Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

NC1030: Sustainable and Resilient Systems

Annual Meeting Agenda 

NC1030 Google Drive Folder 

Zoom Link: https://ksu.zoom.us/j/94130225425?pwd=DWX8yhVea93z1hQEqlPUnebZRx7xZc.1

October 13 & 14, 2025

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

(All times are listed in Central Standard Time)

In-Person: Virginia Solis Zuiker, Linda Niehm, Meldoy LeHew, Kelsie Doty, Sonali Diddi, Stephen Mukembo, Erin Irick, Amy Shane-Nichols, Jennifer Harmon, Jennifer Johnson Jorgensen, Yoon Lee, Debanjan Das, Jeannette Thurston.

Online: Cynthia Jasper

Monday, October 13

Leadership Building Room 201, Kansas State University 

Welcome + Announcements

• Introductions
• Greetings and Welcome from Dean Brad Behnke
• Meeting overview
  • Virginia opened the meeting: this will be more of a working and writing meeting. 

USDA NIFA Updates

Jeanette Thurston – Administrative Advisor

• Jeanette’s presentation
• Note: We need to nominate ourselves for the agNC Excellence in Multistate Research Award
• Some multistates research projects have international and industry members.
• Jeanette is one of our reviewers for renewal and sole reviewer for midterm reports.
• Make sure to update the NIMSS member list.
• Individuals can be on more than one multistate research project. 

5-Year Project Writing Committee Update- Erin

NC1030 New 5-Year Project

Description Update from Grant Writing Committee on the new proposal.

• NC1030 set objectives at our last annual meeting.
• Need to remove words such as “sustainable” “women” “minorities”
• Worked on a new title for our 5-year project.
  • Voted and agreed on: Advancing Rural Economies, Resilient Enterprises, and Thriving Communities through Adaptive and Transformative Practices.

 -Lunch-

 Reviewed and Voted on Updated Objectives

Updated objectives:

Objective 1: Identify the internal and external factors impacting the well-being of MSMEs and communities.

Objective 2: Identify and evaluate responses by MSMEs and communities to the internal and external factors impacting their well-being. 

Objective 3: Inform policy or practice related to the well-being of MSMEs and communities.

 *And we are not changing these objectives*-So says the Keeper of Records

 5-Year Project Themes via Interest Groups

Worked towards combining Themes 2&3 and 1&4.

 Business Meeting

Reminder: 2026 Annual Meeting will be at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming. 

• State Reports

Each member reported out on annual research activities and accomplishments. Please see annual report for a full description of activities and accomplishments 

• Handbook Discussion (Cynthia)

Voted to accept changes made to the structure of the Executive Committee.

Changes will be in effect January 1^st 2026.

Kelsie willing to serve as keeper of record until January 2026. Does not want to go into the chair-elect cycle, however.

We need to elect a secretary every year beginning in 2026.

Linda:  Jan. 1, 2026—chair ; Melody chair elect

Erin is already approved for 2026-2028 as chair elect. 

• Strategic Planning:

How to position our team for one of the regional or national awards for multi-state groups. 

Virginia suggested a sub-group to investigate.

See links about awards sent to us by Jeanette.  We need to make these nominations through our university Experiment Station directors.

Multistate Research Award from 2025

Award Calls | agInnovation NC

Nominations due in March! 

• Missing Areas of Expertise, People to Invite to Join NC 1030

New members need to join through an AES station at their school OR Jeanette can assist in adding those people outside of AES schools. 

Looking for Individuals in the Following Areas:

• Industry Partners
• Ag economic person or two
• Succession planning/multi-generational Innovation
• Circular economies in other industry sectors
• Hospitality and Tourism
• Community Development 

• Declarations

Cindy explained the proposal process and Linda gave examples. 

• Tomorrow

Start at 8:30 am and will revisit the new proposal then. We will meet in the same room.

Tuesday, October 14 

Leadership Building Room 201 

Breakout Rooms

Leadership Building Room 218

Leadership Building Room 247

Leadership Building Room 253 

5-Year Project 

• Combined Themes 2&3 and 1&4.
• Reviewed the new Theme One: Prosperity, Well-being, and Vitality of Rural or Family-Owned MSME’s and Communities  and Theme Two: Roadmap for Fiber-Based MSMEs: Transitioning Toward a Circular Bioeconomy.
• Deleted research questions from 5-year project, the team determined they were not necessary.
• Broke out into Theme One and Theme Two to review Related, Current, and Previous Work.

