Richard DeMartino

Differences between women and men MBA entrepreneurs: exploring family flexibility and wealth creation as career motivators

Abstract Previous research into gender differences among entrepreneurs has yielded varied explanations as to why female entrepreneurs differ from male entrepreneurs. This study explores motivational differences using a sample of MBA entrepreneurs. This allows comparisons between male and female entrepreneurs, who are similar in terms of business education, educational credentials, and other important variables. Logistic regression is used to measure the relationship between career motivators and gender and between career motivators and gender adjusted for marital status and the presence of dependent children. The study concludes that differences between female and male entrepreneurs become larger if the entrepreneurs are married with dependent children.

Exploring the Career/achievement and Personal Life Orientation Differences between Entrepreneurs and Nonentrepreneurs: The Impact of Sex and Dependents

This study explores the career/achievement and personal life orientations of entrepreneurs, specifically the impact of sex and dependent‐child status. Although a growing body of research has explored the similarities and uniqueness of women, none have explicitly analyzed entrepreneurs employing a career/achievement and personal life framework. In addition, no studies have sought to explore the career/achievement and personal life orientations of female entrepreneurs with female nonentrepreneurs of similar backgrounds. Consequently, this research explores and compares the career/achievement and personal life orientations of female entrepreneurs with a group of female nonentrepreneurs with similar educational levels, ages, and work experience. It also compares the orientations of male entrepreneurs with a group of male nonentrepreneurs in order to both confirm existing literature and create a means to compare intra‐female with intra‐male career and personal life orientations. The analysis shows no statistically significant differences in the career/achievement and personal life orientations of women entrepreneurs and similar female nonentrepreneurs. It also finds, confirming existing literature, that male entrepreneurs possess a greater career/achievement orientation as compared with male nonentrepreneurs.

Taking advantage of digital opportunities: a typology of digital entrepreneurship

As more companies start doing digital business, the question of how starting a digital venture differs from starting a traditional venture grows more important. We present a framework of digital entrepreneurship that includes a typology of new digital ventures – mild, moderate, and extreme – the characteristics of each type of new digital venture and a discussion of how those characteristics shape the success factors of each type of venture. Specific issues addressed include digital or virtual products and services, digital or virtual workplaces, and the effects of relying on Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC).

The Prowess and Pitfalls of Bayesian Structural Equation Modeling Important Considerations for Management Research

Muthén and Asparouhov introduced an approach for conducting Bayesian inference in the context of structural equation models that they termed Bayesian structural equation modeling (BSEM). In this article, we provide an overview of the BSEM technique, illustrate how this technique relates to confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis, and highlight several key problems with using the BSEM approach as it is currently advocated. Utilizing data from a large-scale study of entrepreneurial self-efficacy, we develop a modified approach for applying the BSEM technique in a manner that is more consistent with accepted principles of reflective measurement, factor analysis, and model selection. We devise a series of recommendations to guide future use of the BSEM technique to help ensure that mainstream use of this approach heralds the coming of a new day in measurement development rather than a false dawn.

The Entrepreneurial Motivations of Nonemployer Entrepreneurs

A nonemployer business is one that has no paid employees.The number and revenues of nonemployer businesses are increasing at a faster rate than other businesses, and they are an increasingly important alternative to other forms of entrepreneurship.Yet very little is known about these businesses. This study uses a survey of 1,600 MBA alumni to compare the entrepreneurial motivations of nonemployer entrepreneurs to conventional entrepreneurs and no entrepreneurs. The findings indicate that nonemployer entrepreneurs differ in important ways, and future research is needed to understand more fully this large and important group of entrepreneurs.

Radical innovation in medium-sized enterprises: an exploratory study of strategic intent and innovation process

There is a significant and growing body of research on radical innovation as a path to corporate renewal and growth. Despite this existing literature, very little is known regarding the role of radical innovation in medium-sized enterprises (MSEs). The vast majority of radical innovation knowledge emerges from research on large established companies. Employing a qualitative and exploratory methodology to examine the radical innovation efforts in nine MSEs, we found that radical innovation tends to be narrowly defined, closely aligned with current businesses, and market-driven. Processes are both formal and ad-hoc but in general lack separation from incremental innovation processes.

An Emerging Photonic Industry: The Success Vulnerability Paradigm

This paper sets out to examine the internationalization processes of a sample of companies drawn from a cluster of photonics companies. Twenty CEOs were interviewed, face to face. Using content analysis combined with a grounded theory influenced approached the texts of these interviews were appraised. In this way the internationalization theory was critiqued and some insights developed into the international strategy process. Some salient findings emerged, some of strategic significance to the companies in the photonics cluster.

New business creation and technology transfer at the Rochester cluster

The Rochester, NY regional photonics industry is in a period a technological and organizational change. Over the past seventy years the regional has enjoyed a reputation as one of the premium optics and imaging (photonics systems) centers of the world. In the past, the driving force behind this preeminence was a small number of larger diversified companies with strong technological competencies and internally oriented operations. Supporting these firms were dozens of small optics, components, and imaging suppliers who grew and declined with their primary customers. Todays competitive photonics industry is far different technologically and organizationally then what existed 20 to 40 years ago.

On Breeds, Tricks, and Age: The Case of Small Business Growth and Market Choice Strategy

This study explores the strategic growth plans and outcomes of twenty-two small businesses located in an economically disadvantaged area in the U.S. Our sample of firms is provide unique insight in that these companies were not fast-growing, equity-backed new ventures. Instead, the companies we analyzed were what could be characterized as “asperational average joes” - slower growth organizations which have professed a desire and strategic intent at the highest management level to grow — and in many cases grow rapidly. While analyzing the growth choices of small businesses, it still remains to be seen what influences a certain firm to select a certain method of growth. Our research helps extend the limited body of knowledge in this area. Specifically, we investigate the role of strategic growth planning in guiding the firm towards its growth aspirations.

Looking Inside the Black Box of Growth Efforts in Declining Small Firms: The Role of Growth Factors, Planning, and Implementation

Despite a large and growing literature on the subject, little is understood about the phenomenon of small business growth. Specifically, the small business growth literature has often emphasized “why” opposed to “how” firms grow. This chapter sheds light on this black box of growth by investigating the phases of planning and implementation processes separately to explore the choice of strategic expansion modes. It examines a much under-researched firm category: declining small firms. Employing a three-year longitudinal study using a multi-case study method, we find that while growth approaches are typically contextually (industry) derived, formalized planning greatly affects implementation. Further, resources are the key mediating variable between formal planning and implementation – firms with slack resources will typically implement their contextually influenced planned growth course, and firms with inadequate resources will typically implement through interactive learning, which causes them to downscale the growth plans or exit the market (merger or sale).