Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relative efficacies of a set of organizational support mechanisms and personality traits in predicting frontline employees' service recovery and job performances. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered through selfadministered questionnaires. A sample of 723 frontline hotel employees in Turkey serves as the study setting. Findings The study results show that organizational support is more effective in differentiating between high and lowperforming frontline employees in the case of service recovery performance. However, job performance overall is more susceptible to the influences of personality traits. Research limitations/implications Replication studies in other regions of Turkey and other countries among frontline employees in the hotel industry as well as other service settings would broaden the database for further generalizations. Including other organizational support mechanisms (e.g. technology support) and personality traits (e.g. customer orientation) would shed further light on our understanding of the relative roles of organizational support and personality traits in predicting frontline employee performance. Practical implications In addition to providing organizational support to their employees, hotel managers should recruit individuals with the relevant personality traits for frontline service jobs. Using these strategies in tandem increases the likelihood of having highperforming employees. Social implications From a macro standpoint, implementation of the strategies discussed here will benefit the hotels in Turkey which are in stiffening competition with their counterparts. Originality/value The study adds to the body of knowledge by investigating simultaneously the relative efficacies of organizational support and personality traits in predicting service recovery and job performances of frontline hotel employees in a developing economy.

No / This paper undertakes a comparative study of intervention strategies and the resultant impact upon new enterprise creation in the UK and Hungary. Firstly, secondary data is used to compare and contrast the actions of and support provided by, major employer organisations faced with the need to downsize and restructure in the light of changing economic circumstances. Parallels are drawn between the need to support the local economy in specific regions of the UK, which faced extreme recession following the decline of major industries and the need to support local economies in Hungary, which face an uncertain future, but new opportunities, following the liberalisation of economic policy. Secondly, the paper reports the results of interviews with entrepreneurs and owner-managers in both countries who have received and who are receiving support and assistance to establish, grow and develop new enterprises. For many this marks a significant transition from employment to self-employment and requires the acquisition of new skills and competences together with the acceptance of high levels of risk and exposure not previously experienced. Thirdly, the paper assesses the impact of changing relationships within the local economy. This is especially significant where newly established SMEs operate as sub-contractors to the supporting organisation which takes the opportunity to outsource services and/or production which was previously undertaken in-house. The paper concludes with specific recommendations concerning the role of facilitators in influencing attitudes towards entrepreneurship and actions, which may be undertaken to encourage regeneration through the creation of new enterprises.

<p>A sustainable development of entrepreneurship will not be possible in such a complex andchallenging environment as today’s society, without the attainment of effective learning andbusiness support capabilities (Williams, 1998). One such support is obtained through havingexperienced entrepreneurs mentor less experienced entrepreneurs, transferring knowledge(Clutterbuck, 2004) and facilitating learning (Sullivan, 2000). As Leonard Bisk (2002)and Sullivan (2000) among other researchers (Deakins et al. 1997) stress, there is a need tolook beyond the start-up process of a firm and the use of mentorship in this early phase,and focus more on how entrepreneurs who have been in business for a while can benefitfrom a mentor program, an area referred to as “the nature of timing and support” (Sullivan,2000, p. 163).</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to explore how an experienced entrepreneur, a mentor, canhelp a less experienced entrepreneur, an adept, achieve entrepreneurial development duringand throughout different phases of the entrepreneurial life cycle, in the most efficient manner.</p><p>An entrepreneurial life cycle can be divided into several phases, which can be used in orderto examine the entrepreneur’s development process within different time periods of runninga firm. Start-up support generally involves providing entrepreneurs with the crucial“tools” for survival, such as basic financial support, bookkeeping and marketing (Sullivan,2000). Mature entrepreneurs generally request psychological benefits, such as reassuranceand improved confidence as they wonder whether or not their experiences are normal andhow they should be interpreted (Megginson et al. 2006). There are two types of directivementoring styles, coaching and counseling, and two types of non directive mentoring,counseling and networking.</p><p>The main objective with our research in this thesis was to explore how entrepreneurs’ developmentthroughout and during different phases was affected by active participation in amentor program. To gather information we used a qualitative method, in which we interviewedten entrepreneurs who were currently active in a mentor program, or had been activewithin the last 12 months. The empirical findings were later analyzed in the light of theframe of references and the authors own viewpoint, by conducting a within case/cross casecomparisons.</p><p>The results indicate that a mentor can best help an entrepreneur achieve entrepreneurialdevelopment by providing non directive support, enabling the entrepreneur to draw his orher own conclusions and stimulate self reliance. This support is best delivered after thestart-up and conception phase, the first phase of the life-cycle.</p>

