Strategy For SMEs Research Articles

Uncertainty, Generic Strategy, Strategic Clarity, and Performance of Retail SMEs in Peru, Argentina, and the United States

This study examines the links among perceived environmental uncertainty, generic strategy, strategic clarity, and performance in small and medium‐sized enterprises in the retail industry in rgentina, eru, and the nited tates. Moderate support was found for links between the defender strategy and competitive uncertainty, the prospector strategy and technology uncertainty, and the analyzer strategy and market uncertainty. In all three nations, businesses with high and low strategic clarity—the extent to which a single generic strategy reflects the organization's strategic intent—outperformed those with moderate strategic clarity. Differences across nations are addressed, and future research opportunities are elaborated.

A Study on the Relationship among Technological Innovation, Competitive Strategy, and Market Orientation of SMEs

A Study on the Relationship among Technological Innovation, Competitive Strategy, and Market Orientation of SMEs

Clustering recent trends in the open innovation literature for SME strategy improvements

The literature on Open Innovation is booming. In recent years, more and more contributions have been published in several scientific reviews. This increasing trend calls for an approach that could lead to a classification of the specificities of these contribution contents. This is what this paper aims to do. More specifically, our goal is to provide not a simple catalogue of the hundreds of articles published in this field, but rather it tries by cluster analysis a classification of the most important key features of the typical articles published in the field of Open Innovation, with a specific focus on implemented methods in SMEs. Notwithstanding the limitations of our attempt, the cluster analysis results provide a reference paradigm to compare existing as well as future contributions and add new insights. This paper highlights how a path dependence approach in the literature has influenced the companies Open Innovation implementation, but some recent attempts at overcoming this process are arising. This recent trend focuses on SMEs as the real key challenge.

Marketing Strategies and the Difference Level of Sales and Profits Performance of the Batik SMEs in Malaysia

In this research, the business owners of batik SMEs were analyzed on their marketing strategies. The objective is to examine if the marketing strategies of high performance batik SMEs differently from low performance batik SMEs. The high and low performance batik SMEs were categorized based on their annual sales and profits for three consecutive years. For this purposes, the questionnaires were distributed among 186 batik business owners in Malaysia. The data collected were then analyzed using Mann-Whitney U Test and Chi-Square Test. The result found that the high sales and profits performers are not only focused in local market, but they expand their sales out-of their states. For high sales performers, they are frequently advertised their businesses and using various promotional tools. Hence, efforts should be made by the low performers to find and expand their sales outside of their states, advertise their businesses more frequently and not only depends on personal network as promotional tools. Using various promotional tools especially media, could help in increasing sales. The conclusion is that the way of how the business owners market their products impact the performance of the firms. By identifying the marketing strategies of high performance batik SMEs, this research will provide batik entrepreneurs some guidance and will help low performers identify their weaknesses by comparing the marketing strategies practiced by high performers.

Employee Perception of Strategic HRM Practices in SMEs of Manufacturing Sector in India - A Study

Global competitive nature of business, forced even thie small scale industries in India to be highly dynamic and competitive, forcing the Indian companies to make a introspective thinking, to assess their strengths and weaknesses against that of the global players. Increasing competition, locally and globally call for organizations to be more adaptable, resilient, agile, and customer-focused to succeed. In this scenario. Human Resource aspects in Small and Medium Enterprises requires a different focus altogether, f^any previous studies on small businesses rank HRM practices as the second most important management activity next to general management. But do SMEs give due importance in aligning HR with SME strategy? Small Scale Industries (SSI) is one of the significant segments of the Indian economy, contributing about 9 per cent to the Indian GDP and providing employment to over 65 million people and its success. Human Resource Management (HRM) coupled with innovation are key parameters in development of an individual as well as of an organization. Now the challenges of organization is basically about integration and adaptations and that is the core of strategic Human resource Management (SHRM). There can be several reasons of dissatisfaction with pay HR policies and practices, lack of hygiene factors, employee loyalty issues, and the like. Therefore these strategic HR issues in SMEs are analysed in this paper. This paper highlights the internal challenge to business owners and entrepreneurs and encourages to focus their vision to be propelled by clearly defined goals which are communicated to their teams.

