PurposeThis paper sets out to present a detailed empirical investigation of the entrepreneurial intentions of business students. The authors employ the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), in which intentions are regarded as resulting from attitudes, perceived behavioural control, and subjective norms.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology used was a replication study among samples of undergraduate students of business administration at four different universities (total n=1,225). Five operationalisations of intentions are used as well as a composite measure. Prior to the main study, qualitative research conducted at two other universities (total n=373) was held to operationalise the components of the TPB.FindingsThe results show that the two most important variables to explain entrepreneurial intentions are entrepreneurial alertness and the importance attached to financial security.Research limitations/implicationsVarious research design features are used that result in better and more detailed explanations of entrepreneurial intentions.Practical implicationsShould one want to stimulate entrepreneurship in educational or training settings, then this paper's results provide guidance. Several suggestions are offered on how entrepreneurial alertness can be improved and financial security concerns can be reduced.Originality/valueThe study provides detailed and solid results on entrepreneurial intentions which are positioned in the career literature.

ABSTRACT. The relationship between organizational structure and performance in small firms has received relatively limited attention over the last few decades. In understanding small firm performance this seems to be a serious omission. In this paper, we first present the rationale for including organizational structure in the analysis of small firm performance. Then, from the literature on organizational theory, we retrieve several dimensions that may be postulated to describe organizational structures of small firms. Based on the study of a stratified sample of 1411 Dutch small firms we show that nine structure stereotypes can be delineated. We further investigate the relevance of the empirical taxonomy by looking at the relationship with firm performance in terms of sales growth, profitability and innovativeness. Eventually, we conclude that organizational structure indeed matters and that it deserves to be taken into account in models and future analysis of small firm performance.KEY WORDS: innovativeness, organizational structure, small firm performance.JEL CODE: M21, D21.

Franchised and Small, the Most Beautiful of All; HRM and Performance in Plural Systemsj sbm_310 605..626 by Maryse J. Brand and Evelien P. M. Croonen Franchising is particularly present in industries in which human resources play a vital role. However, little is known about human resource management (HRM) in a franchising context. This study investigates HRM behavior and performance using a sample of 171 units within one plural retailing system. The results lend support to the agency and entrepreneurial perspectives; franchised units have a relatively low HRM intensity but superior HR performance. We also find a negative relationship between unit size and performance, moderated by type of unit ownership. We conclude that when it comes to HR performance, the units that are franchised and small are the most beautiful of all.

This paper is on the growing importance of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Many small firms encounter serious human resource problems, while at the same time these human resources play a vital role in developing and sustaining their competitive advantages. In (S)HRM literature specific issues concerning small firms are rarely addressed. This paper explores this issue further. We conclude that the available knowledge on HRM in small firms is highly descriptive and fragmented. We propose the application of the Strategic Labour Allocation Process-model (SLAP) as a tool to analyse HRproblems in SMEs. This model focuses on the balance between the supply of and the demand for labour on a firm level. The application of the SLAP-model produces two strategic scenarios for Dutch SMEs presently confronted with a tight labour market. In the first scenario, the small firm chooses for labour supply oriented policies, that lead to a corrosion of the firms distinctive competencies. In the second and more optimistic scenario, the small firm creatively organises its labour demand. The latter turns out to strengthen the small firm's position on the labour market, ultimately sustaining its competitive advantage.

Although franchising scholars largely acknowledge that franchisees may behave like entrepreneurs, little is known about whether and why franchisees differ in their entrepreneurial behaviors. Franchisees are semi-autonomous entrepreneurs running geographically dispersed units within established organizations. We therefore use corporate entrepreneurship (CE) literature to define and measure franchisee entrepreneurial behavior, and we build on an entrepreneurial motivation framework to develop an integrative set of hypotheses that explain differences in franchisee entrepreneurial behavior. We test these hypotheses using survey data on 119 franchisees within a single Dutch franchise system. Our results show that the extent of franchisee entrepreneurial behavior varies considerably, even within a single franchise system. The differences in franchisees' entrepreneurial behaviors can be explained by differences in franchisees' intrinsic goals, relational satisfaction and local competition.