A sustainable development of entrepreneurship will not be possible in such a complex andchallenging environment as today’s society, without the attainment of effective learning andbusiness support capabilities (Williams, 1998). One such support is obtained through havingexperienced entrepreneurs mentor less experienced entrepreneurs, transferring knowledge(Clutterbuck, 2004) and facilitating learning (Sullivan, 2000). As Leonard Bisk (2002)and Sullivan (2000) among other researchers (Deakins et al. 1997) stress, there is a need tolook beyond the start-up process of a firm and the use of mentorship in this early phase,and focus more on how entrepreneurs who have been in business for a while can benefitfrom a mentor program, an area referred to as “the nature of timing and support” (Sullivan,2000, p. 163). The purpose of this thesis is to explore how an experienced entrepreneur, a mentor, canhelp a less experienced entrepreneur, an adept, achieve entrepreneurial development duringand throughout different phases of the entrepreneurial life cycle, in the most efficient manner. An entrepreneurial life cycle can be divided into several phases, which can be used in orderto examine the entrepreneur’s development process within different time periods of runninga firm. Start-up support generally involves providing entrepreneurs with the crucial“tools” for survival, such as basic financial support, bookkeeping and marketing (Sullivan,2000). Mature entrepreneurs generally request psychological benefits, such as reassuranceand improved confidence as they wonder whether or not their experiences are normal andhow they should be interpreted (Megginson et al. 2006). There are two types of directivementoring styles, coaching and counseling, and two types of non directive mentoring,counseling and networking. The main objective with our research in this thesis was to explore how entrepreneurs’ developmentthroughout and during different phases was affected by active participation in amentor program. To gather information we used a qualitative method, in which we interviewedten entrepreneurs who were currently active in a mentor program, or had been activewithin the last 12 months. The empirical findings were later analyzed in the light of theframe of references and the authors own viewpoint, by conducting a within case/cross casecomparisons. The results indicate that a mentor can best help an entrepreneur achieve entrepreneurialdevelopment by providing non directive support, enabling the entrepreneur to draw his orher own conclusions and stimulate self reliance. This support is best delivered after thestart-up and conception phase, the first phase of the life-cycle.

The objective of this thesis is to determine whether it is possible to improve the adequacy of support to “post start-up” small businesses in Sri Lanka by making changes to the current support regime to encourage their growth. The interest in this issue stems from (a) previous research carried out which highlights the substantially lower contribution to employment growth from the small businesses in Sri Lanka as compared to what is observed in other countries, and (b) the increasing emphasis upon stimulating the small business sector to make a significant contribution to the national economy which is apparent in recent policy proposals in the White Paper presented by the Task Force for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) development. An examination of extant literature suggests that the understanding of the factors that influence the growth of post start-up small businesses in developing countries is limited. Knowledge is also limited on the type of support that is required to adequately address such factors. To systematically investigate the existing knowledge gaps in these areas a questionnaire survey was conducted. In-depth interviews were also carried out with small business owner-managers and key employees of organisations providing small business support. A variety of statistical techniques were employed to analyse the responses to the questionnaire survey. Overall the results indicate that the factors influencing the growth of post start-up small businesses are highly individual in nature. Results of the study also indicate that the employment growth in post start-up small businesses is very limited. Drawing on the results of the research a conceptual model is proposed that suggests a holistic approach to the identification, evaluation and delivery of support to address the factors constraining the growth of post start-up small businesses.

Purpose: This paper seeks to examine the nature of relationships between six organizational support mechanisms, a personal resource, and selected psychological and behavioral work outcomes. A related objective of the study is to uncover whether these relationships exhibit similar patterns between employees with different characteristics. Design/methodology/approach: Data for the study were collected from the employees of a large bank in New Zealand. Usable responses were obtained from 530 employees. Findings: Results show that supervisory support is most closely associated with psychological work outcomes. On the other hand, job performance is more susceptible to influences of service technology and empowerment. Also customer orientation, as a personal resource, impacts job performance. Research limitations/implications: Using multiple-informants (e.g. measuring frontline employees' job performance on the basis of their supervisors' or customers' assessments) would help minimize common-method variance. To cross-validate our results, replication studies among other samples of frontline employees in banking as well as other service settings are in order. Practical implications: To fuel greater affective organizational commitment and job satisfaction among frontline employees and to reduce their turnover intentions, management must take proactive actions for the frontline employees to receive support and encouragement from their supervisors. Instituting a structured mentoring program and providing training programs to supervisors in support skills can also pay dividends. Originality/value: The study shows that an undifferentiated approach is warranted in managing employees. Similar strategies would be equally effective in inducing favorable and reducing negative affective and performance outcomes among employees with different demographic characteristics.

With the entrepreneurial milieu in Linnaeus University (Växjö), students are encouraged to get involved in entrepreneurial activities. The number of student entrepreneurs has been increasing recent years. However, there is a blank in the study of student entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurial education system and the features of student entrepreneurs are the focus of the research about student entrepreneurs. At the same time, no sufficient study has been done about student entrepreneurs’ usage of the business support that could be offered to them. By studying student entrepreneurs’ situation, their relationship with support agencies, their selection of business support and the way they use the support, the research question ”how do student entrepreneurs use support agencies” will be answered by the end of this thesis.

