Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2020, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

The depletion of natural resources as a byproduct of widespread, global economic growth has urged several entrepreneurs to think about the environment when starting or conducting business. However, several entrepreneurs and smaller-sized firms struggle with implementing environmentally conscious business practices, especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which represent more than 95% of all private sector firms, and are, thus, worth studying in the context of environmental impacts. This research uses survey methods to assess and better comprehend the key drivers and barriers of green business practices by SMEs in the State of Ohio specifically. Results from this study show that a majority of the respondents reported that they have implemented green practices within their business. The two main drivers for engaging in those practices are internal motivations and the opportunity to obtain a better public image. However, respondents also mentioned a lack of capital as the central barrier to implementing green business practices. These results can be used by government and business actors, especially in Ohio, as a benchmark to consider better strategies for implementing green business techniques. Overall, this work helps to better discern best practices and ways to develop more prosperous SMEs without undermining the quality of the environment.

Committee: Gilbert Michaud (Committee Chair); Daniel Karney (Committee Member); Ana Rosado Feger (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Community; Entrepreneurship; Environmental Economics; Environmental Studies; Public Administration; Sustainability

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2018, Leadership and Change

This study explored open innovation activities in small and medium-sized enterprises. Most open innovation research to date has focused on large organizations; however, how large organizations engage in open innovation is very different from that of small and medium-size enterprises. The embedded design, mixed methods study utilized a survey delivered to owners or other organizational executives and employees of small and medium-size enterprises to solicit information regarding whether small and medium-size enterprises are actively engaging in inbound open innovation activities, their motivation for engaging in open innovation, and the sources they are utilizing to obtain new ideas for products and services. The survey also solicited the perception of executives and employees as to organizational processes for open innovation and their organization's receptiveness to open innovation and employee ideas and compared the responses. Qualitative questions elicited employees' experiences with regards to idea sharing within their organization. The majority of the 320 participants, almost evenly split between executives and employees, were recruited using Amazon's® Mechanical Turk® platform. Results were analyzed using independent-samples t-tests and Chi-Square analysis. The study found that 91.2% of small and medium-size enterprises engaged in some level of open innovation activity. Executives from small and medium-size enterprises engaging in open innovation reported that 97.6% had open innovation formally or informally as part of their organization's business model and that they utilized employees as an important source of ideas. The results of this study exploring the presence of processes to facilitate open innovation and receptiveness to employee ideas in small and medium-size enterprises, found a clear disconnect between executive and employee perception of what organizations are communicating and doing with executives perceiving a greater level of support for open i (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lize Booysen DBL (Committee Chair); Carol Baron Ph.D. (Committee Member); Joseph P. Lakatos LL.M. (Committee Member) Subjects: Entrepreneurship; Management; Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior