Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

This year the NC1030 Annual Meeting took place at Colorado State University, hosted by Dr. Sonali Diddi, October 6 and 7. State representatives were present either in person or virtually. On October 6, day one (8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) there were introductions by NC1030 co-chairs Sydnor and Zuiker, welcoming new members from Florida State University, Kansas State University, and West Virginia University. In the business portion of the annual meeting, the group discussed possible sites for future annual meeting locations (California, Hawaii, Florida, Iowa, Colorado, Nebraska) and it was decided that Nebraska would host our 2023 annual meeting. Both Drs. Sydnor and Zuiker agreed to serve as cochairs for 2023. Due to the retirement of our past secretary Dr. Linda Manikowske of North Dakota, we elected a new secretary Dr. Srikant (Sri) Manchiraju from Florida. Dr. Manchiraju presented on Bibliometric Analysis and a brainstorming session followed on how this type of analysis could be used by the NC1030 members. Dr. Matt Hickey, Associate Dean for Research College of Health and Human Sciences, welcomed the multistate research group to Colorado State University. The remaining of Day 1 focused on collaborative works (presentation submission proposals) for the upcoming United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) conference that will be held in Florida in 2023, along with working on a North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) research proposal, and manuscript writing plans. Much of this work centers on the five themes identified from the multistate research group which include: 1) Rural Small Business Recovery and Resilience to Natural Hazards; 2) Sustainable and Resilient SMEs in a Regenerative Fiber and Food System; 3) Entrepreneurial and Innovative Response to Disruption and System Shocks by Family-Owned SMEs; 4) Contributions of Socioemotional Wealth, Rurality, Collaboration and Race on Resilience and Success of Family-Owned SMEs; and 5) Impact of Transgenerational Control and Transfer within Family Businesses on Resilience and Recovery. Day two began with a presentation from Dr. Abigail Borron, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communication, at the University of Georgia on Community Diagnostics + Social Impact ToolkitTM (CD+SI) and was followed by a discussion of how to incorporate this new knowledge into the current works of the multistate research team. A welcome message and presentation was given by Dr. Eugene Kelley, Deputy Director, Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station highlighting the work of Colorado Agricultural Extension and its impact to the state along with highlighting the diversity and national scope of the members of NC-1030. A third presentation highlighted Colorado success story of a local business owner Ms. Elizabeth Mozer, cofounder of LoCo. She discussed with the group how the company started and the challenges they overcame during the global pandemic. Following these presentations, the remaining day was spent with the members gathering in groups to continue working on their USASBE proposals, the NCRCRD proposal, and continue collaboration on manuscripts that the groups had been working on so these manuscripts can be submitted to refereed journal publications for review. As the groups worked, they kept the 5 themes in mind while incorporating the three objectives: Objective 1: Identify and measure the sources of major change and disruption and the structural barriers that impact the family/household, the business, or the community; Objective 2: Identify and measure transformative responses to the positive and negative impacts of change and disruption on the family/household, the business, or the community; and Objective 3: Determine and inform policy or practice related to the wellbeing of the family, the business, or the community.

Accomplishments by NC 1030 Research Objectives (2021-2022):

The NC1030 research team met every other month virtually to share and discuss on-going research activities. These meetings also informed the research team of current and upcoming research projects. Smaller groups met throughout the year to discuss on-going research and to progress with the work begun on manuscripts. During 2021-2022, three manuscripts were published, two manuscripts were submitted, one book chapter was published, three peer-reviewed extension publications were published, three grants were awarded, one grant was submitted, and there were three conference presentations. One grant proposal is in preparation, three conference presentations ideas were submitted, and four manuscripts are in preparation. The research works reported are collaborative across states.

Specific accomplishments are represented by the three project objectives which are derivatives of the five themes.
NC 1030: Five Themes

1) Rural Small Business Recovery and Resilience to Natural Hazards; 2) Sustainable and Resilient SMEs in a Regenerative Fiber and Food System; 3) Entrepreneurial and Innovative Response to Disruption and System Shocks by Family-Owned SMEs; 4) Contributions of Socioemotional Wealth, Rurality, Collaboration and Race on Resilience and Success of Family-Owned SMEs and 5) Impact of Transgenerational Control and Transfer within Family Businesses on Resilience and Recover.

