Strength-based approaches for small businesses: analysis from employees and managers in Western Australian motor vehicle industry

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Small Businesses ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Employee Selection ◽  
Temporary Employment ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Strength Based ◽  
Motor Vehicle Industry ◽  
Western Australian

Purpose The authors wanted to find out if small businesses adopted strengths-based approaches and whether they were beneficial Design/methodology/approach The interviewees came from small businesses in Western Australia with between five and 19 employees in the motor vehicle industry where there are high-value products. There were 30 participants from 17 businesses, including owners, managers and employees, such as technicians, mechanics and tire fitters. Data was gathered using semi-structured face-to-face interviews of about 40 minutes. Findings The researchers found that the managers used an SBA to select employees during periods of temporary employment. But they did not use an SBA for employee selection during interviews, training or performance evaluations. Originality/value The authors said it was the first empirical study of the SBA in small businesses. It had practical lessons for businesses. First, the data suggested poor awareness of SBA by managers and many need practical guidance from small business advisors. Second, managers found it hard to assess strengths and relied on observations. Software tools could help. Finally, the characteristics of small businesses could help them adopt the new approach. These include lots of face-to-face interaction between managers and employees.

The effects of the motor vehicle industry on employment and research innovation in Australia

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 684-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbas Valadkhani ◽  
Russell Smyth
Keyword(s):  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Spillover Effects ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Research ◽  
Australian Economy ◽  
Vehicle Production ◽  
Forward Linkage ◽  
Motor Vehicle Industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the likely economy-wide impacts of the complete shutdown of the motor vehicle industry on output and employment in Australia using the latest input-output (IO) table (2009-2010). Design/methodology/approach – Both supply- and demand-driven IO models are employed to determine the extent, and pattern, of the resulting output and job losses in upstream and downstream industries. An analysis of the first-order field of influence is also conducted to observe how output multipliers in other sectors respond to changes in the self-use-input-requirement of the professional, scientific and technical services (PSTS) industry. Findings – The PSTS industry (with a significant research and development (R & D) component and the highest forward linkage index) would be hardest hit with the collapse of the motor vehicle industry. Research limitations/implications – This paper identifies a number of industries that are more likely to be heavily influenced by the resulting lack of R & D in the PSTS industry in the near future. Unless more funding is allocated to other research and technology-intensive industries, the extinction of the motor vehicle industry, coupled with the recent budgetary cuts for strategic organisations such as the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, can reduce the positive spillover effects of R & D activities on the Australian economy. Originality/value – This is the first study to examine the effects of the shutdown of the motor vehicle industry on employment in Australia. The results also have broader implications for other developed countries that have declining motor vehicle industries. The findings suggest that the global decline in the motor vehicle industry can adversely affect investment in R & D in upstream and downstream industries. More generally, the results suggest that the shift in motor vehicle production to developing countries, will contribute to increased R & D intensity in them at the expense of developed countries.

Exploring decision-making biases among Iranian entrepreneurs: some novel insights

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pouria Nouri
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Illusion Of Control ◽  
Escalation Of Commitment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Control Factors ◽  
Qualitative Thematic Analysis ◽  
The Law ◽  
Decision Making Biases

Purpose Decision-making biases play decisive roles not only in entrepreneurs’ decisions but also in the fate of entrepreneurial businesses. While the extant literature in this regard is relatively rich, it has predominantly focused on certain biases like overconfidence and overoptimism at the expense of other possibly influential biases, which could influence entrepreneurial decisions. Thus, to address this serious research gap, this paper aims to explore four of the less-researched biases of escalation of commitment, the illusion of control, confirmation and the belief in the law of small numbers in entrepreneurial decisions. Design/methodology/approach By taking a qualitative approach, the data for this study were collected through face-to-face interviews with 19 Iranian habitual (experienced) entrepreneurs running small businesses and analyzed by a qualitative thematic analysis. Findings According to the results, the environmental uncertainty, the reluctance to lose face and the experiences of previous failures contributed to the escalation of commitment, while disregard for external factors beyond one’s control caused the illusion of control, factors like prior successful businesses in the same sector, looking for resorts to manage uncertainty, along with the decision to exploit opportunities resulted in the confirmation bias, while the expenses of conducting sweeping pilot tests in the market and the reluctance to reveal a business secret to the competitors were the main contributors of the belief in the law of small numbers. Originality/value This study is a pioneer in scrutinizing four less-researched but important biases in entrepreneurs and, thus extending the line of research in this regard.

