Case Studies for Small Businesses

Why:

This NYC (Bronx borough) community-based open access small business case study collection will serve as a repository for a vitally-needed ongoing resource for small businesses; new businesses fail at a rate of 75 to 90 percent within the first three to five years of operation. The case studies will also be used in Lehman College classes. Contact us for access if you are interested in using these for your courses. ...

Entrepreneurs and small business owners need a comprehensive understanding of financial information and also an understanding of what resources are available. A lack of working capital or sufficient capital management hinder small businesses.

...

The creation of case studies improves students’ learning process by enhancing critical thinking, communications skills, teamwork, and by promoting exchanges and collective construction of knowledge. (Kunselman & Johnson, 2004; Escartin et al., 2015).

...

Open Pedagogy is increasingly recognized and supported, including this project supported by New York State OER Scale-up Initiative.

...

Goals:

Developing open access case studies addressing concrete Business and community issues specific to participating small companies and organizations is one way of engaging students, and a step towards serving the Bronx and similar communities. These cases will document valuable professional lessons for small business owners, organizations, and workers. We intend to scale up the initiative, with the later inclusion of Marketing, Management and Human Resource case studies as other professors from any other communities to join our initiative.

...

The Small Business Case Studies endeavor stems from these goals:

1. The dialogue between educators and business owners helps educators and students become more aware of the real world issues facing small organizations in urban settings.

2. Engaging students in understanding Business outreach and documentation of valuable professional lessons from small business owners and workers.

3. The cases will form the basis for curricula across a range of Accounting, Economics. Business Law, Finance, and Political Science courses—providing real world context for students and faculty in classrooms.

4. The OER component facilitates access to resources for both underfunded academic institutions and also members of low income communities. These open access cases offer the expertise of studies without subscription or fees.

Project founders:

Alexander Núñez Torres, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Lehman College, CUNY | School of Natural and Social Sciences, Department of Economics & Business; Martha Lerski, Assistant Professor | Business Librarian, Liaison to Economics & Business, and Art Departments, Leonard Lief Library | Lehman College | CUNY. Professors requesting permission to access individual case Teaching Notes should contact: martha.lerski@lehman.cuny.edu or alexander.nuneztorres@lehman.cuny.edu

Case studies collaborators:

Alexander Núñez Torres, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Lehman College, CUNY | School of Natural and Social Sciences, Department of Economics & Business;

...

Mary Rogan, Esq., Professor Lehman College, CUNY | School of Natural and Social Sciences, Department of Economics & Business;

...

Duran Fiack, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Lehman College, CUNY | School of Natural and Social Sciences, Department of Political Science