Are growth-oriented SMEs more likely to adopt market and brand orientations?

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 250-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Reijonen ◽  
Szandra Párdányi ◽  
Sasu Tuominen ◽  
Tommi Laukkanen ◽  
Raija Komppula
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Firm Growth ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Capital Adequacy ◽  
Brand Orientation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Orientations ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Intention Group

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how SMEs with varying growth intentions differ from each other with regard to market orientation and brand orientation. Both of these strategic orientations are seen to lead to enhanced market performance. Consequently, the authors investigate whether those small firms that regard growth as an important goal have adopted market or brand orientation. Design/methodology/approach – Responses from 492 SMEs were analysed. They were clustered into four groups according to their growth intentions. These groups included firms that have low growth intention, capital adequacy growth intention, expansion growth intention and high growth intention. ANOVA was used to explore whether these groups differed in their market or brand orientation. Findings – The results indicate that the higher growth intention group the SME belonged to the more market and brand oriented it is. The biggest differences between the SMEs were found with regards to brand orientation. Research limitations/implications – The findings suggest that SMEs have acknowledged the positive effect of market and brand orientations on firm growth, thus highlighting the importance of supporting growth-oriented SMEs in their quest to become more market or brand oriented. Originality/value – The study sheds more light on the little researched themes of market and brand orientations in the context of SMEs. It also offers insights into how growth intentions affect the adoption of different strategic orientations.

Controlling volatility but not growth: firms’ strategic orientations

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 5-7
Author(s):  
Safal Batra
Keyword(s):  
Market Orientation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Technological Changes ◽  
Organizational Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Orientations ◽  
Growth Firms ◽  
Growth Volatility ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose While a lot is known about organizational growth, little is understood about how to manage volatility that comes along with growth. This paper, using existing research in this area and the empirical findings of a study by Moreno et al. (2014), offers crucial insights about managing volatility for firms trying to grow at the pace of technological changes. An attempt is made to highlight the differences of growth and volatility in a language that is easily comprehensible to practitioners. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on existing literature in the area of growth and on author’s personal interactions with the founders of small firms. Findings In this paper, it is argued that firm’s strategic orientations can be used as a contingency of growth–volatility relationship. In other words, firms with a strong entrepreneurial and market orientation are positioned to benefit from the pursuit of growth while still keeping the issues of volatility in control. Practical implications By clearly elucidating the concept of volatility and growth, the paper helps practitioners in finding ways of benefiting from growth and controlling unnecessary volatility. Originality/value This paper is among the limited research attempts addressing the concept of volatility. The finding that growth and volatility are inter-linked but different can be used effectively by practitioners.

Boosting the financial performance of B2B SMEs

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 32-34
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Brand Orientation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Outcomes ◽  
External Communication ◽  
Brand Credibility ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings SMEs operating in the B2B context are able to boost financial outcomes by adopting a branding approach. Strong brand orientation and an emphasis on internal and external communication increases awareness and the brand credibility that can ultimately enhance business and financial performance. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Unveiling the growth process: entrepreneurial growth and the use of external resources

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Furlan ◽  
Roberto Grandinetti ◽  
Adriano Paggiaro
Keyword(s):  
Firm Growth ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Business Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Resources ◽  
External Relationships ◽  
Entrepreneurial Growth ◽  
Over Time

Purpose – Business research and entrepreneurship literature typically examines external resources as input or output of entrepreneurial (or high) growth. The purpose of this paper is to combine these two perspectives in describing and modeling high growth. Design/methodology/approach – The study tests the hypotheses on a sample of medium-sized, established manufacturing firms using structural equation modeling. Findings – Results provide original contributions to the business research on firm growth and entrepreneurship. They are consistent with studies advocating the importance of adopting a process perspective when studying business growth to probe the causal mechanisms behind growth. Research limitations/implications – Being quantitative, this study does not address the dynamic interdependencies between proprietary and hybrid growth. However, the literature on entrepreneurship would benefit from qualitative studies that explore how successful and sustainable growth processes combine the two modes of growth. Originality/value – Findings partially discard the input and output approach in favor of a vision of entrepreneurial growth as a process that unfolds over time with the development of external relationships. Only the process of collaboration, a core competence of entrepreneurial firms, reduces information asymmetries and agency problems, thus turning the corresponding inter-organizational relationships into formidable feeders of firm growth. Entrepreneurial growth is in fact a process that needs external relationships in order to flourish over time.

