This research quantifies the mediating effects of consumer satisfaction on the social responsibility dimensions of philanthropy, economics, environmental, ethical, and legal regarding the behavioral outcomes of consumer loyalty while developing a new model (small business social responsibility, SBSR) to measure these effects. The purpose of current study is to provide a contemporary perspective of the influence of organizational social responsibility strategy on consumer behavior regarding three specific characteristics: enterprise size (small business), population demographic (Generation Z), and type of industry (restaurant industry). The questionnaire was developed, modified, and designed to measure the mediating effects of consumer satisfaction on SBSR initiatives and the behavioral outcomes of consumer loyalty. Data were collected from January 15 to March 15, 2022. The sample for this study consisted of 233 students from a large public university in the southwestern United States. The study found social responsibility initiatives do impact consumer behaviors, although not all the initiatives studied had a significant effect on consumer satisfaction and ultimately on consume loyalty. Environmental initiatives had the strongest significance levels on both consumer satisfaction and consumer loyalty. Conversely, the initiatives of economics and legal had no significant influence of both consumer satisfaction and consumer loyalty. The study gave evidence that managers should expect higher consumer behavior levels if they invest in social responsibility intiatives, especially environmental initiatives. As well, the study developed a model for future research which can measure and identify the social responsibility initiatives which small businesses can utilize to influence consumer behaviors.

This thesis investigates benchmarking (and associated capacity building activities) as a trigger for the diffusion and implementation of Cleaner Production. The critical success factors for the environmental benchmarking process are: The identification of gaps in environmental performance in areas important to the long-term future of the businesses; Providing and/or promoting the drivers to close the performance gaps; Ensuring business managers possess the ability and tools to close the performance gap. A program was developed implementing these factors and delivered to the drycleaning industry in Western Australia. This program identified large performance gaps for the different Eco-Efficiency indicators. The participants accepted the benchmarks (which are amended for 'economies of scale' if required) as suitable targets and committed their businesses to achieving these in their action plans. Economic benefits, managing environmental risk and maintaining their licence to operate were found to be important drivers. Participants on average reduced hazardous waste generation by 48%, improved their chemical efficiency by 30% and their energy efficiency by 9%, while individual business manager's levels of Eco-Efficiency improvements varied widely. The businesses with the higher levels of productivity and the greatest experience in the industry obtained the greatest improvements in Eco-Efficiency from the program. Furthermore, the business managers involved in the program had a significantly higher uptake of Cleaner Production in comparison with control groups, both inside the drycleaning sector as well as in 3 other sectors dominated by small to medium-sized enterprises. / This research indicates that benchmarking for small businesses needs to be part of an on-going industry specific capacity building program with the opportunity to network in a supportive atmosphere. When this is the case, improved environmental accounting practices and benchmarking can trigger and sustain the uptake of Cleaner Production to improve the Eco-Efficiency of small businesses.

To date, the existing literature is very limited in its provision of links between knowledge management or intellectual capital with innovation. Existing studies have derived their innovation processes from large companies’ perspectives and have not considered the needs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Different types of innovation will require different resources and, therefore, will need to be managed differently. Little research has been aimed at identifying innovation processes from a knowledge-based perspective. Although a fascinating array of innovation research has been carried out in the context of R and D issues and economic factors, the knowledge/innovation gaps and the gaps of innovation perspectives between larger/smaller firms should be filled in to map a more comprehensive picture of the proposition. This research is aimed at bridging these gaps through the leveraging sources of innovation, both the internal and external supporting processes of innovation and the construction of the innovation supply chain. The study suggests that, due to the integrated innovation models and propositions, future researchers will be able to undertake an empirical study for more high-tech SMEs in a selected high-tech industry to obtain a generalised result for specific high-tech industries. Also, the integrated innovation models and propositions can be used to undertake case studies or empirical studies for the other SMEs. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Knowledge Management has captured the attention of management and IT vendors are hastily bringing products to market. The interest in Knowledge Management is understandable given the moves towards knowledge based economies and workplaces. Large organisations have begun to understand the value of the knowledge held within their organisation. Nowadays, the value of an organisation may be based on its intellectual capital and this is demonstrated by organisations being sold for many times its worth in terms of hard assets. The concept of being able to store and use the 'knowledge' that is generated inside an organisation has obvious appeal. However, the management of this 'knowledge' and the ability to use it for an advantage requires careful planning and an understanding of knowledge inside the organisation and its workers. This process requires a mix of organisational, cultural and technology understanding. Current research and vendor interest is focussing on large organisations. However, Small to Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) also have an explicit need to manage their intellectual capital. Research interest in large organisations is strong, but SMEs cannot always use the findings that are targeted to large organisations and will probably be unable to afford the specific Knowledge Management tools offered by vendors. Nevertheless, SMEs can use the knowledge in their organisations to gain an advantage. In particular, the tourism industry has a significant knowledge component and Knowledge Management could provide substantial benefits. Many Knowledge Management principles apply to organisations irrespective of their size. How these can be implemented within a SME is the subject of this thesis.

