Corporate Parents, Initial Legitimacy, and Resource Acquisition in Small and Medium Firms: An Empirical Examination

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) commonly struggle to acquire needed financial, human, and technological resources. The above being stated, recent scholarly research argues that SMEs that are able to successfully navigate the legitimacy threshold are better able to gather the resources they need to survive and grow. This article provides an empirical test of that claim by examining whether the presence of a corporate parent positively influences SME resource acquisition. Results of the study show that SMEs with corporate parents, when compared to like-sized independent SMEs, have higher credit scores, have more complete management teams, use more computers, and are more likely to be on the Internet. These differences are most pronounced for very small firms and diminish in significance as firm size increases. Study implications include the notion that presence of a corporate parent likely represents a successful navigation of the legitimacy threshold, positively increasing SME resource acquisition

An Examination of How Personal Characteristics Moderate the Relationship between Startup Intent and Entrepreneurship Education

Purpose - While research has identified a consistent link between startup intent and entrepreneurship education (EE) intentions, studies also indicate that many entrepreneurs lack the EE they need. However, research examining factors that explain why certain individuals with high startup intent pursue EE while others do not is rare.Given this, the purpose of this paper is to examine how individual characteristics moderate the startup intent EE intentions relationship. Design/methodology/approach - Survey data were gathered on 199 US adults. Moderators examined include attitudes toward education, perceived entrepreneurial efficacy, propensity for risk taking and the Big Five personality traits. Linear regression models were used to test each of the moderation relationships predicted. Findings - Notable findings suggest that extroversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, perceived entrepreneurial efficacy and risk propensity reduce the chances that individuals with high startup intent will pursue EE, while viewing education as instrumental enhances the relationship. Research limitations/implications - Study findings imply that EE programs might not be reaching critical target markets, suggest that EE programs might need to be modified to attract individuals with high startup intent and indicate that individual characteristics are key factors that determine why certain individuals with high startup intent pursue EE while others with the same desires do not pursue EE. Originality/value - This study builds on previous work that looks at the relationship between startup intent and EE intentions by investigating how individual characteristics either amplify or diminish the relationship, increasing scholarly knowledge about why certain individuals with highstartup intent pursue EE while others do not

Intermolecular interactions between encapsulated aromatic compounds and the host framework of a Crystalline Sponge

The crystalline sponge [{(ZnI2)3(tris(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine)2.x(solvent)}n] has been use to produce a range of novel encapsulation compounds with acetophene, trans-cinnamaldehyde, naphthalene, anthracene and benzylcyanide. Using additional data from previously reported encapsulation compounds, three systematic series have been created and analysed to investigate the behaviour of guest molecules within the sponge framework and identify the dominant intermolecular interactions

The Crystalline Sponge Method: A Systematic Study of the Reproducibility of Simple Aromatic Molecule Encapsulation and Guest–Host Interactions

A systematic study detailing the uptake of a series of chemically related simple functionalized aromatic guest molecules into the pores of the crystalline sponge [{(ZnI₂)₃(tris­(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine)₂·<i>x</i>(solvent)}_<i>n</i>] has been performed. The reproducible positioning of the guest molecules within the unit cell has been documented. Analysis of guest–host and guest–guest interactions has shown the dominant role of π···π and CH···π interactions in the ability of the crystalline sponge to render the guest molecules regularly ordered. Further interactions specific to guest functionality, such as weak hydrogen bonds, are seen to contribute to the particular orientation of the guests

Reproductive development, GnRHa-induced spawning and egg quality of wild meagre (Argyrosomus regius) acclimatised to captivity

The objective of the study was to acclimatise wild-caught meagre (Argyrosomus regius) to captivity to produce viable eggs for aquaculture production. Twelve meagre (3 males and 9 females, mean weight = 20 &plusmn; 7 kg) were caught and transported to a land-based facility on 26 October 2006. During, March to June 2007, all three males were spermiating and five of the nine females were in vitellogenesis with mean maximum oocyte diameter &ge;550 &mu;m. No spontaneous spawning was observed. Two hormone treatments, either a single injection of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa, 20 &mu;g kg&minus;1 for females and 10 &mu;g kg&minus;1 for males) or a slow-release implant loaded with the same GnRHa (50 &mu;g kg&minus;1 for females and 25 &mu;g kg&minus;1 for males), were used to induce spawning on three different dates on 26 March 2007, 4 May 2007 and 18 April 2008. From each spawning event, the following parameters were determined: fecundity, number of floating eggs, egg size, fertilisation and hatching success, unfed larval survival, and proximal composition and fatty acid profile of the eggs. In 2007, two females that were injected on 26 March and 4 May spawned a total of 5 times producing 9,019,300 floating eggs and a relative fecundity of 198,200 eggs kg&minus;1 and two different females that were implanted on the same dates spawned 14 times producing 12,430,000 floating eggs and a relative fecundity of 276,200 eggs kg&minus;1. In 2008, a pair that was implanted spawned five times producing a total of 10,211,900 floating eggs and a relative fecundity of 527,380 eggs kg&minus;1. The latency period was 48&ndash;72 h. Parameters were compared between hormone treatments, date of hormone induction and parents determined by microsatellites. Percentage hatch and egg size were 70 &plusmn; 0.3% and 0.99 &plusmn; 0.02 mm, respectively, for GnRHa-implanted fish and were significantly higher (P &lt; 0.05) compared to 30 &plusmn; 0.3% and 0.95 &plusmn; 0.03 mm, respectively, for injected fish. Few differences were observed in proximal composition and fatty acid profile and for all spawns mean (% dry weight) lipid content was 17.3 &plusmn; 3.0%, carbohydrate was 4.4 &plusmn; 1.9% and protein was 31.5 &plusmn; 6.4% and the essential fatty acids: Arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n-6) ranged between 0.9 and 1% (of total fatty acids), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA 20:5n-3) 7.7&ndash;10.4% and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA 22:6n-3), 28.6&ndash;35.4%. All good quality spawns were obtained in the second and/or third spawn after GnRHa treatment, whereas all bad quality spawns were obtained either on the first spawn or after the fifth spawn. Both spawning protocols gave commercially viable (1,000,000+) numbers of good quality eggs that could form the basis of a hatchery production