UNDERSTANDING SMALL BUSINESS STRATEGY: A GROUNDED THEORY STUDY ON SMALL FIRMS IN THE E.U. STATE OF MALTA

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (03) ◽  
pp. 287-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALEXANDER RIZZO ◽  
HEATHER FULFORD

The common argument for the small business is that there simply is no strategy; that small businesses react heuristically to events, guided by the whims and passions of the owner-manager. Strategy, however, can be looked at from a behavioural perspective, as opposed to the more normative strategic planning schools that small firms rarely abide by. This concept of strategy as 'behaviour' encompasses the actions of the owner-manager, the context of the small firm, and the consequences of the actions taken. It looks at strategy as part deliberate and part emergent, allowing for the inclusion of both external influences and internal decision making. Grounded theory research on small firms in Malta has in fact shown strategy to be a dynamic phenomenon, one that can be viewed as a set of defined pathways between identifiable life cycle states. The paper shall outline the research findings that have identified five distinct patterns of small firm strategic behaviour, each with its own unique trajectory and performance implications. Understanding which strategic pathway a small firm belongs to allows for a comprehensive insight into the firm's competitive behaviour, and a prediction of the consequences of that behaviour.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Bobbie Bushman

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Children's librarians are challenged to provide inclusive programming in today's public libraries. There is a current trend in public libraries to provide special needs programming for children. This dissertation focuses on library programming for deaf and hard of hearing (D/HoH) children who visit U.S. public libraries. The American Library Association (ALA) states that hearing children need to know six pre-reading skills to be ready to read; however, some of these pre-reading skills focus on singing or rhyming which is difficult for D/HoH children. Grounded theory is "a systematic, inductive, and comparative approach for conducting inquire for the purpose of constructing theory" (Bryant and Charmaz 2007). This grounded theory research studies the programs, services, and story times that are implemented and modified for D/HoH children in U.S. public libraries. This study began with sending out a recruitment script and questionnaire found in Appendix A and B, respectively, which reached nearly 500 medium to large sized U.S. public libraries. Fifteen participants volunteered to be interviewed, and eleven were interviewed. Interviews were analyzed using open and axial coding, which is typical in grounded theory. Preliminary data and a review of literature on literacy acquisition for D/HoH children suggested that D/HoH children do not progress in four of the pre-reading skills outlined in the ALA's early literacy program, Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR), in the same way that hearing children do. Phonological awareness is largely not utilized by D/HoH children in learning to read. D/HoH children are also likely to build vocabulary, develop print motivation, and approach narrative skills differently than hearing children. This grounded theory research developed the model of successful library services and modifications to D/HoH children to explain which services, early literacy instruction, staff training and programs public libraries provide to children who are D/HoH. This research project also inquires about what kinds of modifications are made to serve D/HoH children, and what the impetus was for providing library services to deaf children. The first stage of the model highlights staff attitude as being warm and welcoming, taking initiative, and not seeing D/HoH as a disability. The second stage described the impetus for providing services as encountering a D/HoH patron in the library, knowing a disabled person in a librarian's personal life, or by encountering a nearby agency that serves D/HoH. In the third stage, librarians made accommodations by being inclusive in programming, providing ASL programming, or facilitating visual phonics instruction in place of phonological awareness instruction. In the fourth and final stage, this model reported outcomes such as educating both hearing and D/HoH individuals and building a sense of community.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-26
Author(s):  
Alfrida Lembang

