Joan Mount

Institutional image and retention

Abstract The image or ‘branding’ issue has become a strategic managerial decision for postsecondary institutions because it impacts upon the desire of a student to persist and complete, or to drop out. This paper examines the relationship that exists between students’ expectations and their lived experience as reported by students in an actual institutional setting. It is a case study which suggests actionable outcomes for the particular institution. More importantly, the approach used here is easily replicable and may be employed to provide useful information for image enhancement in other university settings.

Organizing for development in the small business

Abstract Small business development is analysed in terms of transition phases that link phases of comparative stability. Enterprises founded as owner-operated businesses may evolve into a functionally organized entity; if so, they move through two distinct transition phases. These transitional phases lie between the owner-operated and an owner-managed organization, and between the owner-managed and a more complex organization guided by functional managers. Each of the five phases is marked by particular characteristics, and calls for a phase-specific blend of entrepreneurial and management activities. The framework recognizes that not all small enterprises pass through all five phases; there are firms that start in a more evolved phase, and there are many that remain within a particular phase, either by design or by virtue of barriers to further development.

The Make Up of Institutional Branding: Who, What, How?

The purpose of this paper is to report on who creates branding within institutions of higher learning, and what impact branding has on core institutional activities such as student recruitment and fundraising, as well as on socio-psychological factors such as community respect and national prestige. Eighty-nine tertiary education experts covering three world regions were surveyed in order to gather information to fulfil the paper’s objectives. The nature and extent of involvement of enrolled students, alumni, higher management, external consultants, civic leaders and the business community were investigated to identify the part each plays, if any, in the development of an institutional brand. Findings indicate that institutions have a tendency to brand from the top down rather than from the bottom up.

Community economic development through partnerships: The case of the Sudbury Regional Business Centre

Purpose - This paper seeks to present a partnering model pioneered in Sudbury, Canada, that combats fragmentation in the delivery of business support services. Partnerships form the backbone of a comprehensive business support centre. The Sudbury Regional Business Centre brings together banking, government, communications, education, legal, and accounting partners. These partners coordinate their efforts to provide services to area businesses, striving to improve the odds for a dynamic and resilient local economy. This model has been replicated and adapted by various communities across Ontario, Canadas most populous province. Design/methodology/approach - The methodology consists of qualitative research by two participant-observers. Findings - If a solid business case can be made, banks and three levels of government can be persuaded to act in concert with other partners through a community business support centre; economic upheaval in the Sudbury area precipitated urgency and resolve; several postulates regarding key success factors were supported. Research limitations/implications - The reporting is retrospective; the postulates are examined in a single context. Practical implications - Disparate players can form a working partnership so that business support services from various quarters blend effectively, and are easily accessed to give clients the best help available. Originality/value - This paper describes how a community forged partnerships designed to overcome fragmentation in the delivery of business support services. Comprehensive enterprise support offered by committed public and private sector partners can be channelled through a physically accessible centre. The factors which proved most critical to success are discussed.