Objective 1. Identify and measure the sources of major change and disruption and the structural barriers that impact the family/household, the business, or the community.
Johnson Jorgensen, Zuiker, Manikowske and LeHew studied the role of communication technologies of small business success. Owners and managers of small businesses tend to struggle to utilize online communicative technologies effectively. Businesses rely on technologies, but don’t find easy-to-use technologies to be useful in their retail establishments. Findings suggest that 1) easy-to-use communication technologies are not useful and do not contribute to business success, 2) useful communication technologies are considered to contribute to business success, and 3) new owners that are younger and located in urban areas are more likely to use communication technologies. Results from this study will help guide small business owners and retail managers to focus on learning useful technologies for their specific needs, and not spend time using many easy-to-use technologies that may drain time and resources. Impacts include insight into how small businesses can use “useful” communication technologies efficiently within their operations, without wasting time and other resources. An article was published in the Journal of Small Business Strategy.

Katare, Marshall, and Valdivia examined how small business owners were affected by COVID-19 and the implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. They collected online survey data from a national sample of 463 small business owners across the United States. The survey was conducted in June 2020, eight weeks after the passage of the CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. The survey data included information about business characteristics, financial well-being, current response to the crisis, beliefs about the future of their business survival, and the business-owning family demographic information. There were three main themes that emerge from the results. First, drivers of income loss were not necessarily associated with time to recovery. Second, businesses that were undercapitalized were more likely to suffer higher income loss, longer time to recovery, and less likely to be resilient. Resilient was operationalized as a scale merging perceived success, potential for growth, and perceived profitability. Third, business model changes were necessary due to the pandemic but not all adaptive strategies led to better business outcomes. The results from this research study will lead to a better understanding of key vulnerabilities and adjustments that small businesses make to fully recover from economic shocks. Impacts-- their findings showed that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was not the same for all small businesses. Thus, a need for policy makers to take this aspect into account and that these small businesses also differ by gender and race. Additionally, small businesses benefitted from having cash infusions as demand decreased and they needed to invest in different business models. An article was published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.

Colleagues from the universities of Minnesota and Missouri collaborated on research that examines the subjective well-being of Latinxs in the Midwest. The manuscript is under review.

Objective 2. Identify and measure transformative responses to the positive and negative impacts of change and disruption on the family/household, the business, or the community.

Scholars from Kansas State University, Colorado State University, Iowa State University, The Ohio State University, University of Wisconsin, University of Minnesota, Purdue University, University of Nebraska, University of West Virginia, Utah State University, University of California-Davis, and Florida State University are developing a proposal for submission to the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) under the funding priority area “Creating Resilient Communities and Economies”. The overarching questions to be addressed by the research group include: How resilient are current SMEs based in rural communities? What characteristics enable them to proactively respond to major disruptions? How might SMEs and rural communities transform to not only survive, but thrive in an unknowable future? Specifically, our future research products will focus on investigating how business practices transform into sustainable and resilient systems that can support a regenerative fiber and food system that enhances well-being of families, communities, and eco-systems. The funding request will be for three years to cover team development and meetings, preliminary data collection, other activities facilitating multi-state collaboration leading to outputs (i.e., research publications, Extension curricula, external funding). The proposal will be submitted in spring 2023 to NCRCRD. If funded, work will begin in summer 2023 and continue for a three-year period.

Colleagues from the universities of Minnesota, Purdue, Montana, and Utah State continue their collaboration on a manuscript focusing on whether business with COVID-related impact have higher business income losses than other firms without cash flow challenges. This manuscript uses data from the 2021 Small Business Disaster.

Colleagues from the universities of Minnesota, Hawaii, Purdue, and Missouri continue efforts on a manuscript focusing on factors that contribute to subjective well-being utilizing a COVID data set that was collected at the beginning of the pandemic.

Objective 3: Determine and inform policy or practice related to the wellbeing of the family, the business, or the community.

Researchers from Purdue University, University of Kentucky, Auburn University, and the University of Missouri described preferences toward COVID-19 testing features. The online survey was conducted in June 2020 and used cross-sectional data. They collected data from a national sample of 1,505 Qualtrics panel respondents to be representative of the adult U.S. population over gender, age, race/ethnicity, education, income, and Census region. Findings indicated that saliva tests were preferred to nasal tests most of time, preference to at-home testing and drive thru testing versus testing at a hospital or clinic, and that substantial monetary incentives led to only small gains for testing avoiders while monetary incentives helped overcome the dislike for convenience seekers. Impacts—their findings suggest that incentives may be used for contact tracing and can contribute to reducing transmission rates. An article was published in the Journal of Health Promotion.