CAMIF, an SME Repositioning Its Line as Sustainable Development Products

The purpose of this article is to review the application of Sustainable Development (SD) in the marketing strategies of French firms, and to show how one SME, CAMIF, has repositioned its product line around SD. Although SD policies in France are now driven by rising demands from lawmakers and consumers alike, their application has not yet become a central feature of the strategies of major companies and SMEs. In this regard, the innovative repositioning of CAMIF around fair and responsible value is found to be consistent with the firm’s values, and permeates its marketing mix.

MODEL INTEGRASI DALAM RESOURCES-BASED VIEW UNTUK PENERAPAN STRATEGI BERSAING DAN PENCAPAIAN KINERJA USAHA

This study develops a model of integration which refers to the RBV of the firm to understand the control of strategic resources and entrepreneurial orientation as a basis for aligning competitive strategy in a dynamic environment and improved business performance. The results of SEM analysis of survey data as many as 153 export-oriented SMEs in Bali proved that the combination of strategic resources and entrepreneurial orientation is the underlying strategic instrument to implement the competitive strategy of SMEs, so as to improve or enhance its competitive position. A better competitive position of SMEs obtained, being able to align the dynamics of the business environment faced, and delivering SME to achieve improved business performance. If SMEs do not implement competitive strategy is based on the integration of strategic resources and entrepreneurial orientation, the dynamic environment encountered can inhibit or decrease the achievement of business performance.

Modeling of Risk Management Strategies for SMEs Using ANN under Various Levels of Operational Risks

In competitive world, it becomes essential for the firms to consider the risks and uncertainties as the core concerns. To control the risks, various strategies like multiple sourcing, horizontal/ vertical integrations, buffer stocks etc are employed. But, out of many available risk mitigation strategies, SMEs usually prefer to keep excess safety stocks to manage the operational risks as they have feeble control and position in supply chain as well as limited means to employ other strategies, which requires skills and resources. Keeping appropriate safety stocks becomes a very complex and crucial problem for SMEs as excess stocks reduces the efficiency and shortage of it may make their position vulnerable in supply chains. Concerning to this issue, this paper focuses on operational risks with SME perspectives and explores the appropriate safety inventory levels using artificial neural network models and the results are further simulated with various settings of risk scenarios.

Success strategies of SMEs in the creative sector in Malaysia: a case study of Les Copaque

The creative sector has been acknowledged by the Malaysian government as a major driver in the transformation of economies. Although the Malaysian government recognises the importance of nurturing the creative sector and has provided a range of facilities, the onus is on the firms to take advantage of these facilities. Hence, in this paper, a case study of a pioneer animation production company Les Copaque is presented drawing insights on their approach for sustaining performance in a challenging sector by leveraging on government facilities and through effective Intellectual Property (IP) management strategies. This paper looks at how the process Malaysian pioneering animation production company, Les Copaque overcame the technological and market challenges in the creative industries. Specifically, Les Copaque's strategies for managing its IP and resources by (a) leveraging on government provided facilities specifically for financial assistance and distribution of its products and (b) selective IP protection strategies.

Innovation Strategy of SMEs in Japan

Innovation Strategy of SMEs in Japan

The commercialisation decisions of research-based spin-off: Targeting the market for technologies

This paper addresses the commercialisation decisions of research-based spin-off firms (RBSOs), focusing on the case of companies specialising in the production and sale of intellectual property—a model of entrepreneurial behaviour increasingly frequent in science-based fields and that research-based spin-offs may be more prone to adopt, given their specific characteristics. Combining insights from the economics of technological change and the strategic management of technology literature, we discuss the conditions that can influence firms' ability to operate in the market for technology, and advance some theory-driven hypotheses regarding key factors that are likely to determine it – nature of knowledge being exploited, appropriability conditions, location and degree of control upon complementary assets and institutional setting of origin – as well as their impact upon firms' decisions. These hypotheses are tested on a group of 80 European RBSOs, using data collected specifically for this purpose, on the basis of questionnaire-based interviews. This research adds to recent work on the determinants of the commercialisation strategy of technology-based SMEs, but by focusing on a particular group of companies – the RBSOs – we also take into consideration some distinctive characteristics of this group, which introduce some specificity in their innovative behaviour.

