Has the "Farm Problem" Disappeared? A Comparison of Household and Self-Employment Income Levels of the Farm and Nonfarm Self-Employed

This study tests the impact of household and demographic factors on the economic well-being of the farm and nonfarm self-employed using data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. Parametric and nonparametric techniques are used to test for statistical differences in self-employment and household income levels. Further, household and demographic factors are tested for their effect on self-employment income using a censored tobit regression model. The farm self-employed report significantly higher levels of self-employment income. Results reveal that several household and demographic factors significantly impact self-employment income levels for the farm and nonfarm self-employed, with key differences in impacts.self-employment, farm households, Community/Rural/Urban Development,

MILKING THE MOST FROM YOUR PROMOTIONAL DOLLARS: AN ANALYSIS OF AGRIBUSINESS FIRMS SERVING U.S.AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS

Although the marketing mix has been covered in great detail in many veins of literature, very little information exists regarding the mix of marketing tools within the agriculture industry serving U.S. agricultural producers. Using a survey conducted by AgriMarketing magazine in June 2006, a two-fold analysis is undertaken. This study attempts to determine the differences in the use of marketing tools by industry and simple regression analysis is conducted to determine promotional factors that produce a significant impact on sales. Both mass media and other promotional tools were found to be the most consistently significant factor impacting sales of firms in the study.marketing mix, agribusiness, promotion, agriculture, marketing, mass media. expenditures

Does Experience Determine Performance? A Meta-Analysis on the Experience-Performance Relationship

The impact of experience on entrepreneurial performance has been widely tested. Although experience is expected to positively impact performance, results are varied. This research synthesizes the current literature by determining systematic sources of variation through both exploratory and ordered probit analyses. Results reveal that start date for data collection and form of experience tested pose a major impact on the probability of obtaining a positive estimate for the experience-performance relationship. This research further emphasizes the need for tightened standards across the experience-performance literature in order to equip both academics and practitioners with better information.Entrepreneurship, Experience, Performance, Meta-Analysis, Agribusiness, Labor and Human Capital,

Toward an Integrative Research Framework for New Venture Legitimacy Judgement Formation

 Legitimacy is a critical resource for new ventures. Yet, our review of the literature indicates that the process through which new venture legitimacy judgments are bestowed by stakeholders is under-theorized. Additionally, the consequences of the legitimacy judgment for the stakeholder have not been adequately incorporated in prior research frameworks. We employ the absorptive capacity construct to address these limitations and propose an integrative research framework that includes the stakeholder in the legitimacy judgment formation process, and paves the way for empirical testing of these underlying processes

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

A Ranking of State Governments' Efficient Use of Expenditures to Encourage Small Firm Births

We assume state governments are rational in their budgeting behavior. If this is true, then it is intuitive that they would allocate their expenditures so as to receive the maximum possible benefit for the least cost. Within the parameters of this study, we assume state governments work to receive the maximum number of firm births for the least amount of expenditure. Using regression analysis, we attempt to determine common state government expenditures that indirectly promote firm birth. We then employ non-parametric efficiency testing to rank states by their relative efficiency in using the significant expenditures to promote firm births. The regression results reveal three positive and significant expenditures in determining small firm birth, while relative efficiency rankings based on the use of these target expenditures indicate how states compare to their peers in terms of efficient expenditure use

Being Good for Goodness Sake: The Influence of Family Involvement on Motivations to Engage in Small Business Social Responsibility

Small family and nonfamily firms are acknowledged to serve as important facilitators of social responsibility within their communities; however, both have received relatively little attention in the literature for these efforts or their motivation for undertaking them. Grounded in Enlightened Self-Interest (ESI) and intentions, we explore motivations for participation in socially responsible behaviors and the moderating effect of family involvement. We develop measures for small business social responsibility (SBSR), ESI, and SBSR intentions. Our analyses indicate positive direct effects exist for both SBSR intentions and ESI on engagement in SBSR. We find that family involvement strengthens the relationship between ESI and participation in civic SBSR, thus suggesting that family firms may be partially motivated to "do good" in visible forms of SBSR to protect their own interests

Being Good for Goodness Sake: The Influence of Family Involvement on Motivations to Engage in Small Business Social Responsibility

Small family and nonfamily firms are acknowledged to serve as important facilitators of social responsibility within their communities; however, both have received relatively little attention in the literature for these efforts or their motivation for undertaking them. Grounded in Enlightened Self-Interest (ESI) and intentions, we explore motivations for participation in socially responsible behaviors and the moderating effect of family involvement. We develop measures for small business social responsibility (SBSR), ESI, and SBSR intentions. Our analyses indicate positive direct effects exist for both SBSR intentions and ESI on engagement in SBSR. We find that family involvement strengthens the relationship between ESI and participation in civic SBSR, thus suggesting that family firms may be partially motivated to "do good" in visible forms of SBSR to protect their own interests

Get What You Give? An Examination of Enlightened Self-Interest, Philanthropic Intent, and Engagement in Philanthropy for Small Firm Owners

Prior researchers agree that small businesses are important community contributors due to their active engagement in broader social responsibility activities, such as philanthropy. Despite their purported importance to charitable giving and philanthropy, little is known about the factors that motivate small business owners’ decisions to engage in philanthropic giving. We integrate enlightened self-interest theory and the theory of planned behavior to examine how enlightened self-interest influences intentions to engage in philanthropy during start-up, which in turn impacts current levels of engagement in philanthropic activities. Our results suggest that intentions to engage in philanthropy at start-up do partially mediate the relationship between enlightened self-interest and engagement in philanthropy behaviors; thus, suggesting that entrepreneurs’ motivations grounded in enlightened self-interest influence intentions to engage in philanthropy and subsequent engagement in such activities

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