12/01/2021

10/07/2022

Jorgensen, J. J., Zuiker, V. S., Manikowske, L., & LeHew, M. (2022). Impact of communication technologies on small business success. Journal of Small Business Strategy, 32(3), 142-157.

Katare, B., M.I. Marshall, C.B. Valdivia. 2021. Bend or Break? Small Business Strategies and the CARES Act during the COVID-19 Shock. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction JIF 4.32 SNIP 1.756 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102332

Katare, B., S. Zhao, J. Cuffey, M.I. Marshall, C. Valdivia. 2022. Preferences toward COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing Features: Results from a National Cross-Sectional Survey. American Journal of Health Promotion, 36(1): 185-189. JIF 2.87  https://doi.org/10.1177%2F08901171211034093

Torres, A.B., M.S. Delgado, and M.I. Marshall. 2021 The Economic Implications of Social Capital on Hispanic Entrepreneurship. Journal of Small Business Strategy, 31(3): 72-87.

Edobor, E.W. and M.I. Marshall. 2021. Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, and Man: How Disasters Impact Firm Births in the USA. Natural Hazards, 107 (1): 395-421. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-021-04588-x   JIF 3.656 SNIP 1.31

Edobor, E.W., R. Wiatt, and M.I. Marshall. 2021. Keeping the Farm Business in the Family: The Case of Farm and Non-Farm Family Businesses in the Midwestern United States. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review. DOI: 10.22434/IFAMR2020.0138

Day, J. S. Sydnor, M.I. Marshall, and S. Noakes. 2021. Ecotourism, Regenerative Tourism, and the Circular Economy: Emerging Trends and Ecotourism, Handbook for Ecotourism. Ed David Fennell. Routledge.

Wiatt, R.D., M.I. Marshall, and R. Musselman. 2022. Management and Ownership Transfer in Small and Medium Family Farms. Agricultural Finance Review, 82(3): 505-521.

Marshall, M.I., Katare, B., and Valdivia, C.B. Small Business Recovery: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina and the Coronavirus Pandemic. Handbook on the Economics of Disasters. Book Chapter.

Norton, A., Kim, H-Y., & Zuiker, V. S. (Accepted). Consumer embeddedness and motivations for farmers market patronage: A qualitative exploration in Minnesota, USA. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension.

Book Chapters

Marshall, M.I., B. Katare, and C.B. Valdivia. (2022). Small Business Recovery: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina and the Coronavirus Pandemic. In. M. Skidmore (Ed), Handbook on the Economics of Disasters. Routledge.

Manuscripts Submitted (under review)

Lee, Y., H. Kelley, R. Wiatt, and M.I. Marshall. Work-Family Balance and Perceived Business Outcomes Among Copreneurial and Noncopreneurial Small Business Owners. Journal of Family and Economic Issues. September 2022.

Valdivia, A., A. Morales, O. F. Rojas Perez, L. Y. Flores, V. Zuiker. (under review) Latinos and Latinas Subjective wellbeing in Midwestern Non-Metro Towns. Submitted to Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, April, 2022

Sorensen, K.  & Johnson Jorgensen, J. (In Revision).  Millennial Perceptions of Private Label and National Brand Clothing: An Exploration of Clothing Preferences Using Q Methodology. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management.

Spilinek, M. & Johnson Jorgensen, J. (In Review).  Creepy or Convenient?: Consumer Perceptions of Privacy and Ad Exposure on Social Media. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services.

Johnson Jorgensen, J., & Sorensen, K. (In Review). Millennial Perceptions of Augmented Reality in Retail: A Q Methodology Study.  International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management.

Lee, J. M., & Zuiker, V. S. (In Review). Exploring financial capability and the self-employed: Focusing on financial education.

Manuscripts Under Development

Cheang, M., Valdivia, C. B., Zuiker, V. S., Bhagryashree, K., & Martinez Palomares, J. C. (Manuscript in Preparation). Resilience and coping strategies during COVID-19 for small business owners and non-small business owners.

Sydnor, S. B., Marshall, M. I., Haynes, G. W., Valdivia, C. B., Jasper, C., Zuiker, V. S. (in process). The Impact of Family Business Culture and Wellbeing (or Balance or Self-Care) on Functioning and Profitability.

Sydnor, S., Zuiker, V.S., Jorgensen, J.J., Jasper, C., and Visser, M.A.  Wealth & well-being: Perceptions from family-owned and diverse businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wiatt, R. D., Marshall, M. I., Haynes, G., Zuiker, V. S., & Lee, Y. (Manuscript in Preparation). In the depths of despair: Lost income and recovery for small businesses during COVID-19.

Grants Awarded

Clare, G., Johnson Jorgensen, J., Lee, J., Manikowske, L., LeHew, M., & Lyons, N. (2021). Merchandising Program Industry Advisory Board.  Great Plains Interactive Distance Alliance.  Funded: $5,860.00

Clare, G., Johnson Jorgensen, J., Lee, J., Manikowske, L., LeHew, M., & Lyons, N. (2021). Synchronous Online Recruiting Event Proposal.  Great Plains Interactive Distance Alliance.  Funded: $7,595.00

 Johnson Jorgensen, J. (2021).  Diversity and Equity in Merchandising the Omnichannel Product Assortment and Retail Workspace.  Center for Transformative Teaching Incubation Fund.  Funded: $975.60

 Marshall, M., Katare, B. and Valdivia, C. (6/2019-5/2022). USDA-NIFA-AFRI: Rural Small Business Recovery and Resilience to Natural Hazards: A Focus on Women and Minority Owned Small Businesses. Funded: $499,999.84

Feng, B. Langenhoven, P., Shoaf, N. and Wiatt, R. (2022). USDA-NIFA-AFRI: Taking the Next Step as a Small and Medium Sized Farm: Understanding the Integration of Production, Food Safety, and Profitability. Funded: $500,000

Wiatt, R., Torres, A., Marshall, M., Langemeier, M., Nees, J., Farris, E., Heckaman, K., and Mandeville, K. (2021-2022).  North Central Extension Risk Management Education. “The Pillars of Contingency Planning: An Integrated Approach to Managing Risk for Farms and Agribusinesses”. Funded: $50,000.

INDIANA AUTHORS? USDA-NIFA-AFRI: Workplace Stressors, Conflict Resolution, Worker Productivity: A Field Experiment on Employee Wellness Training Program in Rural Small Businesses, $500,000, Co-PI.

Diddi, S., LeHew, M. L. A., Hiller Connell, K. Y., & Yan, L. (2022). Preparing Fiber, Textiles, and Clothing Educators for the Industry’s Transformation to Circular Economy: Expanding Discipline Competencies to Enhance Workforce Preparedness. Submitted to USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Higher Education Challenge grant (CG2) program. Funded: ?

Grants submitted

Diddi, S., LeHew, M. L. A., Hiller Connell, K. Y., & Yan, L. (2022). Preparing Fiber, Textiles, and Clothing Educators for the Industry’s Transformation to Circular Economy: Expanding Discipline Competencies to Enhance Workforce Preparedness. Submitted to USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Higher Education Challenge grant (CG2) program.

Bednarikova, Z. & Sydnor, S. (2021). Corporate community development initiatives of small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Submitted to AgSEED — Agricultural Research and Extension Leading to Economic Development in Indiana Agriculture and Rural Communities.

Conference Presentations

Martinez Palomares, J., C. Valdivia and M. Marshall. 2022. Finding resilience: How small businesses and people survive and succeed during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Ordered Probit

Model Approach. Cambio de Colores Annual Conference Floreciendo-Resilience and Changing Communities in Uncertain Times. June 22-24, Saint Louis, MO. June 22.

Marshall, M.I., R.D. Wiatt, and Y. Lee. SEW and Exit Intentions. Small Business Institute Conference, February 2022.

Wiatt, R.D., M.I. Marshall, Y. Lee. Love of Work or Love and Work? Predicting Workaholism among Small Business Owners in the United States. Work Family Researchers Network Conference, June 2022.

Archila-Godínez, J.C., Marshall, M.I., Wiatt, R., Deering, A., and Feng, Y. (2022). “Consumers’ food safety perception of fresh produce from small- and medium-sized farms”. Abstract at International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Meeting.

