Small Size Enterprises Research Articles

Determinants of Financing of Small and Medium Size Enterprises in Cameroon: An Empirical Analysis

Determinants of Financing of Small and Medium Size Enterprises in Cameroon: An Empirical Analysis

Small-sized enterprises management in the aspect of organizational culture

This paper presents the results of research based the questionnaire by Cammeron and Quinn. The research was carried out among employees of small-sized enterprises with various business profiles. The elements that make up the profile of the organizational culture in the company (management style, strategic plans, atmosphere, remuneration system, bonding mechanisms, leadership and basic assumptions in the company) were evaluated. The analysis lead to the comparision between expected state with the current state. The result of the current state is characterized by the dominant profile of organizational culture in the company, while the result of the expected state provides information on the preferences and expectations of employees in relation to the dominant profile of organizational culture desired in the company. It was faund that the present state in the small-sized manufacturing, service, trade and mixed enterprises is characterized with profile of market culture with elements of hierarchy organizational culture, while the expected state is characterized with profile of clan culture with elements of adhocracy, market and hierarchy organizational culture.

Evaluation criteria for education institutions-industry collaboration: territories of advanced development (TAD) environment

Introduction. Collaboration between professional and higher education institutions and industrial enterprises, located within the city, is of high priority in the territories of advanced development (TAD).Materials and Methods. The paper presents the analysis of Russian and foreign research works aimed at studying the important issues of collaboration between state, professional and higher education institutions and industrial enterprises in educating specialists for industrial enterprises. The main focus is made on enterprises which are the residents of the territories of advanced development and the socio-economic conditions of establishing collaboration. The authors applied scholarly literature study methods, as well as questionnaire, analysis, and generalization and systematization of obtained data approach. Results. The authors have identified and described the main stakeholders of the collaboration, and derived criteria to evaluate the outcomes of education institutions and industrial enterprises collaboration and the efficiency level in training qualified personnel for TAD.Discussion and Conclusions. Future investigation in regard of finding methods and techniques to assess education institutions and industrial enterprises collaboration efficiency is required. Authors also aim at finding efficient collaboration factors which are more relevant to the conditions of territories of advanced development and focus specifically on medium and small-sized enterprises and education institutions of those territories. All the research findings might be used as structural elements of an ontological model of a digital monitoring support system at planning, managing and controlling the process of training specialists for industrial enterprises of TAD.

The Appropriate Calculation Cost of Goods Manufactured as Pricing Strategy for Small Sized Enterprises (SMEs)

This research aims to identify all production costs incurred in production, to calculate the cost of goods manufactured correctly using the Process Costing Method and decision making for determining the selling price of shoes. The research was taken in one of small-sized enterprises shoe factory in East Karawang. The research method is descriptive comparative with a qualitative approach. The descriptive method is used to describe the production costs incurred in the production process including the raw materials costs, supporting materials costs, labor costs, and factory overhead costs. In this research, the data used are primary and secondary data. The COGM calculation results in show that there is variance calculation between company system and process costing method. It is due to calculations that companies do not identify production costs in detail, therefore the company’s COGM calculation is inaccurate. The COGM calculation appropriately can be the company’s strategy to determine the selling price. so that company profits can continue to increase.

Sustainability as a “New Normal” for Modern Businesses: Are SMEs of Pakistan Ready to Adopt It?

While in developed countries, the concept of sustainability is being recognized as a “new normal” for modern businesses, the situation is entirely different in the context of developing and underdeveloped regions of the world. Shockingly, most of the developing nations do not consider the environmental dimension of CSR as their priority, and this is one of the reasons that the issue of climate change is a hot topic of debate among contemporary researchers and policymakers from developing economies. The present study aims to explore the type and level of CSR engagement among different organizations of the SME sector in Pakistan. Further, the study also intends to uncover any potential difference between medium-sized enterprises and small-sized enterprises in terms of their CSR preferences and engagements. The study uses a qualitative approach in order to get deeper insights to meet study objectives through in-depth semi-structured interviews. In this regard, the data were collected from nine SMEs belonging to different sectors in Lahore city of Pakistan. The authors used thematic analysis in order to analyze in-depth interviews, and three main themes were extracted, including social CSR, economic CSR, and environmental CSR. The results revealed that most of the medium-sized enterprises prefer the social dimension of CSR, whereas small-sized enterprises are largely concerned with the economic dimension of CSR. It has also been revealed that the environmental dimension of CSR is non-existent in the case of small-sized enterprises. The results of the present study will help policymakers to better understand the phenomenon of CSR and to rethink their CSR policies for a better and sustainable future.

