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SHORTER PAPER
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AN EXAMINATION
OF INFORMATION SOURCES AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO
MINORITY-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES Marilyn
Young
WHEN HE AND
SHE SELL SEASHELLS: EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MANAGEMENT
TEAM GENDER-BALANCE AND SMALL FIRM PERFORMANCE
- REGINALD A. LITZ and CATHLEEN A. FOLKER
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- Abstract
- Small businesses are resource disadvantaged and need to
leverage every resource at their disposal. One resource that
may exist, but is all too often overlooked, is that of management
team gender-balance. Gender-balance represents a resource
because of the unique and complementary gender-based differences
that exist between men and women. Building on this assumption,
it can be hypothesized that firm performance will be highest
for organizations that optimize the balance between male and
female managers. This article tests this hypothesis, and reports
results from a study of small retail hardware stores. Compared
to stores that were either exclusively or disproportionately
single gender-managed, stores characterized by greater management
team gender-balance reported superior profitability. This
pattern was further supported holding management team size
constant for stores with two and three person management teams.
After noting several interpretative caveats, we conclude by
reflecting on the research- and practitioner-related implications
of these findings.
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- ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING, MICROFINANCE, AND REPLICATION:
THE CASE OF MEDA IN BOLIVIA*
Bruno Dyck
Abstract
This paper provides a brief introduction to
microfinance programs in international development, and to
Nonaka’s (1994) four-phase organizational learning framework.
The four-phase learning model is then used to provide a detailed
examination of the replication of a microfinance Department of
Bolivia by Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA).
Implications for microfinance and international development
are discussed.
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Entrepreneurial Performance by Women
and Minorities: The Case of New Firms*
Alicia Robb
- Abstract
The primary objective of this paper is to compare how business
survival varies between men- and women-owned business start-ups
and between minority- and non-minority-owned business start-ups.
By linking previously unavailable longitudinal microdata on
business survival to microdata from a Census survey on women-
and minority-owned businesses, comparisons are made regarding
how business survival vary by race and gender. After controlling
for business age, size, industry, location, legal form of
organization, and organizational structure, it is found that
Asian-owned businesses fared better than white-owned businesses.
However, black- and Hispanic-owned businesses fared worse
than white-owned businesses. Businesses owned by women fared
worse than those owned by men; yet for black-owned businesses,
those owned by women fared better than those owned by men.
The results indicate that some of the differences in observed
survival rates for new firms are driven by factors other than
owner race and gender. However, even after controlling for
many firm characteristics, significant differences in business
survival remain. These results provide some preliminary evidence
that some groups may face greater obstacles in starting successful
business ventures.
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Entrepreneurial
Potential in Transition Economies: A View from Tomorrow’s
Leaders
- Stephen L. Mueller and Sreæko Goiæ
- Abstract
Entrepreneurial activity is believed to be a
fundamental force in the transformation of societies and economies
in the former communist countries towards free markets and
democracy. However, little is actually known about the situation
in the transition countries with regard to entrepreneurial
assets. Specifically, little research or analysis has been
conducted to determine what effect, if any, does culture and
political-economic history have on potential for entrepreneurship.
Based on the results of a seventeen-country study of business
students' attitudes and perceptions about entrepreneurship,
this paper analyzes and compares the potential for entrepreneurship
in six transition countries. Substantial differences were
found among these transition countries with respect to entrepreneurial
potential with Romania ranking first, Slovenia and Poland
ranking second and third, Croatia and the Czech Republic ranking
fourth and fifth, and Russia ranking sixth. The findings suggest
that among these particular transition countries, differences
in entrepreneurial potential are best explained by the current
level of economic development and not by other country specific
factors such as culture and previous experience with a market
economy.
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A Comparison of Failed and Non-failed
Small Businesses in the United States: Do Men and Women Use
Different Planning and Decision Making Strategies?
Stephen C. Perry
- Abstract
The primary objective of this study was to investigate the
influence of gender in U. S. small business failures. A "failure"
was defined as a bankruptcy with losses to creditors, and
firms with fewer than 500 employees were considered “small.”
Recently failed firms were selected randomly and matched with
non-failed firms on the basis of age, size, industry, and
location. The sampling frame was businesses listed in the
Dun & Bradstreet credit reporting database. A crosstabulation
was used to investigate the influence of gender on firm failure.
The main conclusion regarding gender was that it does not
appear to be related to the failure of small businesses in
the U. S. Gender differences for both failed and non-failed
firms were also investigated for contextual variables and
variables having to do with planning and problems with strategy.
AN EXAMINATION OF INFORMATION SOURCES
AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO MINORITY-OWNED SMALL
BUSINESSES
Marilyn Young
- Abstract
Minority business utilization of assistance programs and
information sources was based on the results of 687 mail questionnaires.
While these businesses had used several sources of information,
low participation was found among government agencies and
university outreach programs. The types of assistance with
the greatest need were: Accounting, legal, business planning,
and start-up. Non-minorities used equipment vendors more often,
while minorities received more start-up assistance and business
plan development. Few minority owners had used an institution
of higher education for research, technical, and production-oriented
activities. Possible barriers to low participation in these
programs are: (1) difficulty in identifying the source of
assistance; (2) difficulty in working with faculty and staff;
and (3) slow response time. Institutions should examine improved
methods for recruitment and collaborate with other agencies.
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