LeHew, M. L. A., Hiller, K. Y., & Doty, K. (2021, November). Exploring barriers to a sustainable and regional fibershed in the Central Plains of the United States. Poster presented at the International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference, November 3-6.

Doty, K., LeHew, M. L. A., Hiller, K., & Haar, S. (2021, November). Advancing the fibershed movement: Building relationships among scholars and community organizers. Salon session presented at the International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference, November 3-6.

Zimbroff, A., & Johnson Jorgensen, J. (2022, January). A Mixed Methods Instrument to Assess Entrepreneurship Ecosystems. United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Raleigh, NC.

Johnson Jorgensen, J., & Sorensen, K. (2021, November).  Should A Retailer Take a Political Stance on Social Media? A Case Study of A Small Retailers’ Struggle Over Time.  International Textile and Apparel Association, Virtual Conference

Extension Publications

Johnson Jorgensen, J., Zuiker, V. S., Manikowske, L., & LeHew, M.  (July 2022). The use of communication technologies in small businesses.  Purdue Agricultural Economics Report. Available at: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/fambiz/2022_pifb_summer_newsletter11.pdf

Lee, Y.G., Kelley, H.H., Wiatt, R., and Marshall, M.I. (2022). “Social Media Use and Business Profitability among Small Businesses”. Purdue Institute for Family Business Quarterly Newsletter, Summer Special Edition on Research 2022. Available at: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/fambiz/2022_pifb_summer_newsletter11.pdf.

Wiatt, R. and Marshall, M.I. (2022). “Retirement or Training the Next Generation? Framing Succession in the Family Business”. Purdue Institute for Family Business Quarterly Newsletter, Spring Edition 2022. Available at: https://ag.purdue.edu/agecon/fambiz/Documents/2022_PIFB_Spring_Newsletter.pdf.

Pullen, K., Wiatt, R., and Marshall, M.I. (2022). “First Steps in Succession Planning”. Purdue Institute for Family BusinessQuarterly Newsletter, 2022 Winter Succession Special Edition. Available at: https://ag.purdue.edu/agecon/fambiz/Documents/2022_PIFB_Winter_Newsletter.pdf.

Wiatt, R. and Marshall, M. (2021). “Maintaining Family Bonds: Different Approaches to Conflict”. Purdue Institute for Family Business Quarterly Newsletter, Fall Edition 2021. Available at: https://ag.purdue.edu/agecon/fambiz/Pages/newsletters.aspx.

Wiatt, R. and Marshall, M. (2021). “Special Questions on COVID-19”. Purdue Institute for Family Business Quarterly Newsletter, Fall Edition 2021. Available at: https://ag.purdue.edu/agecon/fambiz/Pages/newsletters.aspx.

Extension Presentations

Wiatt, R. and Marshall, M.I. (August 2, 2022). Taking the First Steps in Succession Planning. Morgan County Beef Cattle Association Annual Producer Meeting.

 Marshall, M.I. and Wiatt, R.D. (November 3, 2021). Marketing and Sales: Communicating Value and Making the Sale. Gary Urban Farmer Initiative Presentation.

Wiatt, R. and Marshall, M.I. (October 5, 2021). Management Transfer in Farm and Family Businesses. Purdue Women in Ag Lunch ‘n Learn Presentation Series. 

Johnson Jorgensen, J. (2021, December). Sustainability + Fashion. Joslyn Institutes for Sustainable Communities Sustainable Leadership Presentation Series.  (Invited Presentation)

Johnson Jorgensen, J. (2021, September). Using Q Methodology to Measure Rural Entrepreneurial Perceptions. North Central Regional Center for Rural Development Webinar Series. (Invited Presentation)

Presentations (Non-refereed)

Haynes, G. W. (2022). Managing Risk, Fort Peck Community College Webinar, 3/21/22.

Haynes, G. W. (2022). Montana Innovation Hub for Agricultural Technology, Montana Agricultural Business Association, 3/22/22.

Haynes, G. W. (2022). Bridging the Gap: Financial Reports to Enterprise Livestock Budgets, Stone Child Community College, 4/5/22.

Haynes, G. W. (2022). Agricultural Programs for Socially Disadvantaged Ranchers and Farmers, 4/6/22.

Haynes, G. W. (2022). Financial Planning and Management, Certified Farm Startup Program, virtual meeting, 5/25/22.

Haynes, G. W. (2022). Financial Planning and Management, Fort Peck Community College, 6/8/22.

Haynes, G. W. (2022). Agricultural Subsidies for Agricultural Producers, Little Big Horn Community College, 9/13/22.

 

10/06/2023

Publications

Lee, Y., H. Kelley, R. Wiatt, and M.I. Marshall. 2023. Work-Family Balance and Perceived Business Outcomes Among Copreneurial and Noncopreneurial Small Business Owners. Journal of Family and Economic Issues.

Manuscripts Submitted/ In Review/Under Revision

Edobor, Edeoba W, Maria I. Marshall, Bhagyashree Katare, and Corinne Valdivia. Insuring for Cyclone Events: What Matters Most to Small Business Owners? International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.

Marshall, M.I., Y.G. Lee, and R.D. Wiatt. Does socioemotional wealth impact owner exit intention? The case of small businesses in the U.S. under revision.

Valdivia, C., Morales, A., Perez, O. F. R., Flores, L. Y., & Zuiker, V. S. (Revise and Resubmit). Latinos and Latinas subjective wellbeing in Midwestern non-metro towns.

Wiatt, R., M.I. Marshall, and Y.G. Lee. Love of Work or Love and Work: Does Small Business Owners Compulsion to Work Payoff? Journal of Family and Economic Issues.

Wiatt, R., M.I. Marshall, Y.G. Lee, and G. Haynes. In the Depths of Despair: Lost Income and Recovery for Small Businesses During COVID-19. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.

Sorensen, K.  & Johnson Jorgensen, J. (In Press).  Millennial Perceptions of Private Label and National Brand Clothing: An Exploration of Clothing Preferences Using Q Methodology.

Johnson Jorgensen, J., Sorensen, K. & Spilinek, M.  (Under Revision).  Motivations to Collect: How Consumers are Socialized to Build Product Collections. 

Spilinek, M. & Johnson Jorgensen, J. (In Review).  Creepy or Convenient?: Consumer Perceptions of Privacy and Ad Exposure on Social Media.

Johnson Jorgensen, J., & Sorensen, K. (In Review).  Millennial Perceptions of Augmented Reality in Retail: A Q Methodology Study. 

Johnson Jorgensen, J. (In Review).  The Socialization of Baby Boomer Consumers through Visual Social Media. 

Peer Reviewed Extension Publications

Fitzgerald, M. and Muske, G. (2023, August). “Couples in Business Together”. Purdue Institute for Family Business Newsletter. Newsletter 2: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/fambiz/newsletters.html.

Grants:

USDA-NIFA-AFRI: Rural Small Business Recovery and Resilience to Natural Hazards: A Focus on Women and Minority Owned Small Businesses, 6/2019-5/2022, $499,999.84, PI and Project Director M.I. Marshall, Co-PIs: B. Katare (Purdue) and C. Valdivia (University of Missouri).

Jung, N. Y., & Johnson Jorgensen, J. (2023).  The Effects of Human Inclusive SSRT (Self Service

Retail Technology) on Consumers’ Patronage.  Layman Award. Funded: $9,907.50.

 

Johnson Jorgensen, J. (2022).  Constructing the Fabric of a Sustainability-Focused Future

Fashion Workforce.  Grants-In-Aid.  Funded: $7,465.72.

Submitted/Not funded

LeHew, M., Doty, K., Niehm, L., Johnson Jorgensen, J., Zuiker, V., Jasper, C., Sydnor, S., Diddi, S., Lee, Y., Das, D., & Manchiraju, S. (2022).  Resilient Communities and Economies Supported by Sustainable and Regenerative Fiber Systems.  North Central Regional Center for Rural Development Thematic Workgroups Grant.  Unfunded: $48,050.00.

Conference Presentations

Diddi, S., LeHew, M. L. A., Hiller Connell, K. Y., & Li, Y. (2022, October). Educator preparedness to incorporate Circular Economy principles in undergraduate fiber, textiles, and clothing curricula. Poster presented at the International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference, October 27-30.

