Risk management in Scottish, Chinese and German small and medium-sized enterprises: a country comparison

Abstract

Even though the study of risk management (RM) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has increased recently, there have been few cross-country studies. Therefore, the present research project can be considered as one of the first of its kind drawing upon an extensive empirical study into the status of RM in SMEs. More precisely, the cross-country study, involving SMEs from China, Germany and Scotland, investigates differences in their RM practices. The findings, which were based on a web-based survey, provide a clearer understanding of the personal and organisational factors that have influenced the RM practices of SMEs in these countries. This study also sheds light on the influence that the perception of environmental uncertainty has on the RM efforts in SMEs.