2007 Graduate Scholars
Elise Benveniste - Urban Planning, Fine & Applied Arts
Abstract: Creating an Entrepreneurial Community Framework in West Central Illinois
Community capacity building is described in the entrepreneurial development literature as imperative to successful entrepreneurial communities. Similarly, the success of entrepreneurial assistance programs depends on how the community as a whole promotes and endorses their service centers as helpful and accessible. The success of service assistance and the creation of entrepreneurial rural communities demand a framework for economic development that is community oriented. Building on the Entrepreneurial Development System approach of the RUPRI Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship and the Community Capitals Framework of Flora and Flora, the goal of this initiative is to better understand how a system might be created that would support entrepreneurial community development in West Central Illinois. This will involve two activities: a literature review on factors that contribute to the development of entrepreneurial communities and a case study of a community in this region.
Martin Ganco - Business Administration, College of Business
Abstract: Entrepreneurial Teams and Spin-out Formation
The primary objective of this research is to understand entrepreneurial teams - their formation, decision-making processes, changes over time and environmental contingencies. The context is the formation of entrepreneurial start-ups founded by former employees of an incumbent active within the same industry - that is, a spin-out. Although empirical research on spin-outs and their contribution to growth and innovation is increasing, theoretical work is still limited. This study will build and test a model that would help to explain spin-out formation by integrating several of the extant theoretical perspectives. It will address such key questions as why disagreements within entrepreneurial teams arise, when disagreements lead to the departure of one of the founders and establishment of a new start-up, and the performance implications for the start-up and the incumbent.
Sunny Jeong - Recreation, Sport & Tourism, Applied Health Sciences
Abstract: The Role of Social Networks in Entrepreneurship
Social connections play a critical role in initiating and sustaining entrepreneurship. The decision to start a business in a small town, for example, often depends on the social network of the entrepreneur - friends and family can provide needed information and other resources. This research project aims to extend our understanding about the role of social capital in entrepreneurship. The relationships between social resources in communities and business development, and the roles of strong and weak ties in new economic opportunities will be explored. Other factors contributing to differences in the formation of social capital and its influence on business success by gender, ethnicity and location will also be examined. While few in tourism have addressed issues of community development in conjunction with social analysis of community relations, fewer have done it in the context of ethnic and racial communities. A densely knit rural Amish community in Illinois is the focus of this study. Data will be obtained through in-depth interviews and observation during stays with members of the community. The outcome will include presentation of the results at a social networks conference.
Jongkuk Lee - Business Administration, College of Business
Abstract: Interfirm Collaboration, Entrepreneurial Orientation, and Innovation Performance
Market pioneering efforts, which include both technology and market developments, are a critical source of economic growth and the growth of individual firms. Entrepreneurial orientation is an important driving force of these activities. Corporate entrepreneurship typically explores new venture opportunities beyond exploiting the existing technologies or markets. However, pioneers are likely to face various challenges. In today's complex environment, a single firm cannot easily be the locus of innovation. There is an increasing need to leverage the limitation of internal resources with resources from outside. Interfirm collaboration is becoming more common practice, but can hurt an internal orientation on continuous innovation. Given the conflicting effects of interfirm collaboration, is such collaboration a poison pill or boost for entrepreneurial orientation and pioneering performance. Building on previous research on collaboration networks for new product innovation, a conceptual model will be developed that incorporates entrepreneurial orientation and leadership in market pioneering activities. An empirical test of this model will then be conducted, based on secondary data on the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
Wei Li - Library & Information Science, College of Library & Information Science
Abstract: Knowledge Management for International Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs are increasingly competing internationally from their earliest stages. In this competitive global environment, complexity is a common denominator for the business environment in which entrepreneurs work, and knowledge is a competing factor with which entrepreneurs can reduce complexities and distinguish themselves from competitors. Little research has been done concerning knowledge management for international entrepreneurs. This pilot study will lead to frameworks and findings that support the design of future projects on knowledge management for entrepreneurs in the international setting. The study will target knowledge management in a Chinese company, the XinAo Group, that is expanding its business outside of China. It will focus on three dimensions of XinAo's knowledge management efforts - technological, cultural and human capital. In-depth interviews with XinAo managers will be the primary research method, supplemented by site visits and the collection of relevant company documents.
Lihong Qian - Business Administration, College of Business
Abstract: Liability of Smallness, Entrepreneurial Entry and Technology Evolution in the U.S. Biofuels Industry
This study investigates the strategic behavior of entrepreneurial firms that differ in their resources and capabilities, under conditions of technology and demand uncertainty. The context of an emerging industry where uncertainties are undergoing resolution allows the potential capture of the decision making process of firms before entry is made or before post-entry performance differential is manifested. The premise is that the performance of small and entrepreneurial firms critically depends on their ability to develop resources and capabilities that will help them navigate demand and technological uncertainty, particularly when confronted with their liability of smallness. This research will examine this issue in the biofuels industry within the current grain based technological regime as well as when the industry is transformed by the disruptive change caused by introduction of cellulosic technologies. It will explore how small and entrepreneurial firms can perceive and respond efficiently to technological change, compared with those diversifying firms with advantageous complementary resources and capabilities. Surveys, experimental simulations and interviews will be used to determine the role and type of strategic relationships in mitigating the liability of newness.
Abhijeet Vadera - Business Administration, College of Business
Abstract: The Construction of Identity of a New Entrepreneurial Organization
Managerial mindsets such as dominant logics have been found to be highly essential for success of an entrepreneurial organization. However, largely missing from this research are the factors that influence and the process through which a dominant logic or mindset is formed. The premise of this study is that organizational identity influences dominant logics, but is 'pre-strategic.' Organizational identities influence managerial mindsets, and understanding the process through which organizational identity is formed in new firms can add to our knowledge of entrepreneurial mindsets. Of particular interest is how founders and other key decision makers negotiate with their stakeholders, including organizational employees and external constituencies, to craft the organization's identity. Consequently, this project attempts to elucidate the role of founders, initial leaders, stakeholder groups, and their interactions, along with various contextual factors, during the construction of an organization's identity. Using a grounded theory, case study method, this study will focus on and be conducted at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, India, which was conceptualized in 1997, with its first class of students graduating in 2002.
Shuang Wang - East Asian Languages & Cultures, Liberal Arts & Sciences
Abstract: Protection of Entrepreneurial Rights
A new theme is under development for the course Chinese 440 (Fourth-Year Chinese I), on social issues in contemporary China, with a business emphasis. Research has shown that teaching business languages in combination with foreign cultures in more effective in motivating students and improving their communication skills than the conventional methods. This project will develop one of the six course units, on protection of entrepreneurial rights, including creation of a video role play, a case study and readings. The unit will incorporate speaking, reading and writing skills. The new materials will be included in the Fall 2007 course.
Yu-Lin Wang - Human Resource Education, College of Education
Abstract: Entrepreneurs' Social Capital: A Review of Literature
There is a growing scholarly consensus on the benefits of social capital for organizations, but less research on the value of social capital as an asset for individual entrepreneurs, especially at the earliest stages of a venture. An individual's socio-economic background impacts social capital formation and entrepreneurial activities, and there is a lack of research in particular that emphasizes the influence of broader external factors, such as socio-economic institutions, and the cultural and economic environments in which social capital is embedded. This study will review the literature on how social capital shapes and influences an entrepreneur's success in the growth process, and how an entrepreneur utilizes his or her own social capital as a unique individual resource, influenced by environment.