Journal Articles by Richard Miller
On the basis of experiential learning theory and Cialdini’s principles of influence, two psycholo... more On the basis of experiential learning theory and Cialdini’s principles of influence, two psychological
streams focused on providing hands-on experiences and on effectively influencing individuals, this
article identifies a typology of students to engage them in professional student organizations.
Exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis tests were used to uncover the typology in which
3 distinct segments were identified and named: motivated advocates, uncovered talent, and indifferent
agents. Identifying and understanding each segment can lead faculty advisors to more effective
marketing and engagement of students by better understanding the value that students place in
being active members of professional student organizations.
Papers by Richard Miller
Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship, Oct 1, 2015
INTRODUCTIONAn old economics adage states that in an efficient market, a $20 bill on the sidewalk... more INTRODUCTIONAn old economics adage states that in an efficient market, a $20 bill on the sidewalk must be a fake; otherwise, someone would have already picked it up. Of course, this adage assumes that everyone sees the $20 bill to begin with, but of course, this is not always the case. Entrepreneurs have become adept at spotting those $20 bills and have become particularly proficient at seeing the inherent value lying before them. However, questions remain: 'How do they see $20 bills that no one else sees, or sees but do not recognize the value?' and 'How do they seize the opportunity and turn it into success?'The first question addresses the importance of opportunity recognition, which has become one of the dominant themes in the field of entrepreneurship research (Crump, Singh, & Abbey, 2011; Hashemzehi, Bahrinejad, Lashgari, & Hashemzehi, 2013; Shane & Venkataraman, 2000). The second question focuses on opportunity exploitation, which has also emerged as a dominant theme in entrepreneurship research with scholars placing a significant amount of attention on individual attributes and mental schemas (Cachon, Codina, Eccius-Wellmann, McGraw, & Myers, 2013; Gregoire, Corbett, & McMullen, 2011; Haynie, Shepherd, & McMullen, 2009; Kyu Soo & Sang Bum, 2013; Zhao, Seibert, & Lumpkin, 2010). A third stream of research has focused on factors leading to venture success and failure (Kessler, Korunka, Frank, & Lueger, 2012; Lussier & Pfeifer, 2000; Song, Podoynitsyna, van der Bij, & Halman, 2008).These three areas of entrepreneurship research have expanded the understanding of how the entrepreneur recognizes opportunity and exploits it, but very few studies have considered the notion of fit in the entrepreneurial process. Yet, as a construct related to performance, "fit matters" (Naman & Slevin, 1993, p. 146). Fit theories attempt to depict an ideal match between a person and some defined idea (e.g., environment and organization). While person-environment fit has long been established (Bretz & Judge, 1994; Carless, 2005; Verquer, Beehr, & Wagner, 2003) as well as person-organization fit (Brigham, De Castro, & Shepherd, 2007; Morley, 2007; van Vianen, Shen, & Chuang, 2011) in the management literature, it has only recently begun to gain ground within the realm of entrepreneurship (Hurt & Serviere-Munoz, 2011; Markman & Baron, 2003; Prottas, 2011).Markman and Baron (2003) introduced a person-entrepreneurship framework to suggest that individuals high on certain dimensions (e.g., self-efficacy, opportunity recognition, perseverance) were more likely to become entrepreneurs. For example, individuals with a higher ability to recognize an entrepreneurial opportunity would have a greater propensity to create a new venture. Daly (2012) identified additional individual qualities (e.g., small egos, systems-based experience) necessary for a person to have success within the context of franchising, suggesting that people without the right characteristics should not pursue this type of venture. Prottas (2011) extended the person-environment framework to choice of work arrangements, identifying a need for autonomy among those that were self-employed. Each of these studies focused on the individual, failing to make any comments about the potential effect of the opportunity itself.The inclusion of opportunity with the individual is critical as Shane and Venkataraman (2000) reveal that not all opportunities are created equal because each opportunity has its own characteristics that may influence venture creation and performance. Hurt and Serviere-Munoz (2011) extended the fit concept by focusing on how the individual and the opportunity are both important and inseparable considerations in the entrepreneurial process. Their Entrepreneur-Opportunity (E-O) model suggests that venture success or failure is a function of how well the entrepreneur's characteristics fit those of the opportunity implying that a stronger fit would lead to a greater probability of success. …
Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Jul 3, 2020
Purpose-This study aims to examine how contractual mechanisms, trust and ethical levels impact op... more Purpose-This study aims to examine how contractual mechanisms, trust and ethical levels impact opportunism in marketing channel relationships between manufacturers and distributors. Because the type of interactions, short-term or transaction-based vs long-term or relation-based, may also affect the level of opportunism, the study includes two scenarios to assess the impact of interaction type. Design/methodology/approach-Survey data from 145 distributors were collected with 69 being transaction-based and 75 being relation-based interactions. Findings-The sole use for transaction-based and relation-based interactions is not a significant deterrent for opportunistic behavior by a distributor. Ethical level is negatively related to opportunism in transaction-based interactions, perhaps because of calculative commitment. Trust positively moderates the relationship between contractual enforcement and opportunism in transaction-based interactions. Under relation-based interactions, the opposite occurs as trust reduces contractual enforcement efforts, and thus, opportunism is reduced as well. Ethical level negatively moderates the relationship between contractual enforcement and opportunism in transactional and relational based interactions. Originality/value-Researchers have called for a more holistic approach to better understand phenomena. This study addressed that call by being the first to include contracts, trust, ethical level and opportunism within the context of the transaction and relation-based interactions between a manufacturer and a distributor. Contractual enforcement is not a significant deterrent of opportunism for transactional or relational interactions. Trust is negatively related to opportunism only in transaction-based interactions; perhaps, the threshold for acting opportunistically may be lower because of the short-term nature of the interaction. The ethical level is negatively related to opportunism in transaction and relational interactions.
Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship, 2016
© 2016 Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial research has provided... more © 2016 Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial research has provided scant insight into how the entrepreneur views the fit between themselves and the opportunity they are pursuing. This study provides the first empirical exploration of this fit by interviewing entrepreneurs that have launched ventures in the complex market of craft brewing. The thematic analysis provides an inclusive and holistic research approach in which the emergent themes show that entrepreneurs do actively perceive the fit between themselves and the opportunity. They must also reassess this fit frequently in order to evolve and adapt to market forces that change the opportunity and gaps between the two, such as knowledge, skills, and abilities, the opportunity itself, and fit implementation, develop
Social Science Research Network, 2015
INTRODUCTIONAn old economics adage states that in an efficient market, a $20 bill on the sidewalk... more INTRODUCTIONAn old economics adage states that in an efficient market, a $20 bill on the sidewalk must be a fake; otherwise, someone would have already picked it up. Of course, this adage assumes that everyone sees the $20 bill to begin with, but of course, this is not always the case. Entrepreneurs have become adept at spotting those $20 bills and have become particularly proficient at seeing the inherent value lying before them. However, questions remain: 'How do they see $20 bills that no one else sees, or sees but do not recognize the value?' and 'How do they seize the opportunity and turn it into success?'The first question addresses the importance of opportunity recognition, which has become one of the dominant themes in the field of entrepreneurship research (Crump, Singh, & Abbey, 2011; Hashemzehi, Bahrinejad, Lashgari, & Hashemzehi, 2013; Shane & Venkataraman, 2000). The second question focuses on opportunity exploitation, which has also emerged as a dominant theme in entrepreneurship research with scholars placing a significant amount of attention on individual attributes and mental schemas (Cachon, Codina, Eccius-Wellmann, McGraw, & Myers, 2013; Gregoire, Corbett, & McMullen, 2011; Haynie, Shepherd, & McMullen, 2009; Kyu Soo & Sang Bum, 2013; Zhao, Seibert, & Lumpkin, 2010). A third stream of research has focused on factors leading to venture success and failure (Kessler, Korunka, Frank, & Lueger, 2012; Lussier & Pfeifer, 2000; Song, Podoynitsyna, van der Bij, & Halman, 2008).These three areas of entrepreneurship research have expanded the understanding of how the entrepreneur recognizes opportunity and exploits it, but very few studies have considered the notion of fit in the entrepreneurial process. Yet, as a construct related to performance, "fit matters" (Naman & Slevin, 1993, p. 146). Fit theories attempt to depict an ideal match between a person and some defined idea (e.g., environment and organization). While person-environment fit has long been established (Bretz & Judge, 1994; Carless, 2005; Verquer, Beehr, & Wagner, 2003) as well as person-organization fit (Brigham, De Castro, & Shepherd, 2007; Morley, 2007; van Vianen, Shen, & Chuang, 2011) in the management literature, it has only recently begun to gain ground within the realm of entrepreneurship (Hurt & Serviere-Munoz, 2011; Markman & Baron, 2003; Prottas, 2011).Markman and Baron (2003) introduced a person-entrepreneurship framework to suggest that individuals high on certain dimensions (e.g., self-efficacy, opportunity recognition, perseverance) were more likely to become entrepreneurs. For example, individuals with a higher ability to recognize an entrepreneurial opportunity would have a greater propensity to create a new venture. Daly (2012) identified additional individual qualities (e.g., small egos, systems-based experience) necessary for a person to have success within the context of franchising, suggesting that people without the right characteristics should not pursue this type of venture. Prottas (2011) extended the person-environment framework to choice of work arrangements, identifying a need for autonomy among those that were self-employed. Each of these studies focused on the individual, failing to make any comments about the potential effect of the opportunity itself.The inclusion of opportunity with the individual is critical as Shane and Venkataraman (2000) reveal that not all opportunities are created equal because each opportunity has its own characteristics that may influence venture creation and performance. Hurt and Serviere-Munoz (2011) extended the fit concept by focusing on how the individual and the opportunity are both important and inseparable considerations in the entrepreneurial process. Their Entrepreneur-Opportunity (E-O) model suggests that venture success or failure is a function of how well the entrepreneur's characteristics fit those of the opportunity implying that a stronger fit would lead to a greater probability of success. …
Routledge eBooks, Aug 3, 2022
Digital assistants (e.g., Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa, Google's Google Assistant) are highly com... more Digital assistants (e.g., Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa, Google's Google Assistant) are highly complex and advanced artificial intelligence (AI) based technologies. Individuals can use digital assistants to perform basic personal tasks as well as for more advanced capabilities. Yet, the functional and topical use of a digital assistant tends to vary by individual. This study reflects the contextual experiences of the respondents. At present, there is little empirical evidence of customer satisfaction with digital assistants. PLS-SEM was used to analyse 244 survey responses to examine this research gap. The results confirmed that expectations and confirmation of expectations have a positive and significant relationship on customer satisfaction with digital assistants. This study provides evidence that customer expectations are being satisfied through the digital assistant interaction experience. As firms integrate digital assistants into their operations, they must help customers properly define what to expect from the firm's interactive experience.
