Securing a business loan : how important is gender

This report examines the role of gender in business and evalates whether there is a evidence of gender bias when it comes to securing bank loans

An appreciation of Charles Jay Connick, master craftsman

Thesis (Ed. M.)--Boston University, 194

Economic performance and sustainable growth : the role of women entrepreneurs in UK economic development

This research demonstrates that women entrepreneurs make important contributions to economic development, but are disadvantaged by initial under-capitalisation. Working with UK and devolved governments, leading banks and finance institutions, and regional enterprise support organisations, this research influenced policy debates; shaped women’s enterprise policy; improved understanding of factors underpinning access to finance for diverse enterprises; and influenced the work of business support organisations and commercial banks

Festival literature : the role of the entrepreneur

Festival Literature: The Role of the Entrepreneur Aim of the Paper The aim of this paper is to analyse studies on festivals and identify research gaps relevant to small business research. Festivals play a significant role in the lives of communities providing important activities and spending outlets for locals and visitors and enhancing the image of local communities (Getz 1993). Successful community-based festivals are growing in increasing numbers and concentrate on a range of particular interests (Getz, 2010). Despite this, researchers have been slow to consider contemporary festivals beyond either their economic impacts or the motivations of those who attend (Gursoy et al 2004). An area which has received little, if any attention from extant literature is that festivals are highly dependent on the driving forces of key individuals, often entrepreneurs, acting within festival networks which support their emergence and occurrence on a regular basis (Getz 1993; Getz et al 2010; Gursoy et al 2004). Background Literature The literature on festivals has been dominated by economic concerns, as well as operational and marketing issues (Robinson et al 2004). Little, if any prior research has extended understanding of festivals beyond basic economic and tourism matters (Quinn 2009). Prior research on festivals has demonstrated the positive impact which festivals can have on tourism, providing spending opportunities, attracting often significant additional money into local communities and regions and ultimately generating new employment opportunities (Crompton and McKay 1997; Kim et al 1998; Thrane 2002). Such research has also observed the wider, societal effects which local, community-based festivals can have, for example, on perceptions of place and locale (Getz 1997). Methodology This paper seeks to examine the depth and breadth of published research on festivals and adopts a systematic approach to the review presented (Victor 2008). Using definitions proposed by Uysal and Gitleson (1994) and Getz (1997), key terms were identified to establish our conceptual boundaries and to restrict the focus of our search. Results and Implications A key focus of research in this area is the outcomes and successes of festivals, with economic impact receiving most attention (Crompton and Mackay 1997; Kim et al 1998). A number of studies have emphasised the importance of understanding why people attend festivals arguing that only by developing an understanding of such motivations can organisers’ effectively position and market festivals (Crompton and McKay 1997; Getz 1993). A final key theme emerging from the literature analysed is that of festival management. This paper identifies research gaps and areas for further studies on festivals. Gaps of particular interest to entrepreneurship are the creation of festivals and the characteristics of their founders; the role of networks and key actors in those networks; and processes which are largely ignored in the existing literature, despite the reality that festivals are, by and large, a repeated event. Finally, we propose that place is an important construct to take into account. We suggest that theoretical frameworks applied in entrepreneurship are useful lenses to aid understanding of these themes. In particular we identify network theories, the concept of embeddedness (Granovetter, 1985) and capital theory (Bourdieu, 1986) as relevant theoretical frameworks. We also see parallels with the emerging literature on social entrepreneurship (Shaw and Carter 2007) and community ventures (Haugh and Pardy 1999; Peredo and Chrisman 2006). Methodologically, research has been dominated by single case studies undertaken at one point in time. We suggest that future research will benefit by embracing longitudinal studies involving ethnographic approaches which can explore context both from temporal and community or locale perspective. This allows real-time study of emerging festival processes and seeks out actors within the phenomena (Davidsson 2003). The recommendations for future research offered by this paper will help advance understanding of festival studies from an entrepreneurship perspective. In particular the paper contributes to the discourse on festival entrepreneurs, their roles, contributions and the processes involved

The process of embedding a small firm in its industrial context

This article explores the activities involved in embedding a small firm in its industrial context. Inductive analysis of longitudinal, case study data collected from a small firm in the creative industries highlights the use of networks and networking as embedding mechanisms. Key emergent themes include the impacts of pre-embeddedness (defined as the sum of all cultural, social and symbolic capital accessible to the founding team prior to business start-up), the vision and network orientation of the founding team and their strategic use of networking. The interplay between these conditions and activities is revealed as important in building legitimacy, which is critical for embedding a firm in its industrial context. This article extends knowledge of embedding beyond the initial phase of new venture creation and highlights the emergent and evolving dynamics behind this process

A MAPPING OF EUROPEAN STUDIES EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI: POLITICAL SCIENCE

The primary goal and mandate of this study are to map the development of European Economic Community (EEC), now European Union (EU) studies (EEC/EU) in political science in the United States (US). The discussion of EU studies in the US has been divided into two chapters due to the large quantity of research this field has generated in the US since 1958. This chapter concentrates on the middle and eastern regions of the US where proximity to Europe has promoted interest in European politics and scholarship on European integration and EEC/EU development. There is another chapter focusing primarily on political science studies of the EU in the western US region, and also a chapter on teaching the EU. The chapters on political science scholarship focusing on the EU form part of a larger body of scholarship mapping EU studies around the world

[Editorial] Specific learning difficulties in healthcare education: the meaning in the nomenclature

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Painting the full picture : the conversion of economic, cultural, social and symbolic capital

This article explores how and why entrepreneurs convert their available economic, cultural, social and symbolic capital. We utilise Bourdieu’s theory of practice as a conceptual framework to explore the lived experiences of 10 craft entrepreneurs. This study reveals that transforming capital is a natural and enjoyable process, with our findings highlighting the convertible, multifaceted nature of different forms of capital. We also uncover previously unidentified forms of capital conversions and demonstrate that the conversion process can involve multiple forms of capital. Furthermore, our findings show that craft entrepreneurs give no primacy to economic capital, whose transformations form part of a larger process of capital conversion

Mass differentiated reading skills instruction in high school

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Boston University N.B.: Page 3 Misnumbered

The impact which social networks have upon the development of small professional business service firms

The purpose of this thesis is to acquire an understanding of the impact which the micro environment in which a purposive sample of small graphic design agencies are embedded has upon their development which will offer practical recommendations to the owner-managers of small professional business service firms as well as make suggestions for policy and future research. For the purposes of acquiring such an understanding the concept of a social network (Mitchell 1969) is used to guide the collection of data about participants' perceptions of the impact which the relationships in which small graphic design agencies are embedded has had upon their development. The findings to emerge from inductive analysis of this data suggest that one factor contributing to the development of a purposive sample of small graphic design agencies were the social networks in which they were embedded. Particularly this analysis identifies the multiplex relationships which case-firms shared within individuals holding 'broker' positions within these networks as having had an important impact on their development. Further, this analysis suggests that participants involvement in 'networking' activities and owner- managers' control of these were also important in the development of case-firms, This analysis also identifies a number of influencing factors which suggest that certain findings may be specific to small graphic design agencies. The thesis concludes that the social network concept was a useful construct for conceiving of the relationships in which case-firms were embedded and identifies a number of recommendations for the owner-managers of small professional business service firms as well as for research and policy