<p> In response to social and environmental concerns, a new type of entrepreneur has recently entered the research literature on sustainable development in business (Hall, Daneke, &amp; Lenox, 2010). Sustainability entrepreneurs are guided by a strong set of values that place environmental and social well-being before materialistic growth (Abrahamsson, 2007; Choi &amp; Gray, 2008; Parrish &amp; Foxon, 2009; Schaltegger &amp; Wagner, 2011; Young &amp; Tilley, 2006). For them, business success is about maintaining financial stability, while enhancing community and improving the health of our planet. This is reflected in their business design, processes, and work culture. Sustainability entrepreneurs are committed to making business decisions that reduce their carbon footprint, promote local or fair trade, support employee wellness, and give back to the community. </p><p> This social phenomenological study explores the lifeworld structures of six women in Calgary who are running small businesses based on sustainability principles. Drawing on the work of Alfred Sch&uuml;tz (1967, 1970a, 1970b; Sch&uuml;tz &amp; Luckmann, 1973), it examines their typifications, stocks of knowledge, and motives, as well as notions of intersubjectivity and spatiality or lived space. From the findings, three Sch&uuml;tzian puppets or personal ideal types are constructed to personify values of community, quality, connection, and environmental preservation. Ms. A.L.L. Green, Ms. Carin Relationships, and Ms. I.N. Tentional characterize aspects of the female sustainability entrepreneur that were identified by participants as central to their motives and actions. Together, they form a new general ideal type called the integrative entrepreneur. The integrative entrepreneur personifies the unique contributions of the women interviewed, and extends our understanding of sustainability entrepreneurship in meaningful ways.</p>

<p> The specific problem of the study was poor leadership and management skills contribute to small business failure and closure. Most women start a business without previous opportunities to gain leadership and management skills. This quantitative correlational study was an examination of woman-owned and &ndash;led small service-sector businesses in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to determine if there was a relationship between leadership styles, as defined by full-range leadership theory (FRLT), and organizational success. The <i>MLQ 5x-Short</i> survey was used to measure leadership based on perceptions of owner/leaders and employees. Spearman rank correlation coefficients were calculated to determine the relationship between leadership and organizational success, measured in three areas of outcome of leadership behaviors. Multiple regression analysis and factor analysis were performed to determine whether the FRLT leadership behaviors, collectively, predicted better organizational success than any single leadership behavior. Rejection of the null hypotheses demonstrated the relationship between robust leadership and organizational success, which indicated the significant power of a female owner/leader&rsquo;s combined leadership behaviors to predict organizational success. The study has implications for female business owners interested in adopting leadership behaviors to improve organizational success. Recommendations are provided for business leaders to improve follower development by understanding leadership behaviors and styles that enhance or disrupt business performance. The study has implications for future leadership research. Regression analysis exposed unidentified variables that were not accounted for by FRLT factors. Recommendations are offered to advance leadership research through contributions to a more comprehensive leadership model.</p>

<p> This mixed quantitative/qualitative study explored the role that Emotional Intelligence (EI) plays in the leadership of church planters in Restoration Movement Churches in the U.S. (specifically Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ) and the relationship between the EI profiles of lead church planters and healthy church growth patterns, according to attendance and financial data 3 years after being planted. This study found that EI plays both a causal role and correlates strongly with healthy church growth within the first 3 years of a new church plant's life. As the first study of its kind among a Restoration Movement sample of church planters, this study assists church planting organizations in identifying and training new church leaders, as well as ongoing leadership development and coaching of individuals who have been called to be church planters.</p>