Disertacijos tikslas – atskleisti verslo skatinimo sistemos teritorinės organizacijos ypatumus Lietuvoje 1998 – 2008 m. Tyrimo objektas – teritorinė verslo paramos sistemos struktūra, jos elementai, formavimosi ir veikimo ypatumai. Šis darbas – mėginimas geografo akimis pažvelgti į dinamišką ir daugiakomponentę verslo paramos sistemą teritoriniu aspektu ir pasitelkus ankstesnių tyrimų rezultatus, mokslininkų patirtį bei tarpdisciplininius tyrimų būdus įžvelgti galimas teritorinės verslo paramos sistemos sąsajas su šalies ūkio vystymosi niuansais, kurie betarpiškai susiję ir su tvariu teritorijų vystymusi. Darbas sudarytas iš trijų pagrindinių dalių: tyrimų apžvalgos, kurioje aprašyti disertacijos tema Lietuvoje ir užsienyje atlikti tyrimai pagal tris tarpdisciplinines kryptis, darbo metodologijos, kurioje pateikiama darbo metodologija - sistemos ir jos dalyvių tyrimų metodologijos aspektai ir bendrieji tyrimo metodologijos aspektai, tyrimų rezultatų, kur pateikiami gautieji tyrimų rezultatai, atskleidžiantys formaliuosius verslo skatinimo sistemos principus, kai kuriuos užsienio šalių verslo skatinimo patirties aspektus, verslo skatinimo sistemos teritorinę organizaciją Lietuvoje, pagrindines teritorinės verslo skatinimo sistemos sąsaja su ūkio vystymosi tendencijomis. Lietuvoje taikoma aibė verslo paramos priemonių, tačiau paramos priemonių visuma neveikia kaip vientisa sistema. Veikiančios verslo skatinimo sistemos sukūrimas šalyje svarbi prielaida sėkmingam smulkaus ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of the dissertation is to reveal the features of the territorial organization of the business support system in Lithuania in 1998 – 2008. The object of the research is the territorial structure of the business support system, its elements, features of its formation and performance. This study is one of the first, in which a geographer attempts to look at the dynamic and multi-component business support system in the territorial aspect, invoking the results of the previous studies, the experience of the scientists and the methods of interdisciplinary research, it reveals the possibly existing connections between the territorial business support system and nuances of development of national economic, which are directly related to sustainable territorial development. The structure of the study is based on the aim and the objectives of the study: the overview of researches, in this part one can find the overview of studies on the dissertation topic published in Lithuania and abroad according to three interdisciplinary directions, the methodology of the study, in this part, the methodology of the study – the methodological aspects of research of the systems and its participants and common methodological aspects of research, the results of the research, in this part, the results of the research are presented revealing the formal principles of business support system, some aspects of business support in foreign countries, the territorial organization of business support... [to full text]

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Canterbury, 2008. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 287-334). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Tesis para optar al grado de Magíster en Administración (MBA) / Autor no autoriza el acceso a texto completo de su documento / A fines del año 2012 la empresa Chilena Retail Business Support S.A., había logrado convertirse en uno de los principales actores en la prestación de servicios de toma de inventarios para el Retail en Chile, logrando una participación en su industria del 40%. Destacaba gracias a la exactitud de sus mediciones, la fácil lectura de sus reportes y la permanente flexibilidad que mantenía con sus clientes ante la solicitud de desarrollos tecnológicos. El nivel de aceptación de sus inventarios alcanzaba el 98%, realizando exitosamente 2,759 procesos durante el año 2012, consiguiendo mediante mediciones internas, un error de captura1 inferior al 1% del total contado. La compañía estaba próxima a cumplir 10 años desde la puesta en marcha de su negocio y registraba un crecimiento del 18,6% en ventas con respecto al año anterior. Sin embargo, durante la primera reunión gerencial del año 2013, efectuada en el mes de Enero y presidida por su fundador y Gerente General Norberto Valin, éste manifestaba: “Entre los años 2011 y 2012 aumentamos las ventas en dos dígitos, lo que se ajusta a nuestra estrategia, pero nos hemos preocupado de vender por sobre los resultados finales del negocio”. Las alarmas se gatillaban a raíz de pérdidas en el Estado de Resultados por USD $258.7562 dólares (Ver Anexo 1), los que a su vez se contrastaban con el crecimiento alcanzado. La Gerencia General sostenía que era imposible continuar con una operación bajo las mismas condiciones comerciales dada la estructura de costos con que se trabajaba, por lo que se analizaban distintas alternativas que permitiesen enfrentar los malos resultados, evitando poner en riesgo tanto la calidad del servicio, la relación con los clientes como la participación en la industria. 1Captura correspondía a la cuenta de las existencias a través de un equipo lector de barras. 2 Calculado a 478,60 pesos Chilenos por dólar según Banco Central de Chile al 28 de Diciembre 2012 La situación no era menor puesto que sí subían los precios, el cliente podía irse a la competencia, mientras que si los mantenía, era causal de pérdida de rentabilidad.