scholarly journals Business environment and the financial performance of small and medium enterprises: A study of Lagos state, Nigeria

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 493-505
Author(s):  
Andy Titus Okwu
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Product Line ◽  
Operational Environment ◽  
Product Lines ◽  
Activity Product ◽  
Sole Proprietorship ◽  
Medium Enterprises

The financial outcome of an enterprise is perceived to have some relationships with its operational environment. This study analysed the business environment as a correlate of financial performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as to contribute to environment-enterprise policy mechanisms and regulatory framework, industry and management practices. Relevant definitional criteria and World Bank’s model were adopted to sample 228 SMEs from 456 via judgmental and convenience techniques. Multifactor business-environment questionnaire (MBEQ) was used to elicit responses from SMEs in a field survey. Enterprise type, activity, product line and financial performance were examined. Results showed dominance of sole proprietorship and services SMEs, multi-product lines, and highly positively correlated financial performance and business environment. Consequently, improved SME-friendly business environment was recommended.

scholarly journals Microfinance Credit Accessibility and Financial Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises in Machakos County, Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Muema Joseph Munguti ◽  
Lucy Wamugo
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Financial Access ◽  
Income Ratio ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Positive Effect

SMEs in Machakos County have been characterized by poor financial performance which has been linked to financial access. Financial access is one of the keys that drive the development of SME in the country, particularly access to bank financing since banking sector plays a key role in serving this segment. This study specifically sought to determine the influence of collateral security, loan-income ratio and geographical branch penetration on financial performance of SMEs. Study adopted census survey due to small population size. Respondents were supplied with semi-structured questionnaires with aim of getting their views regarding financial accessibility and SME performance. Findings of the study indicated that collateral security, loan-income ratio, and geographical branch penetration has a significant positive effect on financial performance in Machakos County, Kenya. This research recommends that SME’s should improve their core capital, strengthen their financial management practices, foster financial innovation, and literacy within firms.

Lean Manufacturing Scenario and Role of Pervasive Computing in Indian SMEs

2010 ◽  
pp. 31-51
Author(s):  
Deepak Tripathi
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Pervasive Computing ◽  
Lean Manufacturing ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Formal System ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Medium Enterprises

Large scale firms have been adopting various management practices to remain competitive in today’s global economy. Lean manufacturing is one such initiative, which significantly improves performance in terms of cost, delivery, quality and flexibility. Although small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a very significant role in overall manufacturing supply network, less is known about the extent to which lean is present in these firms. The present study investigates this issue by exploring the scenario of implementation of lean manufacturing in Indian SMEs. It also examines the constraints, which need to be addressed for real penetration of lean on a wider scale and the role information and communication technologies like pervasive computing play in successful implementation of this initiative. This aspect is considered important as no organization, whether big or small, can afford to neglect it in today’s business environment. The study reveals that although lean manufacturing is not implemented as a formal management initiative in SMEs, its elements could be traced with varying degrees in firms. However, a need is felt to improve upon various identified constraints, so that SMEs are able to implement it as formal system and reap maximum benefits. It is also experienced that IT solutions like pervasive computing help in improving lean manufacturing performance but Indian SMEs in general have not taken considerable initiatives in this direction.

scholarly journals Competitive Strategic Management Practices and Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises in Kenya: A Case of Mombasa County

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (VI) ◽  
pp. 193-215
Author(s):  
Rukia Ali Mohammed ◽  
James Rugami
Keyword(s):  
Strategic Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Central Business District ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Business District ◽  
Medium Enterprises

The competitive business environment has forced organizations to engage in complex business decisions which require competitive strategic management. According to Haines (2016), Competitive Strategic management practices involves the formulation and implementation of the major goals and initiatives taken by a company's top management on behalf of its owners, based on consideration of resources and an assessment of the internal and external environments in which the organization competes. Competitive Strategic management practice is an important practice as it gives a strong influence towards firms’ success. Due to the ever changing business environment, small and medium enterprises struggle to operate, manage and improve their businesses efficiently in order to deliver quality products and services consistently and on time. This is because in most enterprises the application of business strategies requires a host of expensive and time consuming changes both in the organizational culture and structure hence many owner / managers have had to overlook for some necessary and critical business strategies. The study will be guided by four objectives; to establish the effect of Cost leadership strategy on the performance of small and medium enterprises in Mombasa central business district, to determine the effect of Differentiation strategy on the performance of small and medium enterprises in Mombasa central business district, to establish the effect of focus strategy on the performance of small and medium enterprises in Mombasa central business district and to determine the effect of product innovation on the performance of small and medium enterprises in Mombasa central business district. The study will be anchored on three theories namely; Resource-based theory, game theory and Porter Generic Strategies Theory. The study will adopt both cross-sectional research design and descriptive survey design. This study targets 19,708 small and medium enterprises located at the Central Business District of Mombasa City County. A sample size of 202 small and medium enterprises will be selected for the study where the units of the study will be business owners/managers. Structured questionnaires will be used to collect primary data. The data collected will be analyzed using SPSS and the specific statistics will be descriptive and inferential statistics. The results will be displayed on charts, tables and graphs. Multivariate regression model and path analysis technique will be used to show the relationship between the independent variables to the dependent variable.

