The Informational Needs of the Small Firm Engaged in International Dealings

1983 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 24-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. Seely ◽  
Harvey J. Iglarsh
Keyword(s):  
Data Acquisition ◽  
Federal Government ◽  
Small Firm ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
International Market ◽  
Informational Needs ◽  
Foreign Markets ◽  
Trade Associations

The small firm considering international operations must devote substantial time and resources to collecting information about potential foreign markets. This article identifies the information needs of small businesses, examines sources of this information, including the Federal government, trade associations, and trading companies, and proposes strategies by which small firms can approach the problem of international market data acquisition.

Information and the Small Manufacturing Firm

1982 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-6 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Small Firm ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Market Place ◽  
Employment Opportunities ◽  
Business World ◽  
Manufacturing Firm

There has been a dramatic increase in interest in small businesses in Britain in recent years. The growing concern with the creation of employment opportunities has produced a marked shift in political philosophy, and the amount of assistance available to help small businesses has increased substantially. Apart from assistance for small firms, the pace of change in the business world has increased considerably in other directions also. New markets, materials and processes; increasing rates and taxes; volatile and more expensive labour; greater mobility of suppliers and customers — all these and more combine to present rapidly changing trading conditions. No longer can the manager rely on his own experience to arrive at optimum decisions. He must turn to sources of information and advice outside the firm. New and young firms especially are struggling to establish themselves in the market place, but even the older firms are finding conditions so changeable that new plans and products are continually needed to maintain a stable trading position. The report “Information And The Small Manufacturing Firm”, a summary of which follows, represents the results of a two-year search for answers to the following questions: (1) Are small businesses aware of the various sources of assistance, and do they receive the information they need? (2) Does the small firm have the information it needs? (3) Or is there a communication gap which places the small firm at a disadvantage? Additionally, the research produced substantive insights into the information needs of small firms.

Towards the Underlying Theories of Small Firm Growth: A Literature Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 231971452110496
Author(s):  
Nusrat Hafiz ◽  
Ahmad Shaharudin Abdul Latiff ◽  
Md Asadul Islam ◽  
Abu Naser Mohammad Saif ◽  
Sazali Abd Wahab
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Small Firm ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Firm Growth ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Management Perspective ◽  
Small Business Growth

As a pre-condition for the economic growth of a country, the concept of firm growth has emerged as a critical strategic issue for small businesses from the strategic management perspective. While some literature reviews have been conducted on small firm growth, a comprehensive review of theories emphasizing the association of intangible resources with the growth of small firms has not been conducted. This study aims to provide a literature review of extant theoretical perspectives of small businesses literature. For the review, materials are collected and extracted from various online databases, and results are analysed using classifier variables. Five theories of firm growth, namely, the resource-based theory, knowledge-based theory, dynamic capabilities theory, upper echelon theory and resource-dependency theory, are selected to review, associating the present research aim. The theories are compared using key attributes and outcomes. A clear direction towards an optimum theory to underpin the small firms’ growth has been provided from a resource-management perspective. By validating various theoretical perspectives to explain small business growth, the present study provides first-hand insights for managers to formulate strategies and creates a cornerstone for future empirical studies.

What Export Trading Companies Mean to Small Business

1984 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 56-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles R. Stoner ◽  
Rajinder S. Arora
Keyword(s):  
International Trade ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
International Market ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Social ◽  
Market Opportunities ◽  
Economic Well Being

Although international trade is essential to the social and economic well-being of our country as well as to our domestic employment situation, relatively few domestic firms are actively involved in exporting. The need and opportunities for international trade are present for small firms. Export Trading Companies may provide the necessary support for small firms to realize their international market opportunities. This paper defines the role of export trading companies and explores their impact on the activities of a typical small business. The attitudes of small businesses toward exporting and the relationships between Export Trading Companies and its member firms are explored.

UNDERSTANDING SMALL BUSINESS STRATEGY: A GROUNDED THEORY STUDY ON SMALL FIRMS IN THE E.U. STATE OF MALTA

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (03) ◽  
pp. 287-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALEXANDER RIZZO ◽  
HEATHER FULFORD
Keyword(s):  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Small Firm ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Grounded Theory Research ◽  
Competitive Behaviour ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Theory Research

The common argument for the small business is that there simply is no strategy; that small businesses react heuristically to events, guided by the whims and passions of the owner-manager. Strategy, however, can be looked at from a behavioural perspective, as opposed to the more normative strategic planning schools that small firms rarely abide by. This concept of strategy as 'behaviour' encompasses the actions of the owner-manager, the context of the small firm, and the consequences of the actions taken. It looks at strategy as part deliberate and part emergent, allowing for the inclusion of both external influences and internal decision making. Grounded theory research on small firms in Malta has in fact shown strategy to be a dynamic phenomenon, one that can be viewed as a set of defined pathways between identifiable life cycle states. The paper shall outline the research findings that have identified five distinct patterns of small firm strategic behaviour, each with its own unique trajectory and performance implications. Understanding which strategic pathway a small firm belongs to allows for a comprehensive insight into the firm's competitive behaviour, and a prediction of the consequences of that behaviour.

scholarly journals Getting a Foot in the Door: Small-Firm Credit and Interest Group Politics in the Netherlands, 1900–1927