Diddi, S., Hiller Connell, K. Y., LeHew, M. L. A., & Li, Y. (2022, October). Knowledge and skills required to advance Circular Economy in the fashion industry: Perspectives from industry professionals. Poster presented at the International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference, October 27-30.

Doty, K., LeHew, M. L. A., Hiller, K. Y., & Crane, A. (2022, October). Farm  to Fashion Camp: Educating students on animal fiber production for the fashion supply chain. Poster presented at the International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference, October 27-30.

Doty, K., LeHew, M. L. A., Hiller Connell, K., & Crane , A. (2023, April 14). Engaged Scholarship through the Flint Hills Farm to Fashion Camp. Presented at the Fashion and Circular Economy Symposium, Ft. Collins, CO.

LeHew, M. L. A., & Diddi, S. (2023, April 14). Exploring consumers as supply chain partners within a circular system and the need for a paradigm shift in consumer behavior education. Visioning Session at the Fashion and Circular Economy Symposium, Ft. Collins, CO.

Marshall, M., Lee, Y., Haynes, G., Valdiva, C., Doty, K., Cheang, M., and Wiatt, R. (2023). Use of family business adjustment strategies during COVID: A comparison between homebased and non-homebased businesses, United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Annual Meeting, January, 2023.

Marshall, M., Lee, Y., Haynes, G., and Wiatt, R. (2023). Small Businesses during COVID-19: Funding strategies to expedite recovery and minimize Income Loss, United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, January, 2023.

Martinez-Palomares, Jorge, Corinne Valdivia, and Maria Marshall. 2023. Who got it worse? The implications of decreasing income on mental health by gender and race during the Covid-19 pandemic. Cambio de Colores Conference, June 18, Columbia, MO.

Niehm, L. S., Das, D., Manchiraju, S., Wiatt, R., LeHew, M. L. A., & Diddi, S. (2023, January). Work-life balance and perceived economic success of small US businesses: Exploring the moderating effect of family adjustment strategies. Research paper presented at USASBE Annual Conference, January 18-22.

Sydnor, S., Jorgensen, J. J., Jasper, C., Zuiker, V. S., & Visser, M. A. (2023). Wealth & well-being: Perceptions from diverse family-owned businesses. Presentation presented at the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) annual conference, Orlando, Florida.

Sydnor, S., Jorgensen, J. J., Jasper, C., Zuiker, V. S., & Visser, M. A. (2023). The role gender and family play in businesses’ perceptions of wealth & wellbeing under sudden shocks. Poster presented at the 2023 Annual International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE) Summer Global Conference, Phoenix, AZ.

Wiatt et al. Depths of Despair USASBE, January 2023

Manuscripts- Work in Progress

Cheang, M., Palomares, J. C. M., Valdivia, C., Katare, B., & Zuiker, V. S. (Submitted, Rejected, Manuscript in Preparation). Families' and small businesses' efforts to cope with income reduction or loss in times of a public health crisis.

Sydnor, S., Jorgensen, J. J., Jasper, C., Zuiker, V. S., & Visser, M. A.   Perceptions of Wealth and Well-being Of (Diverse) Family-Owned Businesses. (Manuscript in Preparation).

Wiatt, R. D., Marshall, M. I., Zuiker, V. S., Haynes, G., Jasper, C. R., Sydnor, S., & Valdivia, C. (Manuscript in Preparation). The Impact of Family Business Culture and Wellbeing (or Balance or Self-Care) on Functioning and Profitability.

Extension Presentations

Haynes, G. (2022). Fibershed presentation on small business, Montana Fibershed, Bozeman, Montana.  October, 2022

Haynes, G. (2022).  Economic Impact of Covid-19 and Stimulus Programs, Agricultural Economics Conference, Montana State University, October, 2022.

Haynes, G. (2022).  Local rural development - financial planning and management and agricultural subsidies. Hamilton, Montana, October, 2022

Haynes, G. (2023).  More Agricultural Price and Production Uncertainty and Volatility in 2022. Bureau of Business and Economic Research. January through March, 2023.

Haynes, G. (2023). Agricultural policy:  Stimulus, IRA, and farm Bill, Stone Child workshop, webinar, April, 2023.

Haynes, G. (2023). Finance, Tax and Asset Protection (FTAP), Stone Child workshop, webinar, April, 2023.

Haynes, G. (2023). Agricultural Economics of Montana Hutterites.  MSU, June, 2023

Haynes, G. (2023).  Financial Stimulus Update:  Past, Present, and Future, Montana Farmer’s Union, webinar, June, 2023

Engagement/Outreach

Hiller Connell, K. Y., LeHew, M. L. A., Doty, K., & Crane, A. (2022, June). Flint Hills Farm to Fashion Camp. Youth summer camp at Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.

 

 

12/16/2024

Publications

(Theme 4) Wiatt, R., Marshall, M.I., and Lee, Y.G. (2024 March). “Love of Work or Love and Work: Does Business Owner Compulsion to Work Pay Off?”. Journal of Family and Economic Issues. DOI: https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.purdue.edu/10.1007/s10834-024-09949-9.

(Theme 4) Lee, Y.G., Kelley, H.H., Wiatt, R., and Marshall, M.I. (2023, March 25). “Work-Family Balance and Perceived Business Outcomes Among Copreneurial and Noncopreneurial Small Business Owners”. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 45, 200-211. DOI: https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.purdue.edu/10.1007/s10834-023-09897-w 

Manuscripts Submitted/ In Review/Under Revision

Lee, Y., Cheang, M., Jasper, C., Wiatt, R., (manuscript under review) Work-Family Boundary Interaction and Business performance: How Do Women and Men Business Owners Differ? Community, Work and Family.

(Theme 3) Feng, Y., Stoll, A., Marshall, M., and Wiatt, R. “Exploring Consumer Willingness to Pay for Food Safety in Produce: A Focus on Small vs. Large Farms”. Food Control.

(Theme 5) Marshall, M.I., Y.G. Lee, and R.D. Wiatt. The ‘silver tsunami’: community embeddedness and small business owner exit strategies. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy.

(Theme 1) Edobor, E.W, M.I. Marshall, B. Katare, and C. Valdivia. Insuring for Cyclone Events: What Matters Most to Small Business Owners? Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

Lee, Y., Cheang, M., Jasper, C., Wiatt, R. Work-Family Boundary Interaction and Business Performance: How Do Women and Men Business Owners Differ?” Community, Work & Family.

Martinez-Palomares, J., Valdivia, C., Cheang, M., Zuiker, V. & Katare, B. (2024),  Families’ and Small Businesses’ Efforts to Cope with Income Reduction or Loss in Times of a Public Health Crisis.  Journal of Family and Economic Issues.

Peer Reviewed Extension Publications

Grants:

Diddi, S., LeHew, M. L. A., Hiller, K. Y., Morris, K., & Burgess, R. (2024) Building circular economy competencies in fiber, textiles, and clothing curriculum to enhance workforce preparedness. Funded by USDA NIFA Higher Education Challenge (CG2) Grant program.

(Themes 1 and 2) USDA-NIFA-SAS: Building Resilience to Shocks and Disruptions: Creating Sustainable and Equitable Local and Regional Food Systems in the US Midwest Region and Beyond, 2023-2028, $10 million, Michigan State University.

1. Co-PI, subaward to Marshall (AGEC) is $527,506 (Wiatt, collaborator)

(Theme 5) AgSEED Grant. (2022-2024). “A Farm Succession Toolkit: Defining Successful Strategies for Exit and Entry”. $50,000. Marshall, M., Wiatt, R. (Co-PI), Curley, L., Langemeier, M., Pullen, K., and Weaver, K.

(Theme 3) Small Business Administration & Northeast Indiana Innovation Center: Northeast Indiana Adaptive Community Navigator, 2021-2023, $98,835. Marshall, M.I., Wilcox, M., Wiatt, R.W.

(Theme 1) USDA-NIFA-AFRI: Taking the Next Step as a Small and Medium Sized Farm: Understanding the Integration of Production, Food Safety, and Profitability, 2021-2025, $500,000, PI and Project Director: M.I. Marshall, Co-PIs: B. Feng (FS), P. Langenhoven (HLA), N. Shoaf (Urban Ag), and R. Wiatt (AGEC).