New approach to segmenting tourists in a German wine region

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gergely Szolnoki
Keyword(s):  
Sales Volume ◽  
Wine Production ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Homogeneous Groups ◽  
Wine Tourism ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Segmentation Approach ◽  
Wine Region ◽  
First Time

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to use a new segmentation approach based on objective variables to calculate direct tourism-related sales volume and revenue by selling wine at a winery in the Rheingau region of Germany.Design/methodology/approachIn the framework of a 2015 face-to-face survey in the Rheingau, 1,555 tourists were interviewed. For segmentation, two-step clustering was applied to classify survey participants into homogeneous groups. To calculate tourism-related wine sales volume and revenue, a special model based on official statistics and the survey’s results was used.FindingsFour wine-tourist segments were identified by using cluster analysis with objective variables, such as nationality, visiting frequency and volume of wine purchased in the region: wine and Rheingau lovers who have a high interest in wine, wine-oriented tourists who do not come to the region very often, first-time tourists who came to the region mainly because of the nature and history and international tourists. With the help of calculations on tourism-related wine sales volume and revenue, it can be stated that approximately 18 per cent of total wine production will be purchased directly in the region by tourists, valued at €36m.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to existing wine-tourism research because a multi-dimensional segmentation model was applied using objective variables, such as nationality, visiting frequency and volume of wine purchased in the region. Using the calculation of tourism-related sales volume and revenue, winemakers in the Rheingau can gain a clear picture of tourism’s importance.

scholarly journals The prospective applicability of the strengths-based approach to managing and developing employees in small businesses

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chamila Kumudunee Wijekuruppu ◽  
Alan Coetzer ◽  
Pattanee Susomrith
Keyword(s):  
Small Businesses ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Employee Selection ◽  
Task Assignment ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Employee Productivity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Individual Productivity ◽  
And Performance

PurposeThe strength-based approach is promulgated as a management practice that improves individual productivity and performance. This study's purpose is to explore the prospective applicability of the strengths-based approach to managing and developing employees in small businesses. The study focuses on four domains of practice: selection, training, performance evaluation and task assignment.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed semi-structured, face-to-face interviews to obtain data. The units of analysis were managers and employees of small businesses. Eleven managers and 19 employees were interviewed. Data analysis involved thematic analysis with the NVivo 12 software program.FindingsFirst, the small businesses used a strengths-based approach for employee selection during employees' temporary status of employment and in employee task assignment. However, managers did not employ a strengths-based approach to employee selection during selection interviews, training or performance evaluations. Second, the managers perceived strengths identification as a difficult task. Based on personal observations, they perceived employees' positive character traits, job-related skills and work-related efficiency as employee strengths.Practical implicationsThis study informs managers about a potential alternative to the traditional weakness-based management practice. The findings and conceptual arguments suggest that a strengths-based approach can provide a cost-effective alternative to the resource-intensive approaches commonly employed to enhance employee productivity and performance.Originality/valueThe study provides the first empirical evidence on the prospective applicability of the strengths-based approach to small businesses and explores conceptually the suitability of the said approach to this context.