Journal of Education for Business, 2015
ABSTRACT Experiential learning theory has been referenced as a possible method for attracting and... more ABSTRACT Experiential learning theory has been referenced as a possible method for attracting and retaining members in student organizations. In a survey, undergraduate students evaluated a variety of organizational features pertaining to their intention to participate in professional student organizations. The study found that students value activities that involve professional development and contact with professionals. Age was negatively related to student intent to participate. In addition, ethnicity and being a first-generation college student were not significant predictors in participating in a professional student organization. To enhance membership recruitment and retention efforts, educators should focus their efforts on experiential activities that enable student-faculty contact, career exploration, and skill development.
A Lean Six Sigma and Supply Chain Management, MBA-level course, averaged 15 students per semester... more A Lean Six Sigma and Supply Chain Management, MBA-level course, averaged 15 students per semester. A persistent issue was that, even with in-class exercises to develop theoretical understanding, students were often unable to analogize to real-world situations. By introducing problem-based learning (PBL) the instructor broadened the teaching methods by introducing a consulting project for a local food bank. The food bankâ s warehouse had been open for six months but had already become unwieldy to manage. Course readings, lectures, and in-class Lego assembly exercises provided the scaffolding for building studentsâ mental frameworks. Then their frameworks were tested and reinforced through the consulting engagement enabling them to learn more than each alone could provide. In the course of the consulting commitment, students engaged in Gemba walks, performed several types of analyses (e.g., state, process, root cause, value chain, etc.), and, via PBL, identified problems and developed solutions to meet organizational goals, while applying theories and skills taught in the course.
Students often experience difficulty applying course techniques to real-world situations. Problem... more Students often experience difficulty applying course techniques to real-world situations. Problem-based learning (PBL) helps students apply course material to facilitate the transfer of knowledge to practical use. This research describes a student consulting engagement to analyze a local food bank's warehouse operations using PBL tenets to guide the process. In the course of the consulting commitment, students developed solutions that met food bank goals, while applying course theories and skills. When coupled with the hands-on, in-class exercises, the consulting engagement provided a positive learning experience for students and is recommended for effective transfer of skills to practice.
Marketing Education Review, 2016
On the basis of experiential learning theory and Cialdini’s principles of influence, two psycholo... more On the basis of experiential learning theory and Cialdini’s principles of influence, two psychological streams focused on providing hands-on experiences and on effectively influencing individuals, this article identifies a typology of students to engage them in professional student organizations. Exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis tests were used to uncover the typology in which 3 distinct segments were identified and named: motivated advocates, uncovered talent, and indifferent agents. Identifying and understanding each segment can lead faculty advisors to more effective marketing and engagement of students by better understanding the value that students place in being active members of professional student organizations.
Project Management Journal, 2010
Most successful firms have an abundance of new and old knowledge in their research and developmen... more Most successful firms have an abundance of new and old knowledge in their research and development laboratories, and only a fraction is being put into use in new product development. This knowledge is left over from projects that have been killed at different development stages and may actually carry considerable value. In this article, we propose a knowledge bank as a possible solution to preserve and possibly grow this knowledge. It is a self-sustaining institute with minimal or no ongoing effort from the donor company, yet manages the knowledge in a way that protects proprietary interests and actively fosters communication and interchange among sponsoring companies wherever possible. The framework of this structure, as well as how it works, is described here. Specifically, a system dynamics modeling of the knowledge bank is developed, and a simulation study is conducted using VENSIM®. The results confirm the viability of creating such a system in a consortium of organizations.
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Journal Articles by Richard Miller
streams focused on providing hands-on experiences and on effectively influencing individuals, this
article identifies a typology of students to engage them in professional student organizations.
Exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis tests were used to uncover the typology in which
3 distinct segments were identified and named: motivated advocates, uncovered talent, and indifferent
agents. Identifying and understanding each segment can lead faculty advisors to more effective
marketing and engagement of students by better understanding the value that students place in
being active members of professional student organizations.
Papers by Richard Miller
streams focused on providing hands-on experiences and on effectively influencing individuals, this
article identifies a typology of students to engage them in professional student organizations.
Exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis tests were used to uncover the typology in which
3 distinct segments were identified and named: motivated advocates, uncovered talent, and indifferent
agents. Identifying and understanding each segment can lead faculty advisors to more effective
marketing and engagement of students by better understanding the value that students place in
being active members of professional student organizations.