Submitted/Not funded

Doty, K., LeHew, M. L. A., Irick, E., Jorgensen, J., Das, D., Manchiraju, S., & Diddi, S. (2024). Shepherding Change: Cultivating Sustainable Wool Industry In the North Central Region. Submitted to North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) Small Research Grant program.

Conference Presentations

LeHew, M.L.A, Doty, K., Irick, E., Das, D., Diddi, S., & Manchiraju, S.  (2024). Charting the Future of Fashion: Identifying Transformative Education Approaches. Presented at the International Federation of Home Economics World Congress, Galway, Ireland, June 2024.

(Theme 4) June 2024: Copreneurs and Their Use of Adjustment Strategies: A Comparison to Other Forms of Family Businesses. Fitzgerald, M., Lee, Y., Marshall, M.I., Wiatt, R., Cheang, M., Mukembo, S. Work and Family Research Network Conference (Symposium on Copreneurial Ventures: Making Business and Family Work), Montreal, Canada.

(Theme 4) June 2024: Mixing Business and Pleasure: Socioemotional Wealth and Income Levels Among Copreneurs and Business-Owning Couples. Marshall, M.I., Wiatt, R., Lee, Y., Fitzgerald, M., Cheang, M., Mukembo, S. Work and Family Research Network Conference (Symposium on Copreneurial Ventures: Making Business and Family Work), Montreal, Canada.

(Theme 3) (abstract submission) Kontor-Manu, E., Marshall, M.I., Wiatt, R.D., and Feng, Y. (2024). Implications of consumer expectations and produce safety regulations to the small size farmer in Indiana. International Association of Food Protection Conference.

(Theme 4) Marshall, M.I., Fitzgerald, M., Lee, Y., Wiatt, R., Cheang, M., and Mukembo, S. (January 2024). Socioemotional Wealth among Business Owning Couples. Presentation at the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Birmingham, Alabama.

(Theme 4) January 2024: Marshall, M.I., Fitzgerald, M., Lee, Y., Wiatt, R., Cheang, M., and Mukembo, S. Socioemotional Wealth among Business Owning Couples. Presentation at the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Birmingham, Alabama.

Sydnor, S., Jorgensen, J., Zuiler, V., Jasper, C. & Visser, A. (2024, July 24-26). The role gender and family play in businesses’ perceptions of wealth & well-being under sudden shocks. Presented at the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education. Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Researchers from the University of Wyoming and Kansas State University, with contributions from researchers from West Virginia University, Florida State University, and Colorado State University submitted and presented a “round-table” symposium at the International Federation of Home Economics (IFHE) World Congress in Galway, Ireland in June 2024. The purpose of this symposium was for scholars to brainstorm and share innovative educational approaches to assisting the shift of the fashion industry toward a circular, regenerative system.

Manuscripts- Work in Progress

New research led by Dr. Niehm, Dr. Machiraju, and graduate student researchers focuses on social-emotional well-being and small business success. The research explores variables from the NCR-Stat Small Business Survey (Wiatt et al., 2024). It focuses on the performance and sustainability of small rural businesses that invest in employee well-being by offering a variety of benefits, job flexibility, and other factors centered on work-life balance. This new data set offers a rich opportunity to examine a large sample of small businesses (N=1,287) from the North Central Region concerning small businesses, employer benefits, and rural health. Based on this research, an emerging research submission is being developed for the 2025 US Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Conference. A manuscript for submission to an academic journal is also planned for 2025.

Dr. Niehm, the Iowa representative, has engaged in collaboration with a multidisciplinary group of scholars (Manchiraju, Niehm, Diddi, LeHew, and Das) from the NC 1030 project group focused on Theme 4: Contributions of Socioemotional Wealth, Rurality, Collaboration and Race on Resilience and Success of Family-Owned SMEs. The team used data from the Small Business Values Survey (2019) to submit an abstract to the US Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) in 2023 under the Emerging Research track. This research addresses Theme 4, objectives 1, 2, and 3, and the emerging paper is now being developed into a full manuscript for publication.

Lee, Y., Marshall, M., & Wiatt, R. Giving, Selling, or Liquidating: Exit Strategies of BIPOC Small Business Owners. Preliminary regression results show that BIPOC business owners were more likely to choose stewardship exit strategies rather than liquidate. This finding is consistent with previous findings. BIPOC business owners were also more likely to give or sell their businesses to familiar successors than to liquidate their businesses.

Extension Presentations

(Theme 5) February 22, 2024: Succession Planning for Farm Businesses: Management Transfer and Farm Family Meetings. Presented by Renee Wiatt at the 2024 Midwest Mint Growers Conference, South Bend, Indiana.

(Theme 5) February 21, 2024: Handling the Inevitable: Dealing with Conflict in Succession. Presented by Renee Wiatt at the Ag Women Engage Pre-Conference, Transferring the Farm’s Legacy Program. Grand Wayne Convention Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana

(Theme 5) February 15, 2024: Transitioning the Family Farm: Management Transfer and Farm Family Meetings. Presented by Renee Wiatt at Peterson Ag Services, Pioneer Annual Meeting. Remington, Indiana.

(Theme 5) January 30, 2024: Mind Your Farm Business – Ep. 93: Don’t Wait for the Grave for Farm Transition. Interview on RealAg Radio, Sirius XM by Shaun Haney of Renee Wiatt: https://www.realagriculture.com/2024/01/mind-your-farm-business-ep-93-dont-wait-for-the-grave-for-farm-transition/.

(Theme 5) January 23, 2024: Management Transfer, Buy-Sell Agreements, and Job Descriptions. Presented by Renee Wiatt and Ed Farris. Indiana Horticultural Conference and Expo, Danville, Indiana.

Engagement/Outreach

LeHew, M. L. A., Doty, K., Irick, E., Das, D., Diddi, S., & Manchiraju, S. (2024, June). Charting the future of fashion: Identifying transformative education approaches. Presented at the XXV IFHE World Congress 2024, June 23-28, Galway, Ireland.

Doty, K., Greder, K., Cobb, K., & Griffin L. (2024, April). Dancing with systems: A solutions-focused philosophy for integrating circular economy principles into design education and practice. [Oral presentation]. Fashion and Play Symposium Proceedings. University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN.

Abstracts:

Doty, K., LeHew, M. L. A., Irick, E., Jorgensen, J., Das, D., Manchiraju, S., & Diddi, S. (2024). ​​A sustainable fashion industry is imperative and a transition to a circular economy (CE) will assist in reaching that goal. CE replaces the linear take-make-waste model with one where all products, post-use, undergo decomposition or are reprocessed into new items. The realization of a circular fashion system demands the re-localization of fiber, fabric, and apparel production to reduce the production of carbon through shipping. Unfortunately, the U.S faces a challenge in a circular economy transition due to the insufficient infrastructure resulting from the loss of production capacity through globalization. The proposed project explores challenges and opportunities confronting the development of a sustainable wool industry in the North Central region and identifies avenues for economic development fostering entrepreneurial activities throughout the supply chain, and long-term success of small wool fiber-based businesses, while enhancing rural community vitality. The project aligns with NCRCRD priority to create resilient communities and economies.

LeHew, M. L. A., Doty, K., Irick, E., Das, D., Diddi, S., & Manchiraju, S. (2024, June). This concept paper presents a philosophy of the design process for the practice and teaching of design and the circular economy that focuses on solutions and reduces the anxiety associated with contemplating climate change. The researchers guided the audience through a collaborative exploration of the gamification of the design process. Specifically, they examined a dynamic tool that aids designers in creating solutions grounded in circular economy principles. This tool assists designers and circular economy collaborators in articulating and navigating the complexities of designing for a broader system scope with multiple layers of goals (environmental, social, economic), scales (size, time, geographic), stakeholders, material flows, and design elements.

Love of Work or Love and Work: Does a Business Owner’s Compulsion to Work Pay Off?