Determinants of Small and Medium Size Enterprises Access to Credit Schemes in the Mezam Division of Cameroon

Promoting small and medium size enterprises is a governmental strategy aimed at achieving national economic development through poverty alleviation, employment creation and other income generation activities. This study examined the determinants of small and medium size enterprises access to credit schemes around Mezam Division located in the North West Region of Cameroon. A two-stage sampling technique was used to obtain data from over 294 enterprises. Descriptive statistics and logit regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Results revealed that 5.8% of the small and medium size enterprises had accessed bank credit only while 92.2% obtained finance from informal credit sources. The logit analysis indicated that access to formal credit was determined by the educational level of the enterprise owner or manager, longevity in business, and the availability of collateral security. Government policies with respect to credit access by enterprises should be involved and begin from both lenders and creditors.

Managers of micro-sized enterprises and Covid-19: impact on business operations, work-life balance and well-being

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to identify how managers of micro-sized enterprises experience the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their business operations, work-life balance and well-being. Further, the study aims to make comparisons between managers of micro-sized businesses and managers of small-sized businesses. This mixed-method study is based on qualitative interviews with ten managers of micro-sized enterprises and a questionnaire answered by 95 managers of micro-sized and small-sized enterprises in regions in the north of Sweden. Managers of micro-sized enterprises reported significantly worse scores for mental well-being, job satisfaction and life satisfaction in comparison with managers of small-sized enterprises. Three themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: Changed leadership role, Impact on private life and Impact on well-being. In the interviews, the managers of micro-sized enterprises reported that the pandemic had increased their workload and forced them to mobilise strategies for enterprise survival. This study indicates that managers of micro-sized enterprises had changed their leadership role and increased their workload and number of work tasks, including supporting the employees, developing strategies for business survival and applying for governmental support. However, the managers demonstrated creativity in finding new solutions for their enterprises.

A Review of the Economic, Social and Environmental Impacts of Tourism Development

The Tourism industry has significantly contributed to diverse social and economic benefits in host communities or regions. Despite the gains that have been realized in the sector, a surging number of negative impacts has been associated with tourism development. This current study reviewed the literature on the economic, social and environmental impacts of tourism. Tourism has helped boost economic growth, increased the revenue base, created mass employment, and enhanced the development of small and medium size enterprises in host regions. Despite its positive economic strides, it has contributed to negative outcomes such as the increase in commodities prices, high cost of living and unstable tenure of service in host communities. Tourism development has resulted in positive socio-cultural impacts such as infrastructural development, and cultural exchanges. Nevertheless, it has led to socio-cultural problems, including congestion, soaring crime rates, resentment and conflicts in host communities. On the environment front, tourism has created profoundly disappointing environmental problems. These include carbon emissions, ecological disturbances and waste management problems. The aforementioned environmental problems depend on the type and scale of tourism and the level of environmental awareness of inbound tourists. To maximize the gains of tourism development, its development initiatives must explicitly consider the social and environmental dimensions. Also, the involvement of host communities in tourism planning is pivotal to sustainable tourism development.