scholarly journals High-growth firms and scale-ups: a review and research agenda

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-111
Author(s):  
Guilherme Fowler A. Monteiro
Keyword(s):  
Research Agenda ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Levels Of Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Growth Firms ◽  
Different Levels

Purpose This paper aims to conduct an extensive review and advances a framework for the literature of high-growth firms (HGFs) and scale-ups. Design/methodology/approach This paper takes the form of a literature review. Findings The author makes three specific contributions. First, he presents a broad review of high growth in firms, shedding light on the different levels of analysis. Second, he advances a characterization of scale-up companies to enable a better basis for discussion. Finally, he identifies gaps in the existing literature and suggest paths for future research. Originality/value The interest in HGFs and those referred to as scale-ups has increased considerably in recent years. Despite this trend, existing studies still have conceptual divergences and a gap separating theoretical inputs from the actual experiences of entrepreneurs.

Lessons from Thailand: universal healthcare achievements and challenges

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 387-401
Author(s):  
Ravikan Nonkhuntod ◽  
Suchuan Yu
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare System ◽  
Healthcare Utilization ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Selection Criterion ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Universal Healthcare ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Small Positive Effect

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the successes of Thailand’s healthcare system along with challenges it is facing, examining documents and policies used by those charged with developing and implementing health services. Design/methodology/approach The search pool comprised PubMed and Google Scholar from the period 2001-2015. Selection criterion for inclusion was sources dealing with out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure and healthcare utilization in Thailand. In total, 33 studies met the criterion of containing sufficient data to be included in the meta-analysis. Findings The authors found a small positive effect size on OOP expenditure and healthcare utilization, obtaining values of 0.1604 (95% CI 0.1320-0.1888, p<0.0001) and 0.2788 (95% CI 0.0917-0.4659, p=0.0035), respectively. Originality/value To review and meta-analyze the literature dealing with the outcomes of Thailand’s healthcare system to understand whether Thailand’s healthcare system is achieving its mandate or not. The results of this paper can help policy makers to understand and evaluate Thailand’s healthcare system.

What does the new 2011-12 IIP series tell about the Indian manufacturing sector?

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-106
Author(s):  
Radhika Pandey ◽  
Amey Sapre ◽  
Pramod Sinha
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Industrial Output ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Annual Survey ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
Indian Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to discuss the changes in the new 2011-12 base year series of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) to determine whether the new series has improved the understanding of the growth in the manufacturing sector. Design/methodology/approach This paper develops a simple framework to separately estimate the contribution of value- and volume-based commodities in the growth of the manufacturing index. The authors present a case study by analysing the growth performance of IIP drugs and pharmaceuticals sector by comparing it with real net sales of a common sample of firms in this segment. Findings The authors find that growth in value-based commodities contributes significantly in moving the index in either direction, and that high growth in value-based commodities coincides with periods of low inflation. On comparability, using real net sales as an alternate indicator of industrial output for the pharmaceuticals sector, the authors find that IIP and real net sales show contrasting trends, thereby raising issues of reliability. The authors also find that the IIP shows a disconnect with growth rates from Annual Survey of Industries for several industries. Practical implications The divergence between two measures of industrial activity raises crucial questions on the representativeness of the IIP. Originality/value The study builds a framework to separately estimate the contribution of value- and volume-based commodities in the growth of the manufacturing index.

Tax aggressiveness and sustainable welfare: the roles of corruption and tax allocation inefficiency

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid Rudyanto ◽  
Sidharta Utama ◽  
Dwi Martani ◽  
Desi Adhariani
Keyword(s):  
Public Choice ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tax Aggressiveness ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Sustainability Issue ◽  
Private Investments ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the roles of corruption and tax allocation inefficiency in moderating the effect of tax aggressiveness on sustainable welfare. Design/methodology/approach This research uses a fixed-effect multiple regression analysis for 55,438 firm-year observations covering 22 countries from 2007 to 2017. Findings For less (more) tax-aggressive observations, corruption and tax allocation inefficiency strengthen the negative (positive) effect of tax aggressiveness on sustainable welfare. The results are in line with public choice and functionalism theories that suggest that private investments can increase welfare when governments are dysfunctional. Practical implications This paper shows that the effect of tax aggressiveness on sustainable welfare depends on tax aggressiveness, corruption and tax allocation inefficiency. Social implications This paper implies that governments should reduce their corruption levels and increase tax allocation efficiency because private investments are ineffective in the long run. Originality/value Because of increasing awareness of sustainability issue, sustainable welfare is considered more relevant than traditional welfare. Hence, empirical studies on the effect of tax aggressiveness on sustainable welfare are crucial. This paper adds the literature by combining public choice and functionalism theories to investigate the moderating roles of corruption and tax allocation inefficiency in this issue.

