Rodney C. Runyan

Small Business in the Face of Crisis: Identifying Barriers to Recovery from a Natural Disaster

The crisis management literature has not dealt in depth with small business response to disasters. This study takes a qualitative approach to consider how small businesses respond to and recover from a large disaster, by interviewing stakeholders in five different communities in the Gulf Coast of the United States. Events that are considered to be crises in nature are usually characterized by high consequence, low probability, ambiguity, and decision making time pressure. Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath caused small business owners in the U.S. Gulf region to experience each of these. Findings include lack of planning by small business; vulnerability to cash flow interruption; lack of access to capital for recovery; problems caused by federal assistance; and serious infrastructure problems impeding recovery.

Entrepreneurial Orientation in Cross‐Cultural Research: Assessing Measurement Invariance in the Construct

The entrepreneurial orientation (EO) scale has become the most widely used scholarly measure of entrepreneurial behavior. Additionally, it is frequently used in studying entrepreneurship in non–Western cultures. In the current study, the authors respond to calls for cross–cultural validation of measures used in international research by assessing the measurement invariance of the most frequently utilized EO scale. Using samples of small and medium–sized firms from the United States and China, the authors assess the dimensionality of EO, optimal number of scale items, and the measurement invariance of the construct across cultures. The results support conceptualizing EO as multidimensional, using an 8–item version, and utilizing it in cross–cultural research settings in certain instances.

A resource‐based view of the small firm: Using a qualitative approach to uncover small firm resources

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe a qualitative study of small retailers, designed to uncover perceptions of resources which may be utilized to create competitive advantages and improve performance. The resource‐based view (RBV) of the firm has focused on large firms, and this study extends RBV to the small firm.Design/methodology/approach – Using focus groups of small retailers within four communities in the USA, open‐ended questioning and discussions were utilized to help elicit responses about owners resources.Findings – The concepts of community brand identity, local social capital and environmental hostility (though not part of the original discussion guide), emerged as important constructs. Both community brand identity and social capital were articulated by focus group participants as resources which helped them to be successful. Brand identity was seen as important regardless of environment, while social capital emerged as a resource used more in hostile environments.Research lim...

Getting customers downtown: The role of branding in achieving success for central business districts

Purpose – To extend the research focuses of downtown business districts beyond the urban planning literature through application of the resource‐based theory of the firm. Downtowns may act like firms (with a collection of SBUs), and therefore should possess resources that provide competitive advantages.Design/methodology/approach – A multi‐method approach (focus groups; survey) is used to examine, a priori, the resources that provide competitive advantage for downtowns, including brand identity, business mix and community characteristics. Structural equation modeling is used to test the measurement of the constructs as well as estimate the effects of those constructs on downtown success. The data were collected from business owners within 11 downtown business districts in the US Midwest.Findings – Confirmatory factor analyses reveal that brand identity, business mix and community characteristics are three distinct measures of downtown resources. Brand identity was found to have a significant and positive ...

A case study on the internationalization process of a ‘born-global’ fashion retailer

This case study on Zara elucidates the expansion strategies used by both born-global and gradual global fast-fashion retailers based on theories of internationalization. Aspects related to knowledge sharing, resource-based theory, and psychic distance are overlaid with Zaras internationalization strategies to advance understanding of the role fashion plays in dynamic internationalization. Zara employs a high-risk, high-reward model of internationalization to defend its unique merchandise and retail position by remaining completely vertical. Zaras born-global expansion strategy engendered a psychic distance paradox in that it was very successful in distant markets early on. It is proposed that fashion retailers may take note of Zaras success through the proposed ‘dynamic strategic planning process’ for expansion in international markets. Researchers can test the proposed framework empirically to investigate the theoretical constructs for both gradual- and born-global firms.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Homophily in Restaurant Atmospherics

Atmospherics are an underresearched, yet important aspect of restaurant performance. This study takes an exploratory approach to measurement development, by conceptualizing a social capital scale to measure homophily in five different restaurant settings, and all three traditional meal periods. A national sample of 1,220 restaurant-goers was obtained, and a unidimensional construct reflecting homophily was found overall; for breakfast and lunch periods, and within three of the five restaurant types. We offer insight into these findings, and discuss the use of the scale in future research.

Accurately Assessing Expectations Most Important to Restaurant Patrons: The Creation of the DinEX Scale

Over the years, those studying the restaurant industry have attempted to accurately assess what expectations are most important to restaurant patrons. The results have been centered on the domains of food, service, and atmosphere. This research adds the domain of social connectedness and homophily to the model. A scale to accurately and efficiently measure these concepts was created utilizing both qualitative and quantitative research techniques and engaging 5 samples numbering 2,500 respondents. Five stages were employed to provide validity, reliability, stability, and homogeneity. A 20-item sale—DinEX—was created using a two-step confirmatory analysis approach.

NATIVE AMERICAN ENTREPRENEURS AND STRATEGIC CHOICE

In a study of 149 entrepreneurs operating businesses in heavily Native American indigenous communities, no significant differences were found in three constructs of entrepreneurial business orientation and two constructs of small business orientation between Native American entrepreneurs and majority entrepreneurs. Community development officials can use the findings to lay the foundation for cultivating entrepreneurship among all community residents as no significant differences between indigenous and majority small business owners in their strategic choices of entrepreneurial and small business orientations was found. This information allows development officials to approach all potential entrepreneurs with a common method.

Defining a forum for retailing scholars : academics' rankings of journals in the discipline

The publication and dissemination of scholarly work are the major functions of journals. Thus rankings of journal effectiveness exist for many business disciplines. To date, such a ranking has not been conducted for the retail discipline. Utilizing a previously operationalized methodology, a four-stage, systematic rating of journals as outlets for retailing research was undertaken. Following MacMillan, it is posited that scholars in a field are best suited to define scholarly work and outlets in that field. Journals found to be ‘outstanding’ outlets were the Journal of Retailing and the Journal of Marketing. Seven other journals were rated as ‘significant’ while the remaining five were seen as ‘acceptable’. A discussion of the use and importance of the findings follows the results section. The current study adds to the literature, as it utilizes recognized experts in the field to define what is a proper scholarly forum for retailing research.

Author and institution rankings in retail research: an analysis of the four retail journals from 1994–2008

The four retailing journals are reviewed over a 15 year period through 2008. Utilizing established methodology, the impact of scholars and institutions upon the retailing discipline is assessed using five measures. Over 1,800 articles were reviewed, coded for authorship and institutional affiliation and then analyzed based on several measures designed to control for quantity and quality of publication. Results by journal as well as overall are tabled by author and institutional appearance. Findings include a distinct division of European authors and institutions dominating the three European-based journals and North American authors dominating the American-based journal.