Small Size Enterprises Research Articles

The impact of patent infringement litigation decisions on firms’ innovation performance in China

The judiciary protects the value of innovation through remedies such as injunctions and damages when patent rights are infringed, adjusting the expected returns on future innovation activities for firms. Based on data from 1,062 Chinese firms involved in Patent Infringement Litigations (PILs), this study uses three-way fixed-effects Poisson panel regression models to examine the dynamic impacts of a PIL win-or-lose decision on breakthrough and incremental innovation performance for plaintiff and defendant firms. The study finds that plaintiff micro and small-sized enterprises (MSEs) can only engage in short-term breakthrough innovation after winning a PIL. Plaintiff medium and large-sized enterprises (MLEs) tend to adopt the patent defence strategy after winning, while losing a case positively impacts their breakthrough and incremental innovation. Defendant firms adopt the strategy from incremental innovation to breakthrough innovation after winning, while losing inhibits their innovation. The current Chinese patent system has an imbalance in incentivizing innovation for MSEs. Whether winning or losing, defendant MSEs participating in litigation significantly inhibit their innovation performance at different levels. This paper provides a multidimensional angle for studying the relationship between patent protection and corporate innovation.

Educate and Skill Africa

The African Union continues to be seized with the task to build the Africa we want as outlined in the African Agenda 2063. This agenda should lead to a stronger, more peaceful and more prosperous Africa. It should lead to strong and effective institutions. It should produce more responsible leadership and accountable governments across the continent. It is expected that the road to 2063 must see inclusive economic growth and development marked by the participation of small and medium size enterprises and informal entrepreneurs that Africa has in abundance.

Implementing life cycle thinking and climate change indicators in small and medium size enterprises

The policy for a low emission society requires that companies measure their impact from a life cycle perspective for both products and corporate reporting. This work presents new climate performance indicators to evaluate business models (BM) based on life cycle assessment (LCA) and benchmarked with statistics for Sustainable Development Goal indicator 9.4.1. The research was conducted by action case studies involving 20 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) from various sectors. The SMEs did not have previous experience with LCA. Therefore, a work process called “LCA á la carte” was designed to gradually increase details and effort. The results of simplified indicators on the manufacturing SMEs showed that the direct emissions to value added are lower than industry average. However, when upstream emissions and value added were included, the emission intensities are about industry average. The full life cycle climate indicators are presented for a boat production company that experiment with new BMs. Use phase electrification was found to be the most effective measure (60 % lower emission intensity), while material recycling and boat rental each reduced the emission intensity with about 30 %. However, a combination of these new BMs gives best results and could be needed to reach future benchmarks. This study suggests LCA for BM as a combination of a work process, actors' perspectives, and performance indicators. The results highlight that the scope of activities included in the performance indicators is crucial. New reporting standards such as the European Sustainable Development Standard (ESRS) should review the emission intensity indicators to ensure consistency between the scopes of activities included.

Towards an assessment of psychosocial work factors in a multi-level mental health intervention in the workplace: results from the MENTUPP pilot-study.

Mental health in the workplace is a growing concern for enterprises and policy makers. MENTUPP is a multi-level mental health intervention implemented in small and medium size enterprises from three work sectors in nine countries. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, delivery, and instruments for the MENTUPP intervention to inform the planning of a clustered randomized controlled trial. We administered items from the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire and the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study measuring psychosocial workplace factors. The questionnaire was answered by 382 participants at baseline, of which 98 participants also answered after six months at follow-up. We calculated mean scores of 19 psychosocial factors at baseline and conducted repeated measures ANOVAs to assess differences in eight psychosocial factors at follow-up. We also examined whether outcomes differed between work sectors and job positions at follow-up. The construction sector and workers with no or a lower leadership role reported more negative working environment factors at baseline. We observed a statistically significant decline in social support from colleagues and social community at work, and a marginally significant decline in justice at work. For the rest of the constructs, we did not observe statistically significant changes. We found significant differences in psychosocial work environment factors among work sectors and job positions at baseline. Contrary to our hypotheses, three psychosocial work environment factors decreased at follow-up. Possible explanations are the utilization of specific psychosocial factors as resources to cope with psychosocial stressors, high participant expectations that were not met by the intervention, insufficient time for structural changes, or the intervention prompting critical evaluations of the work environment. These findings will inform the design and implementation of the forthcoming clustered randomized controlled trial, where they will also be further investigated to validate their significance.