Innovation affecting growth aspirations of early stage entrepreneurs: culture and economic freedom matter

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehrzad Saeedikiya ◽  
Jizhen Li ◽  
Shayegheh Ashourizadeh ◽  
Serdar Temiz
Keyword(s):  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Economic Freedom ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entrepreneurial Growth ◽  
Positive Effect

Purpose Earlier research confirms the positive effect of innovation in shaping growth ambitions of entrepreneurs. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether the effect of innovation on growth ambitions of entrepreneurs is contingent on the role of institutions, namely, culture and economic freedom. In other words, the authors’ objective is to provide an institutionally contingent understanding of the role of innovation in shaping growth ambitions of early-stage entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach The authors applied hierarchical linear modeling technique on the data of 100,566 early-stage entrepreneurs in 109 countries that participated in annual surveys of Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. Findings The authors find that the effect of innovation on shaping growth ambitions of early stage entrepreneurs is contingent on the role of culture such that, in secular cultures, innovation benefits growth ambitions more than traditional cultures. Further, the authors found that the effect of innovation on growth expectations is dependent on the level of economic freedom in the country in which the firms operate so that in the countries with higher level of economic freedom, early-stage entrepreneurs expect more growth out of their innovation as compared to their counterparts in the depressed economies. Originality/value The results contribute to our understanding of entrepreneurial growth aspirations as a result of the interplay of entrepreneur–firm–environment nexus.

Confronting the unprecedented: micro and small businesses in the age of coronavirus disease 2019

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Bressan ◽  
Abel Duarte Alonso ◽  
Seng Kiat Kok
Keyword(s):  
Small Businesses ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Theory Of Planned Behaviour ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Wine Industry ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Stakeholders

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand how micro and small firms are navigating through the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) threat, and the alternatives they are implementing to coexist with the ongoing crisis. To this end, Italy's socioeconomically and traditionally significant wine industry is examined. The study considers insights of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and develops a theoretical framework, which proposes various emerging theoretical dimensions, including proactiveness, support-reliance and resourcefulness.Design/methodology/approachWinery owners–managers were contacted and invited to partake in the study completing an online questionnaire. Overall, 167 useable responses were collected.FindingsWhile facing the loss of vital income through decreasing demand and exports, participants resort to exploiting various initiatives, including “reinventing” their firms. Their observations also recognise the vital supporting role of various key stakeholders, first and foremost family members, as well as clients and staff. Concerning how owners-managers envision managing their firm post-COVID-19, two predominant groups are identified, one strongly favouring modern-day alternatives, and the second committing to the firm's traditional business model. Overall, the different predictors of the TPB, namely attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control emerged.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first that empirically analyses micro and small firms in a socioeconomically and traditionally significant industry during an unprecedented event. In addition, the proposed theoretical framework provides a roadmap and guide to examine, understand and assimilate the entrepreneurial journey through a devastating event.

Guanxi orientation, value creation and value capture in buyer-supplier relationships: a dyadic perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Sojung Lee ◽  
Weiguo Zhong
Keyword(s):  
Value Creation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
The Other ◽  
Matched Sample ◽  
Value Capture ◽  
Supplier Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Investments ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Positive Effect

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the importance and prevalence of Guanxi in business interactions in network-based societies such as China, few studies have the phenomenon from a dyadic view. In a business dyad, one partner may not value Guanxi and take it as a template for actions as the other does. Design/methodology/approach The authors propose that such collective and asymmetric Guanxi orientation influence both the creation and distribution of relational rent in a Guanxi dyad. Furthermore, relationship-specific investments (RSIs) moderate the relationship between dyadic Guanxi orientation and relational rent creation and distribution. Findings Based on a matched sample of supplier-buyer dyads in China, the authors find that joint Guanxi orientation is positively related to joint pie creation, whereas Guanxi orientation imbalance has a positive effect on the pie distribution imbalance. Originality/value These results contribute to the literature by revealing how dyadic Guanxi dynamics and practices affect dyadic performance and providing managers with meaningful implications for dyadic Guanxi management.

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