Entrepreneurial migration has become increasingly common as a result of globalization and regional economic integration, and the economic contribution of immigrant entrepreneurs is increasingly appreciated. Many of these immigrant entrepreneurs become transnational entrepreneurs (TEs), in that their business activities link the markets of their home countries and their new host countries. Entrepreneurship, International Entrepreneurship and Internationalization Process research has emphasized the role of networks and of social capital for entrepreneurs for addressing the liabilities of foreignness or of outsidership when they address new markets. Research has not, however, addressed the role of networks for TEs, nor the role of networks in their strategies. This thesis asks how participation in Diaspora networks helps transnational entrepreneurs diminish liabilities of newness and foreignness, and how transnational entrepreneurs successfully realize and manage business embeddedness at an interorganizational level. A qualitative study is undertaken with 12 Bulgarian-owned service-consulting companies in London. Data came from semi-structured interviews of the entrepreneurs involved and their employees, which was combined with participant observations and oral life story narratives. Three overall contributions are developed from the findings of the study. First, the study makes a theoretical contribution to the field, by introducing the ‘resource orchestration’ framework in the study of entrepreneurs’ capabilities and resource configurations. Modifying this framework with the inclusion of a time dimension adapts it to the dynamism of process research. This helps the study to show how TEs typically undergo a sequence of processes in which they leverage their Diaspora networks in order to access, acquire, and adapt knowledge and capabilities. It is these processes that allow them to reduce the liabilities of foreignness that they face, and embed themselves in their new local environments. Second, the study illuminates heretofore unexplored processes of TE integration that reduce their liabilities of newness and foreignness and help to align with their new foreign country market environment. This involves preparation, paradigm shift, and initiation stages, each one being facilitated by embeddedness within a Diaspora community. It is through these integration processes that entrepreneurial resource orchestration is achieved, and the synchronization of resource structuring and bundling processes. Third, the findings challenge an assumption often encountered in entrepreneurial and international entrepreneurial network and social capital research that the co-existence of strong ties and bridging ties – referred to by Burt (1992) as an ideal configuration – is exceedingly rare. This study finds evidence of their frequent co-existence in the Diaspora network, and shows this configuration to underpin the operation and growth of the network. It shows how TEs have a particular opportunity to access, orchestrate and employ this valuable form of social capital, and doing this in the ways shown not only enables their own entrepreneurial success, but also their economic contribution to their host communities.

This dissertation offers insight into the organizational lives of small and new not-for-profits. The first essay used three different estimation strategies to model the role of revenue type in the growth in young and small not-for-profits. We find that increases in the percentage of a not-for-profit’s revenue portfolio going to dues, indirect support, or non-mission income will suppress growth and that there is no “optimal” model across subsectors. The second essay uses over twenty years of panel data to predict which factors indicate the impending recovery of a financially vulnerable small and young nonprofit. Support for hypotheses based in the literature is mixed, but the key insight is that nonprofits need to save if they want to get healthy: bringing in revenues is not enough. Finally, the third essay uses a qualitative approach on young and new mental health not-for-profits in the state of New York. Using comparative case studies, this study analyzes the internal and external factors surrounding the demise of small and young mental health nonprofits. This study finds support for several of the potential causes of nonprofit demise in a newly proposed typology.