Small business development and resource use in Russian regions

Relevance. The living standards in any country largely depend on how developed is this country’s business sector. The latter, in its turn, relies on the availability and efficient use of resources. The problem that arises in this respect and that this study seeks to address is how to measure the resource potential available for the development of small businesses in order to choose the optimal strategy of stimulating this sector for this or that region. Research objective. The aim of this research is to study resources available to small businesses and their use in Russian regions. Data and methods. The set of indicators used in our analysis helps us measure the activity of small businesses in Russian federal districts. The key elements of the assessment are based on the official statistics and include the following: average labor productivity of small businesses, the unit turnover per small enterprise, the number of small firms per 10,000 people. Each of these indicators was analyzed by using the methods of mathematical statistics according to the three criteria: stability (S); average values (M); and the variability of the results (V), which characterizes interregional differentiation within a federal district/country. Results. The article proposes a system of indicators for diagnosing small business development based on the concentration and performance of small-sized enterprises. The quantitative results of such analysis can be used for choosing strategies of small business development. Conclusion. There was a significant decline in entrepreneurial activity during the post-crisis period of 2017-2018 in Russia, which could be explained by the impact of foreign sanctions and the difficult economic situation in the country (inflation, a sharp rise in the price of resources, difficulties in communication with international partners, and the difficulty or even impossibility to adopt efficient technologies in a short time). As our analysis has shown, some of the Russian territories still have underutilized resource potential that can be used for stimulating small business development.

Research about problems of improving the financing-difficulty issue for small, medium and micro-sized enterprises based on the perspective of city commercial banks in the dual circulation background

In order to solve the current financing-difficulty issue for small, medium and micro-sized enterprises, in the “ two sessions ” of 2021, government has released various favoring policies regards the development of small-sized enterprises, and predictably, in the future small, medium and micro-sized enterprises could combine with more and more policy advantages to achieve sustainable progress. As local financial institution, city commercial banks as well undertakes the responsibility of providing financial supports for small, medium and micro-sized enterprises and laying out the fundamental basis for local economy. This article will initiate from functions of our national city commercial banks in financing for small, medium and micro-sized enterprises, then respectively analyse the current situation of both small, medium and micro-sized enterprises financing and city commercial banks, bring up challenges that city commercial banks confront in the progress of business of financing for small, medium and micro-sized enterprises, and offer suggestions concerning promoting our national city commercial banks’ financing business and measures to deal with existing issues. At the end, based upon the development orientation of city commercial banks, provide optional measures aimed to ameliorate the financing-difficulty issue of our national small, medium and micro-sized enterprises.

A management approach for enhancing the sustainability of small and medium size enterprises in the North West Province of South Africa

A management approach for enhancing the sustainability of small and medium size enterprises in the North West Province of South Africa

Hindrance to Benefit from the Potential Sources of Finance to Enhance the Growth of Small and Medium Size Enterprises in South Africa

Hindrance to Benefit from the Potential Sources of Finance to Enhance the Growth of Small and Medium Size Enterprises in South Africa

Comparative Study between Current Practices on Cassava Drying by Small-Size Enterprises in Africa

Small-size enterprises drying cassava in Africa mostly use fixed-bed dryers or pneumatic dryers. The objective of this study was to determine which of those two dryers is the best choice for this operation. Energy performance, product quality and costs were measured and analysed using a comparative experiment design. Each dryer was considered as a treatment and experiments were performed in quintuplicate at a cassava processing small-size enterprise in Ghana. The energy performance of the pneumatic dryer was superior because of the better contact between the cassava grits and the drying air, resulting in greater heat and mass transfer. The cassava flour obtained from the fixed-bed dryer had a higher Whiteness Index, but the same level of lightness, and the staff responsible for managing product quality was not able to visually distinguish them. As a result of the pneumatic dryer’s better energy performance, its operating cost was lower. The capital cost of this dryer was higher, but to recover the additional investment only 194 days of operation were needed. Therefore, it was concluded that pneumatic dryers are a better choice of equipment for cassava drying by small-size enterprises in Africa.