Entrepreneurial FDI in Emerging Economies: Russian SME Strategy for Brazil

Brazil is perceived by potential investors not only as a country of samba, carnival and beaches, but also as the land of growth and development. Using the example of KGK Global, a small enterprise in the field of technology-intensive services, this case study examines why Russian investors go to Brazil and what kind of obstacles they may face there.

Do SMEs need to strategize?

PurposeThe study is prompted by the fact that most SMEs may not have the wherewithal or the willingness to devote time and resources to strategy formulation but are focused to reconsider this position by the pressures of globalization.Design/methodology/approachThrough a literature survey, a model suitable for SMEs is identified. An application of the selected model is presented. Applicability of strategic tools such as ERP in SMEs is examined. A case of a company, which has implemented ERP is analyzed.FindingsSMEs need strategy but the strategy depends on the complexity of the process. The case study points to the need for top management support and commitment.Research limitations/implicationsIt is difficult to get financial data from individual SMEs as most SMEs are proprietorship concerns.Practical implicationsFor countries, which are labor surplus, study on SMEs which are not capital intensive but create employment, has practical and social implication.Originality/valueThis paper attempts at filling research gaps on competitive strategies for SMEs.

From Managing Informational Asymmetries Towards a Systemic Asymmetries Approach in Technology Transfer: A Theory Based on the SME Strategy at ONERA - The French Aerospace Lab

The technology transfer process between a public laboratory and a company has been the subject of many publications and has been widely discussed in economic theory. This paper highlights several newly identified asymmetries occurring between the different agents taking part in the process.The theoretical corpus of the article draws upon empirical sources, being based on the recent experience of one of the most dynamic Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) in France: the case of ONERA (the National Office for Aerospace Studies and Research) and the SMEs. In such a cooperative innovation process, we will show that certain collaborative tools or practices emerge, aimed at reducing information asymmetries or acting as compensation mechanisms for other types of asymmetries between the partners at a microeconomic level; especially in France where there is a gap between the public R&D laboratories and the SMEs in terms of Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). Some of these compensation mechanisms, particularly those related to the knowledge management, could be adapted and reshaped for agents engaged in R&D and innovation in various other sectors, perhaps inducing positive amplification effects on innovation behavior, and thereby on economic growth at the macroeconomic level within the “national innovation system”.

Exploring the complementarity between innovation and export for SMEs’ growth

In this paper, we advance and test the idea that innovation and export are complementary strategies for SMEs’ growth. We argue that innovation and export positively reinforce each other in a dynamic virtuous circle, and we identify and describe the process through which this complementarity relationship takes place. Participating in export markets can promote firms’ learning, and thus enhance innovation performance. At the same time, through innovation, firms can enter new geographical markets with novel and better products, therefore making exports more successful, and, by the same token, they can also improve the quality – and consequently increase the sales – of the products sold domestically. We test our theory using an unbalanced panel of Spanish manufacturing firms over the period 1990–1999. We find robust empirical support for our hypothesis: consistent with the presence of complementarity, we show that the positive effect of innovation activity on firms’ growth rate is higher for firms that also engage in exports, and vice versa. Furthermore, we show that, Ceteris paribus, firms’ adoption of one growth strategy (e.g., entering export markets) positively influences the adoption of the other (e.g., innovation).