A business owner’s compulsion to work is a condition that can have jarring effects on business-owning families. A compulsion to work has been defined as a component of workaholism. A random sample of 478 small business owners in the United States were classified as “compulsive” and “non-compulsive” owners using cluster analysis. A probit regression was used to determine the characteristics associated with being a compulsive owner. The probability of being a compulsive owner was lower for female owners, was higher as the number of children in the house increased, and was inversely related to family-business functioning. Further analysis found that compulsive owners did not have higher business incomes than non-compulsive owners. Thus, a compulsion to work did not appear to pay off for small business owners. We contribute to the literature by identifying factors associated with compulsive owner tendencies and if those tendencies lead to higher business income. 

The ‘silver tsunami’: community embeddedness and small business owner exit strategies

Over 50% of small businesses in the U.S. have business owners over the age of 55 and the majority do not have a planned exit strategy. Trillions of dollars in wealth will be transferred in the next decade. Business owner exit is associated with financial and non-financial factors. For rural business owners, in particular, non-financial factors or socioemotional wealth may play a key role in the exit strategy they choose. Business owners have many different paths to exit their businesses such as giving, selling, or liquidating their businesses. A multinomial logit model was used to determine the association of socioemotional wealth (SEW) with the choice of four common exit strategies employed by rural small business owners. The data were from a national survey of U.S. small business owners. Business owners with high SEW were more likely choose stewardship strategies rather than liquidate. Rural business owners compared to their urban counterparts were less likely to choose to sell their businesses to non-family members which may have implications for rural main street over the next decade.

Yoon, L., Cheang, M., Jasper, V. & Wiatt, R. (2024).  Work-Family Boundary Interaction and Business Performance: How Do Women and Men Business Owners Differ? Community, Work & Family.

Abstract:  In this study, we examined the factors associated with business performance among small businesses in the United States, while comparing differences in work-family interface issues between women (n = 266) and men (n = 232) business owners (N=498). Using data from the 2019 Small Business Values Survey (SBVS), regression results indicated that all else being equal, women business owners reported significantly lower business income than their men counterparts. Regression results also revealed that work-family boundary disruption was positively associated with perceived business profitability and successful family-business functioning was positively associated with both perceived profitability and business income. On the other hand, operating businesses from home was negatively associated with both perceived profitability and business income.

Martinez-Palomares, J., Valdivia, C., Cheang, M., Zuiker, V. & Katare, B. (2024).  Coping Strategies of Families and Small Businesses in Times of Significant Income Reduction or Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Journal of Family and Economic Issues.

Abstract:  What strategies do families and small businesses across the United States use to cope with a drastic reduction or loss of income because of the COVID-19 pandemic?  Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted using a nationally representative sample to examine the association between coping strategies used to deal with income reduction or loss, and health and subjective well-being. Findings suggest that while families and small businesses are resourceful in normal times, during periods of non-normative shocks of such magnitude and extended period of time as the COVID-19 pandemic, without systems and structural supports from the government, the conventional ways of coping (e.g., use of savings, reaching out to family and friends, and getting assistance from food pantries) may not be sufficient to help families and small businesses to recover from such unexpected life events.

 

12/22/2025

Drs. LeHew and Jorgensen Johnson are serving as guest editors for a special issue of Sustainability journal titled: Small Business Strategies for Sustainable and Circular Economy to be published in 2026.

Publications- Published Collaborations with Multistate Team Members

Bednarik, Z., Green, J., Marshall, M., Russell, K., Wiatt, R., & Wilcox, M. (2025). North Central Region Household Data. NCR-Stat: Baseline Survey 2024. Purdue University Research Repository. DOI: 10.4231/NQG5-5V79   (Theme 4)

Bednarik, Z., Green, J., Marshall, M., Russell, K., Wiatt, R., & Wilcox, M. (2025). Northeast Region Household Data. NER-Stat: Baseline Survey 2024. Purdue University Research Repository. DOI: 10.4231/SZNQ-GS46    (Theme 4)

Bednarik, Z., Green, J., Marshall, M., Russell, K., Wiatt, R., & Wilcox, M. (2025). Southern Region Household Data. SR-Stat: Baseline Survey 2024. Purdue University Research Repository. DOI: 10.4231/AN8S-1819    (Theme 4)

Edobor, E.W, M.I. Marshall, B. Katare, and C. Valdivia. 2024. Insuring for Cyclone Events: What Matters Most to Small Business Owners? Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, 40(1): 17-37. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaa2.146

Manuscripts- Work in Progress

Dr. Niehm is guiding and advising research with a doctoral student (A. Md. Islam) at Iowa State University using the Small Business Values Survey (2019) data and data from the 2018 and 2021 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS)  “State-by-State Survey” dataset. to examine the following topic:  Financial literacy and resilience of small business owners in the U.S.: Evidence from before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, Dr. Niehm co-directed the 2025 US Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Rural Entrepreneurship Symposium, held at Iowa State University from July 8 to 11, 2025. The conference was titled “Transforming the Heartland: Rural Retail, Manufacturing, and Tourism Innovation in the Midwest.” The very successful four-day event was attended by approximately 100 academics, professionals, and rural business owners. Stephen Mukembo, NC 1030 representative from the University of Missouri, also attended and gave a research presentation at the rural symposium. In addition to being an event co-organizer, Niehm was also engaged in the following symposium presentations that support NC 1030 themes and objectives, each attended by 60 people:

Hurst, J.L., Niehm, L.S., Brown, E., & Tsai, K. (2025). Enhancing community vitality and small business growth in Iowa: Utilizing entrepreneurial internships to empower students and business owners.

Tsai, K. & Niehm, L.S. (2025). Digital resilience in rural entrepreneurship: Exploring the role of AI-driven strategies for small businesses.

Worall, E. & Niehm, L.S. (2025). From classroom to marketplace: The launch of a student-run retail entrepreneurship lab.

Manuscripts Submitted/ In Review/Under Revision

Cheang, M., Palomares, J. C. M., Valdivia, C., Katare, B., & Zuiker, V. S. (Submitted, Rejected, Manuscript in Preparation). Families' and small businesses' efforts to cope with income reduction or loss in times of a public health crisis.

Debanjan, D., Diddi, S., Manchiraju, S., LeHew, M., Greder, K., Nichols, A. S., & Johnson Jorgensen, J. (In Preparation). Call to Action: Bridging the Gap Between Scholarly Research and Fashion Industry’s Transformation to Circularity.

Lee, Y., Cheang, M., Jasper, C., and Wiatt, R. (under review). Work-family boundary interaction and business performance: How do women and men business owners differ?. Community, Work & Family. (Theme 4) 

Marshall, M.I., Y.G. Lee, and R.D. Wiatt. The ‘silver tsunami’: community embeddedness and small business owner exit strategies. R&R to Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development. (Theme 5)

Marshall, M., Wiatt, R., & Johnson Jorgensen, J. (In Preparation). Business Succession using Q Methodology.

Sydnor, S., Johnson Jorgensen, J., Solis Zuiker, V., Jasper, C., Wiatt, R., & Visser, A. (In Review).  What Brings Them Joy?  Small Business Owners’ Perceptions of Wealth and Well-Being Under Sudden Shocks.

Extension Presentations

Peer Reviewed Extension Publications

Langenhoven, P., Marshall, M.I., Shoaf, N., & Wiatt, R. (2025 August 8). From soil to market: How integrated decision-making drives vegetable production success. Vegetable Crops Hotline, 759. Available at:  https://vegcropshotline.org/article/understanding-farm-decision-making-insights-from-the-2024-2025-producer-survey-5/    (Theme 4) 

Langenhoven, P., Marshall, M.I., Shoaf, N., & Wiatt, R. (2025 June 13). From soil to market: How vegetable growers are integrating sustainable practices. Vegetable Crops Hotline, 755. Available at:  https://vegcropshotline.org/article/understanding-farm-decision-making-insights-from-the-2024-2025-producer-survey-2/      (Theme 4) 

Marshall, M.I., & Wiatt, R. (2025 September 5). Mixed messages: Why small farmers choose pragmatism over marketing. Vegetable Crops Hotline, 761. Available at:  https://vegcropshotline.org/article/understanding-farm-decision-making-insights-from-the-2024-2025-producer-survey-6/    (Theme 4) 

Marshall, M.I., Langenhoven, P., and Wiatt, R. (2025 May 30). The Connected Farm: How Growers Integrate Practices from Soil to Market. Vegetable Crops Hotline, 754. Available at https://vegcropshotline.org/article/understanding-farm-decision-making-insights-from-the-2024-2025-producer-survey/    (Theme 4)

