An Investigation of the Planning-Performance Conundrum in a Dynamic Macroentrepreneurial Environment

While it is intuitively appealing from  a theoretical perspective  to confirm  the relationship between strategic planning and performance as measured by growth and profitability,  many unknowns tend to confound the perfect model.  The literature is rich with studies attempting to explicate the dynamics of planning  and performance, yet  there is no closure because of the vagaries of sample and methodology.   This paper  investigates the planning-performance conundrum  in a dynamic macroentrepreneurial   environment.The results  of this study  clearly  show  that for   the present  sample  of macroentrepreneurs, strategic   planning    had   a   deleterious    effect   on   peiformance.        This   suggests    that entrepreneurship  researchers  may  need  to reexamine  some  basic  axioms  and precepts.    For example,  perhaps   entrepreneurs  do  employ  a  rapidly  evolving  vision  to  negotiate  through dynamic   environments   rather   than   operate   under   the  constraints   of  strategic   planning. Clearly,  the firms   in  this  sample  were  all  highly  successful  ventures.    Further,  they  all practiced  strategic  management.   If strategic planning  did not contribute to that success,  what did? The search for an explanation continues

Infants with esophageal atresia and right aortic arch: Characteristics and outcomes from the Midwest Pediatric Surgery Consortium

Purpose Right sided aortic arch (RAA) is a rare anatomic finding in infants with esophageal atresia with or without tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF). In the presence of RAA, significant controversy exists regarding optimal side for thoracotomy in repair of the EA/TEF. The purpose of this study was to characterize the incidence, demographics, surgical approach, and outcomes of patients with RAA and EA/TEF. Methods A multi-institutional, IRB approved, retrospective cohort study of infants with EA/TEF treated at 11 children's hospitals in the United States over a 5-year period (2009 to 2014) was performed. All patients had a minimum of one-year follow-up. Results In a cohort of 396 infants with esophageal atresia, 20 (5%) had RAA, with 18 having EA with a distal TEF and 2 with pure EA. Compared to infants with left sided arch (LAA), RAA infants had a lower median birth weight, (1.96 kg (IQR 1.54–2.65) vs. 2.57 kg (2.00–3.03), p = 0.01), earlier gestational age (34.5 weeks (IQR 32–37) vs. 37 weeks (35–39), p = 0.01), and a higher incidence of congenital heart disease (90% vs. 32%, p  0.29). Conclusion RAA in infants with EA/TEF is rare with an incidence of 5%. Compared to infants with EA/TEF and LAA, infants with EA/TEF and RAA are more severely ill with lower birth weight and higher rates of prematurity and complex congenital heart disease. In neonates with RAA, surgical repair of the EA/TEF is technically feasible via thoracotomy from either chest. A higher incidence of anastomotic strictures may occur with a right-sided approach

Seriously personal:The reasons that motivate entrepreneurs to address climate change

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is freely available from Springer Verlag via the DOI in this record.Scholars increasingly argue that entrepreneurs and their small- and medium-sized enterprises should play a central role in reducing the rate and magnitude of climate change. However, evidence suggests that while some entrepreneurs recognize their crucial role in addressing climate change, most do not. Why some entrepreneurs nevertheless concern themselves with climate change has largely been overlooked. Some initial work in this area tentatively suggests that these entrepreneurs may engage with climate change because of their personal values, which either focus on financial or socio-ecological reasons, or a combination of both. Yet, it is unclear if all for-profit entrepreneurs engage with climate change for the same reasons, or if indeed their motivations vary across business types. Over a period of four years, we examined entrepreneurs’ motivations to engage with climate change through a variety of qualitative research methods. Our findings illustrate how entrepreneurs who address climate change have motivations specific to their business activity/industry and level of maturity. In each instance, we link these motivations to distinct conceptualizations of time and place. We contend that, through a more differentiated understanding of entrepreneurial motivations, policy-makers can draft climate change-related policies tailored to entrepreneurial needs. Policies could both increase the number of entrepreneurs who already engage in climate change mitigation and leverage the impact of those entrepreneurs already mitigating climate change.This study was funded by the European Social Fund (09099NCO5). We acknowledge with thanks the participation of the entrepreneurs and the support of Business Leaders for Low Carbon, Cornwall Council, and Cornwall Sustainable Tourism Project. The authors wish to thank Professor John Amis, Professor Kenneth Amaeshi and the anonymous reviewers who provided useful feedback on earlier versions of the article

