Do High Performance Work Systems Pay for Small Firms? An Intellectual Capital Building Perspective

Prior research suggests that small firms often struggle with human resource management, and limited research indicates that high performance work systems may assist firms in boosting their level of performance via the construction of intellectual resources for the firm. However, exploration of these phenomena in the small firm context is limited. We examine the mediating role of intellectual capital on the relationship between HPWS implementation levels and firm performance and find that a mediating impact is present for sales growth, profit growth, and perceived performance. Results suggest that HPWS implementation enhances small firm performance via intellectual capital building

Do management control systems stifle innovation in small firms? A mediation approach

How entrepreneurial orientation (EO) as a strategy manifests into entrepreneurial behaviors like innovation, is an important research topic but not well understood. There is a gap in the examination of EO and entrepreneurial behavioral outcomes. Since mediators exist (see Rauch, Wiklund, Lumpkin, & Frese, 2009; Wales, 2016; Wales, Patel, Parida, & Kreiser, 2013) additional research is needed to uncover these potential relationships. Research suggests that management controls systems (MCS) may serve as a mediator between strategy and innovation outcomes. There is, however, conflicting evidence regarding the impact and use of management control systems (MCS) in the small firm context. As such, we examine the relationship between an individual-level measure of EO (IEO) and innovation level and explore the mediating role of financial and nonfinancial MCS on that relationship. Results suggest that nonfinancial MCS partially mediate the relationship between IEO and innovation, while financial MCS do not

Effect of Skill and RIASEC Congruence on Job Satisfaction in a Survey of Supply Chain Professionals in Small Businesses

Effect of Skill and RIASEC Congruence on Job Satisfaction in a Survey of Supply Chain Professionals in Small Businesses Michael Givens, Western Kentucky University LeAnne Coder, Department of Management, Western Kentucky University Barney (1991), Pfeffer & Veiga (1999), Goffnett, Williams, Gibson & Garver (2016) are some of many authors who have published theories within management literature regarding the importance of employees within an organization. In these readings, employees are viewed as one of the most, if not the most, critical capital in business. Therefore, employee retention is of the utmost importance within all businesses but especially small businesses. This is due to the interconnectivity of each employee within each department and the inability of a small company to fill a new opening right away. For small businesses to retain their employees, they must do their best to keep job satisfaction and company morale high. This research examines the correlation between job satisfaction and employee skill level versus the correlation between job satisfaction and RIASEC interest level in supply chain professionals within small businesses. We have determined that individuals who are highly skilled in their job have a much higher job satisfaction. The research also shows that individuals who are happier in their job are less likely to look for a career or employer change

Why are there so few women in information technology? Assessing the role of personality in career choices

Despite increases in female labor force participation, women remain substantially under represented in most scientific and technical fields. The small number of women in engineering, physics, chemistry, computer science and other similar fields has variously been attributed to discrimination, differences in ability or choice. This paper uses a unique data set containing information on vocational interests to examine the determinants of entry in to Information Technology occupations. We show that men and women differ systematically in their interests, and that these differences can account for an economically and statistically large fraction of the occupational gender gap.