Globally, developed economies show the largest gender gaps in entrepreneurial activity. This analysis examines one potential cause of low rates of female entrepreneurship, work-family policies, specifically in France. The objective of this paper is to test whether or not there is a relationship between entrepreneurship and childcare accessibility in France, and if this relationship exists, to learn about its nature. Using data from 2009 to 2013, probit regressions are run for different outcomes of entrepreneurial activity with early childhood care aid eligibility as the explanatory variable of interest. These regressions are run separately for men and women and for the whole sample. This paper does not find conclusive evidence that childcare accessibility significantly affects the probability that one is involved in entrepreneurial activity either for women or for the whole sample. However, it does suggest that if the relationship is significant, childcare aid has a negative impact on the decision for entrepreneurship. Finally, I consider other variables closely correlated with childcare financial aid that may negatively impact involvement in entrepreneurial activity.

Over the last few years, we are seeing an emergence of new food entrepreneurship across the globe. In the context of the Syrian refugee crisis, these food-related social enterprises are not only providing job opportunities to refugees but they are also increasing awareness about their cause and creating new narratives surrounding their arrival. This present study seeks to contribute to the knowledge surrounding refugees and entrepreneurship by explaining how several refugee food enterprises have gained great popularity despite greater nationalism and xenophobia. In the analysis of food entrepreneurship, one finds that this phenomenon is able to partly fill the void of certain organizations and movements by placing food in the role of the mediator. Arguably, food entrepreneurship assists in areas that refugee resettlement agencies do not, as they provide a platform that give refugees agency rather than dealing with them as victims. These agencies address refugee’s agency as business employees, and in some cases, encourage their agency as women. Not only does this reverse the narrative of victimized refugees who need support from their new societies whilst also providing them with income, it also provides an opportunity to politically mobilize around refugee-threatening issues.

In the United States, many small businesses fail within the first 5 years due to poor implementation of long term financial strategies. Researchers and business practitioners indicated that women small business owners face challenges in financing their small businesses beyond 5 years due to a lack of long-term financial strategies. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore long term financial strategies women use to sustain their small businesses beyond 5 years. The general theory of entrepreneurship was the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 11 women small business owners in Cleveland County, North Carolina, who had been in business beyond 5 years and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data. The 3 themes discovered were methods of funding small businesses, challenges for women as small business owners, and entrepreneurial spirit. The implications for positive social change include the potential to affect the long term success of women entrepreneurs by providing knowledge on financial strategies. The success of women small business owners strengthens local economies by stimulating economic growth, increasing the employment rate, and improving the standard of living of the area.

Small businesses play a key role in the health of the U.S. economy; however, approximately 50% of small businesses fail within the first 5 years of operation. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by owners of small businesses to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years. The conceptual framework used was the resource-based theory. The population of this study consisted of 3 owners of small businesses in North Carolina who sustained their businesses for at least 5 years. The data sources included semistructured interviews of the participants as well as business websites, social media pages, and documents. The data analysis process included data cleaning, uploading transcribed interviews into qualitative data analysis software, organizing, and coding. Member checking and triangulation with the data sources helped ensure methodological saturation and trustworthiness of interpretations. The thematic analysis led to the identification of 5 major themes contributing to company sustainability: strategic business planning and financial planning, risk management and cost control strategies, networking and relationship building, innovation and niche marketing, and environmental scanning. The results of further analysis indicated that the 3 strategies needed for success by owners of small businesses were strategic business planning and financial planning, networking and relationship building, and niche marketing. The implications of this study for positive social change include the potential to improve the competence of small business owners and business sustainability, increase small business profit, and provide a better quality of life to employees and better welfare for their communities, benefiting the entire U.S. economy.

Corporate entrepreneurship is dedicated to the continuous exploration of opportunities and leveraging innovation activities to achieve a competitive advantage, improved performance, and prosperity of companies. The problem is that the complex reality of multinational corporations is creating distinct obstacles for subsidiary managers who are attempting to develop and promote entrepreneurial activities. The purpose of this qualitative analytic autoethnographic study was to explore barriers and enablers for corporate entrepreneurship ‎practice by focusing on the individual and organizational processes, culture, and lessons learned from entrepreneurial activities that took place at the selected organization during the last decade. The interviews with 9 participants, who were involved in the activities covered by the study, served to reflect the researcher’s narrative and strengthen the reliability and trustworthiness of the results. The study results are based on the contextual data analysis and involved identified barriers in organizational, cultural, and business environments along with the specific manager’s actions and organizational processes for overcoming them. Findings showed that despite the obstacles in the subsidiary’s internal and external environments, one could achieve acknowledging the value of the subsidiary’s innovation activities and establish foundations for the practice of corporate entrepreneurship. The adaption of the study findings is expected to catalyze social change and strengthen the positive impact of entrepreneurial activities on employees’ motivation and job satisfaction, innovativeness, sustainability, and growth of companies and national economies.