Preparation of Novel Selenopenams by Intramolecular Homolytic Substitution

Photolyses of the thiohydroximate ester derivatives 13 and 21 of the 4- (benzyl-seleno)-2-azetidinoines 7 and 20, afford the 1-aza-7-oxo-4-selenabicyclo- [3.2.0]heptane ring systems 14 and 21 in good to moderate yield in processes that presumably involve intramolecular homolytic substitution at selenium with expulsion of benzyl radical. Extension of this methodology to the preparation of derivatives 24 of 12,2a-dihydro-1H,8H-azeto[2,1-b][1,3]benzoselenazin-1-one (22) is also described

Tris(trimethylsilyl)methane is not an effective mediator of radical reactions

The reductive dehalogenation of organohalides by tris(trimethylsilyl)methane has been re-investigated. Contrary to claims made in a recent publication (Tetrahedron Lett. 2006, 47, 5163-5165), (TMS)CH does not reduce organohalides. In competition experiments between (TMS)CH and the poor chain mediator EtSiH, the latter performed the reduction. Computational investigations support these experimental findings and indicate that the C-H bond of (TMS)CH is too strong for this compound to serve as an effective mediator of radical reactions

Substituted 9-aminoacridine-4-carboxamides tethered to platinum(II)diamine complexes: Chemistry, cytotoxicity and DNA sequence selectivity

Three platinum complexes in which substituted (7-OMe, 9-NH₂; 7-F, 9-NH₂; and 7-H, 9-NH(CH₂)₂OH) 9-aminoacridine-4-carboxamides were tethered to a platinum(II)diamine moiety were synthesised and characterised at the chemical and biological level. These variants showed a decrease in cytotoxicity, as measured by IC₅₀ values in HeLa cells, when compared with the parent 7-H, 9-NH₂ compound. The 7-F and 9-NH(CH₂)₂OH substituents gave rise to a small decrease in cytotoxicity, and the 7-OMe substituent resulted in a larger decrease in cytotoxicity. Their binding to purified pUC19 plasmid DNA was investigated and it was found that the addition of 7-F, 9-NH(CH₂)₂OH and especially the 7-OMe substituents, resulted in reduced DNA binding. This correlated well with the IC₅₀ cytotoxicity values. However, the DNA sequence selectivity was unaffected by the addition of these moieties

Understanding Small Business Scams

This paper provides an overview of the current state of knowledge about small business scams. A scam is a form of dishonest action, based upon an invitation to participate in an activity. Victims are encouraged, mislead or induced to voluntarily interact with the perpetrator, and ultimately to willingly surrender over money, information or other valuable resources. Common forms of scams directed towards small business include phishing, false business valuations and sales, fake overpayments, false directory and advertisement listings, bust-outs, blowing, cramming, advance fee fraud and misleading self-employment projects. The limited research evidence available to date suggests that small enterprises are particularly vulnerable to these types of criminal activity, are less inclined to report such events, are likely to be subject to repeat attacks, and are particularly susceptible to online scams. This occurs because small businesses often lack the in-house skills, resources and reporting arrangements needed to effectively detect and prevent scams. The paper also briefly examines the entrepreneurial nature of scammers, and explores some of the emergent literature on the psychology of small business scams that may explain scam propensity. Strategies for combating and avoiding scams are discussed, as are suggestions for future research directions in the area