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-37
Author(s):  
RUBEN PEETERS
Keyword(s):  
Small Firm ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
Financial Infrastructure ◽  
History Of ◽  
Interest Group Politics ◽  
Group Politics ◽  
The Government

This article explores the link between the history of small-firm associations and the development of Dutch financial infrastructure geared toward small firms. In particular, it tests Verdier’s thesis about the origins of state banking using an in-depth case study of the Dutch small-firm movement. This article shows that Dutch small-firm associations did not simply became politically relevant and use their power to lobby for state banking, but rather used the topic of insufficient access to credit to rally support, mobilize members, and obtain subsidies from the government. During this associational process, they had to navigate local contexts and power structures that, in turn, also shaped the financial system. State banking was initially not demanded by small firms, but arose as the result of failed experiments with subsidized banking infrastructure and a changing position of the government on how to intervene in the economy.

scholarly journals The Impact of Coercive Pressures on Sustainability Practices of Small Businesses in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reginald Masocha ◽  
Olawale Fatoki
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Isomorphic Pressures

The study sought to examine the role that coercive isomorphic pressures play in the sustainable development practices by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The survey research approach was utilised in the research through 222 self-administered questionnaires distributed to SME owners and managers. The structural equation modelling (SEM) method was utilised to analyse the data through the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) method in Amos Version 24 software. Major findings in this study are that coercive isomorphic pressures have a significant impact on all the three dimensions of sustainable development which are economic, environmental and social. The implications are that government, environmental pressure groups and other stakeholders need to take into consideration the coercive pressures such as laws and regulations in pressuring small businesses to enhance sustainability practices. The research contributes by unearthing the extent to which coercive pressures impact the behaviour and practices of SMEs in sustainability practices. The study indicates that eventually small firms are expected to behave the same when it comes to adopting sustainability practices due to coercive isomorphism. The findings of this study further contribute toward understanding the concept of sustainable development in practice and theory.

An Analysis of Big 4 Pricing and Firm Size: The Differential Impact of Demand and Supply Shocks on Large and Small Clients

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatima Alali ◽  
Randal Elder ◽  
Jian Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Small Firm ◽  
Great Recession ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Demand And Supply ◽  
The Great Recession ◽  
Audit Market ◽  
Sarbanes Oxley ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
Recession Period

We investigate Big 4 pricing over the period of 2000 to 2010. We classify the data into five periods: 2000-2001 as the pre-Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX) period, 2002-2003 as the SOX period, 2004-2006 as the Auditing Standard 2 (AS2) period, 2007 as the AS5 period, and 2008-2010 as the Great Recession period. The shocks to the audit market associated with these changes in auditing regulations and the economic environment have differential impacts on large clients and small clients. The percentage of small clients using Big 4 auditors dropped significantly over these shocks, whereas the percentage of large clients using Big 4 auditors experienced a large drop only from the SOX period to the AS2 period. We find that Big 4 pricing increased significantly from the pre-SOX period to the SOX period and continued to increase significantly in the AS2 period. Big 4 pricing experienced a significant decline in the AS5 period and declined insignificantly in the Great Recession period. Big 4 small firm pricing decreased significantly in the AS2 period compared with the SOX period and in the Great Recession period compared with the AS5 period. We find that the Big 4 pricing for small clients is contingent on the nature of competition. The Big 4 charged small firms higher prices in the SOX period, AS5 period, and Great Recession period when competition was lower. Our paper provides a unique contribution as a comprehensive analysis of Big 4 pricing and Big 4 small firm pricing.

scholarly journals The impact of effectuation on small firm buying decisions

IMP Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 444-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip McGowan
Keyword(s):  
Small Firm ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Personal Selling ◽  
Business Networks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Entrepreneurial Decision ◽  
Interaction Approach ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Relationship Decisions

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider the effect of effectuation logic on the buying intentions of small firm owner-managers. Design/methodology/approach Literature relating to organisational buying, marketing and personal selling and entrepreneurial decision making was synthesised. Findings This paper presents a conceptual model based on propositions relating to how effectuation logic may explain the predilection of small firm owner-managers to select trusted suppliers from within personal and business networks, and to engage on flexible terms. It suggests that supplier relationship decisions made using effectuation logic may enable wider choice of suppliers than the formal processes of large firms. Research limitations/implications The findings were developed from a narrative review of literature and are yet to be empirically tested. Originality/value By synthesising research findings on small firm buyer behaviour, the IMP interaction approach and effectuation, it has been possible to develop a predictive model representing buyer–seller relationships in the context of small firms which suggests that owner-managers select suppliers in line with the principles of effectuation means and effectuation affordable loss.

scholarly journals Barriers for Eco-Innovations: A Case Study of a Small Firm in Poland

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej H. Jasiński ◽  
Filip Tużnik
Keyword(s):  
Small Firm ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Market Competition ◽  
Generation Gap ◽  
Local Administration ◽  
Retirement Age ◽  
Legal Regulations ◽  
Specific Nature ◽  
Innovative Solutions

Abstract This paper is mainly based on a case study of Tuzal Ltd. - a small firm acting in the eco-innovation market in Poland. The main aim of the paper is to analyze main barriers which are being met by enterprises, especially small firms, acting in the eco-innovation market. The following barriers are analysed: problems in convincing customers to innovative solutions; a specific nature of cooperation with local administration units; continuous changes in legal regulations; an increasing market competition; a lack of funds for marketing; a generation gap and a retirement age of the company’s owner.

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