This thesis is broadly concerned with the factors that influence and shape the character of human resource management (HRM) within the entrepreneurial start-up enterprise. Specifically, it investigates the way in which such companies implement and action HRM activities, and evaluates the extent to which it is possible to characterise the activities as entrepreneurial and strategic. Human resource management is understood in this thesis in its broadest sense � that is, as signifying people management within employment relationship. Little is known, however, about the development and implementation of human resource management in small and medium size enterprises. The majority of published research to date focuses on HRM in large, formal organisations, and is inter-organisational, rather than intra-organisational. Welsh and White comment that �Small business is not a little big business� (1981: 18), however, and it cannot be presumed that the two have the same managerial practices. Research into small business does, however, indicate that size, informality of structures and processes, and the personal preferences, values and attitudes of the owner/manager impact significantly on the way in which HR practices are adopted. Although there is little extant research that focuses on the relationship between HR practice and strategy in small business, it has been suggested by some that they have limited ability to manage strategically due to the informality of their structures and processes. Others however speak of HRM in the small organisation as strategic where there is a discernible link with the strategic goals and objectives to improve business performance and develop organisational cultures that foster innovation and flexibility. The �entrepreneurial start-up enterprise� is understood in this thesis as a particular type of business; that is, a simple, small, informal enterprise with a founder/owner/manager who is opportunistic, innovative, responsive to the excitement of risk taking, and is interested in fast growth. In the past, studies of the effectiveness of HRM and HR practices in small companies have benefited from being qualitative in nature. However, methodologies employed in the study of entrepreneurship tend to lack diversity and neglect alternative approaches (Aldrich, 1992). There has also been insufficient effort focused on researching organisation formation activities (Gartner and Starr, 1993). This thesis employs a qualitative approach that is interpretive, naturalistic, and narrative in style, in an effort to go some way towards redressing the limitations of existing work in the twin fields of HRM and entrepreneurship research. This is a longitudinal case study of two self-styled entrepreneurial start-up enterprises: Consultco and Pilotco. Consultco is an interactive business consultancy with a recruitment practice as part of its service. Pilotco is a publishing and Internet company that was to produce a series of CD-ROM guides to key Internet sites. A case study methodology was chosen as a sound way to explain, describe, evaluate and explore close-up HRM activities in the natural world of the entrepreneurial start-up. Narrative was chosen as a way of making the respondents stories about the organisational experiences more accessible to both the researcher and the reader, and in this way captures the unfolding story of the founding of a business as it occurs. The thesis is presented in four parts. The first part explores entrepreneurship, the influence of the entrepreneur on their organisation�s culture, and the concept of entrepreneurial strategy within the growth process of the enterprise. It also covers different views of human resource management and the practice of HR in the context of small business, specifically the entrepreneurial start-ups. The second part of the thesis is concerned with the theoretical methodologies that underpin the research, and the design of the study. Part 3 presents the stories of the respondents in their own voice, to create organisational narratives for Consultco and Pilotco. A cross-case analysis follows, which tries to throw light on the process of HRM as it is practiced in the entrepreneurial start-up context. This part concludes with the researcher�s own story within the research process, and how this experience in turn influenced on the process of meaning making. The final part of the thesis revisits the factors that influence and shape the character of HRM in the entrepreneurial context, and posits an alternative way in which to interpret the meaning of HRM, and its relationship to the opportunistic enterprise.

