This thesis examines perceptions of cooperation among small to medium sized enterprises (SME) in western Oregon's forest products industry. Recent changes in the industry, such as corporate consolidation, global marketing, and government regulations have created an environment in which many SMEs find it difficult to stay competitive. Cooperation among SMEs is one method for alleviating the situation; however, few SME owners are engaging in cooperative projects or behaviors. Common assumptions and stereotypes about the individualistic nature of the forest products industry lead some to believe that cooperation is an unlikely avenue for SME owners. Through 16 in-depth interviews with SME owners, this view is found to be overly simplistic. It does not account for the variety of factors at play and the depth of the issues involved in SME owners' attitudes toward cooperation. In studying attitudes toward cooperation, this study first attempts to understand the cultural values of the decision makers. It is apparent that values play an integral role in the decision making and strategy of SME owners. This research highlights the complexity of the issues facing small businesses and their owners and reveals that four main factors contribute to SME owners' perceptions about cooperation and influence strategic business decisions: common values, stereotypes, risk perception, and a lack of knowledge about cooperation. Values are found to be especially relevant in understanding and influencing attitudes toward cooperation as values affect risk perception and risk perception in turn directly impacts business strategy. Understanding the values of SME owners helps to describe their attitudes toward cooperation and dispels the notion that they are too independent to ever work together. Eight recommendations stem from the findings of this study which may lead to cooperative action and more successful SMEs: 1) Find a trustworthy agent to act as a sponsor; 2) Build credible systems; 3) Match members with similar values; 4) Expound the potential benefits of cooperation to reduce risk perception; 5) Find a spark plug, not a spokesperson; 6) Provide education; 7) Define and implement both learning networks and action groups; 8) Target new and future categories of SME owners such as women and the children or grandchildren of current owners. / Graduation date: 2004

Drawing upon the research on gender in science (especially gender and publication and patent productivity), social network studies, and social studies of interdisciplinary research and nanotechnology, this dissertation develops and tests a series of hypotheses to advance the understanding of the gender difference in patenting in the U.S. Ridgeways theory of gender frame (Ridgeway, 2009, 2007; Ridgeway&England, 2004) is very powerful in explaining gender inequity at both micro- and macro-levels, and thus constitutes the foundation of this study. After laying out the theoretical foundation, I set out to focus on collaboration as one of critical mechanisms accounting for the gender difference in patenting. While social network scholars maintain that social capital resides in network structure and claim different structures provide different benefits (Borgatti, Jones,&Everett, 1998), I conceive of diversity as the most important structural feature of collaboration networks to predict patenting performance, and accordingly develop the concept boundary-spanning collaboration to refer to collaboration networks containing relationships to diverse others. Then, I rely on social studies of gender, network, and desired outcomes as well as research on interdisciplinary fields in general and nanotechnology in particular to propose several hypotheses regarding how gender would differ on boundary-spanning collaboration and how the differences matter the gender gap in patenting in the context of nanotechnology. Two sets of analyses, performed on large-scale patent data and individual-level survey data, generate novel and important findings. These results enhance our understanding of the distinct context of nanotechnology, especially with regard to collaboration and gender representation, and the interrelationships of gender, boundary-spanning collaboration, and patenting involvement in this context. In brief, there are three major findings. First, while nanotechnology and patenting activities present new areas for gendered studies in science, the influential gender stereotypes always predict the detection of a gender gap. Second, collaboration networks, especially those featured with diversity, are relevant to the gender gap in patenting nanotechnology in a complicated way, but the operationalization of diversity is the key to comprehend the complexity. Third, the returns from collaborative relationships are generally gendered, but the gender gap in returns varies upon the context where a relationship takes place. Relating these findings to previous research, I highlight the theoretical and methodological contributions of this study, point out its limitations for future research development, and draw pertinent policy implications.

Underpinning economic growth is the emergence of entrepreneurial ventures with the potential to grow that boost job creation and provide new sources of products for mature companies. The critical role associated with new firms, underscores the importance of understanding how entrepreneurship unfolds. Network-based research, while leading the way to rich empirical studies provides a limited understanding of how entrepreneurial networks are built and their impact on the emergence of a new venture. Employing a multiple case study design and a perspective based on organizational path building, three young technology ventures were investigated in terms of the formation of networks around five key entrepreneurial activities defined by entrepreneurs. Rich insight into new venture emergence is presented in terms of the reciprocal relationship between specific activities enacted by entrepreneurs and the networks that form to execute those activities revealing the path building mechanisms that evolve to drive network development. The findings of this research not only contribute to theories of new venture emergence, but also offer an interesting opportunity for future research into factors that may influence the outcome of entrepreneurial ventures and provide practical insight for organizations seeking to sustain or develop an entrepreneurial path.

Not available / text

published_or_final_version / Sociology / Master / Master of Philosophy

Underpinning economic growth is the emergence of entrepreneurial ventures with the potential to grow that boost job creation and provide new sources of products for mature companies. The critical role associated with new firms, underscores the importance of understanding how entrepreneurship unfolds. Network-based research, while leading the way to rich empirical studies provides a limited understanding of how entrepreneurial networks are built and their impact on the emergence of a new venture. Employing a multiple case study design and a perspective based on organizational path building, three young technology ventures were investigated in terms of the formation of networks around five key entrepreneurial activities defined by entrepreneurs. Rich insight into new venture emergence is presented in terms of the reciprocal relationship between specific activities enacted by entrepreneurs and the networks that form to execute those activities revealing the path building mechanisms that evolve to drive network development. The findings of this research not only contribute to theories of new venture emergence, but also offer an interesting opportunity for future research into factors that may influence the outcome of entrepreneurial ventures and provide practical insight for organizations seeking to sustain or develop an entrepreneurial path.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Växjö : Växjö universitet, 2007.

Diss. Uppsala : Uppsala universitet, 2007.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 147-173).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008. / Committee Chair: Shapira, Philip; Committee Member: Ceccagnoli, Marco; Committee Member: Fox, Mary; Committee Member: Lewis, Greg; Committee Member: Walsh, John.