Wiatt, R. D. (2025, July). Trends for Rural Small Businesses in the North Central Region: Owner and Small Business Demographics. North Central Regional Center for Rural Development. https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.359223    (Theme 4) 

Wiatt, R. and Marshall, M.I. (2025 May 2). Small and medium farms: Does focusing on and communicating with customers pay off? Vegetable Crops Hotline, 752. Available at:  https://vegcropshotline.org/article/small-and-medium-farms-does-focusing-on-and-communicating-with-customers-pay-off/  (Theme 4) 

Wiatt, R., & Marshall, M.I. (2025 July 25). Succession, family and success: Differences across farm size and farm type. Vegetable Crops Hotline, 758. Available at:  https://vegcropshotline.org/article/understanding-farm-decision-making-insights-from-the-2024-2025-producer-survey-4/     (Theme 4) 

Wiatt, R. and Sydnor, S. (2024, December 11). “How does life satisfaction impact success and profitability in U.S. small business owners?”. Purdue Institute for Family Business Newsletter 2. Available at: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/fambiz/_docs/newsletters/2024newsletter2_lifesatisfaction.html   (Theme 4)

Grants:

Diddi, S., LeHew, M. L. A., Hiller, K., Morris, K.., & Burgess, R. (2024). Building Circular Economy Competencies in Fiber, Textiles and Clothing Curriculum to Enhance Workforce Preparedness. Submitted to USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Higher Education Challenge grant (CG2) program: $733,382 funded. THEME 2; OBJECTIVE 2

• K. Doty, collaborator on the grant project served as workshop leader, delivering the BioCircular Textile Practicum to approximately 15 educators at Fibershed’s headquarters in Point Reyes Station, CA during July 2025 

USDA-NIFA-SAS: Building Resilience to Shocks and Disruptions: Creating Sustainable and Equitable Local and Regional Food Systems in the US Midwest Region and Beyond, 2023-2028, $10 million, Michigan State University.  (Themes 1 and 3)

1. Co-PI, subaward to Marshall (AGEC) is $527,506 (Wiatt, collaborator) 

USDA-NIFA-AFRI: Taking the Next Step as a Small and Medium Sized Farm: Understanding the Integration of Production, Food Safety, and Profitability, 2021-2025, $500,000, PI and Project Director: M.I. Marshall, Co-PIs: B. Feng (FS), P. Langenhoven (HLA), N. Shoaf (Urban Ag), and R. Wiatt (AGEC).   (Theme 1)

Conference Presentations

Das, D., Diddi, S., Greeder, K., Shane-Nichols, A., Jorgensen, J., Lehew, M., & Manchiraju, S., (2025). Circular Fashion Through the Lifecycle Lens: Analyzing Scholarly Research Trends and Gaps. Corporate Responsibility Research Conference 2025, October 2025, Paris, France.

Diddi, S., Das, D., Greeder, K., Shane-Nichols, A., Jorgensen, J., Lehew, M., & Manchiraju, S., (2025). Call to Action: Bridging the Gap between Scholarly Research and Fashion Industry’s Transformation to Circularity. International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference, November 2025, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

Lee, Y, Marshall, M.I., & Wiatt, R.D. (submitted September 2025). Preserving Family Legacy: BIPOC Perspectives of Small Business Succession Planning. American Council on Consumer Interests Conference. [Conference Abstract for 2026, Long Beach, California]  (Themes 4 and 5)

Marshall, M.I., Wiatt, R.D., & Lee, Y.G. Planning to Exit: A Cross-Racial Analysis of Small Business Owner Decision-Making. SBI, New Orleans April 2025. (Theme 4 and5)

Marshall, M.I., Wiatt, R.D. & Lee, Y.G. (submitted September 2025). Childcare Responsibilities, Gender, and Financial Stress Among Small Business Owners. Work and Family Researchers Network Conference. [Conference Abstract for 2026, Montreal, Canada]. (Themes 4 and 5)

Marshall, M.I., Wiatt, R.D. & Lee, Y.G.  (September 2025). Pay Me What I’m Worth: Copreneurs and Spousal Compensation in U.S. Small Businesses. Work and Family Researchers Network Conference Symposia on Work-Life Issues Among Entrepreneurs. [Conference Symposia Abstract for 2026, Montreal, Canada].  (Theme 4, 5)

Mukembo, S.C., Nabisaalu, J.K., & Marshall, M.I. Trust and community embeddedness: Entrepreneur’s wellbeing as a pathway to small business financial performance in the North Central Region of the United States. USASBE 2025 conference, February 12 -15, Las Vegas, Nevada. Emerging Research papers. (Theme 4)

 

Abstracts Reported 2024-2025 

Archila-Godínez, J.C., Kotanko, C., Wiatt, R., Marshall, M.I., and Feng, Y. (2025). “Consumers’ Food Safety Expectations and Risk Perceptions of Produce from Small and Medium-Size Farms”. Journal of Food Science, 90(9). https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.70527  (Theme 4)

Food safety concerns associated with fresh produce have gained prominence due to recurring foodborne outbreaks and recalls. However, consumer awareness and perceptions regarding food safety in small and medium‐sized farm (SMF) operations remain underexplored. This study assessed consumer expectations and risk perceptions of produce from SMFs through a survey of 916 U.S. consumers. While 85% of respondents considered food safety a minimum quality standard, it was often viewed as secondary to attributes such as freshness, quality, and local production. Most higher‐income consumers (63%) opposed the exemption of SMFs from the Food Safety Modernization Act's Produce Safety Rule. Consumers identified farmers as key actors in ensuring produce safety, with 75% rating them as extremely influential in maintaining food safety. Additionally, 47% of respondents attributed responsibility to farmers when presented with a hypothetical foodborne outbreak scenario, while a majority believed all commercially sold food should be safe regardless of farm size. Structured equation modeling revealed the interrelationships among constructs, including demographic characteristics, produce handling practices, food safety knowledge, expectation of food safety as a minimum quality standard, perceptions of produce from SMFs, and perceptions of food safety standards for SMFs. These findings provide insight into consumer attitudes toward produce safety and regulatory expectations for SMFs. The results suggest that consumers expect food safety to be an inherent characteristic of fresh produce, yet their perceptions of risk and responsibility are shaped by broader considerations of food quality, sourcing, and trust in agricultural producers.

 

Feng, Y., Stoll, A., Marshall, M., and Wiatt, R. (July 2025). “Exploring Consumer Willingness to Pay for Food Safety in Produce: A Focus on Small vs. Large Farms”. Journal of Food Protection, 88 (8), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100564   (Theme 4) 

Multiple studies have investigated consumers’ willingness to pay premium prices for produce grown under conditions that are more regulated and safer than those of conventionally grown crops. However, little is known about whether the presence of food safety labels and farm size affects consumer willingness to pay for produce at premium prices. The purpose of this study was to identify consumer willingness to pay for produce with a food safety label from various farm sizes to determine consumer food safety preferences. An online survey was conducted with consumers (n = 914), which included a willingness to pay section with four scenarios to purchase produce. Each scenario included farm size, label, and inspection status. A significant majority of consumers expressed a willingness to pay premium price for produce with a food safety label from both small- sized farms (72%; p < 0.001) and large-sized farms (69%; p < 0.001). However, 36% said they were willing to pay a premium of no more than 10% for produce from small-sized farms. The findings of this study indicate an increased price to consumers may not be suitable motivation for farmers to adopt on-farm food safety practices, suggesting other on-farm food safety techniques should be investigated.

 

Lee, Y., Cheang, M., Jasper, C., and Wiatt, R. (under review). Work-family boundary interaction and business performance: How do women and men business owners differ?. Community, Work & Family. (Theme 4) 

In this study, business performance factors among small businesses in the U.S. were examined, while comparing differences in work-family interface issues between women (n = 266) and men (n = 232) business owners (N=498). Using data from the 2019 Small Business Values Survey (SBVS), regression results indicated that all else being equal, women business owners reported significantly lower business income than men business owners. Regression results revealed that higher work-family boundary interaction was positively associated with perceived business profitability. Also, successful family-business functioning was positively associated with both perceived profitability and business income. On the other hand, operating the businesses from home was negatively associated with both perceived profitability and business income.

