Senior Research Fellow William J. Dennis Jr.
William J. Dennis Jr. is senior research fellow at the NFIB Research Foundation in Washington, D.C., and directs its research activities. He has been employed since 1976 in various research capacities by the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation's leading small business trade association. Prior to his affiliation with NFIB, he spent six years as a professional staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Dennis' research activities focus on small business and public policy. Recent publications include: The Chances of Financial Success (and Loss) From Small Business Ownership, (with L. Fernald), Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 2001, Raising Response Rates in Mail Surveys of Small Business Owners: Results of an Experiment, Journal of Small Business Management (in press), Wages, Health Insurance, and Pension Plans: The Relationship Between Employee Compensation and Small Business Owner Income, Small Business Economics (2001), Research Mimicking Policy: Entrepreneurial/Small Business Policy Research in the United States, A Handbook of Entrepreneurship (Blackwell, 2000), Small Business Problems and Priorities (NFIB Education Foundation, 2000), Small Business Economic Trends: A Quarter Century Longitudinal Data Base of Small Business Economic Activity, (with W. Dunkelberg) Databases for the Study of Entrepreneurship, (JAI, 2000), NFIB Small Business Policy Guide, edited, (NFIB Education Foundation, 2000), and Small Business Problems and Priorities, (NFIB Education Foundation, 2000). He has co-authored Small Business Economic Trends (with W. Dunkelberg) for nearly 20 years. Mr. Dennis also speaks frequently on small business and entrepreneurship topics both in the United States and abroad.
Among other activities, Dennis is or has been: founder and editor of the National Small Business Poll; Wilford White fellow - International Council for Small Business, 2000; fellow - United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 1989; International Reference Group Member, Swedish Foundation for Small Business Research, 1997-; team leader - Entrepreneurship Research Consortium, 1996 -; and president, International Council for Small Business, 1996-97. He received a Special Advocacy Award for research from the U.S. Small Business Administration in 1998.
