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New small businesses are the cornerstone of many small rural communities. They provide needed products and services, new opportunities for employment, and general vitality. The economic impact these businesses have on their town and county are important indicators of an area’s success. The purpose of this paper is to examine newly started small businesses that are within three or four years of age or less, and examine factors that may have led to their success or failure. Here, sources of advice, means of financial support, and background experience of the firm’s founder have been found to be correlated with the business success.

The analysis using Probit regression yielded four models wherein female owners, family help with a business and Hispanic ownership had significant models predicting performance all of these were negative relationships. The factors correlated with business success as proposed are presented. Of course correlation does not imply causation, which means that the authors cannot be sure that a factor that is associated with business success will lead to business success. But, this is an important first step in determining whether there are significant differences between successful and unsuccessful businesses.

The findings showed that experience with previous business ownership had a distinct impact and the marketing efforts were also important for profitability. The other factors were not significant. A second phase to the analysis using Probit regression yielded four models wherein female owners, family help with a business and Hispanic ownership had significant models predicting performance all of these were negative relationships. This represents the difficulties that are encountered with these groups in garnering the support and financial means they need to succeed. It was also interesting that the use of a business plan did not help the businesses succeed.

Using a Probit Regression and χ² analysis of the data is the most appropriate and accurate analysis for a date set of this type. There is much more to be accomplished with rural entrepreneurship and the use of these techniques would be appropriate for this type of data.

Business plans are important for the business founder to predict potential costs and profits. In this study however, the authors did not find that having a business plan differentiated business’s performance. If it can be replicated, it will be important to find out what is unique about rural areas that lead to this finding. If business plans do not help, then what type of preplanning will help? If this finding is correct, business development agencies may wish to cut back resources devoted to writing a business plan, and devote them to other areas. Being a member of business network group also is not associated with business success.

The growth of rural entrepreneurial businesses is well documented. These businesses provide many social impacts to the local community not only by providing products or services need but also by providing employment. This research is imperative to providing the best success plan for these businesses as the proliferate.

There has been very little research on rural entrepreneurship. This study takes a unique look at a rural community and the success or failure of their businesses over a one-year period when most small businesses succeed or fail. There is much more to be done on examining the tools they need to be successful.

To understand the differences in perceived barriers to e‐auctions both in US buying organizations that have adopted e‐auctions and in both those that have not.

Four propositions were developed based on the literature and case studies in eight companies that used e‐auctions for sourcing. Measures were developed for lack of e‐auction knowledge, lack of supplier participation, information security concerns and importance of supplier relationships. Survey data were gathered from 163 US National Association of Purchasing Management members. GLM‐MANOVA was used to test the propositions.

E‐auction adopters perceive information security to be less of a concern than non‐adopters. No significant differences were found between adopters and non‐adopters on the buyer's e‐auction knowledge, lack of supplier participation, and the importance of supplier relationships.

The small sample size limits statistical power, so small differences may not have been detected. The results may not generalize beyond the sample.

Supply managers should focus on reducing information security concerns within their organizations to facilitate adoption.

No published studies have explored the differences between adopters and non‐adopters of e‐auctions to identify barriers.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a measurement instrument for individual entrepreneurial orientation to be used to measure the entrepreneurial orientation of students and other individuals.

A measure of Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation (IEO) was generated, validated, and then tested on 1,100 university students. The items for the scale were based on the definitions of the five entrepreneurial orientation dimensions presented by Lumpkin and Dess. Final analysis of the IEO items using exploratory factor analysis resulted in reliable and valid measures for three of the dimensions.

The scale development process for IEO resulted in three distinct factors that demonstrated reliability and validity: innovativeness, risk‐taking, and proactiveness, which statistically correlated with measures of entrepreneurial intention.

The study comprised students at one university in the central southern USA and should be extended to other regions of the country and world, as well as to non‐students, for greater generalisability.

An individual‐level entrepreneurial orientation measurement instrument can be used to assist in entrepreneurship education and in student team and project assignments. It has value as a factor of influence in determining educational training for various decisions such as career choices and business endeavours. IEO also could be used by venture capitalists who are considering supporting business proposals and by individuals who want to assess the strength of their orientation towards entrepreneurship.