 

Marshall, M.I., Lee, Y., & Wiatt, R.D. (submitted, under review). The ‘silver tsunami’: Community embeddedness and small business owner exit strategies. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development.  (Themes 4 and 5)  (Objective 2 & 3) 

Abstract: This study examines how socioemotional wealth (SEW) and rural location influence small business owner exit strategies amid the impending "silver tsunami" of Baby Boomer retirements. With over 50% of U.S. small businesses owned by individuals over 55 and most lacking succession plans, understanding non-financial factors driving exit decisions is critical for economic continuity. Business owners with higher SEW were significantly more likely to choose stewardship strategies (giving or selling to family) rather than liquidating or selling to outsiders. For each point increase in SEW, the probability of selling to outsiders decreased by six percentage points and liquidation by seven percentage points. Rural business owners were 13 percentage points less likely to sell to outsiders compared to urban counterparts, preferring family-centered exit strategies.

 

Marshall, M.I., Y.G. Lee, and R.D. Wiatt. The ‘silver tsunami’: community embeddedness and small business owner exit strategies. R&R to Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development. (Theme 5)  (Objective 2 & 3) 

Over 50% of small businesses in the U.S. have business owners over the age of 55 and the majority do not have a planned exit strategy. Trillions of dollars in wealth will be transferred in the next decade. Business owner exit is associated with financial and non-financial factors. For rural business owners, in particular, non-financial factors or socioemotional wealth may play a key role in the exit strategy they choose. Business owners have many different paths to exit their businesses such as giving, selling, or liquidating their businesses. A multinomial logit model was used to determine the association of socioemotional wealth (SEW) with the choice of four common exit strategies employed by rural small business owners. The data were from a national survey of U.S. small business owners. Business owners with high SEW were more likely choose stewardship strategies rather than liquidate. Rural business owners compared to their urban counterparts were less likely to choose to sell their businesses to non-family members which may have implications for rural main street over the next decade.

Mukembo, S. C., Nabisaalu, J., & Marshall, M. I. (2025). Trust and Community Embeddedness: Entrepreneur’s Well-being as a Pathway to Small Business Financial Performance in the North Central Region of the United States. United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) conference, February 12 -15, Las Vegas, Nevada. Emerging Research papers

Submitted and presented a research abstract examining how interpersonal trust, institutional trust, and social embeddedness influence entrepreneur well-being and business financial performance in the North Central United States. Drawing on institutional theory and social capital theory, we analyze survey data from 693 small and medium entrepreneurs across 12 states to understand how these factors contribute to entrepreneurial outcomes in both urban and rural contexts. Using structural equation modeling, our findings reveal that interpersonal trust and social embeddedness positively affect entrepreneur well-being, while institutional trust shows no significant effect. Furthermore, entrepreneur well-being mediates the relationship between interpersonal trust, social embeddedness, and business financial performance. We also noted that location moderates the relationship between institutional trust and well-being, with entrepreneurs in rural areas showing stronger positive effects compared to their urban counterparts.

 

Sydnor, S., Johnson Jorgensen, J., Solis Zuiker, V., Jasper, C., Wiatt, R., & Visser, A. (In Review).  What Brings Them Joy?  Small Business Owners’ Perceptions of Wealth and Well-Being Under Sudden Shocks.

What Brings Them Joy? Life Satisfaction and Success Among U.S. Small Business Owners

This study explores how small business owners perceive and experience life satisfaction during economic shocks, focusing on the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using Sustainable Family Business Theory (SFBT), we apply a bivariate ordered probit analysis to examine the relationship between life satisfaction and the success and profitability of U.S. small businesses. We focus on business owners of color in the retail and tourism sectors, who often report higher life satisfaction than their white counterparts. The pandemic offers a unique context to observe these businesses under prolonged economic stress. Results reveal that life satisfaction, pre-pandemic business success, gender, and owner age significantly correlate with business outcomes during the pandemic. Female owners of previously struggling businesses reported the lowest life satisfaction, while minority-owned businesses remained optimistic regardless of prior performance. Notably, many business owners of color perceived greater success during the pandemic than before. These insights highlight the importance of understanding how small business owners, particularly those of color, perceive economic disruptions and policy responses. We recommend further exploration of innovative adaptations by minority entrepreneurs as potential models for broader resilience frameworks. Our results suggest that fostering entrepreneurial resilience requires not only financial support but also psychological resources, community trust-building, and recognition of diverse paths to business sustainability during crises.

 

Circular Fashion Through the Lifecycle Lens: Analyzing Scholarly Research Trends and Gaps

Corporate Responsibility Research Conference 2025 

Over the past decade, the global fashion industry has increasingly embraced circular economy (CE) principles, emphasizing systems thinking, cradle-to-cradle design, regenerative practices, transparency, life cycle analysis, and resource efficiency (Hvass & Pedersen, 2019). Although scholarly interest in fashion circularity has grown substantially during this time, existing research remains fragmented. While previous reviews highlight key thematic developments, there is still limited clarity on how academic research directly supports the fashion industry’s transition to circularity.

This study applies Winakor’s (1969) clothing consumption model to systematically analyze CE-focused scholarly research, categorizing it across four stages of the clothing lifecycle: (i)Design and Production – including product creation and upcycling by vendors, brands, and manufacturers; (ii)Product Distribution and Marketing – processes involved in delivering products to consumers;(iii)Use and Disposal – consumer behavior related to care, repair, laundering, and user-led upcycling; (iv)Waste Management and Miscellaneous – post-consumption handling and additional insights.

To achieve this, peer-reviewed journal articles on circular fashion research, indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) database over the past 26 years (2000–2025), were reviewed. The search was conducted using Boolean operators with the terms: “circularity OR circular economy OR cradle-to-cradle OR regenerative” in combination with “fashion OR clothing OR textiles OR apparel OR dress.” The initial dataset included 443 English-language, peer-reviewed articles. Given the interdisciplinary nature of CE research, a screening process was implemented. Titles and abstracts were reviewed to ensure each article explicitly addressed both fashion and circularity, refining the sample to 321 articles. Due to the exploratory nature of this study, a research team of seven scholars conducted a peer review of the titles and abstracts, ensuring that each article was examined twice for accuracy and consistency. On average, each researcher reviewed 91 articles, categorizing them according to the four lifecycle stages.

Key findings of this study indicate that scholarly research on circular economy (CE) in the fashion lifecycle stages is heavily concentrated in the product distribution, use, and disposal phases. Specifically, 30% of the reviewed articles focus on the use and disposal stage, with an emphasis on consumer behavior. This includes studies exploring consumer motivations for adopting circular fashion practices, laundering and garment care habits, repair behaviors, and user-driven upcycling activities. In contrast, only 9% of the analyzed articles address the design and production stage. This stage covers both the initial creation of fashion products and upcycling efforts undertaken by vendors, brands, and manufacturers. The relatively lower focus on this stage points to a research gap concerning upstream processes in the circular fashion value chain, such as sustainable material sourcing, design for durability, modularity, and recyclability. Another key theme that emerged within the literature is textile innovation related to waste management. Several studies specifically examine upcycling textile waste into new textile products, investigating both technological advancements and practical applications in recycling processes.

Overall, these findings highlight an imbalance in the scholarly focus across the fashion lifecycle, with a predominance of consumer-centered research and comparatively limited investigation into production-level innovations and upstream supply chain interventions. Addressing these gaps could support the development of more comprehensive circular fashion systems that integrate sustainable practices across all stages of the product lifecycle. 

References

Kant Hvass, K., & Pedersen, E. R. G. (2019). Toward circular economy of fashion: Experiences from a brand’s product take-back initiative. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 23(3), 345-365.

Winakor, G. (1969). The process of clothing consumption. Journal of Home Economics, 61(8), 629-634.