<p> This study examined the process by which a technology company grows from a concept into a living enterprise in order to provide guidelines to technology entrepreneurs. A living enterprise is a mature and stable blue chip entity that is able to act on its own based on the structure of having a community involved in making business decisions. This study used a triangular selection process to narrow approximately 500 companies down to four companies. Using archival data to develop case studies, the growth processes of four technology companies (i.e., Apple, Microsoft, Oracle and Google) were investigated, analyzed, and compared. These case studies started by examining the backgrounds of the founders, development of the initial product, and beginning of operations to the point when each of them became a living enterprise.</p><p> The four case studies were used to build the model entitled General Growth Process: Concept to Living Enterprise. This model is a useful tool for entrepreneurs who want to start and grow their companies. The general growth process extended Larry E. Greiner&rsquo;s models (1972), the model of organization development and the five phases of growth. In addition, Laurence Capron and Will Mitchell&rsquo;s definitions of, build, borrow, or buy were incorporated as well as my addition and definition of abroad (i.e. international). Finally, this study provided detailed information on how each founder became a values-driven leader and built a living enterprise.</p><p> <i>Keywords</i>: concept, entrepreneurs, founders, growth process, growth strategy, growth options, living enterprise, organization life-cycle, product development, values-driven leadership.</p>

<p> This thesis introduces the question of how to intentionally build a sustainable adventure movement, which is a grassroots effort to intentionally and significantly increase the use of outdoor adventure education as an innovative educational tool for schools, communities and businesses in perpetuity. Taking a whole-systems approach and applying leading social movement and diffusion theories, the Adventure Movement Project (AMP) seeks to develop a framework for integrating outdoor adventure education into whole communities to inspire servant leadership, achieve sustainability, and drive innovation. A socially just and sustainable planet can thrive with outdoor adventure education acting as a highly effective catalyst, which drives social, economic, educational, and environmental change. To that end, this thesis presents original applications of diffusion models and social movement theories to outdoor adventure education. The research used an original Delphi study&mdash;of outdoor adventure education experts&mdash;which explored how to build a sustainable adventure movement. The study aimed to understand ideas related to best practices and successful strategies for expanding outdoor adventure education participation. Findings exemplified for increasing outdoor adventure education include embracing a clear, unified message that establishes why outdoor adventure education matters as a tool, which can lead to achieving sustainability, driving innovation, and inspiring servant leadership. A second key finding calls for outdoor adventure education to be part of something larger and through integration into the larger experiential education and sustainability movements it may reach critical mass.</p><p> <i>Key Words:</i> outdoor adventure education, sustainability, servant leadership, innovation, social movement, experiential education</p>

<p> This dissertation investigates the dairy farming industry in the Northeastern United States and, in particular, the key drivers of economic viability and competitive advantage for small and midscale commercial dairy producers. The research approach employed was a literature review combined with primary case study observation and data collection. Historical perspective has been presented to provide an overarching contextual framework for this study. Four dairy farms were purposefully selected for case study research because they represented various aspects of a pre-defined set of variables and because they demonstrated relevant similarities as well as significant differences in terms of alternative business strategy. The classical business opportunity analytical process has been customized for practical use application by small and midscale dairy farmers. This tailored process has been validated using research findings; it offers a fresh way of identifying a strategic approach in pursuit of economic viability and competitive advantage that best fits an operation's unique set of characteristics. This process is intended for practical use application on a broader scale by dairy farmers in the Northeast to facilitate their understanding of challenging industry dynamics, of emergent market opportunity and inherent potency, and of both internal and external hurdles to be overcome. Finally, recommendations for next steps have been presented.</p>

<p> Small business enterprises are important to the economic growth of Nigeria because they make up 97% of the economy and contribute 70% of the country&rsquo;s job opportunity. Notwithstanding the importance of small businesses in the Nigerian economy, 80% fail within the first five years. Based on system theory developed by Ludwig von Bertalanffy, the purpose of this multi-unit qualitative case study was to investigate the strategies owners and managers used to sustain operations longer than first five years. Twelve senior managers of small businesses in Dutse Nigeria participated in an interview. Methodological triangulation of interview questions was used to collect the data. Review of transcribed data and member checking were used to affirm the validity, credibility, and reliability of the study. Ten dominant themes emerged as findings: managers with educational and professional qualifications, skills, and experience; written business and strategic planning; additional financing; commitment of owners; and improved working conditions and good employees manager rapport. Other findings include the use of word of mouth and maintaining a close relationship with top 20% and high spending customers; use of local FM radio stations, social media, and face-to-face contacts marketing; and the use of e-commerce and e-payment platforms. The findings also include the use of support services; and knowledge of seasonality, cutting cost, and financial discipline. Findings might be utilized by small business owners and managers to develop success strategies to sustain operations longer than first five years which might mitigate small business failure. Mitigating small business failure might contribute to the growth of Nigerian economy.</p><p>