Researchers from Purdue Missouri, Montana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota universities continue to examine how profitability and functionality are affected by work-family balance, adjustment strategies, policies in place to achieve balance, family business status. Findings suggest the average, family-owned businesses perform better than non-family businesses along several dimensions including strategic decision-making and profitability, in part due to aversion to risk that may damage family wealth and long-term planning horizons (Larraz, Gené, & Figueras, 2019). One way of understanding the business and relationship dynamic in family-owning businesses was addressed by Stafford et al. (1999) in their Sustainable Family Business Model (SFBM) mentioned earlier which provides the capacity to explore the interface between the family and the business. The Three-Circle Model approach (Taqiuri & Davis, 1982) and socio emotional wealth (SEW) of families is specified as a lever of competitive advantage. Results should make an important contribution to the family business literature by suggesting that family businesses have higher family and business functionality, but similar profitably as non-family businesses. Policies that reinforce business practices related to family wellbeing variables in this research will be championed and widely disseminated.

Colleagues from the universities of Purdue, Minnesota, Nebraska, University of Wisconsin, and University of California-Davis continue efforts on a manuscript focusing on the perceptions of wealth and well-being of (diverse) family-owned businesses utilizing a COVID data set that was collected at the beginning of the pandemic.

Scholars from Utah State University and Purdue University submitted a manuscript that uses data from the 2019 Small Business Values Survey (SBVS) to examine differences between copreneurial and nonconpreneurial small business owners. The manuscript provides important insights into the areas in which copreneurs struggle in their work-life balance as well as insights into why this business model appears to outperform other business models.

Collaborators from Utah State University and Purdue University are working on a manuscript that utilizes data from the 2019 Small Business Values (SBVS). They investigated factors associated with small business owners behaving as compulsive workers. Their findings suggest that a healthy work-life balance is imperative for small business owner well-being and business functionality as much stands to be lost in the wake of workaholism. Plans are to submit their manuscript to a refereed journal.

Researchers from Utah State University and Purdue University are working on a manuscript that utilizes data from the 2019 Small Business Values (SBVS) and examined the succession planning expectations among women-owned small businesses, while focusing on how succession planning expectations differed by gender. They found that women owners were more likely to expect to give their businesses to family successors compared to men owners, whereas men owners were much more likely to sell their businesses to family successors than women owners. Plans are to submit their manuscript to a refereed journal.

Collaborators from Utah State University and Purdue University are working on a manuscript that utilizes data from the 2019 Small Business Values (SBVS). They are focusing on the role that social media and internet use plays in the perceived business success among small business owners. Their findings suggest that business owners who reported their company’s use of social media as important to the success of their business were more likely to report higher levels of business profitability. Plans are to submit their manuscript to a refereed journal.

Researchers from Utah State University and Purdue University are working on a manuscript that utilizes data from the 2019 Small Business Values (SBVS) and explores the impact of socioemotional wealth on the intention to use four different exit strategies by small business owners. The findings of this study imply that family and non-family small business owners with high socioemotional wealth would choose exit strategies that preserve the continued existence of the firm. Plans are to submit their manuscript to a refereed journal.

Collaborators from Utah State University, Purdue University, University of Missouri, Colorado State University, and Kansas State University are working on a proposal to present at the 2023 US Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Conference. This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on small business owners’ adjustment strategies and their associated outcomes.

Abstracts (selected) of Journal Articles from collaborative work with NC1030 members:

Keeping the Farm Business in the Family: The Case of Farm and Non-Farm Family Businesses in the Midwestern United States

Abstract

Succession planning is a very crucial aspect of family business continuity. The successful transition of family businesses is especially important for small and medium scale family businesses which constitute the beginning phase of most businesses. This paper explores two critical aspects of succession planning namely the decision to keep business ownership within the family, and the transfer-readiness of family businesses. This study assessed potential correlates of these two constructs using data from small and medium scale farm and non-farm businesses in Midwest US.  Results from a probit estimator showed that farm businesses were more likely to be kept within the family (p<0.01). For the full sample, the number of generations involved in daily management, the readiness of the senior management to delegate control, and the owner experience were also found to be good correlates of the decision to keep the business within the family. For farms, we also found some correlation between the perception of the business as being successful and the decision to keep the business in the family (p<0.1). Results from the probit and bivariate probit models showed that capital, and the number of generations in management are the most consistent correlates of transfer readiness for the full and farm samples. Finally, we found that female owners of farm businesses were less likely to be ready for business transfers than their male counterparts (p<0.01).

