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This article explores religion and religiosity in the field of entrepreneurship. Based on an original, international dataset of 740 students, we examine the impact of individual religious affiliation (Protestant, Catholic or Muslim) or non-affiliation (Agnostic/Atheist) on entrepreneurial intentions. We further examine the influence of individual religiosity (beyond mere religious affiliation) on entrepreneurial intentions, offering new insights as to the role religion and religiosity play in entrepreneurship. Findings support the notion that religion matters when entrepreneurial intentions are concerned. We show that having a religious affiliation – as compared to identifying as an Agnostic/Atheist – has a positive relationship with entrepreneurial intentions. More importantly, we show that religiosity – not just religious affiliation – affects intentions differently across different religions, thus pointing to the importance of taking religiosity into account, and not only religious affiliation. We also show that followers of a specific religion cannot be regarded as a uniform group when it comes to entrepreneurship and that it is important to differentiate between streams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an innovative approach to attracting and retaining faculty members from underrepresented populations at Appalachian State University (ASU). The need for, and benefits of, faculty diversity in academia is presented. The challenges in recruiting and retaining faculty from diverse backgrounds are discussed. The Faculty Fellows Program has been designed at ASU in order to overcome some of these challenges. This program is funded through the Provost's office and is part of other university-wide efforts to increase on-campus diversity. We present a detailed description of the program in terms of recruiting and retention strategies and conclude with some data on the program's progress and impact to date. The authors wish to thank Linda K. Robinson, associate vice chancellor for equity, diversity, and compliance at Appalachian State University for her contribution to the completion of this manuscript. (Contains 4 figures.)

This study offers insights regarding the tactics used by institutions to implement and sustain service-learning at various levels of commitment as identified by Holland (1997). An analysis of data collected from 12 directors of service-learning centers provides a description of common practices associated with implementing and sustaining service-learning initiatives at the institutional level, focusing on organizational tactics associated with funding, administration, faculty recruitment and support, and student involvement and assessment.

This paper examines how culture and gender shape entrepreneurial perceptions and intentions within Hofstede's cultural dimensions framework and gender role theory. We test whether gender differences exist in the way [...]

Social identity theory suggests that an individual's self-concept is shaped through group identification and positive social identities are established by favorably comparing the individual's in-group against an out-group. When unfavorable intergroup comparisons occur, individuals perceive a negative social identity. Because of the motivation to maintain a positive self-concept, this perception creates a need to cope. On the basis of face-to-face interviews with Mexican immigrants, the author examined the ways in which negative social-identity perceptions triggered different coping mechanisms. The findings offer support for two coping mechanisms--individual mobility and social creativity, with social creativity used more often than individual mobility. Keywords: ethnic identity, group identification, individual mobility, Mexican immigrants, social identity theory, SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY (Tajfel & Turner, 1986) explains individual responses to intergroup social-status differences. When one's in-group is negatively evaluated in comparison to an out-group, perceptions of negative social identity [...]

While empirical data clearly show that women are underrepresented among entrepreneurs, the causes of this gap are entirely not clear. This article explores one potential cause: that women might be less likely to act on their entrepreneurial intentions. Building on Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour, we propose that intentions predict start-up behaviours, that is, that there is an intention–behaviour link. We then apply social role theory to propose that the intention–behaviour link is moderated by sex. Analysing data drawn from a sample of US-based management students during their first session in an introductory entrepreneurship course, at the end of the course, on their graduation and at a point up to three years after graduation, we find support for the intention–behaviour link and moderation of this link by sex. We identify additional contributions from our study and implications of our findings for addressing the sex gap in entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Can entrepreneurship education strengthen students' motivations to pursue entrepreneurial careers? By applying Vroom's (1964) expectancy theory in a longitudinal study, we demonstrate that entrepreneurship education can increase students' entrepreneurial motivation and intentions. More specifically, we employ a pre- and post- research design to examine university students enrolled in an introductory entrepreneurship course and find that that expectancy, instrumentality and valence enhance entrepreneurial motivations. Our results support the supposition that expectancy theory may be useful in predicting entrepreneurial intentions. In addition, our findings show that students' participation in an entrepreneurship course strengthened their expectancy and desirability, leading to stronger motivation and intentions. These findings have significant implications for research and practice, which are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we seek to understand the key differences between the entrepreneurial experience for Mexican immigrant and US-born Mexican entrepreneurs. We focus on differences in motivation for start-up, reliance on ethnic enclaves and business management practices. Using data from the 2005 National Minority Business Owner Survey, our sample consisted of 156 Mexican American entrepreneurs (55 immigrants and 101 US-born). Results suggest that even within a particular minority group, there are key distinctions between immigrant and US-born entrepreneurs. For example, US-born Mexican entrepreneurs are more motivated by the individualistic financial benefits of being an entrepreneur, while Mexican immigrant entrepreneurs are more motivated by serving society and their co-ethnic community. Implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study describes the diversity situation at Appalachian State University, as well as the implementation and results of its Faculty Fellows Program, concluding with four important recommendations for similar programs at other schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local gamblers are an important market segment for casino marketers providing a reliable source of revenue during slow periods. This paper presents selected gaming behavior of local residents in the Las Vegas area, linking socio-demographic characteristics with gaming behavior. In addition, this article examines the relationships of Las Vegas area locals and their visiting friends and family members in two aspects. First, we identified the influence local residents have on visiting friends and family in terms of recommendations made regarding gambling in general and specific gaming locations. Second, this article describes how visiting friends and family influence local residents in terms of gaming behavior and additional spending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There seems to be a consensus among industry practitioners regarding the detrimental effects of turnover. However, based on interviews conducted with seven human resource directors of national hospitality brands, it appears that the turnover ratios in current use may not identify employee turnover root causes. Because of the variability and the subjectivity of turnover cost calculations, the research proposed that turnover efforts be focused on resolving root causes rather than on calculating costs. The research provided a turnover ratio calculation process that facilitates corrective action. This process provides sufficient detail so that management may identify core turnover issues. Recommendations included: (1) Differentiate between types of turnover (controllable or uncontrollable), (2) Separate ratio calculations of management from those of hourly employees, (3) Use average number of employees as the ratio calculation denominator, and (4) Break calculations down by department (by division and then further by front and back of the house). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]