A premier distinction of liberal democracy is its praise of novelty and change, in the form of technological innovations and new expressions of personal liberty. To understand and critique our dedication to innovation, I study classical, medieval and early modern views on what the most important changes are for human beings—the changes of political regime and the changes of the soul. The philosophers from Plato to Machiavelli studied the desirability and possibility of political preservation, the effects of conversion and its relationship to notions of divine providence, and the changes brought by new religious institutions of a quasi-political character. The classical philosophers emphasize the importance and the difficulty of political preservation. In the Republic, Plato shows that a defensive conservatism results in political change. In the Symposium, while making human desire a major cause of change, he shows the human longing for preservation, as well. The attempt to make a lasting city is an effort to resist the tide of change which overtakes all things. In the fifth book of his Politics, Aristotle shows his expectation that political change will always occur, and that its many different causes make it difficult to master. The Christian revelation praises newness as the quality of conversion, whose difficult political consequences emerge at the beginning of Augustine’s City of God. His initial deprecation of political preservation in favor of conversion gives way to an insistence on preservation’s importance once conversion is widespread. Because the agent of conversion is the Church, a quasi-political institution, Marsilius in his Defender of the Peace revises Aristotle’s account of political change. Machiavelli challenges the possibility of genuine political endurance through a critique of its basis in dubious stories about the past. His praise of the innovating prince considers men’s ambivalent attitudes toward novelty in a way that our casual embrace of innovation does not. By appearing everywhere, innovation has now gone into eclipse. The praise of newness obscures the changes human beings once thought were the most important. / Government

Retention is an important aspect of human resource activities, especially for small and medium-sizedenterprises since they lack resources and face unique challenges when compared to larger and more established firms. Retaining key employees will allow firms to preserve their resources, sustain theireffectiveness and productivity, and thereby maintaining a competitive advantage. Despite this importance,it is a research area that is not yet fully understood, and therefore warrants further research.Taking into account the lack of resources in smaller firms, the purpose of this study was therefore toconstruct a theoretical model that can be used to research non-monetary factors and their effect onemployee retention. This was done to further elaborate on the research area. To achieve this, a quantitativestudy was performed, where data was collected from 96 Swedish small and medium-sizedenterprises,which was then used for a linear multiple regression analysis. The result was used to answerthe research question: “To what extent do firm-level, non-monetary factors affect the retention ratio inSwedish SMEs?”The result of this study shows that firm age and autonomy are the two factors which affect retention themost in Swedish SMEs. Older firms benefit from a higher retention rate than younger firms, with thepractical implication that younger firms would benefit from adapting the retention practices and policiesof older firms. The result regarding autonomy contradicts previous research, since the firms in this studywith higher degrees of autonomy face lower retention levels. This could be due to the fact that theoccupational group working at these firms often possesses specific knowledge, skills and abilities, whichmakes them attractive on the external labor market. An increased awareness of this relationship will allowfirms employing these occupational groups to implement preventative measures, in order to retain theiremployees.The effects of work-life balance, training, internal career opportunity, and pay on employee retention werenot statistically significant, indicating that previous research is not applicable to a Swedish context. Inaddition to researching a new context, a new research model based on previous research was developed toexplain to what extent firm-level factors affect employee retention, which can support further researchrelated to the research area. / Att bibehålla personal är en betydelsefull del av ett företags personalaktiviteter. De företag som lyckasbibehålla viktig personal kommer att kunna upprätthålla en konkurrensfördel genom att bevara sinaresurser, sin effektivitet och sin produktivitet. Detta gäller särskilt för små och medelstora företag då destår inför unika utmaningar, samt ofta har en brist på resurser jämfört med större och mer etableradeföretag. Trots denna betydelse är detta ett forskningsområde som inte är utforskat till fullo, varför vidareforskning är berättigad.Med mindre företags brist på resurser i åtanke, var syftet med denna studie att utforma en teoretisk modellsom kan användas för att undersöka icke-monetära faktorer och deras effekt på bibehållandet av personal.Detta för att belysa och utforska forskningsområdet ytterligare. För att uppnå