial profile, using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, and hypothesizes that such a profile, does indeed, exist. Summary hypotheses for each dimension are derived and significant ramifications for research and public policy relating to entrepreneurial economic development are illustrated. |
| | Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Culture; Development |
| Toward the Development of Distinctive Competence Measures Among Small Independent Retailers |
| | McGee, Jeffrey E. | U. of Texas, Arlington | jmcgee@uta.edu | (817)-272-3868 |
| | Peterson, Mark | U. of Texas, Arlington | markpete@uta.edu | (817)-272-2283 |
| | To remain competitive in markets increasingly dominated by large discount chains, "category killers," and other mass-merchandisers, small independent retailers need to develop distinctive competencies. This study provides insight into the multidimensional character of distinctive competencies by measuring the resources and capabilities possessed by a sample of 255 independent drugstores. Specifically, three competence constructs and one performance construct are simultaneously measured using a rigorous confirmatory factor analysis approach. Positive and strong correlations among the competence constructs provide evidence of a high degree of relatedness among competencies. Moreover, the positive relationship between the competence constructs and the performance construct helps identify which firm resources and capabilities may lead to a competitive advantage for the small retailer. |
| | Keywords: Retailers; Distinctive Competencies; Measurement |
| Franchising As An Entrepreneurial Transformation Approach For Developing Economies |
| | Castrogiovanni, Gary J. | U. of Tulsa | gary-castrogiovanni@utulsa.edu | (918)-631-2476 |
| | Vozikis, George S. | U. of Tulsa | george-vozikis@utulsa.edu | (918)-631-3673 |
| | In the debate over how economic transition should proceed in Eastern Europe, we contend that independent business ownership is too great of an initial step for prospective business owners accustomed to traditional employment roles. Franchise acquisition is a more viable alternative. Through franchising, Eastern Europeans can acquire needed business skills and experience, which then would be diffused to non-franchise sectors of the economy. Within this line of argument, hypotheses are offered, methodological issues are discussed, and policy implications are described.
Since Eastern Europe cannot wait for more research to accumulate, prescriptions drawn from the extant literature are offered. Because the context is relatively new and unique, however, prior research findings on franchising may not fully generalize. Caution must be exercised, and new empirical research is warranted. In this paper, therefore, (Eastern European) context-specific hypotheses and methodological considerations are discussed in order to provide foundations for future research in this area.
|
| | Keywords: franchising; entrepreneurship; Europe |