Future Innovation Unleashed for Sustainability in Longitudinal Research in Micro- and Small-Sized Enterprises

The research reveals how micro- and small-sized enterprises can unleash future innovation to pursue sustainability. This empirical participatory action research is conducted from 2018 to 2022 in 18 multi-case micro- and small-sized enterprises. The findings reveal that these enterprises pursue sustainability through instrumental, moral and intrinsic value creation in combination. Despite the experienced uncertainty and resource limitations of the participating enterprises, they can pursue future innovation to create value for customers and society addressing, respectively, UN SDGs No. 3, 8, 9, 11, 12 and 17. None of the hitherto noted entrepreneurial literature branches can alone support micro- and small-sized enterprises to pursue future innovation. However, the literature branches illustrate individual useful strengths. Furthermore, they illustrate limitations for value creation. The illustrated useful strengths and the accompanying limitations call for context-dependent use in micro- and small- sized enterprises through the integration of the relevant specific extant literature branches to support their innovation aims, respectively, utilising opportunities, their own and others’ heterogeneous behaviours and reorganising resources to unleash future sustainable innovation in an action learning approach. Further collaborative participatory action research is needed to support and enable the practical implication potential for value creation in micro- and small-sized enterprises.

Human dimensions in shellcraft: tool ownership differentiates taxa utilised and products produced

Throughout the Pacific Islands, shellcraft has begun to feature prominently in development intervention which aims to generate positive livelihood outcomes for coastal communities. This activity often involves the post-harvest processing of natural assets, namely shells and skeletal remains of marine taxa, into jewellery by individuals or small-sized enterprises. To foster participation in shellcraft, development intervention commonly involves gifting or subsidising physical assets. Yet knowledge of the natural (i.e., taxa) and physical (i.e., tools) assets required for shellcraft remains scant. An understanding of human dimensions in shellcraft pertaining to patterns in asset use, such as how tool ownership differentiates taxa utilised and products produced, is important for determining if access to a specific tool is necessary, or an encumbrance, for achieving a desired outcome. In this study, we identified tools used and variation in tool ownership among artisans engaged in shellcraft to afford an accurate and realistic understanding of the tools required to participate in this activity. We then evaluate how ownership of a specific tool or type of tool differentiates both taxa utilisation and product production for shellcraft. Results indicate ownership of neither all nor any specific tool was required to participate in shellcraft, with artisans typically owning a unique combination of tools. Furthermore, results identified that some specific tools were critical for affecting the attractiveness of utilising certain taxa or producing certain products. Implications of the significant relationships between specific tools and certain taxa or products are discussed in the context of development intervention and commonly articulated theories of change where shellcraft is linked to subsistence fishing, aquaculture, or tourism.

The Impact of Stagflation on Small and Medium –Sized Enterprise Performance in Champasak Province, LAO PDR

This study investigates the impact of stagflation on SME performance in Champasack Province, Lao PDR. Utilizing data from 450 SME’s owners, acquired via structured questionnaires, the research employed the structural equation modeling technique for data analysis. The result showed that stagflation have positive impact and significant on marketing management capability, Consumers, and SME performance. According to Marketig management capability has a positive impact and significant on Consumers, but its negative impact and significant on SME performances, and Consumers has a positive impact and significant on SME performances. The insights derived from this research provide essential directives for SME managers striving to business survival in economic uncertenty. Therefore, Medium-sized and small-sized enterprises in ten districts of Champasack Province, Lao PDR, need to effectively develop their marketing management capability to stimulate consumer spending during periods of stagflation. This will lead to a continuous improvement in SME performance and high business survival during the period of stagflation.