Epidemiological characteristics of pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province from 2010 to 2018

Objective: The epidemiological characteristics of occupational pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province from 2010 to 2018 were analyzed to provide a theoretical basis for the development of prevention and control strategies for pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province. Methods: In March 2019, the data of newly diagnosed occupational pneumoconiosis in 2010-2018 and the data of occupational pneumoconiosis as of December 31, 2018 in Gansu Province were collected by the Occupational Disease and Occupational Health Information Monitoring System. The stage, type of disease, time, enterprise information of newly diagnosed pneumoconiosis and the region, type of disease, enterprise information of existed pneumoconiosis were analyzed. Results: From 2010 to 2018, a total of 1269 new cases of occupational pneumoconiosis were reported in Gansu Province, including 818 cases (64.46%) of stage I pneumoconiosis, 284 cases (22.38%) of stage II pneumoconiosis, 167 cases (13.16%) of stage III pneumoconiosis. Silicosis, coal worker's pneumoconiosis and cement pneumoconiosis ranks the top 3, accounting for 55.71% (707/1269) , 37.67% (478/1269) and 3.78% (48/1269) of the total number, respectively. The new cases of stage III pneumoconiosis were mainly distributed in private economy (58.09%, 79/136) and small-sized (59.88%, 97/162) enterprises. As of December 31, 2018, Gansu Province had reported a total of 12211 cases of occupational pneumoconiosis, of which 58.16% (7102/12211) were coal worker's pneumoconiosis and 28.15% (3438/12211) were silicosis. Mainly distributed in Baiyin city (21.63%, 2641/12211) , Lanzhou city (17.79%, 2172/12211) and Wuwei city (13.73%, 1676/12211) . The existed cases of pneumoconiosis are mainly distributed in state-owned economy (76.95%, 9396/12211) and large-sized (54.23%, 6622/12211) enterprises. Conclusion: Silicosis and coal worker's pneumoconiosis are the main type of pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province. And the number of silicosis reported is on the rise, which should be taken seriously. Pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province is mainly distributed in state-owned economy and large-sized enterprises. However, pneumoconiosis patients in private economy and small-sized enterprise is generally serious, so it should be the focus of supervision.

Networking and entrepreneurial orientation in internationalization of small-and medium sized enterprises: A two case study of Ostrobothnia company in Finland

The objective of this paper is to gain an increased understanding of how networking and entrepreneurial orientations facilitate internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study is a qualitative research and the research is drawn upon fndings of a sample of two SMEs located in Ostrobothnia, Finland. A qualitative data is gathered through personal interview with managers of the enterprises. The study has shown importance of networking and entrepreneurial orientations for understanding internationalization pattern of small and medium size enterprises. My fndings suggest that in order to be successful in international markets enterprises need to consider components of entrepreneurial orientations which are reflected by the two case enterprises in their internationalization. Furthermore, success of the enterprises depends largely on the ability of the companies to relate entrepreneurial orientation and networking in facilitating internationalization of the companies.

MICROFINANCE SERVICES AND THE GROWTH OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE ENTERPRISES: EVIDENCE FROM THE COMMUNITY CREDIT COMPANY IN THE DOUALA MUNICIPALITY, CAMEROON

Purpose: This paper assesses the role of microfinance services on the growth of small and medium size enterprises in Douala, Cameroon.
 Methodology: The paper adopts a mixture of Survey Research and a causal research design. Data were collected mainly through likert scaling questionnaires administered effectively to 57 customers of CCC Plc selected at random. Multiple regression analysis and product moment correlation techniques were used with associated statistical tests (Pearsons, student- t, and ANOVA or F tests).
 Findings: Considering three business growth enhancing microfinance services: loans, savings and assistance, it was found that loans granted by MFI and Saving service are paramount for the likelihood of SMEs in Cameroon. The effects of saving and loans were positive and highly significant in contributing to the profitability as well as return on assets of the small enterprises. Assistance given by MFIs had positive relation but was not very significant as there are not actually put in place given that Most MFI are profit outfits. 
 Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: Important recommendations emanated from the results. One of such proposal is that the cost and conditions of savings and lending by MFIs should be relaxed as an instrumental strategy to foster the growth of SMEs.
 Keywords: Microfinance services, growth of SMEs, regression analysis, Cameroon

Factors influencing customers’ decision to save with microfinance institutions: the case of Advans Cameroon

Savings are an indispensable resource for Microfinance Institutions (MFIs). They must mobilise sufficient savings to meet their commitments and become independent from grants providers. They must therefore convince customers, which in this paper include the public in general and micro and small-sized enterprises, to entrust their savings. This requires an understanding of these customers’ characteristics, as well as their needs and expectations. This leads us to the following research question: what are the factors affecting customers’ decision to save with a MFI? The analyses conducted with Advans Cameroon customers show that the Customer life cycle, the MFI characteristics and the MFI–Customer relationship have a direct influence on the decision to save. Specifically, age and revenue have a positive influence on savings. Conversely, the number of person in charge negatively affects savings. An increase in the number of branches leads to an increase in savings, while services quality are very important.

