Elizabeth A. Walker and Beverley J. Webster
This paper aims to investigate age and gender differences in initial motivations for starting a business. What is not known, however, is whether the initial motivations for…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate age and gender differences in initial motivations for starting a business. What is not known, however, is whether the initial motivations for starting the business are different for older people and whether any gender differences exist. Historically, women were “pushed” rather than “pulled” into business ownership, but more recent studies have indicated that, overall, many women now actively choose self‐employment. However, age may be a new barrier for women and men.
Design/methodology/approach
The study combined a self‐administered questionnaire which was used to collect data relating to general information about the respondent and their business, in addition to their start‐up motivations. In total 270 questionnaires were returned. About 15 in‐depth interviews were also conducted to verify the empirical findings.
Findings
The results showed that self‐employment is a reactive rather than proactive decision for both older women and men; however, women were less inclined to actively seek self‐employment as their employment option of choice. In addition, the findings also show that a significant motivation for many younger women is still because of the double domestic shift, indicating therefore that some things change but some things stay the same for women.
Originality/value
Whereas the majority of previous research has looked at start‐up motivation, few have considered age and gender as independent variables. Given the increasing number of “baby boomers” starting their own businesses, this research can have practical policy implications.
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Leonie V. Still and Elizabeth A. Walker
To conduct the first national study in Australia of women in small‐ to medium‐sized enterprises, and to develop a profile of the self‐employed woman and her business to serve as a…
Abstract
Purpose
To conduct the first national study in Australia of women in small‐ to medium‐sized enterprises, and to develop a profile of the self‐employed woman and her business to serve as a benchmark for follow‐up research.
Design/methodology/approach
Comprised a self‐administered questionnaire which dealt with a broad range of issues concerning the start‐up and operational aspects of a small to medium‐sized business. The women participants were self‐selected and were obtained through mail‐outs to business and professional networks, and a nation‐wide advertising campaign. Three focus groups were also held to provide more background on some of the findings from the survey.
Findings
The study found a consistency in the characteristics of the women and their businesses, similar to those found at the localised level. A benchmark profile of both the Australian small business woman operator and her business was established.
Originality/value
Is the first national Australian study, and provides a benchmark for later studies in the same area.
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Janice Redmond and Elizabeth A. Walker
The purpose of this paper is to show that most small business owner‐managers are technically competent in their area of business activity however they do not always have equal…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to show that most small business owner‐managers are technically competent in their area of business activity however they do not always have equal managerial competence. For example, deficiency in human resource management competence may lead to difficulties in attracting, retaining or leading staff. These factors are critical to businesses that aspire to any kind of growth. Part of the problem relates to a lack of participation by small business owner‐mangers in formal management skills development due to the perceived time and financial costs required. Therefore a new approach to training and learning is needed, one which overcomes the barriers and takes education to the small business community.
Design/methodology/approach
A community based education (CBE) approach is examined to determine whether this design is effective in addressing the reported barriers to training faced by small business owner‐managers.
Findings
Evaluation of the CBE approach has shown that when small business owner‐managers participate in a dedicated management skills program, important gains are made that contribute to their personal and business development. These benefits can have lasting effects both on the business and the community in which it operates.
Originality/value
Small business is an important sector for both economic and social outcomes. Without sufficient management competencies small businesses are more likely to fail. Therefore, the development of an approach to management training that can both engage small business owner‐managers and achieve positive benefits for the individual, and the business is of enormous value. This research provides evidence of an approach that has achieved these goals.
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Kate V. Lewis and Elizabeth A. Walker
The purpose of this paper is to explore the self‐employment experiences of a group of “third age entrepreneurs” from a business assistance perspective. As well as examining what…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the self‐employment experiences of a group of “third age entrepreneurs” from a business assistance perspective. As well as examining what sources of business assistance are utilised, and what influences such decisions, methods of access and perceived impact are also considered – as are the reasons for non‐use.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on data from in‐depth interviews with 14 individuals who entered self‐employment when they were 50 years of age or older.
Findings
The findings from the interviews suggest that there is limited engagement by these older entrepreneurs with the business support infrastructure. Interactions tend to be with a limited number of trusted professionals with whom relationships are already established. There is a lack of demand for initiatives, targeted or otherwise, and a desire to remain independent and self‐reliant.
Research limitations/implications
The paper reports on a small‐scale qualitative study, and therefore the results are not generalisable.
Originality/value
The paper make a contribution to the small, but critical, knowledge base focused on better understanding third age entrepreneurship. Specifically, it is one of few studies to explore the phenomenon from a support infrastructure perspective.
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According to our favourite but unreliable history book, James I slobbered at the mouth and was “a bad king”, but it is somewhat doubtful whether this is a fair summing up of this…
Abstract
According to our favourite but unreliable history book, James I slobbered at the mouth and was “a bad king”, but it is somewhat doubtful whether this is a fair summing up of this frequently foolish monarch. He had his points, and he certainly had opinions he did not hesitate to voice. On the smoking of tobacco he wrote: “It is a custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs …” and much more besides, to the same effect, but he was quite unsuccessful in checking the growth of a habit (pleasant or pernicious, as you prefer) that during the last half‐century has reached dimensions far exceeding anything dreamed of by the wisest fool in Christendom. Right up to the present time, however, there has persisted in various places and among various classes of people, the feeling that there was something inherently near‐evil in tobacco smoking and there have long been organized movements to discourage the habit, although the grounds for these activities have often been rather vague. Smoking was said to stunt a boy's growth, it was a waste of money, and anyway it was something done purely for pleasure and must therefore by Victorian standards be “wrong”, or at least not quite proper.
Garry D. Carnegie and Stephen P. Walker
The purpose of this paper is to extend the work of Carnegie and Walker and report the results of Part 2 of their study on household accounting in Australia during the period from…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to extend the work of Carnegie and Walker and report the results of Part 2 of their study on household accounting in Australia during the period from the 1820s to the 1960s.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts a microhistorical approach involving a detailed examination of actual accounting practices in the Australian home based on 18 sets of surviving household records identified as exemplars and supplemented by other sources which permit their contextualisation and interpretation.
Findings
The findings point to considerable variety in the accounting practices pursued by individuals and families. Household accounting in Australia was undertaken by both women and men of the middle and landed classes whose surviving household accounts were generally found to comprise one element of diverse and comprehensive personal record keeping systems. The findings indicate points of convergence and divergence in relation to the contemporary prescriptive literature and practice.
Originality/value
The paper reflects on the implications of the findings for the notion of the household as a unit of consumption as opposed to production, gender differences in accounting practice and financial responsibility, the relationship between changes in the life course and the commencement and cessation of household accounting, and the relationship between domestic accounting practice and social class.
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Carol Tobin, Harriet Tippet, Patricia Culkin and Elizabeth Walker
The computer is every day looming larger on the professional horizon of every librarian. Instruction librarians, too, must confront the realities and potential of the computer in…
Abstract
The computer is every day looming larger on the professional horizon of every librarian. Instruction librarians, too, must confront the realities and potential of the computer in their efforts to bring the library into the pedagogical mainstream of their institutions. Reference Services Review takes this opportunity to offer three different perspectives on how the computer relates to library instruction. Carol Tobin, Princeton University, discusses the impact that access to online bibliographic databases has on the instructional program of a library; Harriet Tippet, Lawrence University, addresses word processing applications for producing instructional materials and the use of the computer as a management tool for library instruction data; and Patricia Culkin and Elizabeth Walker focus on computer assisted instruction.
Tammy Crawford Cook, Juan Walker and Elizabeth K. Wilson
With more students and less time, teachers from different subject areas are encouraged to work collaboratively with each other. Implementing the hierarchical design model at the…
Abstract
With more students and less time, teachers from different subject areas are encouraged to work collaboratively with each other. Implementing the hierarchical design model at the early stages of students’ learning will increase their chances of learning to think analytically in all of their classes. Specifically targeting social studies and language arts for K-12 students, the authors of this paper suggest that teachers’ time and efforts spent in designing interdisciplinary lessons on the front end of instruction will culminate in a stronger exhibition of synthesis from students. Individual modifications can tailor the following ideas to suit topics in social studies curriculum throughout the school year while strengthening reading, writing, and communication skills in language arts.
Life studies are a rich source for further research on the role of the Afro‐American woman in society. They are especially useful to gain a better understanding of the…
Abstract
Life studies are a rich source for further research on the role of the Afro‐American woman in society. They are especially useful to gain a better understanding of the Afro‐American experience and to show the joys, sorrows, needs, and ideals of the Afro‐American woman as she struggles from day to day.
Aoife Mahon, Elizabeth Tilley, Gurch Randhawa, Yannis Pappas and Jitka Vseteckova
Individuals with intellectual disability(ies) are living longer contributing to an overall increase in the average age of caregivers. The purpose of this paper is to review the…
Abstract
Purpose
Individuals with intellectual disability(ies) are living longer contributing to an overall increase in the average age of caregivers. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the physical, social and psychological needs of ageing carers of individuals with intellectual disability(ies) in the UK.
Design/methodology/approach
A scoping review framework was used to identify literature from eleven databases, the grey literature and the references lists of relevant studies. Only primary research studies that discussed the needs of non-professional carers, aged 65+ years old, of individuals with intellectual disability(ies) in the UK were included. No date restrictions were applied. Thematic analysis was used to narratively synthesise findings.
Findings
Six studies were included. Five key themes were identified: Living with fear, lack of information, rebuilding trust, proactive professional involvement and being ignored. Housing and support information is not communicated well to carers. Professionals require more training on carer needs and trust must be rebuilt between carers and professionals. Proactive approaches would help identify carer needs, reduce marginalisation, help carers feel heard and reduce the risk of care crisis. Greater recognition of mutual caring relationships is needed.
Originality/value
This review highlighted the needs of older caregivers for individuals with intellectual disability(ies) as well as the need for more high-quality research in this field. The information presented in this review may be considered by primary care providers and funding bodies when planning future support for this growing population of carers.