The purpose of this study is to examine the events and activities that triggered strategic and large-scale changes in four community college based Small Business Development Centers. A review of the literature in organizational theory and community college education was used to form an integrated conceptual scheme which could be applied to the description and examination of the change process. Tichy's TPC (Technical, Political, Cultural) model for managing strategic organizational change was used to provide the conceptual framework for conducting research and organizing data as it related to the events and activities that triggered change in case studies at four community college based Small Business Development Centers in Oregon. The case studies dealt with how strategic and organizational changes were triggered, whether they were initiated by a common set of triggering events, and the management responses to these changes used in each of the four community college based Small Business Development Center. Information concerning the changes that took place was obtained through using the TPC's in-depth diagnostic plan to analyze the events that trigger change and their impact on the key organizational components of the Small Business Centers. The research produced three findings related to the events that triggered in the four SBDC's organizational changes and the manner and means by which they were perceived, managed, and dealt with by each of the SBDC's studied. The three primary findings were: (a) the role played by key individuals as responders and/or innovators of organizational change was to a large degree dependent upon the congruence between the situation(s) being faced and their backgrounds, personalities, and leadership characteristics; (b) the different roles and hierarchical levels existing in an organization significantly influenced how individuals perceived the nature, type, properties, and characteristics of the events triggering the change process; and (c) when there is no agreement among key organizational decision-makers on the nature or type of change taking place, social power, influence and/or bargaining is used in selecting the strategy used to deal the change event. / Graduation date: 1992

The purpose of this study was to improve instructional system design at Small Business Development Centers by developing a best practice model for assessing client training needs. Two research questions were addressed: 1. Is self-directed learning an appropriate framework for instructional system design at Small Business Development Centers? 2. What are the components of a self-directed learning-based model for assessing the training needs of Small Business Development Center clients in Small Business Management programs? The theoretical framework that guided the research was constructivism. METHODS: Data collection included: 1) reviews of self-directed learning, instructional system design, needs assessment and Small Business Development Center literature; 2) preliminary interviews of Small Business Development Centers clients and instructors and university professors; 3) facilitation of a Delphi Method (using email); and 4) final interviews of the Delphi panelists. Analysis included qualitative and quantitative techniques. Findings included the compatibility of self-directed learning with Small Business Development Center educational practices and Delphi panel consensus on 34 training needs assessment items. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The conclusions were: 1. Self-directed learning is an appropriate framework for instructional system design at Small Business Development Centers. 2. Knowles' Andragogical Process Model is an appropriate foundation upon which to design instructional systems for Small Business Development Centers. 3. A self-directed learning-based training needs assessment model that incorporates the components of Knowles' Andragogical Process Model serves the needs of clients enrolled in the Small Business Management program at Small Business Development Centers. 4. Self-directed learning-based instructional systems for graduate programs in business and adult education will prepare personnel qualified to improve Small Business Development Center and other adult education programs. A model for assessing client training needs at Small Business Development Centers was developed from this study. The model illustrates the integration of self-directed learning with instructional design in Small Business Management programs. Recommendations were made for program development and further research. Self-directed learning-based instructional designs were recommended for Small Business Development Center and adult education program developers. Research is needed to test the model and to conduct action research that includes Small Business Development Center instructors and clients and university professors. / Graduation date: 1997

The politics surrounding retrenchment and social protection in the Middle East have been obscured by a broad ideological consensus that civil society has replaced the state as the site of social provisioning since the nineties. Contrary to the dominant “state retreat” narrative, the adoption of neo-liberalism in the region was not in fact uniformly accompanied by convergence around a minimal welfare regime. Why have processes of welfare retrenchment unfolded along contrasting patterns across the Middle East with some states explicitly redefining social policy frameworks, and others undermining access and effects of prevailing programs without dismantling them? The dissertation aims to contribute to our understanding of state-society relations in the region by closely examining recent welfare regime changes in Egypt. Why has Egypt pursued “hidden retrenchment” entailing dilution of universal benefits, conversion of social programs to new beneficiaries and institutional layering, without the explicit overhaul of welfare policy frameworks? What are the micro-level political influences shaping the retrenchment process on the ground? Using the Social Fund for Development as a window for understanding hidden retrenchment in Egypt, the dissertation demonstrates that external dynamics of globalization, and donor assistance do not mainly account for welfare regime restructuring. Similarly, the state’s fiscal status, and the underlying switch in development strategies cannot explain retrenchment patterns. Rather, I argue that the internationally dominant neoliberal development discourse has influenced some aspects of retrenchment reforms, and domestic political dynamics have molded hidden retrenchment in Egypt. The regime’s power maintenance logic and a prevailing moral economy of social entitlements explain the process. Micro-level qualitative and statistical analyses of retrenchment politics also reveal that intra-state agencies struggles, regime security concerns, the state’s tendency to fiscally penalize areas with a history of Muslim Brotherhood support, as well as the National Democratic Party’s patronage networks influence outcomes on the ground. My findings suggest that variations in retrenchment patterns across the region reflect important differences in states’ social bases of power, rather than external pressures or domestic economic dynamics.