Abstract: Indonesia is a vast country committed to undertaking efforts to eradicate corruption in order to create advanced Indonesia. The profession of the State Civil Apparatus is a part of Indonesia's profession and vulnerable to corruption. The country already has an Anti-Corruption module for ASN. The module can be developed by adding values ​​to the characteristics of Caleb leadership so that it is expected to be effective for eradicating corruption in the context of Christian ASN. The purpose of this study is to uncover the leadership character values ​​of Caleb to later integrate it with the anti-corruption values ​​of the State civil apparatus. This study uses a qualitative approach to the type of grounded theory research. This paper produces Caleb characteristic values ​​for ASN anti-corruption values. These values ​​consist of: first, a Christian ASN must have a value of faith in God. Second, a Christian ASN must live according to the fear of God. Third, a Christian ASN must have the correct ethical values ​​to live up to nine anti-corruption values.   Keywords: State Civil Apparatus, Anti Corruption, Caleb, Leadership.   Abstrak: Indonesia merupakan Negara besar berkomitmen melakukan usaha-usaha pemberantasan Korupsi demi terciptanya Indonesia Maju. Profesi Aparatur Sipil Negara merupakan bagian dari profesi yang ada di Indonesia dan rentan untuk melakukan tindakan korupsi. Negara telah memiliki modul Anti Korupsi untuk ASN. Modul tersebut dapat dikembangkan dengan menambah nilai-nilai karakteristik kepemimpinan kaleb sehingga diharapkan efektif bagi pemberantasan korupsi dalam konteks ASN Kristiani. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengungkap nilai-nilai karakter kepemimpinan dari kaleb  untuk kemudian memadukannya dengan nilai-nilai anti korupsi aparatur sipil Negara. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan jenis penelitian  grounded theory. Tulisan ini menghasilkan nilai-nilai karakteristik kaleb bagi nilai anti korupsi ASN. Nilai-nilai tersebut terdiri atas: pertama, Seorang ASN kristiani harus memiliki nilai iman kepada Allah. Kedua, seorang ASN kristiani harus hidup berdasarkan rasa takut akan Allah. Ketiga, Seorang ASN Kristiani harus memiliki nilai sikap nilai nalar etis   yang benar untuk dapat menghidupi sembilan nilai anti korupsi.   Kata Kunci:  Aparatur Sipil Negara, Anti Korupsi, Kaleb, Kepemimpinan.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobi McEvenue

Social workers are prominent in the lives of autistic individuals in their capacity as intake workers, group facilitators, and counsellors. There are few examples of literature written by social workers regarding working with autistic individuals and groups, and even fewer studies which surface the voices of autistic individuals. Preliminary Grounded Theory research was conducted using asynchronous online interviews with three adult autistic participants to explain how they experienced the process of social work interventions in their lives. The emergent themes from this study include “I wouldn’t want a cure”, neurotypical assumptions of ability and disability, fluid and intersecting identities, help-seeking and autonomy, cautionary self-advocacy, neoliberal service provision and creating ineligibility, multiple categorizations and “body control”, “I don’t even really know what a social worker is supposed to do”, and critical social work facilitation. This preliminary grounded theory research may form the basis of a future larger, grounded theory study.


Author(s):  
Annie Pullen Sansfaçon ◽  
Amy Fulton ◽  
Marion Brown ◽  
John Graham ◽  
Stéphanie Ethier

Successful management of a multi-site bilingual team-based grounded theory study requires overcoming key challenges associated with implementation of a large-scale, multi-faceted project. This article retrospectively reviews the methodological strategies employed during a multi-site bilingual team-based grounded theory study that investigated the professional adaptation experiences of migrant social workers in Canada. The article presents the strategies that the research team engaged to overcome numerous challenges and successfully work together across a variety of contexts and systems, including (a) provincial contexts, (b) languages, (c) university systems, (d) virtual spaces, and (e) epistemological perspectives. The findings highlight the importance of leadership and teamwork as central to successful project completion.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosman Mahmood ◽  
Ahmad Suffian Mohd Zahari ◽  
Najihah Marha Yaacob ◽  
Sakinah Mat Zin

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the importance of innovation for the performance of small firms in the construction sector. Furthermore, this paper also examines the influence of several factors related to entrepreneurial capital (entrepreneurial value, business strategy, experience and training) on small firm performance in the sector. Design/methodology/approach This study uses primary data of 255 small firms in the construction sector under the category of small contractors (G1). Stratified sampling method was utilized for data collection, which is then analyzed using the descriptive and multiple regression analysis to achieve the objectives of the study. Findings The findings showed that the factor of innovation and several factors related to entrepreneurial capital (entrepreneurial value, business strategy and business experience) have a significant positive relationship with the performance of small firms in the construction sector. However, factor of training indicated a significant negative correlation with small firm performance. Research limitations/implications Although this study found a significant impact in explaining the factors that affect performance, particularly in the construction sector, it only takes into account only some internal factors (entrepreneurial capital and innovation). Proposed future research should consider a variety of other factors mainly related to external factors, such as economic development, growth potential, industry structure, internal social capital and government policy. Practical implications This study provides clear implications related to the theory and contributions to the literature related to research in the construction sector. The study also provides invaluable insightfulness to various stakeholders including policy makers, institutional support and small contractors about the importance of innovation and entrepreneurial capital in determining the performance of small firms in the sector. Originality/value The results provide supportive evidence that entrepreneurial values and business strategy are important internal factors in determining the performance of a firm, which is consistent with the theory of resource-based view. Experience and training factors, as indicators of firm performance, are articulated in the theory of human capital. Hence, the findings not only can strengthen both the theories but also make a significant contribution to the literature of the study, particularly in the construction sector.


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