Business intelligence (BI) maturity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is significantly behind larger companies that utilize BI solutions. Successful data oriented business environments require knowledge and insight to understand organizational capabilities. This quantitative correlational study assessed the relationship between…

This article describes current practices and needs associated with water and gas conservation among Southern California greenhouse growers, Post-Harvest Processors (PHPs), and agricultural associations. Two communication forums were held with the goal of educating the local gas company and small growers and PHPs on the most compelling needs and…

This report describes the Year 5 work of the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education's (NRCCTE) Technical Assistance (TA) Academy. In 2011-2012, the TA plan carried out by FHI 360 on behalf of the NRCCTE focused on developing a conceptual base for work-based learning (WBL), a strategy that helps students apply academic and…

The purpose of this study was to measure the relationship between followers' perceptions of the servant leadership of their immediate supervisor and followers' sense of empowerment in the context of small businesses. A quantitative survey was completed by 116 employees of small businesses, including measures of supervisors' servant leadership…

California's community colleges continue to play a crucial role in the state's economy by providing students with the skills and knowledge to succeed and by advancing the economic growth and global competitiveness of California and its regional economies through the Economic and Workforce Development Program (EWD). The EWD program invests in the…

This paper reports on the on-going study of Small and Mid-Size Enterprises (SMEs) in the Central California concerning their use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This research project analyzed data from a sample of 161 SMEs. Specifically, this part of the study is investigating the major barriers to applications of e-learning…

The New Media Consortium's Horizon Project is an ongoing research project that seeks to identify and describe emerging technologies likely to have a large impact in education and other industries around the world over a five-year time period. The chief products of the project are the "Horizon Reports", an annual series of publications…

This report contains findings and recommendations of a project to identify problems in California's policies and in the administration of its laws regarding small businesses and to examine alternative solutions to those problems. Part 1 consists of the findings of five statewide Task Forces that concentrated on these aspects of operating a small…

The California community colleges are given state support to develop Employer-Based Training (EBT) programs. These programs address the economic development needs of local communities by offering training in new technologies, restructuring programs to meet industry needs, offering courses in starting a business to meet the needs of small firms,…

An analysis of rural population growth and its economic consequences in California, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Vermont helps explain the changing conditions in rural America and indicates the direction policy should take. Despite their distance from financial centers and their low density, rural areas are generally characterized by a more…

This document examines microenterprise development as an employment option for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients. The document begins with a brief discussion of the feasibility of self-employment as an option for TANF recipients, particularly in a slow economy. The next section answers policy questions pertaining to the…

The effectiveness of state enterprise zone programs was examined by using a hypothetical-firm model called the Tax and Incentives Model-Enterprise Zones (TAIM-ez) model to analyze the value of enterprise zone incentives to businesses across the United States and especially in the 13 states that had substantial enterprise zone programs by 1990. The…