The paper contributes to the measurement of entrepreneurial orientation of individuals and can be used to help with student education and business training.

By proposing a comprehensive measurement framework, this paper attempts to move the nascent body of theoretical and empirical work on performance measurement in social entrepreneurship ventures (SEVs) into reach for practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to help social entrepreneurs and academics put current knowledge to work to gain usable feedback about the success of operations.

This paper offers a framework for measuring firm survival, social action, and social change in SEVs based on a review of theoretical and empirical work.

Early work in SEV performance measurement shows consensus that social impact is at least as important as organizational viability, albeit more difficult to measure. The SEV measurement framework developed herein creates the link between firm viability (Survival), direct social action (Action), and long‐term social impact on the technical, political, and cultural aspects of society (Change) leading to the SAC framework.

The framework proposed in the paper gives practitioners a guide for comprehensive performance measurement based on their unique organizational mission using the SAC model. Widespread use of a measurement tool that addresses viability, action, and impact, may ultimately improve the efficiency with which SEVs attack social problems.

In the performance measurement and management research field, the applicability of performance measurement systems (PMS) in nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and public administration has been considered a challenge. The diversity of these organizations makes it difficult to define proper terminology and organizational characteristics. PMS evolution has not yet been able to capture all performance dimensions of a public administration and, especially for NPO considering its dynamic and multiple goals. The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual framework that identifies and classifies the factors that influence the design of PMSs in NPOs and public administration.

The study was developed through a systematic literature review (SLR). A set of 29 papers were intensely studied, and the results provide a multi-disciplinary and holistic set of factors.

A set of ten factors that influence the design of PMSs in NPO and public administration were found. They were categorized into three groups: factor related to purpose, stakeholders and management.

The study synthesized the literature and provided a conceptual framework of the factors that influence the design of PMSs in NPO and public administration. No individual paper collected in the SLR shows a similar organization of the factors as the present paper. The set of factors indicates the importance of this study for NPO and public administration, and how complex a PMS in an NPO and public administration can become. The conceptual model presented can further assist practitioners in developing design process observing the role that the identified factors play.

WIth limited research on the effects of variable message sign (VMS) message content and verbiage on revealed driver behavior, this study aims to investigate how different verbiage of crash-related messages are related to the diversion rate.

Using ordered logit models, the associations of message verbiage with diversion rates during crash incidents were assessed using five years of VMS message history within a section of I-15 in the state of Utah.

A significant impact of message verbiage on the diversion rate was observed. Based on the analysis results, the crash message verbiage with the highest diversion was found to be miles to crash + “prepare to stop,” followed by crash location + delay information, miles to crash + “use caution” + lane of the crash, etc. In addition, the diversion rate was found to be correlated to some roadway characteristics (e.g. occupancy in mainline, weather condition and light condition) along with the temporal variations.

These findings could be used by transportation agencies (e.g. state department of transportation [DOTs]) to make informed decisions about choosing the message verbiage during future crash incidents. This study also revealed that higher diversion rates are associated with a shorter distance between the crash location and VMS device location, recommending increasing the number of VMS devices, particularly in crash-prone areas.

Although an important facet of modernist architecture in which function plays a prominent role, building flexibility is not entirely a new concept. Its relevance transcends generations, allowing space and structure to evolve through time. This paper investigates the relationship among main building structures, infill elements, and space by studying examples in ancient Chinese architecture. It reveals the role of building owners, users, and craftsmen from a survey of historical documentation. In studying these examples, it is concluded that craftsmen in ancient China were involved not only during the construction phase but throughout the period of use as well. Thus, in select cases, the relationship between craftsmen and owners or users had been preserved for generations. Finally, this paper suggests potential strategies for the building industry and technology in the move towards sustainable development.

Identifying students for intensive intervention (also referred to as Tier 3 supports) is most effective when implemented within a tiered system of support. Effective tiered systems include both academic and behavioral supports for identifying and serving students with varied needs. In this chapter, we review existing research, discuss current practice, and offer guidance for identifying students with intensive academic and/or behavioral needs.