Planning in Small vs. Large Businesses: Do Managers Prefer Different Tools?

 Evidence that large and small businesses approach problems differently has raised ques- tions concerning the validity of applying large business prescriptions to small businesses. This issue was addressed bypresenting both large and small business planners with planning prob- lems differing in environmental volatility, system adaptation and nature of planning re- quirements. Different combinations of these factors were used togenerate twelve distinct plan- ning situations. Eight information processing aids were identified that have been described in the literature as planning tools. Each aid has been prescribed to be more appropriate for use in some planning situations than in others. The research tested hypotheses that planners in specific situations would use planning aids prescr ibed for those situations and that large and small business planners would approach the problems differently. Results are interpreted as indicating that use of planning aids does not correspond closely to the theoretical prescrip- tions but that other implicittheories may be operating and the implicit theories used in small businesses may be different than those used inlarge organizations

The Eximbank State/City Pilot Initiative for Small Business Exporters: Goals, Achievements and the Path Ahead for Export-Finance Support at the Local Level

 The Export-Import Ban·k of the United States (Eximbank) operated a pilot program with sei\u27en state and city agencies d uring 1988. That institution sought to determine if a partnership with such local agencies could assist small firms to acquire export-finance support needed to secure international marketing transactions. This pa per evaluates achievements and requirements as the pilot effort is converted into a permanent cooperative program in 1989

Self-Employment Training Programs for the Poor

 As a strategy to help law income people create their awn jobs, numerous training programs have been developed to assist the poor to start a small business. This effort is becoming widespread in both the U.S. and Europe. While there seems to be a consensus of what a self-employment training program should contain, the appropriateness of the typical program, for low income people with severe educational deficiencies, is questioned. A typology for differentiating self-employment training programs  is generated and their distribution is described from a survey of self-employment training programs for low income people  in the United  States.

Total Quality Management, Just-In-Time, and Their Effect on Small Manufacturers

This paper examines components of TQM /JIT as they relate to small manufacturers. Particularly, those components that specificall y relate to small volume manufacturing firms are discussed within the framework of the authors\u27 experiences with small manufacturers in Southern California. Common difficulties encountered in small businesses in their effort to implement TQM /]IT are examined

Requirements and Benefits of Implementing Just-In-Time Manufacturing for Small-Firm Manufacturers

This study explores the applicability of Just-In-Time (/IT ) manufacturing elements for small-firm manufacturers.  A survey of small-firm electronic firms  was undertaken  to identify  and  document  the level of /IT implementation alread y underway. Integrating concepts necessary for  successful  /IT  implemen­ tation along with the benefits of /IT are also discussed . It is suggested that /IT  manufacturing  is a viable and  useful strategy  to enhance the competitive  position  of small  manufacturing  firms

New Venture Initiation: Factors Influencing Success

The authors recognize that the definition of "entrepreneur\u27\u27 may still be subject to varying interpretation. For the purposes of this study, the tenn entrepreneur will be used to include a broad entrepreneurial behavior along the lines of Hisrich and Peters\u27 definition that \u27\u27Entrepre­ neurship is the process of creating something different with value by devoting the necessary time and effort, assuming the accompanying financial, psychic and social risks and receiving the resulting rewards of monetary and personal satisfaction" (5).Previous research on entrepreneurial success, has explored both the cognitive and behav­ ioral characteristics of the entrepreneur as well as the contextual variables surrounding the business venture. This study has been designed to explore specific variables relative to (a) the entrepreneur, (b) the context of the business venture and (c) the product or service itself. Itis the intent of this survey to identify and confinn the impact these variables have on the initiation and eventual success of new business ventures

The Effect of Operational and Strategic Planning on Small Firm Performance

Unlike large corporations, small businesses face a multiplicity of problems that could spell immediate doomfor the organization. As a result,an increasing body of research add ressing small business problems has been noted in the literature. This research stud y investigated  the effect of opera Honal and st rategic:-ilanning on small firm performance and found  that both were positivel y related to performance.  Practical implications of  these research findings  are provided  for  small businesses

The Status of Computerized Accounting Software in Small American Businesses

A  telephone  survey  of   123 companies  in  the Cincinnati  SM SA  with  30 or Jess  employe as  taken for   the purpose   of  determining  the extent of  computerization,  the level  of  intere n accounting  software,   and  the type of  computerized  accounting  system  selected  for   use. ere  also interested  in  the  method  of  selection  and  level  of   utilization  of  computerized  a ounting  soft ware.  The types of  accounting  software   are classified   as the off-the-shelf  no odifiable,   off-the-shelf    modifiable,   and  custom  designed .This pa per  will examine how the companies chose their present  system, how the mployees were trained on that system, and the extent to which the accounting function maller companies is now computerized . The reality of the system vs. expectations and t vel of utilization of the system will also be examined . The data will be tabulated so that tren an be identified . The result is that our body of knowledge about accounting software use for  small  companies  will  be increased .