Organizational culture processes for promoting innovation in small businesses

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronen Harel ◽  
Dafna Schwartz ◽  
Dan Kaufmann
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Organizational Innovation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Innovation Culture ◽  
Product And Process Innovation ◽  
Product And Process

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of organizational culture processes aimed at promoting innovation in small businessesDesign/methodology/approachThe empirical study was conducted in Israel on a sample of 202 businesses in face-to-face interviews.FindingsThe study demonstrated that small businesses in the industry sectors that seek to promote innovation must implement processes for developing an innovation culture. Interestingly, these processes contribute mainly to product and process innovation and less to marketing and organizational innovation.Practical implicationsThe study may contribute in a practical manner to assisting small businesses in the development and implementation of appropriate organizational culture processes for promoting innovation, and as a result, contribute to overall economic growth.Originality/valueThis research expands the body of knowledge on organizational culture processes for promoting innovation in this group of businesses, which has rarely been the focus of studies on innovation. The use of face-to-face interviews as a research tool facilitated obtaining knowledge that is generally not readily accessible.

scholarly journals Evaluating policy approaches for tackling informal entrepreneurship

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 595-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioana Alexandra Horodnic ◽  
Colin C. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Informal Economy ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Social Actor ◽  
Actor Model ◽  
Tax Morale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Economic Actor ◽  
Informal Entrepreneurship ◽  
Eastern European Countries

Purpose When tackling the informal economy, an emergent literature has called for the conventional rational economic actor approach (which uses deterrents to ensure that the costs of undeclared work outweigh the benefits) to be replaced or complemented by a social actor approach which focusses upon improving tax morale. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of these two policy approaches in reducing informal sector entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach To evaluate this, data are reported from a 2015 representative survey involving 1,384 face-to-face interviews with owners or managers of small businesses in three South-Eastern European countries, namely, Croatia, Bulgaria and FYR Macedonia. Findings The findings provide support for the “social actor” approach and display that small businesses have a greater propensity to perceive competitors as operating informally when the level of tax morale is lower. Meanwhile, no support for the deterrence measures of the “rational economic actor” model is reported. Research limitations/implications The major limitation of the study is that the paper is not able to display the reasons for the low level of tax morale and horizontal trust. Therefore, further in-depth qualitative research is necessary to explain whether and how the low levels of trust are determined by the failures of various formal institutions. Originality/value This is the first known study on small businesses which analyses simultaneously two distinct policy approaches that aim to reduce participation in informal entrepreneurship.

Cross-country variations in the participation of small businesses in the informal economy

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin C Williams ◽  
Ioana Alexandra Horodnic
Keyword(s):  
Informal Economy ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Informal Institutions ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Formal Institutions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Laws And Regulations ◽  
Civic Morality

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to advance a new explanation for cross-country variations in the participation of small businesses in the informal economy. Drawing upon institutional theory, it proposes that the greater the asymmetry between the codified laws and regulations of formal institutions (state morality) and the unwritten socially shared rules of informal institutions (civic morality), the greater is the propensity of small businesses to participate in the informal economy. To analyse this, the extent to which small businesses evade payroll taxes by paying employees an undeclared (envelope) wage in addition to their official declared salary is analysed. Design/methodology/approach – To evaluate this, data are reported from a 2013 Eurobarometer survey involving 5,174 face-to-face interviews with employees in small businesses across the 28 member states of the European Union (EU-28). Findings – The finding is that small businesses display a greater propensity to engage in this informal wage practice in countries where there is a higher degree of asymmetry between the codified laws and regulations of formal institutions (state morality) and the unwritten socially shared rules of informal institutions (civic morality). A multi-level logistic regression analysis reveals these to be countries which have lower qualities of governance, lower levels of taxation and intervention in the labour market and less effective social transfer systems. Research limitations/implications – The major limitation of this study is that it has only examined whether employees in small businesses receive informal wages. Future cross-country surveys should analyse a wider range of ways in which small businesses participate in the informal economy such as under-reporting turnover. Originality/value – This is the first known analysis of cross-country variations in the participation of small businesses in the informal economy.