Impact of Organisational, Personal and Interpersonal Factors on Employee Performance in Small and Medium Size Enterprises

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of organisational level factors (management support, dynamic environment and organisational culture), personal level factors (personal effectiveness, locus of control) and interpersonal level factors (transactional styles and conflict management styles) on employee performance. The study also examines the interrelation between organisational, personal and interpersonal factors.In this study, organisational, personal and interpersonal level factors are included in a single model using data from small- and medium-scale enterprises. The structural equation modelling is used to examine the proposed model describing the relationship between employee performance and three-level factors.The results of this study indicate that management support and personal effectiveness have the strongest impacts (direct and indirect) on employee performance, while locus of control and transactional styles directly affect job performance. Overall 29% (first-level analysis) and 38% (second-level analysis) of employee performance (EP) variance can be explained.The findings of this study have implications for practitioners, academicians and policy makers for effective decision making as organisations are facing intense competition for survival and sustenance in the turbulent business environments. The employee performance is considered one of the important factors and there is a need to identify the factors affecting the performance of employees.

Industry 4.0 as a Challenge and Possibility in Small and Medium Size Enterprises

This study has been carried out within the Industrial revolution trend in manufacturing industries. It has been aimed to investigate how a small and medium size company could implement the ideas behind 4th industrial revolution in their processes. The main idea and core concept of recent studies are trying to find question to the following question: ‘Is it better to adapt and shift to digitalization in operation or it is better to operate familiar environment’. A blend of literature-based subtractions is used to show the consequences and potentials of Industry 4.0 in SMEs. In this paper, we will try to cover enhance and the eventual aspects of Industry 4.0 has on SMEs through in-depth literature review. The findings indicate that Industry 4.0 can be crucial for companies. Companies first must achieve maturity level of processes then implement Industry 4.0. Our research work contributes understanding of transformation into digitalization and advantages of Industry 4.0 and the results from this study can be used as a basis for further investigation on this topic.

Epidemiological characteristics and diagnosis of suspected occupational diseases in Guangzhou from 2006 to 2018

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and late diagnosis of suspected occupational diseases in Guangzhou from 2006 to 2018. Methods: The cases of suspected occupational diseases reported in Guangzhou from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2018 were collected and followed up to the end of 2018. The cases of suspected occupational diseases were analyzed statistically. Results: A total of 1502 suspected occupational cases were reported in Guangzhou from 2006 to 2018, including suspected occupational otorhinolaryngological and oral diseases (58.59%, 880/1502) , suspected occupational chronic poisoning (25.03%, 376/1502) and suspected occupational pneumoconiosis (11.72%, 176/1502) . The key reporting areas were Huangpu District (27.50%, 413/1502) and Panyu District (20.91%, 314/1502) . The key reporting industries were manufacturing industry (80.36%, 1207/1502) , among which railway, ship, aerospace and other transportation equipment manufacturing industry (13.26%, 160/1207) , automobile manufacturing industry (12.51%, 151/1207) and general equipment manufacturing industry (10.19%, 123/1207) were the main industries. The main type of reported economy was private economy (39.95%, 600/1502) . The scale of the key reporting enterprises was medium and small-sized enterprises (31.09%, 467/1502 and 34.62%, 520/1502) . As of December 31, 2018, 263 cases were diagnosed with occupational diseases, and the diagnosis rate was 17.51%. Conclusion: The number of suspected occupational diseases reported in Guangzhou from 2006 to 2018 is large, and the overall diagnosis rate of suspected occupational diseases is low. It is necessary to strengthen the supervision and management of key diseases, key regions, and key industries of suspected occupational diseases. It is suggested that the reporting system of suspected occupational diseases should be standardized as soon as possible.