11:30 – 12:30 PM

Lunch at JP’s in the Kansas State Union 

Collaboration Group Work

• Breakout groups focused on major themes (e.g., fiber, family, MSMEs)
• Synthesis of contributions

Break 

2:30 – 5:00 PM

Collaboration Group Work 

• Next meeting location: 2026 – University of Wyoming

 5:00 Meeting Adjourned

The full NC1030 research team met virtually every other month during the reporting period to share and discuss ongoing research activities. Smaller groups met throughout the year to discuss ongoing research and to progress with the work begun on manuscripts. The NC1030 research team produced the following works during 2024-2025: four articles were published, six manuscripts were in various stages (submitted, in review, or in revision), eight extension publications were published, three funded grants were secured, and seven conference presentations were made. Drs. LeHew and Jorgensen Johnson are serving as guest editors for a special issue of the Sustainability journal titled: Small Business Strategies for Sustainable and Circular Economy to be published in 2026.

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. 

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.

NC-1030 colleagues from Nebraska, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and California to co-author a research article examining the wealth and subjective well-being of small business owners. This work builds on the Sustainable Family Business Theory by deepening the understanding of how personal well-being intersects with business ownership. Research revealed how small business owners experienced life satisfaction during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, analyzing the relationship between personal well-being and business performance under economic stress. Using the Sustainable Family Business Theory and statistical modeling, the results emphasize the role of psychological resilience, prior business success, and demographic factors in shaping outcomes during crises. These results offer valuable insights for small business owners and retail managers, highlighting the importance of health, wealth, and identity in shaping overall well-being.

In collaboration with colleagues from Florida, Visser continues efforts to measure economic resilience in rural communities and identify sufficient elements to identify “major shocks” or disruptions in long-term economic trends. 

• 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. 

Lee, Cheang, Jasper, and Wiatt collaborated and examined the factors associated with business performance among small businesses in the US, while comparing differences in work-family interface issues between women and men business owners.  Regression results revealed that work-family boundary disruption was positively associated with perceived business profitability, and successful family-business functions were positively associated with both perceived profitability and business income. Additionally, it was found that operating businesses from home was negatively associated with both perceived profitability and business earnings. 

• Objective 3: Determine and inform policy or practice related to the well-being of the family, the business, or the community. 

Marshall, Wiatt, Lee have worked on two projects focused on small business exit strategies. 1) While much of the existing research has focused on succession planning in family businesses or dichotomous exit strategies, few studies have examined how race and ethnicity shape owners’ preferences for various exit options. Using a unique national dataset of 486 small privately held U.S. businesses and guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study investigated the associations between race/ethnicity, desired intention, conflict, socioemotional wealth (SEW), owner and business characteristics, and stewardship exit intentions (e.g., giving or selling the business to family) compared to liquidation. Our multinomial logistic regression results indicate that racial-ethnic minority business owners, alignment between desired and expected exit intentions, lower levels of conflict, higher SEW, and family business ownership were associated with a greater likelihood of choosing stewardship strategies compared to liquidation. Specifically, racial-ethnic minority owners were more likely than White owners to intend to pass the business down to their family rather than liquidate it. The findings can provide implications for business consultants, policymakers, and educators to help small business owners prepare for the future and transition of their operations. 

Another project of Marshall, Wiatt, and Lee stated that 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, such as socioemotional wealth, may play a key role in the exit strategy they choose. Business owners have various paths to exit their businesses, including giving, selling, or liquidating them. 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 to choose stewardship strategies over liquidation. 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.

Marshall, Wiatt, and Lee are also working on a project focused on co-preneurs and spousal compensation. The compensation patterns of co-preneurial businesses reflect complex dynamics. Co-preneurs are more apt to engage in financial resource intermingling between family and business systems than other family businesses, often blurring traditional salary structures through shared ownership and management responsibilities. This study analyzes 390 co-preneurs businesses using a discrete choice model. The study examined whether spouses earn more, the same, or less than their outside market value based on education and experience. The study reveals important patterns in how married couples structure compensation within their shared enterprises. The results show distinct factors influencing above-market versus below-market spousal compensation. For spouses earning more than market rates, the spouse’s actual salary demonstrates a strong negative relationship, suggesting that even above-market compensation may be modest in absolute terms, or that highly compensated spouses still earn less than their market potential. Female respondents are significantly more likely to report that their spouses earn less than market rates, potentially reflecting the constrained business resources affecting female-led enterprises. Larger firms (more employees) are more likely to compensate spouses below market rates. Spouses working longer hours are also more likely to earn below-market compensation. This suggests that increased involvement and business scale don’t necessarily translate to fair market compensation. The percentage of business income allocated to household expenses was negatively associated with both above and below-market compensation scenarios, indicating that resource allocation decisions significantly impact spousal pay structures. These findings highlight the complex tradeoffs co-preneurs navigate between business sustainability, family financial needs, and equitable compensation.