Web-based occupational stress prevention in German micro- and small-sized enterprises – process evaluation results of an implementation study

BackgroundStructural and behavioral interventions to manage work-related stress are effective in employees. Nonetheless, they have been implemented insufficiently, particularly in micro- and small-sized enterprises (MSE). Main barriers include a lack of knowledge and limited resources, which could potentially be overcome with simplified web-based alternatives for occupational stress prevention. However, there is a lack of implementation research about web-based prevention in realistic settings of MSE.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to evaluate the implementation process and success of an integrated web-based platform for occupational stress prevention (“System P”) and to identify potential barriers for its uptake and use in MSE in Germany.MethodsThis study with a mixed-methods approach investigates eight process-related outcomes in a quantitative part I (adoption, reach, penetration, fidelity/dose, costs, acceptability) and a qualitative part II (acceptability, appropriateness and feasibility). Part I has a pre-post design with two measurements (6 months apart) with 98 individual participants and part II consists of 12 semi-structured interviews with managers and intercorporate stakeholders.ResultsPart I revealed shortcomings in the implementation process. Adoption/Reach: Despite extensive marketing efforts, less than 1% of the contacted MSE responded to the offer of System P. A total of 40 MSE registered, 24 of which, characterized by good psychosocial safety climate, adopted System P. Penetration: Within these 24 MSE, 15% of the employees used the system. Fidelity/Dose: 11 MSE started a psychosocial risk-assessment (PRA), and no MSE finished it. The stress-management training (SMT) was started by 25 users and completed by 8. Costs: The use of System P was free of charge, but the time required to engage with was an indirect cost. Part II added insights on the perception of the web-based intervention: Acceptance of System P by users and stakeholders was good and it was assessed as appropriate for MSE. Results for feasibility were mixed.ConclusionsAlthough System P was generally perceived as useful and appropriate, only a small number of contacted MSE implemented it as intended. Prior experience and sensitivity for occupational (stress) prevention were mentioned as key facilitators, while (perceived) indirect costs were a key barrier. Enabling MSE to independently manage stress prevention online did not result in successful implementation. Increasing external support could be a solution.⁺ Full project name“PragmatiKK – Pragmatische Lösungen für die Implementation von Maßnahmen zur Stressprävention in Kleinst- und Kleinbetrieben” (= Pragmatic solutions for the implementation of stress prevention interventions in micro and small-sized enterprises).Trial registrationGerman Register of Clinical Studies (DRKS) DRKS00026154, date of registration 2021-09-16.

Rooftop solar potential in micro, small, and medium size enterprises: An insight into renewable energy tapping by decision-making approach

Rooftop solar micro-power plants mitigate pollution and transmission problems in crowded Indian cities. The Indian government is exploring alternate solutions, and the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector is also coming forward to opt for sustainable solutions. This study is focused on the MSME segment in India, which constitutes approximately 63 million entities. Installing a solar system for which a rooftop could be the best place to tap solar energy from these entities is required. Checking the rooftop solar potential of any MSME entity requires a suitable technique to decide which sector to target first and the further order. A unique methodology based on multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods is presented to rank 10 MSME alternatives with seven criteria. It includes the measurement of alternatives and ranking according to compromise solution (MARCOS) to rank MSME sectors in India with rooftop solar potential. Weights of importance are assigned with three objective techniques and combined with the Bonferroni operator. The ranks attained are compared with different MCDM methods, and sensitivity analysis is performed while changing weights. Kendall and Spearman rank correlation coefficients are utilized to access the correlation levels between various strategies. Finally, Garrett’s ranking technique is used to finalize the different ranks. The results reveal that the MARCOS method performed well, and “textiles” ranks first, followed by “auto and engineering products.” As a result, the leading industrial sectors will help improve energy utilization while concentrating on renewable energy resources.

Unveiling the Nexus: Influence of learning motivation on organizational performance and innovative climate of Chinese firms.