The notion of Canada as a cultural mosaic is especially vivid when comparing life in Nunavut to that of the rest of the country. Not only is the predominant Inuit culture unique in many ways, but so too are the geographical characteristics that make Nunavut and the Canadian North so different from many other regions in the country. To gain a better understanding of entrepreneurship in Nunavut, the research explores how entrepreneurs build and use their social networks and the role of brokerage and closure in the entrepreneurial process. Using a qualitative approach of observation and interviews in the field to gather the data, the findings describe how networks are used in business in the North, and support the conclusion that networks are important for the coordination of resources.

<p> This dissertation seeks to examine poverty alleviation from the ground-up. First it conceptually introduces and develops the concept of livelihood entrepreneurship. I argue that livelihood entrepreneurship differs from other forms of entrepreneurship, due to the entrepreneur's goals in the context of poverty. I ask research questions using network theory and stakeholder theory explaining how livelihood entrepreneurs may find success and lift themselves out of poverty. Second, the dissertation delves into a qualitative study of female livelihood entrepreneurs associated with SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association), in the context of impoverished communities in and around Ahmedabad, Gujarat in India. I look at what types of skills the entrepreneurs gain by the SEWA intervention and how the women build their networks in order to succeed and sustain their enterprises in the Indian context. Third, I propose hypotheses, set up a quantitative demonstration via social network analysis and test my model by looking at how specific social capital resources of an Indian woman entrepreneur living in poverty relate to change in her family's livelihood. </p>

<p> The study of leadership in wide range of organizational settings has demonstrated the advantage the Full Range Leadership (FRL) of transformational leadership approach over other leadership styles in predicting organizational performance and other outcomes. Research has found that leadership is one of the most significant contributors to organizational performance. However, very little research has been completed on the link between FRL and organizational performance at American Muslim Organizations (AMOs). This lack of empirical research, the increase use of FRL in assessing pastoral leadership (Rowold, 2008), and its positive and strong association with effective organizations as shown in literature were the primary motivators for this study. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X), a proven leadership assessment test, was administered to 320 congregants at 12 AMOs in the greater Dallas area, TX, USA to determine preferred leadership styles and whether there is a significant correlation relationship between senior leadership styles and organization performance. Created and updated by Bass and Avolio (2004), the questionnaire measure three objective indicators of organizational performance: congregants&rsquo; satisfaction with leadership, motivation toward extra effort, and perceived leadership effectiveness. Results of descriptive analysis showed that senior leaders at AMOs scored relatively high in the average of all responses and in six of the nine leadership factors, suggesting that Full Range Transformational Leadership Model (FRLM) was the style practiced by senior leaders at targeted organizations.</p><p> The results of multiple regression analysis of aggregated leadership factors scores revealed that blended specific elements of the (FRLM) led to higher satisfaction, motivation toward extra effort and perceived leadership effectiveness among congregants.</p><p> Multiple regression analysis for separate leadership factors scores revealed the following findings: (1) Contingent Reward leadership style (CR), which requires performance measurements to reward achievement beyond meeting standards, is inextricably linked with the Transformational leadership style. (2) FRLM consisted of nine hierarchal factors on a continuum basis and strongly proffered as the most effective leadership approach at the studied context. (3) Idealized influence, attribute and behavior, did not reach significance, suggesting that AMOs are shifting from religious leadership to secular one. (4) Intellectual stimulation did not reach significance either, suggesting that leadership at AMOs does not empower followers nor facilitate creativity and independent thinking among them.</p><p> Factor analysis findings (PCA) suggested that the nine factors of FRLM can be represented by three main factors to explain 75.4 of the variability in the original data. The findings of this study provided strong support for FRLM to work well with the senior leadership at AMOs. Discussion of the implications and recommendations was provided.</p>