Impact of communication technologies on small business success

Abstract

Owners of small businesses may struggle to utilize online communication technologies effectively. To understand this challenge, this study investigated communication technology contributions, the use of online communication technologies, and how those perceptions relate to small business success. Data from a small business values survey (Marshall & Wyatt, 2019) was used consisting of 511 business owners. An integrated model using the Diffusion of Innovation and the Technology Acceptance Model served as a theoretical foundation. Relationships between variables were tested using multiple regression and confirmed that small business owners perceive that easy-to-use communication technologies are not useful or contribute to business success. However, communication technologies that are perceived to be useful do contribute to business success. Business owners who are younger, located in urban areas, and in business for a shorter time are also more likely to use communication technologies. This study supports current literature, as it was unclear how small business owners perceive communication technologies for use in their businesses (Jorgensen et al., 2022, p. 142).

Management and Ownership Transfer in Small and Medium Family Farms

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the succession process in small and medium family farms as two distinct but related processes of management transfer and ownership transfer. Past studies focused on the broad subject of succession, without dissecting succession into the components that it contains. Further, this study aimed to evaluate which business, family, and owner characteristics were significant in progressing each process towards the actual transfer of management and ownership.

Design/methodology/approach: Telephone interviews were conducted to gather information from rural family businesses in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. A bivariate ordered probit regression was utilized to model the processes of management and ownership transfer as separate but related processes. Both management transfer and ownership transfer were modeled utilizing three distinct stages of transfer.

Findings: Business and owner characteristics were significant to both management and ownership transfer, whereas family characteristics only influenced ownership transfer. Farm family businesses that discussed goals, identified a successor, and were educated on how to start the transfer process were more likely to have made progress in both management and ownership transfer.

Originality: We contribute empirically to the literature by modeling the components of the succession process, management transfer and ownership transfer, as separate but interrelated processes. We specifically investigate which business, owner, and family characteristics influence the progression of management and ownership transfer in farm family businesses.

Love of Work or Love and Work: Does Small Business Owner Compulsion to Work Pay Off?

Abstract

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, which includes a set of behaviors that drive a business owner to work. A random sample of 483 small business owners in the United States were classified as “compulsive owners” and “non-compulsive owners” using cluster analysis. A logit regression was used to determine the characteristics that influence small business owners to behave as compulsive owners. The probability of being a compulsive owner was lower for female owners, higher as number of children in the house increased, and was inversely related to family/business functioning. Further analysis to determine if compulsive owners had higher business incomes than non-compulsive owners, found that compulsive owners did not have higher business incomes. Thus, a compulsion to work did not pay off for small business owners.

Small Business Recovery: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

We explore the lessons learned from small business recovery from Hurricane Katrina that occurred over a decade ago and the recent COVID-19 Pandemic. Data used are from a 2013 survey of small businesses in Mississippi impacted by Hurricane Katrina and a 2020 survey of small businesses during the Coronavirus Pandemic. The Hurricane Katrina data consist of a sample size of 499 small businesses interviewed in 2013. The COVID-19 data were collected in 2020 and consist of 463 small businesses. The results show that financial comingling can have short-term benefits but long-term detrimental effects. The results also indicate that not only does business size matter, but also that direct-to-consumer businesses are more vulnerable to decreased demand by consumers. Finally, for both types of disaster, U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans seem to have the highest effect on small business recovery.