 

Call to Action: Bridging the Gap between Scholarly Research and  

Fashion Industry’s Transformation to Circularity 

International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference, November 2025 

There is a growing sentiment questioning the relevance of higher education and the public impact of scholarly research (APLU, 2020). Over the decades, the role of universities in the U.S. has evolved from a primary focus on teaching and research to becoming dynamic hubs of innovation that drive economic and social progress (Scandura & Iammarino, 2021). There is a consensus that scholarly research is overly theoretical, expanding philosophical discussions within the academic community while offering minimal value creation for industry (Palmer, 2025). Therefore, this narrative aims to provide a grounded perspective and a call to action by developing an agenda that fosters more meaningful and demonstrable changes in how scholarly research in fashion aligns with industry’s transformation toward circularity. The study offers a meta-analysis of literature related to the implementation of circular economic principles and uses the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s (EMF) New Textiles Economy framework as a guiding structure. 

The circular economy (CE) is an industrial system that replaces the traditional end-of-life concept with restoration. It promotes renewable energy, eliminates toxic chemicals that hinder reuse, and minimizes waste through superior design of materials, products, systems, and business models (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). EMF’s report has played a pivotal role in encouraging the global fashion industry to adopt CE principles, emphasizing systems thinking, cradle-to-cradle approaches, regenerative agriculture, transparency, product life cycle analysis, and resource efficiency (Hvass & Pedersen, 2019). Scholarly research on fashion circularity has increased significantly over the past decade. Several recent studies have explored challenges and barriers to fashion circularity using systematic literature reviews (SLRs) (e.g., Abdelmeguid, Afy-Shararah, & Salonitis, 2022; de Aguiar Hugo, de Nadae, & da Silva Lima, 2021). While these reviews provide insights into key thematic areas over time, there is still limited understanding of how academic research contributes to the fashion industry’s transformation toward circularity. This study applies EMF’s framework to analyze scholarly research and assess whether the increasing volume of studies aligns with the industry's evolving landscape and contributes to building actionable solutions. This framework was deemed appropriate as it offers applied, industry-oriented strategies for implementing CE principles, many of which have already been adopted by global fashion brands. 

To address the primary objective of this study, peer-reviewed journal articles on circular fashion research, indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) database over the past 26 years (2000–2025), were reviewed. The search was conducted using Boolean operators with the terms: “circularity OR circular economy OR cradle-to-cradle OR regenerative” in combination with “fashion OR clothing OR textiles OR apparel OR dress.” The initial dataset included 416 English-language, peer-reviewed articles. Given the interdisciplinary nature of CE research, a screening process was implemented. Titles and abstracts were reviewed to ensure each article explicitly addressed both fashion and circularity, refining the sample to 261 articles. Due to the exploratory nature of this study, a research team of seven scholars conducted a peer review of the titles and abstracts, ensuring that each article was examined twice for accuracy and consistency. On average, each researcher reviewed 74 articles, categorizing them according to the four key principles outlined in the EMF Framework. Researchers then coded the findings of each article into sub-themes under these key principles.  

Using the four key principles outlined in the EMF report, the findings of this study demonstrate that 40% (n = 104) studies addressed the principle of Designing Out Waste indicating a strong focus on reducing waste at the design stage of products. This was followed by 22% (n = 57) in EMF’s Radically Improve Recycling principle, highlighting efforts to enhance recycling technologies and processes. Only 16% (n=42) of studies addressed the principles of Keep Products and Materials in Use that emphasize the importance of prolonging product lifecycles through reuse, refurbishment, and remanufacturing. There were very few studies (n= 21) that explicitly addressed the theme of Regenerate Natural Systems that addresses restoring natural ecosystems through circular practices. It is important to note that some studies were coded in more than one principle. Interestingly, a substantial portion of the studies (n = 154) were uniquely coded into the "Other" category, indicating a wide range of additional themes not explicitly aligned with the EMF’s framework. This suggests that while core circular strategies are prominent, many studies are exploring alternative or complementary approaches to sustainability. The themes that emerged within the other categories included – communication of fashion circularity consumption practices, studies focused on metrics, accountability, and regional impact of circular business models, circular supply chains, SLRs focused on fashion circularity and social, cultural, and historical aspects of CE. Key findings of this study indicate that scholarly research related to CE in fashion primarily focuses on broad conceptual and theoretical frameworks rather than practical, solution-driven approaches. While many studies align with EMF’s Designing Out Waste principle by addressing textile effluent and dye waste, few offer concrete solutions applicable to industry challenges. The gap is particularly stark in areas such as logistics, business models, supply chain management, and waste management. Less than 10% (n = 23) of the papers analyzed provide innovative or practical contributions. Most scholarly work on CE in fashion takes a macro-level perspective, focusing on frameworks and identifying barriers to CE adoption. This approach often results in repetitive discussions that treat circularity as a trending topic rather than a field requiring actionable and innovative solutions. Scholarly research has been criticized for its overemphasis on theory, technical language, disconnect from industry and community needs, with the primary focus on publishing that generally have lengthy academic timelines diluting the impact and timeliness of scholarly research (Dwivedi et al., 2024). 

The most important takeaway from this study is the significant gap between scholarly research and the industry’s need for research-based solutions. From within the academy, addressing this disconnect is imperative to underscore the whole enterprise of fashion education and research. We can adjust curriculum (what we teach) and pedagogy (how we teach), but it is critically important to underscore why we need to teach circularity as a foundational principle. Although the distinction between basic and applied research is well recognized, this disparity appears more pronounced in the social sciences. This raises critical questions about whether academic studies are more aligned with theoretical rather than industry-oriented frameworks (Scandura & Iammarino, 2021) and whether the missing link lies in how research is structured and evaluated within academia. 

From an industry perspective, addressing this disconnect is essential to leverage research assets (e.g. labs, studios, research faculty) to shift the narrative around industry’s CE transition. With increasing federal budget cuts and declining investments in higher education and research, universities and scholars must adopt an entrepreneurial approach, one that authentically engages with communities and industries to co-produce knowledge that drives meaningful change beyond academia (PEW, 2019). Cross-sector collaboration among industry, academia, and communities, along with transdisciplinary approaches, unlocks new potential for developing innovative solutions with both practical and policy implications. However, building such collaborations remains difficult due to differences in research missions and motivations between industry and academia (Bodas-Freitas & Verspagen, 2017). Academic incentives primarily focus on faculty research productivity for merit promotion, leaving little time to engage in new lines of scientific inquiry that are industry focused. Developing transdisciplinary collaborations requires time and trust, which the current scholarly ecosystem does not fully support (Dwivedi et al., 2024). 

Establishing stronger partnerships between researchers and industry stakeholders can help reshape the narrative and foster innovative, sustainable solutions in the fashion industry. Scholars are encouraged to explore alternative frameworks (e.g., the 4D model in Dwivedi et al., 2024) that provide mechanisms for bridging the divide between academic research and industry applications. To close this gap, this study calls for a reevaluation of academic frameworks to ensure their relevance to industry challenges and advocates for institutional changes that prioritize applied research and industry partnerships. While assessing the true impact of scholarly research is complex and multifaceted, the academy needs to engage in critical dialog to expand the metrics of impact that go beyond the traditional   quantitative measures such as citation counts, h-indices, and journal impact factors. ​​

References 

​Abdelmeguid, A., Afy-Shararah, M., & Salonitis, K. (2022). Investigating the challenges of applying the principles of the circular economy in the fashion industry: A systematic review. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 32, 505-518. 

​APLU. (2020). Driving U.S. Competitiveness Through Improved University-Industry Partnerships. Retrieved March 30, 2025, from The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities: https://aplu-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/driving-us-competitiveness-through-improved-university-industry-partnerships.pdf 

​Bodas Freitas, I. M., & Verspagen, B. (2017). The motivations, institutions and organization of university-industry collaborations in the Netherlands. Journal of Evolutionary Economics, 27, 379-412. 

​de Aguiar Hugo, A., de Nadae, J., & da Silva Lima, R. (2021). Can fashion be circular? A literature review on circular economy barriers, drivers, and practices in the fashion industry’s productive chain. Sustainability, 13(21), 12246. 

​Dwivedi, Y. K., Jeyaraj, A., Hughes, L., Davies, G. H., Ahuja, M., Albashrawi, M. A., & Walton, P. (2024). “Real impact”: Challenges and opportunities in bridging the gap between research and practice–Making a difference in industry, policy, and society. International Journal of Information Management, 78, 102750. 

​Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017, November 27) A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning fashion’s future. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy