The growth factors of Tunisian handicraft small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): Towards an integration of cognitive approaches

Abstract

Abstract This article aims to explore, through a qualitative study, the growth factors of the Tunisian handicraft small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Semi-structured interviews are conducted with six Tunisian owner-managers of handicraft SMEs. Data analysis was performed using content analysis, assisted by the NVivo8 qualitative data analysis software. The results highlight the role of strategic vision and organizational learning capability. These two concepts are rarely used to explain SMEs’ growth. Results highlight the importance of the role of cognitive approaches in comprehending growth. They can be integrated with explanatory approaches used in prior studies on SMEs’ growth and explain the divergent results. They could be used by supervisory institutions. They can help them better understand the managers’ logic of actions by taking into account their representations.