University Entrepreneurship Programs reside is a variety of places within a Campus Community. As a relatively new university, the question arises as to where such a program should reside? Should such a program be relegated to a single college or is there an opportunity for a cross-disciplinary approach to its establishment? With limited resources, it is imperative to make an educated and informed decision so as to be good stewards of limited funding.

The high failure rates of new business ventures (NBV) negatively affect employment and potential contributions to the economic health of communities. The high NBV failure rate is essential, as NBV sustainability influences job creation and increases employment rates in communities surrounding the NBV. The purpose of this qualitative single case study, using the effectuation conceptual framework, was to explore strategies organization leaders in the state of Missouri used for sustaining NBV operations beyond 5 years. The sample consisted of 6 NBV consultants from a single Missouri NBV consulting firm who have sustained NBVs beyond 5 years. The 6 NBV consultants answered standardized open-ended questions via semistructured interviews. Documentation served as a second data collection source. Data analysis included Yin's 5-step process, a thematic analysis by coding interview text, reducing themes based on redundancies, and combining common themes. The data revealed mindset as a meta-strategy and included three subordinate themes of knowledge-based strategies, network strategies, and systems strategies. The findings from this study can benefit NBV consultants and managers to assess mindset strategies as a foundation for developing subordinate sustainability strategies. The implications for positive social change include the potential for generating tax revenues to strengthen communities and increase support of quality education, contributions to infrastructure and public service expansions, and collaborations for community partnerships.

Small business manufacturing enterprises represent viable means of creating employment, stimulating economic growth, and accelerating development. Many newly formed small business enterprises do not continue beyond 5 years after formation. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by small business manufacturing leaders in Lagos, Nigeria to sustain their businesses, using general systems theory as the conceptual framework. The sample comprised 3 small business leaders who have sustained their business enterprises beyond 5 years after formation in Lagos, Nigeria. The data collections were through semistructured, in-person interviews and the review of business feasibility and planning documents, handbills and contract documents. The results from computer-aided qualitative data analysis, methodological triangulation of the data sources, and Rowley's 4 step analysis led to the emergence of 10 major themes: minimizing debt and overhead expenses, proper record keeping, skills, and expertise are essential for small business success. Small business leader participants in the study achieved longer-term successes by engaging in research, strategic planning, and preparation before launching their business ideas. Applications of findings from this study might influence positive social change if future and current small business leaders' implementation of the strategies identified leads to the longer-term success of their business enterprises. Successful business enterprises provide continued employment for the business leaders and their employees, better living standards for the community by offering goods and services, and enhanced quality of life for the community because the government can now provide improved social amenities with increased tax revenues.

Over the past 15 years, privately held small businesses generated nearly two-thirds of the net job growth in the United States, yet much of what scholars know regarding the capitalization challenges faced by small businesses is limited to data from large corporations. In 2013 alone, business bankruptcies numbered 33,212, and each year approximately 10% to 12% of U.S. small businesses close. Ineffective capitalization strategies coupled with a limited understanding of funding options frequently results in unsustainable business practices. In this multiple case study, the capital budgeting theory was utilized to explore the capitalization strategies small business owners in the greater Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area employed to achieve sustainability beyond 5 years of business inception. Participants were purposefully selected based on their tenure in business, number of employees, and geographic location. Data were collected via in-person semistructured interviews with 4 small business owners, coupled with a review of financial archival documents. Data were analyzed using theme interpretation, data grouping, and word frequency tabulation. Three themes emerged: a preference for self-funded, personal capitalization; the leveraging of personal relationships as a primary educational strategy; and a general aversion to debt and high interest rates. Implementing sound capitalization strategies contributes to social change by improving the likelihood of long-term sustainability. Sustainable small businesses increase employment opportunities, wage growth, and community-based services while enhancing the overall quality of life for local families and the community.

Many small real estate business leaders lack effective strategies to resume and sustain operations in a postnatural-disaster environment. This multiple case study investigated strategies that 3 small real estate business leaders in southeastern Louisiana used to resume and sustain operations in the aftermath of a natural disaster. The chaos theory and stakeholder theory were the conceptual frameworks for this study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, and reviews of business continuity plan documents and member checking. The themes that emerged from data analysis were leaders' strategies relating to business planning and innovation, stakeholder engagement, operations management, and disaster responsiveness. Implications of the findings of this study for social change include identification of effective strategies for increasing the sustainability of small businesses in the real estate industry through implementation of proven business continuity strategies that might help keep communities intact, reestablish commerce, and contribute to regional economic sustainability in the aftermath of a natural disaster.