Leonidas A. Zampetakis and George Kanelakis
Although previous research acknowledges that the process of entrepreneurship is also a regional and a peripheral activity, empirical evidence concerning the personal and…
Abstract
Purpose
Although previous research acknowledges that the process of entrepreneurship is also a regional and a peripheral activity, empirical evidence concerning the personal and contextual factors affecting business start‐ups due to the identification of opportunities in rural contexts is limited. The purpose of the present research is to verify whether prior entrepreneurship theories conducted in urban contexts are useful for predicting entrepreneurial activities in rural contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
A short, self‐report questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 81 business owners located at a small town in southern Crete, Greece. Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis and logistic regression analysis were the main analytical tools used.
Findings
Results suggest that entrepreneurs' personality, prior knowledge, expectation of future social status, and level of education are significant predictors of opportunity entrepreneurship.
Research limitations/implications
The reported research relied on self‐reports and on a sample from the Greek public sector. Moreover, data are cross‐sectional. Future research should be multinational and longitudinal to test the assumptions of the present study.
Originality/value
The present study provides evidence about the utility of existing opportunity entrepreneurship theories in rural contexts. Results could be of value to policy makers focusing on the development of small businesses and entrepreneurship and the promotion of entrepreneurial and innovative capabilities in rural contexts.
Details
Keywords
Entrepreneurial ecosystems – the inter-related forces that promote and sustain regional entrepreneurship – are receiving intense academic, policymaker and practitioner attention…
Abstract
Purpose
Entrepreneurial ecosystems – the inter-related forces that promote and sustain regional entrepreneurship – are receiving intense academic, policymaker and practitioner attention. Prior research primarily focuses on mature entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) in large, urban areas. Scholars are slow to examine the functioning of EEs in small towns, which face unique challenges in spurring entrepreneurial activity. Most notably, small town EEs are dependent on a key stakeholder group – local customers – which receives almost no attention in prior research on ecosystems. The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework for understanding the role of customers in EEs.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper integrates work on the service-dominant logic and service ecosystems with entrepreneurship research to theorize about the influence of customers in small town EEs.
Findings
The proposed theory draws attention to the role of customers in evaluating the services provided by entrepreneurs and co-creating value in small town EEs. Theory is developed about the influence of three sets of customer characteristics on entrepreneurial activities: the local market potential (based on the number of local and transient customers), customers’ abilities to access the ecosystem (based on income levels) and customers’ preferences for services provided by the ecosystem’s entrepreneurs (based on preferences for innovativeness, local versus global brands and in- versus out-shopping).
Originality/value
Entrepreneurial ecosystems research has implicitly adopted a producer-dominant logic focusing on entrepreneurs and their ventures as the primary creators of value. The proposed theoretical framework applies the service-dominant logic to EEs and conceptualizes EEs as a unique type of service ecosystem. The theorizing generates implications for scholars and practitioners and suggests that more work is needed at the interface of entrepreneurship, marketing and regional economic development.
Details
Keywords
Bryan Johnson and William T. Ross
The purpose of this study is to contribute to previous research on customer relationships by quantitatively examining differences in the monetary benefits obtained by consumers…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to contribute to previous research on customer relationships by quantitatively examining differences in the monetary benefits obtained by consumers using social and commercial relationships to make purchases from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Design/methodology/approach
Customer transaction and relationship data from an SME in the USA is used to quantitatively assess the value of different marketplace relationships in an entrepreneurial context. Tobit regression is used to empirically model and test the impact of specific relationship characteristics on customer discounts.
Findings
Customers using social connections to make purchases obtain significantly larger discounts than customers using commercial connections; customers using direct connections attain significantly larger discounts than consumers using indirect connections (referrals). Interestingly, when examined by connection type, direct and indirect connections do not produce significant differences for social connections, yet they yield notable differences for commercial connections. The findings provide valuable insights to entrepreneurs for understanding and managing customer relationships.
Originality/value
This study empirically demonstrates that social relationships can be both prevalent and influential in the marketplace. The methodology used to quantitatively assess the monetary value associated with different methods of engaging with SMEs allows objective comparisons among different types of customer relationships. Quantification also allows important relationship characteristics to be empirically examined, including how the relationships compare to one another and to nonpersonal marketing activities. Ultimately, these novel contributions generate important insights to help marketers and entrepreneurs better understand customer relationships.