scholarly journals Extrapolative Collaborative Filtering Recommendation System with Word2Vec for Purchased Product for SMEs

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7156
Author(s):  
Kyoung Jun Lee ◽  
Yu Jeong Hwangbo ◽  
Baek Jeong ◽  
Ji Woong Yoo ◽  
Kyung Yang Park
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Filtering ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Recommendation System ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Share Data ◽  
Artificial Intelligence Technology ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Start Ups

Many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) want to introduce recommendation services to boost sales, but they need to have sufficient amounts of data to introduce these recommendation services. This study proposes an extrapolative collaborative filtering (ECF) system that does not directly share data among SMEs but improves recommendation performance for small and medium-sized companies that lack data through the extrapolation of data, which can provide a magical experience to users. Previously, recommendations were made utilizing only data generated by the merchant itself, so it was impossible to recommend goods to new users. However, our ECF system provides appropriate recommendations to new users as well as existing users based on privacy-preserved payment transaction data. To accomplish this, PP2Vec using Word2Vec was developed by utilizing purchase information only, excluding personal information from payment company data. We then compared the performances of single-merchant models and multi-merchant models. For the merchants with more data than SMEs, the performance of the single-merchant model was higher, while for the SME merchants with fewer data, the multi-merchant model’s performance was higher. The ECF System proposed in this study is more suitable for the real-world business environment because it does not directly share data among companies. Our study shows that AI (artificial intelligence) technology can contribute to the sustainability and viability of economic systems by providing high-performance recommendation capability, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups.

scholarly journals Strategic Planning and Competitive Advantage of ICT Small and Medium Enterprises in Kenya

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary B. Awino
Keyword(s):  
Strategic Planning ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Dynamic Environment ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Balanced Score Card ◽  
Medium Enterprises

The Paper is the research findings on the role of strategic planning and competitive advantage of ICT Small and Medium Enterprises in Kenya. Literature suggests that the contemporary business environment in which organisations operate is increasingly becoming uncertain and unpredictable. Significant changes are mostly driven by technological changes, globalisation and trade liberalisation. As a result, like large enterprises, SMEs are facing new and unexpected challenges that threaten their competitiveness. While most countries acknowledge the critical role that SMEs contribute to their economies, both as an engine of growth and sustainable development, many questions still remain unanswered as to the determination of the critical challenges facing SMEs and how these challenges could be addressed to improve their competitiveness. These challenges have increased the need for empirical information which is essential for decision making in addressing issues that are likely to enhance SMEs survival and growth. It is noted that there has been no adequate research studies on the role of strategic planning and competitive advantage of SMEs. This study contributes to the need to address the research gaps and thus explored the role of strategic planning and competitive advange of SMEs in Kenya. The study population consisted of 238 ICT SMEs from Nairobi and its environs. A sample size of 146 firms constituting 61 per cent of the total population was selected through stratified sampling. The study aimed to collect data from 438 respondents from top, middle and lower management teams. Structured questionnaires with closed and open ended questions was used for data collection, 239 responses were received from 123 ICT firms a response rate of 55 per cent and 84.2 per cent respectively. Key characteristics of strategic planning including formality, environmental analysis processes both internal and external orientations, strategies adopted, and implementation and control were recorded. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, t-test, ANOVA, correlation, correlation matrixes and regression analysis. The key findings revealed that strategic planning has significant and positive influence in performance of SME’s. The test of hypothesis revealed that strategic planning has positive and significant influence on competitive advantage. The study demonstrated strategic planning as a learning tool and a strategic resource which is consistent with the underlying assumptions of resource based theory, systems theory, chaos theory and balanced score card model assumptions. It is envisaged that, this kind of research is likely to generate useful discussions on the role of strategic planning and performance, of SMEs. It is apparent that entrepreneurs of SMEs cannot ignore strategic planning as significant changes in competitive advantage is the result of change or effective application of strategic planning. Policy makers and academicians may need to address the capacity needs of SMEs and develop strategic planning model that address the challenges that SMEs encounter in a dynamic environment.