This study delves into the interplay between learning motivation, organizational performance, and the innovative climate within Chinese firms. It is a subject of frequent discussion in literature but there is little concrete evidence supporting this viewpoint within the context of small and medium size enterprises in China. Drawing upon a comprehensive review of existing literature and empirical data gathered, this research aims to uncover the connections between employee learning motivation and its impact on the organizational dynamics in the context of Chinese firms. A cross sectional survey is used to collect the data of 115 Chinese firms and structural equation modelling (SEM) is used for empirical analysis. The results show that success of firms in terms of innovation is significantly influenced by organizational learning motivation. Moreover, innovative environment of the firms increases the overall performance of the organizations. It is also found that factors affecting the innovations have a significant impact on organizational performance. The findings of the study suggest that firms should develop organizational learning motivation to boost their innovation capability and overall performance. This study offers insights and recommendations for organizations and policymakers seeking to harness the potential of learning motivation to drive sustainable growth, competitiveness, and innovation in Chinese firms.

Exploring digital marketing strategies in small-sized enterprises in Vietnam

Digital Marketing Strategies (DMSs) play a crucial role in determining the success of an enterprise. However, little research has been conducted on digital marketing strategies for small-sized enterprises in Vietnam. Thus, using a case-study design, the study explores marketing employees’ perceptions of digital marketing strategies at a small-sized enterprise, Tan Viet Phap Development Trading Production Joint Stock Company. Four employees (two females and two males) were invited to participate in the in-depth interview. The findings show that the most effective digital marketing strategy is online PR. The participants expressed positive attitudes toward digital marketing strategies and pointed out some challenges related to these strategies. They suggested that the company should emphasize the importance of customers and planning when implementing digital marketing strategies. The study has practical implications for small-sized businesses to profit from available digital marketing strategies and consider important marketing factors to enhance their company’s publicity and brand.

Obstacles to Development of Entrepreneurship in Pakistan

This paper aims to examine the obstacles to entrepreneurship in Pakistan. The study has adopted a qualitative and quantitative approach through descriptive approach. It conducted in-depth interviews and group discussions with mid and senior-level managements of SMEs and non-SMEs, as well as think tanks and students from relevant disciplines. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests were followed by using Likert Scales for robustness in findings. A questionnaire was sent through e-mail to 150 Small or Medium Size Enterprises, SMEs, and 204 non-SMEs. 83 responses from SMEs and 135 responses from non-SMEs were obtained. The results show that the obstacles to entrepreneurship in Pakistan are multiple. Political instability, a deficient legal system, red tape-filled bureaucracy, and access to funding were registered as the main obstacles to entrepreneurship in Pakistan. The study recommends that the government adopt long-term objectives and strategies for SMEs and take a proactive stance.

Decarbonization policy and high-carbon enterprise default risk: Evidence from China

Studying the impact of decarbonization policy on high-carbon enterprise default risk is of great importance to improve climate risk governance. However, the relationship between decarbonization policy and default risk has not been examined to date. Adopting data from Chinese A-share listed enterprises from 2000 to 2020, this paper examines the issue by using a difference-in-differences model. The results indicate that decarbonization policy significantly increases high-carbon enterprise default risk, which is more pronounced among small-sized enterprises and those in the growth period. The results of mechanism analysis show that the decarbonization policy increases the default risk of high-carbon enterprises by increasing debt cost and decreasing profitability. Furthermore, these effects are negatively moderated by low-carbon technology innovation and digital transformation. These findings can help governments, high-carbon enterprises, and investors to address default risk triggered by decarbonization policy.

Impact of Credit Constraints on Financial Performance of Small and Medium Size Enterprises

Impact of Credit Constraints on Financial Performance of Small and Medium Size Enterprises

The Role of Adaptive Management in the Resilience and Growth of Small and Medium Size Enterprises

Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone, and the main stimulus of development, and studies demonstrate that these businesses play an essential role in the economic growth of the global economy. Adaptive management is a crucial approach for enhancing the resilience and growth of SMEs in today's dynamic and unpredictable business environment. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of adaptive management in the resilience and growth of SMEs. A qualitative technique was employed as the research method in this study to collect and analyze data to ascertain the role of adaptive management in the resilience and growth of SMEs. The population of this study constitutes SME owners and managers within South Africa and a straightforward random selection process was used to choose the 20 of them to participate in the study. Atlas ti was used to code and analyze transcripts, produce network diagrams, and visualize data. It is evident from the findings of this study that poor management in an enterprise would inevitably result in the failure of the business. This implies that SMEs that embrace adaptive management principles demonstrate a higher capacity to navigate through uncertainties and capitalize on emerging opportunities, thus fostering resilience and sustainable growth. This suggests that for small businesses to succeed, SME owners and the government should collaborate to find solutions to most managerial problems faced by businesses so that the enterprises can grow and be sustainable.