The risk of financial fraud: a management perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 1143-1159
Author(s):  
Hafiza Aishah Hashim ◽  
Zalailah Salleh ◽  
Izzati Shuhaimi ◽  
Nurul Ain Najwa Ismail
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Fraud Triangle ◽  
Fraudulent Financial Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Fraud Risk ◽  
Management Perspective ◽  
Apparent Reason ◽  
Triangle Theory

Purpose A number of highly publicised scandals such as Enron, Lehman Brothers, Parmalat, Satyam, Toshiba and 1MDB (to name a few) have heightened the awareness of the effects of fraudulent financial reporting. While enormous measures have been taken to curb the fraudulent activities among large and small businesses, the issues are still alarming worldwide. Thus, this study aims to explore the extent to which the prevalence of fraud risk in state-controlled companies and to enhance understanding of the underlying reasons of the fraudulent activities. Design/methodology/approach As this study is a descriptive and exploratory in nature, an exploratory case study method was used in four state-controlled companies. Using the fraud triangle theory to underpin this study, the qualitative face-to-face interviews were carried out with top management of the companies. Findings The study reveals a high risk of fraud occurrence at state-controlled companies that involve dealing with various suppliers, governments, customers and shareholders, even when standard operating procedures and rules and regulation are in place. The apparent reason for this phenomenon is attributed to not only opportunities but also incentives and rationalisations in engaging fraudulent activities. Originality/value As there are relatively few qualitative studies conducted in this area specifically among Malaysian state-controlled companies, this study extends the fraud literature by examining risk exposure and reasons underlying the fraudulent activities. The findings demonstrate that to a certain extent, the fraud triangle theory explains the motivations behind the fraudulent activities. The finding from this study is relevant to regulators, investors, companies and academicians in understanding, preventing and combating fraud.

Strength-based coaching: making the case for its adoption in small businesses

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 6-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Coetzer ◽  
Janice Redmond ◽  
Vern Bastian
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Work Roles ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Context ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Strength Based

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to make the case that owner-managers of small businesses should consider using strength-based coaching as a key element of their performance management and learning and development endeavours because small businesses are potentially well-suited to this type of developmental intervention. Design/methodology/approach – In making the case, we draw on literature primarily in four areas: performance management, positive psychology, strength-based management and small business management. The case for adopting strength-based coaching is also underpinned by the practical insights of an experienced small business manager. Findings – The informal internal organisation found in most small businesses makes the small business context potentially well-suited to strength-based coaching. In particular, the informal characteristic of small businesses promotes close working relationships between owner-managers and employees and broadly defines work roles. Such a work context is conducive to strength-based coaching that involves owner-managers capitalising on the unique abilities of each employee by redefining work roles to fit employees’ strengths. Practical implications – Using strength-based coaching to align employees’ strengths with the work of the small business should have positive effects on the key variables of individual and collective performance and ultimately business results. These variables of performance are employee ability, motivation and opportunity to perform. Originality/value – After database searching, it seems that there is no previous work that has examined the potential efficacy of strength-based coaching in a small business context. The paper has value for small business managers who are seeking practical guidance on how to improve their current approaches to both managing employee performance and fostering the learning and development of the staff.

Sharing knowledge processes for promoting innovation in small businesses

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronen Harel ◽  
Dafna Schwartz ◽  
Dan Kaufmann
Keyword(s):  
Small Businesses ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Organizational Innovation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Knowledge Processes ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Industry Sectors ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the contribution of sharing knowledge processes aimed at promoting innovation in small businesses.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical study was conducted in Israel on a sample of 202 businesses in face-to-face interviews.FindingsThe study demonstrated that small businesses in the industry sectors that seek to promote innovation must implement processes for sharing knowledge. Interestingly, these processes contribute mainly to product, marketing and organizational innovation and less to process innovation.Practical implicationsThe study may contribute in a practical manner to assisting small businesses in the development and implementation of appropriate sharing knowledge processes for promoting innovation, and as a result, contribute to overall economic growth.Originality/valueThis study enriches the body of knowledge on managerial processes and on sharing knowledge processes for promoting innovation in this group of businesses, which has rarely been the focus of studies on innovation. The use of face-to-face interviews as a research tool facilitated obtaining knowledge that is generally not readily accessible.

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