syftet genomfördes enkvantitativ studie, där data samlades in från 96 svenska små och medelstora företag, vilken däreftersammanställdes för att utföra en linjär multipel regressionsanalys. Resultatet användes för att besvaraforskningsfrågan: “I vilken utsträckning påverkar icke-monetära faktorer på företagsnivå bibehållandetav personal i svenska små och medelstora företag?”Resultatet av denna studie visar att företagets ålder samt graden av autonomi är de två faktorer sompåverkar bibehållandet av personal i högst utsträckning i svenska små och medelstora företag. Äldreföretag lyckas bibehålla sin personal i högre utsträckning än yngre företag. De praktiska implikationernaav detta är att yngre firmor skulle gynnas av att tillämpa det agerande och de principer relaterade tillbibehållandet av personal som återfinns hos äldre företag. Studiens resultat visar även att företag med enhögre grad av autonomi bibehåller sin personal i lägre utsträckning, vilket motsäger tidigare forskning.Detta resultat kan bero på att den yrkesgrupp som är anställd hos dessa företag ofta innehar specifikkunskap, kompetens och förmågor, vilket gör dem attraktiva på den externa arbetsmarknaden. En ökadmedvetenhet gällande detta samband gör att företag vars anställda tillhör denna yrkesgrupp kanimplementera förebyggande åtgärder i syfte att bibehålla denna personal.Effekterna av balansen mellan arbets- och privatliv, utbildning, interna karriärmöjligheter och lön var intestatistiskt signifikanta, vilket antyder att tidigare forskning ej är applicerbar på den svenska kontexten.Utöver utforskandet av en ny kontext, utvecklades även en ny forskningsmodell baserad på tidigareforskning, med målsättningen att förtydliga i vilken utsträckning faktorer på företagsnivå påverkarbibehållandet av personal. Denna modell kan understödja vidare forskning relaterad tillforskningsområdet.

It is widely believed among researchers as well as practitioners that there is a link between new product newness, or innovativeness, and benefits to the firm developing and marketing a product; more innovative products are generally expected to create more profit and growth. However, research findings are conflicting—positive-, negative-, and no-relationship have been reported between product newness and benefits by different researchers. Moreover, most research has been confined to hardware products. Software is a different kind of product. It is marked by low industry entry barrier, low marginal cost of production, intense competition for quick market leadership, subject to increasing rate of return, et al. An ever larger part of investments in new products consist of computer software, software that is used in PCs, control industrial processes and give products like mobile phones, cameras and cars new features. To what extent newness gives benefits in software development is however still un-researched. Thus, the purpose this study was formulated as: To explore effect of newness of new software products on the benefits to the firms. To fulfill this research purpose, first we had to find out “What are the relevant elements of (i) newness, and (ii) benefits of new products” in the context of firms that develop and market computer software products? This part of the study is reported in Part I. In a second step the effect of product newness on benefits was investigated quantitatively. This part of the study is reported in Part II. Part I is based upon semi-structured in-depth interviews of managers responsible for seven new software products in firms from Finland, India, Sweden and the US. Supplementary secondary data were collected from archival sources to write case descriptions of each software product. Within- and cross-case inductive analysis of seven-case database led to identification of relevant elements of newness and benefits. As newness elements, distribution technology, and complementary technological-, and marketing-resources were found to be vital; as benefits element, non-monetary benefits of new products stood out. Part II reports a quantitative study involving 321 Swedish software firms. Data were collected through a Web-survey, using a questionnaire based on findings of Part I, and analyzed through Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling. Findings indicate that marketing fit, and technological familiarity enhance product-level benefits, whereas technological fit, and familiarity enhance firm-level benefits. From the three environmental factors only aggressive marketing practices was found to be of significance. Neither switching costs nor computer mediated transactions was found to have any moderating role on product newness and new product benefits relationship. Overall, this study extends previous research in the area of product newness-new product benefits and fills the gap in the literature (i) by developing grounded measures for operationalizing new product newness and benefits concepts in the context of software product firms, and (ii) by identifying significant elements of new product newness that affect new product benefits. By limiting to a particular industry, this study provides useful findings—for both researches of new product development, and for managers in software firms—such as marketing fit, and technological familiarity enhance product-level benefits, whereas technological fit, and technological familiarity enhance firm-level benefits.