Assessing the Effects of Inventory Management Practices on Performance of Small and Medium-Size Enterprises in Accra

The study investigates the effects of inventory management practices on performance of small and medium size enterprises in Accra. The study employed the purposive sampling technique to gather data from 110 staff of SME firms in Accra. The statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23 was used for data analysis. Findings of the study showed that Economic Order Quantity (EOQ), Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) and ABS analysis are the inventory management practices in the SME industry in Accra. The study also showed a significant positive relationship between inventory management practices and organizational performance. Policy implications as well as managerial and direction for future studies are discussed.

Credit Access and Productivity of Green Small and Medium Size Enterprises in Rural Nigeria

ABSTRACT: Small and Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) have played critical roles in developing great economies over the years but are being stalled in African economies. Literature posits that the variation is largely due to limited finance for SMEs in Africa. SMEs in Nigeria have not performed credibly well over the years with its contribution to the GDP still below 5%. The consequences of climate change on agro-based firms further creates the need for credit to boost productivity. As relevant as this might be, existing empirical research seldom examined the effect of credit access on productivity of green SMEs in Nigeria. The emphasis on green SMEs is essential due to its sustainability attribute. It is on this premise that this study examines the extent to which green SMEs access credit and how it impacts on their productivity in rural Nigeria. The specific objectives are therefore: to identify the determinants of access to credit for green SMEs in rural Nigeria; and to establish to what extent access to credit affects capital, labor and total factor productivity of green SMEs in Rural Nigeria. The study employed nation-wide–General Household Survey (2016) data, for its analysis. A logit model and the propensity score matching model were used to ascertain the objectives. The justification of the propensity score model lies in the fact that it estimates an average treatment effect from observational data. The findings show that, sex, years of schooling, capital, collateral requirement, amount of loan experience and interest rate are significant determinants of credit access in rural Nigeria, while age and labor are not. Finally, the study shows that access to credit significantly affects labor productivity but does not significantly affect capital and total factor productivity. The study recommends that the conditions for credit to the agricultural sector should be revised to ensure that credits are robust enough to generate significant impacts on capital and total factor productivity. Also, green SMEs need to be prioritized in accessing credit to incentivize other farmers to do same.

Environmental Practices in Small and Medium Size Enterprises in India

Environmental Practices in Small and Medium Size Enterprises in India

Factors affecting on the quality of financial reports in small and medium size enterprises

This study seeks to examine the influence of financial literacy, educational level, information technology, and the implementation of Financial Accounting Standards for small and medium-sized enterprises (FAS SMEs) on the quality of financial reports for restaurant small and medium business enterprises in the Banyumas region of Indonesia. A sample of 100 restaurants was selected from a population of approximately 300 small and medium-sized restaurants using a simple random sampling method with the Slovin’s formula. Data was collected by distributing questionnaires. Out of a total of 300 questionnaires, 100 were received back. Subsequently, the data was subjected to multiple linear regression analysis. Based on the resource-based hypothesis, the findings indicate that the use of information technology and the adoption of FAS SMEs have a beneficial impact on the quality of their financial reports. However, financial literacy and educational level do not have any effect. This study, despite its limited sample size, contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the field of financial accounting for SMEs, specifically in emerging countries like Indonesia. It achieves this by offering empirical data on the factors that influence the quality of financial reports for SMEs.

The Impact of the Administrative Inventive on the Effectiveness of Organizational Performance: The Case of Part of Small and Medium Size (SME) Enterprises in Erbil City

The Impact of the Administrative Inventive on the Effectiveness of Organizational Performance: The Case of Part of Small and Medium Size (SME) Enterprises in Erbil City