Bend or Break? Small Business Survival and Strategies during the COVID-19 Shock

Abstract 

This manuscript studies the impact of the exogenous COVID-19 pandemic shock on small businesses in the United States. We provide early evidence on how small business owners were affected by COVID-19 and the implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. We collected online survey data from a national sample of 463 small business owners across the United States. The survey was conducted in June 2020, eight weeks after the passage of the CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. The survey data include information about business characteristics, financial well-being, current response to the crisis, beliefs about the future of their business survival, and the business-owning family demographic information. There are three main themes that emerge from the results. First, drivers of income loss were not necessarily associated with time to recovery. Second, businesses that were undercapitalized were more likely to suffer higher income loss, longer time to recovery, and less likely to be resilient. Resilient was operationalized as a scale merging perceived success, potential for growth, and perceived profitability. Third, business model changes were necessary due to the pandemic but not all adaptive strategies led to better business outcomes. The results from this research study will lead to a better understanding of key vulnerabilities and adjustments that small businesses make to fully recover from economic shocks.

Work-Family Balance and Perceived Business Outcomes Among Copreneurial and Non-copreneurial Small Business Owners (Objective 3)

Abstract

Using data from the 2019 Small Business Values Survey (SBVS), we investigated differences between copreneur (n = 195) and noncopreneur (n = 303) small business owners (N = 498) in the United States. Specifically, we looked at differences in work-family balance characteristics, business characteristics, and owner characteristics between copreneurial and noncopreneurial small businesses. We found that copreneurs were significantly more likely than noncopreneurs to report conflicts about decisions related to their work and family lives and were also more likely to report negative work-to-family spillover and negative family-to-work spillover. However, using a logistic regression, we found that copreneurs were more likely than noncopreneurs to report perceiving the business as successful and profitable. Looking at a subsample of only copreneurs, we found that various work-family balance characteristics, business characteristics, and owner characteristics were significantly associated with the likelihood of perceiving the business as successful or profitable. Implications and suggestions for future research are offered.

Succession Planning Expectations among Women-Owned Small Businesses

(Objective 3)

Abstract

Succession planning is an important consideration for small business owners. Using the 2019 Small Business Values Survey (Marshall & Wiatt, 2019), we investigated how succession planning differed by gender. We limited the sample size to owners of businesses with fewer than 100 employees, resulting in a sample size of N = 477 participants, 53.9% of which were women and 46.1% of them were men. Our analysis showed that there were significant differences between the succession intentions of men and women. We found that women owners were more likely to expect to give their businesses to family successors (54.5%) compared to men owners (45.5%), whereas men owners were much more likely to sell their businesses to family successors (64.1%) than women owners (35.9%). Women owners were much more likely to liquate the business assets (64.4%) than men owners (35.6%). There was little difference between men (48.8%) and women (51.2%) business owners in selling the business to someone outside of the family. Analyzing only the women in our sample (n = 257), we identified several significant differences based on owner demographic characteristics and business characteristics. we found that older women owners were more likely to liquidate the business but less likely to sell the business to someone outside of the family when compared to younger women owners. Racial/ethnic minority women were less likely liquidate the business compared to White women. Regarding education, women owners with lower levels of education were less likely to sell the business to someone outside of the family when compared to highly educated women owners. Moving to business characteristics, women owners with more employees were less likely to liquidate the business than those with fewer employees. Family-owned business owners were less likely to liquidate the business assets and they were more likely to sell the business to a family successor compared to nonfamily-owned business owners. Women who were the sole owner of the business were less likely to sell the business to a family successor than women with other ownership types. Those who were owners of home-based businesses were less likely to sell the business to someone outside the family compared to those who owned non-homebased businesses. Women who owned businesses in the service industry were more likely to sell the business to a family successor than those in other industries. Women who perceived their businesses as being successful were less likely to sell the business to someone outside of the family than those who had lower perceptions of the success of their businesses.

Abstracts- Published in 2022 PIFB Quarterly Newsletters

Social Media Use and Business Profitability Among Small Businesses (Objective 3)