scholarly journals Women Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh- Challenges and Determining Factors

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tania Afroze ◽  
Md Kashrul Alam ◽  
Eliza Akther ◽  
Nahid Sultana Jui
Keyword(s):  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Sales Promotion ◽  
Social Constraints ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Medium Enterprises

The aim of this study is to find out the major challenges that hinder smooth operation of women entrepreneurs of Bangladesh. It also finds the reasons behind the success of the women entrepreneurship. Both primary and secondary data have been used to conduct the study. The questionnaire included questions about economic problems, family related issues, social constraints and other limitations faced by women entrepreneurs and the reasons behind their success. Women involved in various small and medium enterprises take on the challenge to work in a male-dominated society, competitive and complex economic and business environment. However, the identified challenges are inadequate capital, sales promotion, getting permission to start-up a business, gender discrimination, illiteracy and lack of knowledge among women, non-availability of training program and technical support, lack of managerial experience, in some cases young people make ill talk about the enterprise and so on. Personal qualities such as hard work and perseverance, management skills and marketing skills, support provided by their spouses or family are the main reasons behind the success of the women entrepreneurs. The level of participation of women in mainstream economic activities remains insufficient and the percentage of women in business is still much below than that of their male counterparts.Journal of Business and Technology (Dhaka) Vol.9(2) 2014; 27-41

scholarly journals Internationalization of Small and Medium Enterprises from Arusha Tanzania: Market Information, Financial Resources and Product Quality Setbacks

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Liliane Pasape
Keyword(s):  
Product Quality ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Packaging Materials ◽  
Market Information ◽  
Processing Machinery ◽  
Key Players ◽  
Processed Products ◽  
Medium Enterprises

The small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are key players towards reviving the economy and livelihood development in Tanzania, yet their involvement in international business is still unsatisfactory. This study therefore assessed the three major setbacks for industrialization of Arusha’s SMEs namely as information, finance and quality. A cross-section research design was conducted using questionnaires. Through non-probability sampling, 50 respondents were stratified selected from SMEs owners, employees, business development support organizations and regulators. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and logit model. The findings on the existing business environment revealed that: majority of the SMEs involve women (68%) dealing with handcraft and tailoring, with less than five years of business experience. Moreover, the major identified information setbacks are low access to information source, use of irrelevancy market information, use of in effective medium of communication and high cost of the information. Besides, other financial related setbacks are limited sources of capital, lack of collateral, poor credibility history and high transaction cost. On quality setbacks include selling semi processed products, poor finished product and packaging materials as well insufficient processing machinery. Thus for SMEs internationalization the following recommendations are established: improving accessibility and affordability of relevant market information; designing various financial products at reasonable lending rates, strengthening entrepreneurial skills and formalization of enterprises; enhancing availability of processing machinery and packaging materials for improving product quality and competitiveness as well as avoiding selling of semi processed products . Above all, the government, regulators, private sector organizations and other key players along the value chain must play their respective relevant role towards supporting SMEs.

scholarly journals Small and Medium Enterprises in Mexico and the Craft Beer Sector in Baja California: Dynamic Capabilities, Culture, and Innovation

2022 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 166-203
Author(s):  
Araceli Almaraz
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Baja California ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Symbolic Capital ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Capabilities Approach ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Craft Beer ◽  
Medium Enterprises

This article studies how Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) operating in emerging economies implement adaptative strategies to respond to constant changes in demand and global uncertainties, such as those stemming from the current SARS-COV2 pandemic. In this study the knowledge management capabilities used by SMEs in the craft beer sector in a region of northern Mexico are the focus of analysis. The objective is to present the competitive capabilities that craft beer sector has demonstrated in Baja California region and how small companies compete with the national industrial brewery and survive. Sources are data from a sample of companies and interviews with brewery owners, with which the analysis approaches, also, the Baja California business environment. The article highlights the routes of creativity, innovation, and symbolic capital of the companies in the region, and uses ideas from dynamic capabilities and knowledge management theoretical frameworks, to understand the craft brewery milieu. The conclusions in this article include the confirmation about the usefulness of these analytical frameworks based in the capabilities approach and the territorial knowledge. Also, the description of the existence of a complex Baja Californian milieu, where a multimodal scheme of craft beer characterized by different places of distribution and types of beer container, food-districts, at Mexicali, Tijuana, and Ensenada and a second generation of entrepreneur groups leading local business, is identified.

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