Entrepreneurial coaching appears to be a sufficiently customized way to help novice owner‐managers develop their managerial skills. However, its usefulness remains to be verified…
Abstract
Purpose
Entrepreneurial coaching appears to be a sufficiently customized way to help novice owner‐managers develop their managerial skills. However, its usefulness remains to be verified. The purpose of this research is thus to examine the effectiveness of coaching as a support measure for young entrepreneurs and to identify the factors likely to have an impact on the success of coaching initiatives.
Design/methodology/approach
Given the exploratory nature of the study, a flexible and open approach was chosen in order to explore the concept of coaching in some depth. The strategy retained was the case study method, with inter‐site comparisons of six coaching initiatives.
Findings
The findings suggest that the success of a coaching relationship is explained by a set of factors or “winning conditions”, some of which are more important than others. The most crucial one appears to be the entrepreneur's open attitude to change.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation of this study is the small number of cases observed.
Practical implications
This research provides valuable information on coaching initiatives by means of real‐life examples. It also highlights several factors likely to improve the delivery of coaching services to novice entrepreneurs. It will thus prove useful to those designing coaching programs for entrepreneurs.
Originality/value
Given the lack of documentation on the subject of entrepreneurial coaching, this paper has the merit of identifying some of the elements likely to contribute to the success of coaching initiatives. In addition, its findings will fuel thinking on how to enhance the benefits of coaching for novice entrepreneurs.
Details
Keywords
Satish Kumar, Jeff Vanevenhoven, Eric Liguori, Leo Paul Dana and Nitesh Pandey
Commensurate with the 25th anniversary of the Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development (JSBED), this retrospective work distils trends across all original articles…
Abstract
Purpose
Commensurate with the 25th anniversary of the Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development (JSBED), this retrospective work distils trends across all original articles published in the journal during this time period.
Design/methodology/approach
Bibliometric analysis techniques are used to analyse 917 original JSBED publications. Specifically, performance analysis is conducted to analyse the journal's publication and citation patterns, bibliographic coupling and author keyword co-occurrence analysis are conducted to identify major themes, and co-authorship analysis is conducted to analyse author collaborations.
Findings
Results indicate JSBED has grown considerably since its inception, both in terms publication and citations. JSBED's most prevalent themes include management and growth of small firms, entrepreneurship education, strategy in small firms, business development, technology in small firms, business competencies in small firms, internationalization in small firms, role of social capital, entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurship in under-represented and minority populations.
Originality/value
This is the first comprehensive bibliometric analysis of JSBED in the journal's history. Accordingly, it presents a novel and heretofore disparate understanding of the key themes and dialogues emerging from an established journal with a growing reputation for scholarly and practitioner impact.
Details
Keywords
David Mark McKevitt and Paul Davis
Using the lens of mentoring theory the authors test the extent to which public buyers informally support suppliers and the influence of organisational context on mentoring…
Abstract
Purpose
Using the lens of mentoring theory the authors test the extent to which public buyers informally support suppliers and the influence of organisational context on mentoring support. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Principal component analysis was used to analyse questionnaire responses from over 300 public buyers in Ireland. Cluster analysis produced three mentor profiles.
Findings
The findings show a positive relationship between organisations that take a strategic approach to suppliers and buyers who offer career and psychosocial support to suppliers. However, those organisations that lack a strategic perspective of suppliers saw buyers offer political support and coaching.
Research limitations/implications
The implications are that coaching and political support may compensate for deficits in organisational support for suppliers generally. The findings contribute to a growing literature on informal interaction opportunities in public procurement.
Originality/value
To date research of supplier development is limited to formal developmental activities and in the context of private sector buyer-supplier relationships.