An investigation of marketing strategy, business environment and performance of construction SMEs in China

The research investigates how construction SMEs in China competes for success via the use of marketing strategy in the post-WTO era. The research integrates the environmental management perspective, strategic choice approach and resourced-based view which have emerged in the literature related to marketing strategy. Atheoretical framework is developed to examine the relationship among marketing strategy, business environment and performance of construction SMEs in China. The conceptual framework proposes that construction SMEs’ performance is critically dependent on three key constructs: competitive marketing strategy, relationship marketing strategy and business environment. Based on data collected from construction SMEs in China, the empirical findings of the study have confirmed the importance of marketing differentiation, innovation and Guanxi to achieve their superior performance. Moreover, there is a negative relationship between competitive pressure and construction SMEs’ performance. This research would contribute to the existing academic theory and advance research on SMEs in transitional economy. Similarly, this research has implications for practice. The research findings help SMEs’ managers in that the effective use of marketing strategies could help them gain competitive advantage and achieve superior performance. Key words: SMEs, China, marketing strategy, business environment, performance.

Identification of domains for a new conceptual model of strategic entrepreneurship using the configuration approach

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to structure and synthesize the existing scholarly works in the young and emerging field of “strategic entrepreneurship” (SE) as well as to develop a theoretical model, thereby contributing to further theory‐building.Design/methodology/approachAs the results of a review of extant literature, four different elementary domains conceptualizing SE on the basis of the configuration approach could be identified: the strategy, the entrepreneur, the environment and the structure and resources of the firm.FindingsThe SE model contributes to the understanding of how firms can create value. It has been shown beforehand that the configuration approach is suitable for strategic management as well as for entrepreneurship in the sense of new venture creation and arguably can be transferred to the larger level of SME strategy as well.Research limitations/implicationsWith the four dimensions of SE, this paper has so far only been able to deliver a starting point for further research which (empirically) investigates their interplay and attempts to derive “optimal configurations” of the dimensions, e.g. with regard to different firm sizes and environmental conditions. This empirical part is still outstanding.Practical implicationsThe major managerial implication of the SE approach is the possibility to develop more entrepreneurial and innovative thinking, especially in SMEs and young ventures. This stands in contrast with classical strategic management approaches, which characteristically emphasize administrative management and focus on day‐to‐day business.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to model SE by using the configuration approach, thereby providing a solid theoretical foundation for future empirical research.

Low-Carbon Strategy with Chinese SMEs

Abstract The paper analyzes the worldwide trend of development low-carbon economy, and points out when facing lowcarbon economy all enterprises have market opportunities. Then this paper researches that Chinese SMEs have necessity and possibility to implement low-carbon strategy. At last the paper points out seven counter measures of implementing low-carbon strategy for Chinese SMEs.

Internationalisation strategies for SMEs in the decade ahead: are our theories relevant?

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that different theoretical approaches are required for the internationalisation of SMEs. A comparison is madeof existing theories and approaches with the actual behaviour of SMEs. The paper calls into question the relevance for SMEs of established theories of internationalisation derived from large scale surveys involving MNCs in developed countries. The finding is that internationalisation of SMEs requires different strategies based on approaches which are emic rather than etic and are holistic. This is required if SMEs are to compete effectively in both developing as well as developed overseas markets. SMEs must factor into their internationalisation strategies the specific requirements of each market with a focus on the potential consumer and adopt a portfolio approach to internationalisation spanning a number of such markets.

Financial Support System and Strategy of SMEs in the Incubation Based on Business Life Cycle

SMEs in the incubation are the main innovation of a nation, and the new product is not without SMEs technology innovation. It is not only the theoretical but also practical significance that SMEs in the Incubation develop strongly for economic growth and technology innovation, but as the normal SMEs, they also face the financial support difficulty or more others. This paper analyses the financial demand characters of SMEs in the incubation based on the theory of business life cycle. The conclusion is that different development phases need different financial support because SMEs in the incubation face different financial cycles. The financial support system is set up to fit the cycle needs of SMEs in the incubation, and then the suggestions are illustrated. The results can be the reference for the problems of financial support for SMEs in the incubation.