En av de mest värdefulla immateriella tillgångarna i ett företag är varumärket. Det är kunders uppfattade bild av ett företags produkter och branding är strategin för att skapa och upprätthålla denna bild. Branding är en värdefull strategi och bidrar bland annat till tillväxt, lönsamhet, kundlojalitet och underlättar för företag att stå emot konkurrens på ett effektivt sätt. Branding kan även bidra till att öka värdet av varumärket, det så kallade varumärkesvärdet. Varumärkes -identitet, -image, -kännedom och -positionering är beståndsdelar vilka tillsammans utgör varumärkesvärdet. Inom dessa beståndsdelar finns utmärkande strategier som syftar till öka detta värde.  Forskning kring branding har främst fokuserat på större företag och små och medelstora företag (SMF), men forskning som berör branding i startups är begränsat. Startups kännetecknas som innovativa, yngre än fem år och med ambition att växa. Eftersom startups anses vara nystartade står de inför flera utmaningar såsom att etablera legitimitet inför finansiärer, kunder med flera. En benämning för detta är liability of newness vilket kan medföra finansieringssvårigheter.  Syftet med denna kandidatuppsats är att få förståelse för hur startups arbetar med branding, deras finansieringsmöjligheter och hur arbetet med branding påverkar dessa. Kandidatuppsatsen bygger på en kvalitativ metod där sju personliga intervjuer genomfördes med startups grundare eller VD.  Resultatet visar att startups i uppstartsfasen främst använder privata medel men säger sig inte uppleva svårigheter att få extern finansiering, Samtliga startups anser att arbetet med branding kan vara en förklaring till att de inte upplevt problem med detta, vilket kan indikera att branding är en bidragande faktor till ökade finansieringsmöjligheter. Resultatet visar även att startups har kännedom om varumärkesidentitetens betydelse, de lägger vikt vid skapandet av visuella element som utvecklas av personer med kunskap inom området De vanligaste marknadsföringsstrategier som nyttjas är sociala medier, rykte, nätverkande, mässor och samarbete.

Helt digitala bolag antas många gånger inte möta samma typer av barriärer som de som producerar fysiska produkter eller är delvis digitala. Det finns mycket forskning inom internationalisering och barriärer, men sällan med avseende på born digitals, digitala företag med hög digitaliseringsgrad som internationaliserar sig tidigt. Studiens syfte är att undersöka vilka barriärer, i form av liability of foreignness och liability of newness, som born digitals möter vid internationalisering. I en fallstudie har intervjuer med VD och anställda vid marknadsföringsbyrån Nordic Business House utförts. Företaget agerar brygga mellan Sverige och Kina. Bland resultaten har barriärer noterats i form av kulturella skillnader, regleringar kring media och pengar, avsaknad av legitimitet och svårigheter med att anställa medarbetare med relevant kompetens. Slutsatsen är att samtliga barriärer även kan appliceras på born globals, men de påverkar i olika grad. För att finna born digital-specifika barriärer behöver andra born digitals-företag och barriärer vidare undersökas.

