Human capital for successful exploration and exploitation in new ventures

The human capital of new ventures is considered particularity important as a potential source of sustained completive advantage. Although numerous studies have related the capabilities of the business founder or the founding team to the performance of new ventures, there are many conflicting findings, particularly in relation to the impact of education and experience of the entrepreneur on business performance. This study contrasts the human capital related to success in ventures involved in exploration and exploitation. Particular attention is paid to the technologists in the companies as the presence of ‘key scientists’ has been related to the performance of knowledge intensive firms in exploratory activities

A comparison of manufacturing technology adoption in SMEs and large companies

Many manufacturing firms have adopted advanced manufacturing technologies to remain competitive when faced with rapid improvements in technology, globalisation of markets and environmental requirements. SMEs may be able to develop a sustainable competitive advantage from operations capabilities, but face various constraints including lack of resources and experience. To explore how well SMEs are adopting manufacturing technologies, this paper compares the past use, payoffs and expected future use by large firms and SMEs of a range of advanced manufacturing technologies and improvement programs as reported by manufacturing managers in a global survey. The analysis of data from 632 firms from both OECD and non-OECD countries indicates that in general, SMEs have used advanced technologies less than larger firms in the past and received a lower payoff. They also expect to use such these technologies less in the future

Researching tax using technology : the perspective of the female student

The study of tax has rapidly progressed from being based in textbooks and hard-copy loose leaf sources to being an activity that is more usually conducted in front of a computer. In an effort to make the taxation laws more accessible the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has put all legislation and a raft of additional interpretative materials on their website. While this makes the material available for public use, the site is necessarily complex and can be difficult to use. In an effort to encourage students to use the ATO website the author has developed a CD-ROM, in conjunction with the Division of Teaching and Learning Services Multimedia Design Centre, to illustrate the use of some of the more important areas of the site. In order to determine whether the use of the CD-ROM is assisting the students to navigate the ATO site a survey has been conducted. This paper will focus on the perspective of the female tax student and explore the level of acceptance of technology generally to determine the relationship this has to the level of use of computer-based tax resources

Enterprise education : influencing student's perceptions of entrepreneurship

This research examines the effect of participation in an enterprise education program on perceptions of the desirability and feasibility of starting a business. Changes in the perceptions of a sample of secondary school students enrolled in the Young Achievement Australia (YAA) enterprise program are analysed using a pre-test post-test control group research design. After completing the enterprise program, participants reported significantly higher perceptions of both desirability and feasibility. The degree of change in perceptions is related to the positiveness of prior experience and to the positiveness of the experience in the enterprise education program. Self-efficacy theory is used to explain the impact of the program. Overall, the study provides empirical evidence to support including exposure to entrepreneurship education as an additional exposure variable in entrepreneurial intentions models

Environmental awareness and practices in small and medium businesses

With increasing awareness of environmental issues, there has been rising demand for environmentally friendly business practices. External pressures from legislators, environmental groups, financial institutions and suppliers, as well as internally by employees and owner/manager attitudes and knowledge. However it has been reported that despite business owner/managers having strong “green” attitudes, the level of implementation of environmental friendly practices is low. To explore the connection between pressures for improved practices and the management actions taken, this paper examines how influence from various sources is related to awareness of environmental issues, and how this awareness relates to actions taken within the businesses to reduce the environmental impact of their operations

Financial management practices in small businesses : regional and metropolitan

There has been significant research on the factors theat lead to small business success, growth, and failure. These factors can generally be described as relating to the ability and competence of the business owner/manager, the opportunity presented, and the willingsness of the owner to pursue the opportunity. Differences are likely to arise in these factors in different regional areas. This study examines the financial management practices and perceptions of trade's people in the building industry in Queensland and compares finding from a relatively large regional centre with businesses from Brisbane, the State capital of Queensland. This comparison seeks to determine if there are differences in attitudes and practices in the financial management of firms and individuals in these two areas

Building and growing businesses in a regional setting

Most economic growth occurs in cities but regions can develop by building on their existing businesses. Such development requires not only physical infrastructure and investment in the training and development of people in the area but also on talent and ability of people to innovate and their willingness to live in regional centers. In this study, the potential for growth in the relatively isolated area of Central Queensland is examined. A survey of local businesses is analysed to investigate the current and expected growth in business and employment, the attitudes of local business people towards growth and innovation, and their satisfaction with the lifestyle offered in the area

The impact of role models and prior experience on entrepreneurial intentions

There is a general consensus that attitudes towards starting a business are influenced by prior exposure through experience in family or other small businesses and role models, but the impact depends on the positiveness of these experiences. Empirical studies have focused largely on the effect of having parents who have started or own their own business, and other forms of experience have tended to be neglected in empirical studies. There is also little information on who the role models are or whether their impact is captured in the experience variables. This study identifies role models for business start-up and explores the impact that they and various experiences have on perceptions of the feasibility and desirability of starting a business. Data was collected through a questionnaire completed by over 1000 first-year students at metropolitan University in South Eastern Queensland. The findings of the study indicate the importance of a variety of experiences and role models on the development of positive attitudes to starting a business

Regional employment : a study of employment changes and occupational demand in SMEs

Small and medium businesses are reputed to be the main generators of employment in developed economies. However discussion of work conditions in SMEs tends to the polarised as either providing opportunities to develop through the flexibility of the job, or providing inferior working conditions. For graduates, the evidence favours the latter view, with working conditions of lower quality in SMEs and graduates preferring to work for larger businesses. Hence it is expected that smaller businesses will be generating more employment that larger businesses but that they may have more difficulty in recruiting appropriate staff. Such problems are likely to be compounded in more isolated areas where there may be a lack of local training for some trades and lack of professional development opportunities for graduates. Moreover, training may not be supported to the same degree in smaller businesses as in those that are larger. In this survey of over 600 businesses in central Queensland, changes in the numbers of people employed in small, medium and large businesses are examined. The study also examines whether the changes occurring are in full-time, part-time or causal positions, whether it is difficult to obtain qualified staff for particular occupations, and the efforts made by businesses of all sizes to train their own staff

Location of business and its effect on business operation and performance

There is some evidence that the location of business has an effect on its profitability. However the issue is not well researched and, while there has been speculation about the reasons for this difference in performance, there appear to be few empirical studies that investigate this issue, and the results are sometimes conflicting. Recent events in Queensland have highlighted the problems associated with attracting professional staff to regional areas, and similar issues have arisen in hiring tradespeople. It might be expected that difficulties in obtaining staff and other resources would contribute to poorer performance, but there may also be differences between city and regional areas in the abilities and motivation of business owners as well as in environment differences that impact on performance. This paper reviews the literature on location and its effects on business performance and identifies areas where future research should be focused in order to develop a better understanding of business development and profitability in regional areas