Abstract

The internet has transformed the way we do business. Social media in particular has expanded our social networks and increased the ease in which we can connect with others, both friends and strangers. Using data from the 2019 Small Business Value Survey (Marshall & Wiatt, 2019), we investigated the role of social media in explaining the performance of small businesses. In particular, this study examined what types of social media small business owners are using to promote their business. This study investigated how owners’ perceptions of social media was associated with their business profitability. We looked specifically at small business owners with fewer than 100 employees, resulting in a sample of 477 participants. The descriptive results showed that the most common social media platform used was Facebook (71.3%) followed by Instagram (46.6%), Twitter (37.7%), Pinterest (21.2%), and other social media platforms (9.2%). These numbers suggest that many businesses rely on multiple social media platforms. Despite the importance of social media for many businesses, our results indicated that 19.3% of small businesses did not use any type of social media for their business. Regression analyses indicated that, all else being equal, business owners who reported their company’s use of social media as important to the success of their business were more likely to report higher levels of business profitability. On the other hand, as business owners perceived maintaining their company’s online presence as a problem, they reported lower levels of business profitability. These results suggest that utilizing social media and building a strong online presence can lead to increased profitability in small businesses. Perhaps more importantly, we highlight the role of perceptions in these results. Specifically, developing positive views of social media as an avenue for business promotion may increase small businesses’ profitability. Training and education for small business owners on the benefits and effective approaches to using social media is needed. More research is needed in this area.

The use of communication technologies in small businesses. 

Abstract

Small businesses may be more resilient if certain technologies are adopted (Gomes, 2015), especially during times of disruption. An online small business values survey (Marshall & Wiatt, 2019) was used to collect data from U.S. business owners in 2019. A final sample of 511 (response rate of 58.40%) was acquired. Findings show that a large majority of small business owners found that the internet had extremely impacted their business. Similarly, a large majority of small business owners stated that the internet had a positive impact on the business. Additionally, a large majority of them also felt that online activities were important for their business success and that maintain an online presence was not a problem.

Abstracts - Conference Presentation

Give, Sell, or Liquidate: The Effect of Socioemotional Wealth on Small Business Owner Exit Intentions (Objective 3)

Abstract

Small business owner exit intentions have been studied mostly as dichotomous stay or go strategies (DeTienne & Cardon, 2012; Gimeno et al., 1997; Wennberg & DeTienne, 2014). However, business owners have many different paths to exit the businesses they founded. Recent literature has focused on the impact of owner age and experience, business financial health, and business size on exit intentions (DeTienne & Cardon, 2012). There is scant literature focused on the effect of socioemotional wealth on exit intention and exit strategies of small business owners. We contribute to the literature by examining the impact of socioemotional wealth on the intention to use four different exit strategies. A multinomial logit model is used where the exit strategies are 1) give business to family, 2) sell business to family, 3) sell to nonfamily, or 4) liquidate. The data are from a national survey of 477 U.S. small business owners of businesses with less than 100 employees. Results indicate that business owners with high socioemotional wealth are more likely to give or sell their businesses rather than liquidate. BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) business owners are also more likely to give or sell their businesses rather than liquidate compared to their White counterparts. Family business owners are more likely to give or sell their businesses to family than to sell to outsiders or liquidate. Our results imply that family and non-family small business owners with high socioemotional wealth will choose exit strategies that preserve the continued existence of the firm.

Research Project – In Process

In the Depths of Despair: Lost Income and Recovery for Small Businesses During COVID-19 (Objectives 1, 2, & 3)

Abstract

Brief Summary. This study examines whether business with COVID-related impact have higher business income losses than other firms. This study also examines whether businesses with cash flow challenges before the COVID-19 pandemic are more likely to experience more income loss due to the pandemic than businesses without cash flow challenges. This study further investigates whether increasing lost income with funding strategies are strategies to help people pay bills and get through the disaster, not increasing their income.  Finally, this study investigates borrowing from family and friends as an alternative funding. The findings of this study will provide implications for small business owners and consultants working with small business owners who were experienced hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Research Project – Currently Working

Family Adjustment Strategies in Homebased Businesses During COVID-19 (Objectives 1, 2, & 3)

Abstract

This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on small business owners’ adjustment strategies. The main objectives of this study were to explore the adjustment strategies employed by owners of small family firms during COVID-19 and to compare their use of adjustment strategies between homebased businesses (HBBs) and non-homebased businesses (NHBBs). Tentative research questions include: RQ1) Did the amount of distress experoemced die tp COVID-19 differ between homebased businesses (HBBs) and non-homebased businesses (NHBBs)?, RQ2) During COVID-19, were there significant differences in the adoption of adjustment strategies between homebased businesses (HBBs) and non-homebased businesses (NHBBs)? There could be significant differences in the adoption of adjustment strategies between homebased businesses (HBBs) and non-homebased businesses (NHBBs). The major findings of this study will provide important implications for business consultants and educators working with homebased business owners. 

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.