INNOFACTURE - innovative manufacturing development

Small businesses are an important part of innovation, competitiveness and economic development. Support systems such as business incubators have emerged with the purpose of helping these startups develop. The startups which are in focus in this thesis operate in different industries, in technology-based industries where commercialization and growth is in focus, to creative industries which focus on developing individual talent and creativity. The characteristics and core of the businesses differ, giving them different business logics by which the startups operate. The business logic leads the startups to face different challenges, which the thesis considers to regard liabilities of smallness, liabilities of newness and liabilities of uniqueness as well as organizing.  These variations give the startups differences in how they operate and hence, also a need for different types of support given by business incubators. Business incubator support is in the thesis categorized into three components of Networks, Infrastructure and Business Services, as suggested in a triad model of Carvalho & Galina (2015). As varying business logics makes a difference on what type of value startups produce, it is important to study the relationship between these logics and the support provided by an incubator. It is important in order to understand how incubators can adapt their support more effectively to help entrepreneurs overcome their challenges.  The thesis purpose is to broaden the understanding of how business logics and challenges of startups adhere to the industry they are in, and how the support given by business incubators can help the businesses to overcome challenges associated with these business logics. The research design was qualitative, and data was collected by performing six semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurs within creative and technology-based industries, enrolled at business incubators with these specializations.  The study results in a proposed model, giving extension to the original triad model by Carvalho & Galina (2015). In the proposed model, new dimensions of the support system as well as the nature of the startups’ business logics, and challenges are addressed. The proposed model and the study’s results may act as a guiding framework for future research in the field, aiming to gain a better understanding of the reality of startups with different business logics.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:26:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcio Tambelini de Amorim.pdf: 1184883 bytes, checksum: e0523b89bbc58f499cecbafc016e6486 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-01-29 / Fundo Mackenzie de Pesquisa / The influence of age of the organizations in their survivor rates is a subject of debate in the studies of administration from different perspectives, especially in the framework of Organizational Ecology. Based on data of foundation and failure, some authors have found different opinions on such influence. To some of them, the newness organizations are those who suffer more because they have few resources, low legitimacy or high influence of the market and, therefore, fail more. Other authors observed that there is an initial period of survival and failure rates increase after this period, which is because the entrepreneur put a higher energy in the early development or still an extra financial resource. Others argue that the organizations who suffer more are the older ones, especially in turbulent environments, because they cannot respond to market changes. From these different perspectives, this dissertation intent to analyze the effect of age in the population failure rates, at the specific case of the Brazilian Companies of Credit to the Micro Entrepreneur. It refers to a new population of organizations founded at the late 1990s, under the terms of Brazilian Central Bank s Resolution 2.726. The Model Weilbull Distribution of Probabilities was used to evaluate the methodological availability in association with a descriptive statistics. What can be perceived from the presented data is that the liability of newness is not applicable to this population, because there is a significant number of companies that has survived during the first five years since their foundation. Nevertheless, from this period on, the failure rates has increased significantly after an initial moment of living. Because it is a new population, a long term evaluation is needed to validate that statement. Furthermore, it is necessary to evaluate as well the influence of external factors that can affect the life of these organizations, especially when these factors affect their own customers base. / A influência da idade das organizações nas taxas de sobrevivência é tema de debate sob perspectivas diferentes nos estudos de administração, sobretudo no âmbito da Ecologia Organizacional. A partir de dados de taxas de fundação e fracasso, os autores de ecologia organizacional têm encontrado diferentes conclusões sobre a influência da idade na sobrevivência das empresas. Para alguns, as organizações novatas são as que sofrem mais, pois possuem poucos recursos, baixa legitimidade ou alta influência do mercado e, sendo assim, fracassam mais. Outros autores observaram que existe um período inicial de sobrevida e que as taxas de fracasso aumentam após este período, isso porque o empresário possui um ânimo maior no início do empreendimento ou ainda um recurso financeiro em caixa. Outros ainda argumentam que as organizações que mais sofrem são as idosas, principalmente em ambientes turbulentos, pois não conseguem responder às mudanças no mercado. Com base nestas diferentes perspectivas, este trabalho se propôs a analisar o efeito da idade sobre as taxas de fracasso populacional, no caso específico das Sociedades de Crédito ao Micro Empreendedor no Brasil. Trata-se de uma população de empresas jovem, nascida no final da década de 1990, de acordo com Resolução 2.726 do BACEN. A avaliação dos dados se apoiou no modelo de Probabilidades Weibull e numa análise estatística descritiva. O que se percebeu com os dados apresentados, é que a síndrome das novatas não se aplica para esta população, pois nota-se que há um número significativo de empresas sobreviventes nos cinco primeiros anos de vida. Todavia a partir deste período as taxas de fracasso aumentam consideravelmente. Por tratar-se de uma população jovem, é preciso uma avaliação de maior prazo para validar tal afirmação. Além disso, é necessário avaliar também a influência de fatores externos que podem afetar a vida destas organizações, principalmente fatores que afetam a própria base de clientes.