Research combining both Objectives 1 and 2 are detailed below: 

NC-1030 members from Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Colorado, Utah, West Virginia, and Florida collaborated on a systematic literature review aimed at identifying opportunities for circular fiber-based supply chains across the U.S. The project’s anticipated impacts include job creation in agriculture, enhanced opportunities for rural populations and businesses, and improved resource management through waste reduction—ultimately contributing to resilience and regional economic vitality. The project aims to develop a transformative framework for more efficient and sustainable use of agricultural and natural fibers (e.g., wool, agri-based fiber), with promising implications for agriculture, retail, workforce development, and related industries. 

Dr. Niehm collaborated with a multidisciplinary group of scholars (LeHew, Diddi, Niehm, Inwood, Jasper, Jorgensen, Das, and Visser) from the NC 1030 project group, focusing on Theme 2: Sustainable and Resilient SMEs in a Regenerative Fiber and Food System. The research group is developing a proposal for external funding to cover team development and meetings, preliminary data collection, and other activities that facilitate multi-state collaboration, ultimately leading to outputs (i.e., research publications and Extension publications). The proposal will be submitted in 2026 and, if funded, will support collaborative work for a period of three years. In addition, Dr. Niehm has also been invited to contribute a paper to a special issue of the journal Sustainability in 2026, in collaboration with team members LeHew and Jorgensen. The manuscript, focused on SME sustainability strategies and practices, is currently in progress. 

Greder is working closely with a multidisciplinary subgroup of seven scholars (LeHew, Diddi, Jorgensen, Das, Nichols, Manchiraju, Greder) within Theme 2. The group is conducting a systematic literature review of a broad array of research related to fiber systems and product supply chains. The project, with multiple streams of dissemination, aims to highlight the gap between industry and academia in terms of practical, applied solutions for the shift toward circularity in fiber and fashion supply chains. Abstracts on various streams of this research topic were submitted and accepted in the funding cycle. One abstract, titled “Bridging the Gap between Scholarly Research and the Fashion Industry’s Transformation to Circularity,” was accepted to the International Textile and Apparel Association’s 2025 annual conference.  In addition to being accepted to the conference, the project team was encouraged to submit for the annual Best Paper award. Approximately 25% of accepted abstracts are encouraged to submit the full paper for the Best Paper award. The second abstract, titled Circular Fashion Through the Lifecycle Lens: Analyzing Scholarly Research Trends and Gaps, was accepted to the Corporate Responsibility Research Conference in Paris, France, in October 2025. The abstract more narrowly focuses on the use of the same dataset from the systematic literature review, in concert with a discussion of planetary boundaries and corporate social responsibility, again with a focus on the chasm between academic research and its applicability in applied, industrial contexts in fashion and fiber systems. Both projects are being developed into a full paper for submission in 2026, with a target journal already identified. 

Research combining both Objectives 2 and 3 are detailed below: 

Researchers from Missouri and Indiana collaborated to present a research abstract examining how interpersonal trust, institutional trust, and social embeddedness influence the well-being of entrepreneurs and the financial performance of their businesses 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 have a positive effect on 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. They also noted that location moderates the relationship between institutional trust and well-being, with entrepreneurs in rural areas showing stronger positive effects compared to those in urban areas. 

Collaborators from Utah and Indiana analyzed 500 U.S. small business owners and investigated racial/ethnic differences in business succession planning among small business owners in the U.S. We found that BIPOC owners were more likely to pursue stewardship exits (giving or selling to family or outsiders) over liquidation than White owners. While employing the Theory of Planned Behavior, we found that favorable attitudes (alignment between expected and desired exits and low conflict), high socioemotional wealth, family involvement, and industry experience are associated with higher likelihood of stewardship exits. The findings further suggest that BIPOC business owners’ collectivist cultural values strongly influenced their business succession intentions. The findings of this study can contribute to entrepreneurship and family business literature by underscoring the broader economic relevance of stewardship exit strategies. 

NC-1030 members from Utah, Missouri, and Indiana examined the association between socioemotional wealth and income levels among small business owners and compared the differences in these associations between co-preneurs and business-owning couples. 

Research encompassing all three Objectives are detailed below: 

Collaborators from Utah and Indiana utilized data from the NCR-Stat: Small Business Survey (Wiatt et al., 2024), which was collected by the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development. The findings highlight that women business owners had higher levels of financial stress than men business owners. The findings indicate a significant impact of childcare responsibilities on financial stress, regardless of gender. Specifically, women business owners with primary childcare responsibilities experienced significantly higher financial stress than those without childcare responsibilities. Similarly, men business owners with primary childcare responsibilities also had significantly higher financial stress than men business owners without childcare responsibilities. 

NC-1030 researchers from Utah, Indiana, and North Dakota investigated how couple and non-couple business owners differ in use of business managerial strategies when competing demands on time and resources are present in the business or family systems.

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