The politics surrounding retrenchment and social protection in the Middle East have been obscured by a broad ideological consensus that civil society has replaced the state as the site of social provisioning since the nineties. Contrary to the dominant “state retreat” narrative, the adoption of neo-liberalism in the region was not in fact uniformly accompanied by convergence around a minimal welfare regime. Why have processes of welfare retrenchment unfolded along contrasting patterns across the Middle East with some states explicitly redefining social policy frameworks, and others undermining access and effects of prevailing programs without dismantling them? The dissertation aims to contribute to our understanding of state-society relations in the region by closely examining recent welfare regime changes in Egypt. Why has Egypt pursued “hidden retrenchment” entailing dilution of universal benefits, conversion of social programs to new beneficiaries and institutional layering, without the explicit overhaul of welfare policy frameworks? What are the micro-level political influences shaping the retrenchment process on the ground? Using the Social Fund for Development as a window for understanding hidden retrenchment in Egypt, the dissertation demonstrates that external dynamics of globalization, and donor assistance do not mainly account for welfare regime restructuring. Similarly, the state’s fiscal status, and the underlying switch in development strategies cannot explain retrenchment patterns. Rather, I argue that the internationally dominant neoliberal development discourse has influenced some aspects of retrenchment reforms, and domestic political dynamics have molded hidden retrenchment in Egypt. The regime’s power maintenance logic and a prevailing moral economy of social entitlements explain the process. Micro-level qualitative and statistical analyses of retrenchment politics also reveal that intra-state agencies struggles, regime security concerns, the state’s tendency to fiscally penalize areas with a history of Muslim Brotherhood support, as well as the National Democratic Party’s patronage networks influence outcomes on the ground. My findings suggest that variations in retrenchment patterns across the region reflect important differences in states’ social bases of power, rather than external pressures or domestic economic dynamics.

The purpose of this study was to assess the perception held by managers of feed and farm supply stores in Texas regarding the contribution of employee training to the competitiveness of the firm, determine if managers of feed and farm supply stores perceive that employee training can improve their competitive strength, and to determine if they will invest in employee training in order to gain a competitive advantage. The objectives of this study include: describe the operating environment of feed and farm supply stores in Texas; describe feed and farm supply store managers? perception of employee training?s contribution to their firm?s competitive advantage; identify barriers to employee training in feed and farm supply stores; determine Internet availability and potential use for employee training in feed and farm supply stores; and describe the willingness of feed and farm supply store managers to engage in employee training delivered via the Internet. This study employed a descriptive and correlational research design. A selfadministered questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample frame of 305 feed and farm supply stores randomly selected from 1,487 stores in Texas. These stores operate in a demanding, competitive environment that is changing at a rapid pace. They perceive that employee training improves customer satisfaction, contributes to business growth, improves productivity, and increases profits. The skills needed by their employees are increasing and they need training in sales, communication skills, technical knowledge, time management, retail merchandising, marketing, and business management to help the business stay competitive. Barriers to training include not being able to see immediate results, cost, difficulties created when key employees are not on the job, travel distances to attend training, and a lack of training programs relevant to their needs. Over 80 percent of these stores have both computers and Internet access. Managers will allow employees to use these resources for training purposes, encourage participation in online training, and allow their employees to participate in training during business hours. It is recommended that Internet based training programs be developed in sales, communication skills, technical knowledge, time management, retail merchandising, and business management for these small agribusinesses.