scholarly journals An overview of the circular economy among SMEs in the Basque country: A multiple case study

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1047 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Ormazabal ◽  
Vanessa Prieto-Sandoval ◽  
Carmen Jaca ◽  
Javier Santos
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Basque Country ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Medium Enterprises

Purpose: This research analyzes the maturity of environmental management as well as the degree of to which the Circular Economy has been implemented in Basque SMEs.Design/methodology/approach: A total of 17 case studies were carried out in industrial SMEs companies in the Basque Country.Findings: The main results show that companies are limited to complying with the law and in many cases are worried about the image of the company, although they are not committed to environmental issues. There is still a lot to do in SMEs, as they are the companies that face the biggest challenges due to a lack of resources.Originality/value: Circular Economy aims to change a linear economy into promoting sustainability of the economy while also engaging in sustainable environmental protection. This research has focused on small and medium enterprises as they represent a 99% of companies in Europe and they are the ones that have the most difficulty reaching a stage of environmental excellence due to their limited resources.

scholarly journals The Role of Cooperative Societies in Advancing Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Osun State, Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Research Method ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Cooperative Society ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Enterprise Creation

Due to dwindling economic situation most especially in developing countries, people have resulted into self-help through cooperative societies to raise funds for starting small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It was on this premise that the study critically examined the activities of cooperative societies in Osun state in furthering SMEs advancement. The study adopted qualitative research method through in-depth exploratory design to explain ‘what’ and ‘how’ rather than mere prediction. A comparative multiple case study was used as it closely links empirical observations with existing theories to explore the effect of cooperative societies on enterprise creation and expansion and its impact on the advancement of SMEs in Osun State, Nigeria. Four cooperatives were selected and studied. Findings affirmed the significant role played by cooperative societies in advancing SMEs in Osun State. The study concludes that cooperative societies intervention in providing micro loans to members for investment purpose in the area of enterprise formation and expansion is encouraging and should be sustained to improve the prosperity of individuals in Osun State. It was recommended that the promoters of cooperative societies in the State and Nigeria must sustain and increase efforts towards advancing SMEs through the provision of financial facilities to members. Keywords: Cooperative society, Small and Medium Enterprises, Osun State

scholarly journals Achieving Ambidexterity in Internationalization: Analysis of How SMEs Cope with Tensions between Organizational Agility–Efficiency

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 188
Author(s):  
Anjar Priyono ◽  
Fazli Idris ◽  
Sarina Binti Abdul Halim Lim
Keyword(s):  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Organizational Agility ◽  
Organizational Hierarchy ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Multidimensional Concept

This study aims to examine how small and medium enterprises manage the tensions between organizational agility and efficiency. Organizational agility is a multidimensional concept where each of its components can interact differently with efficiency. The tensions between other capabilities have been explored in many previous studies, yet there is a lack of research exploring the roots of the tensions between organizational agility and efficiency, how the actors interpret these tensions and what dimensions of organizational agility are causing the tensions. A multiple case study research design with an inductive approach was used to explore how two SMEs manage the tensions between organizational agility and efficiency to serve customers from abroad. Despite the relationship between the agility and efficiency seeming contradictory, our analysis demonstrated that the interaction between the two concepts is complex, depending on the object of the tensions, the actors involved and the context. In fact, two actors at the same level of the organizational hierarchy can have identical perceptions about a tension, but they can arise from different logical reasoning. Moreover, due to the multidimensionality of organizational agility, a meta-capability of organizational agility is more likely to dominate the interaction with efficiency. This study contributes to the limited empirical evidence on how actors in SMEs perceive and manage the various tensions emerging from organizational agility and efficiency.

scholarly journals E-commerce in the internet-enabled foreign expansion of Polish fashion brands owned by SMEs

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marzanna Katarzyna Witek-Hajduk ◽  
Anna Małgorzata Grudecka ◽  
Anna Napiórkowska
Keyword(s):  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Foreign Markets ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Medium Enterprises

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to identify ways and motives of application of e-commerce in the foreign expansion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) fashion brands.Design/methodology/approachA multiple case study was used as the research method. Data were obtained from primarily in-depth interviews with managers of four Polish SMEs –fashion brands owners, whose products are sold in the foreign markets using e-commerce, and secondary sources.FindingsThrough this study the authors identified both strategic-proactive and market-reactive motives of e-commerce applications in SMEs’ fashion brands in the internet-enabled foreign expansion and three different models of usage of e-commerce in the foreign expansion of SMEs.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was based on the multiple case study of only Polish SMEs in the fashion industry. The conclusions of this study can be applied by fashion companies in their internet-based foreign expansion.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing body of literature on the internationalization process of SMEs, and particularly on the application of cross-border e-commerce in the foreign internet-enabled expansion of fashion SMEs by identifying three various models of applying e-commerce, in the internet-enabled foreign expansion and their both proactive and reactive motives.

scholarly journals Success Drivers for Implementing Circular Economy: A Case Study from the Building Sector in Colombia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1350
Author(s):  
Luz Elba Torres-Guevara ◽  
Vanessa Prieto-Sandoval ◽  
Andres Mejia-Villa
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Direct Communication ◽  
Management Commitment ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Large Building ◽  
Do So

This paper contributes to the circular economy (CE) literature by investigating the drivers of success of the CE implementation in the construction sector and how those drivers can complement any implementation process in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). To do so, we analyzed the case of TECMO Estructuras Metálicas, using the methodology proposed by Jaca and colleagues to implement the CE in SMEs. It is a Colombian company with more than five decades of experience in the manufacture and installation of steel and aluminum structures for small and large building and infrastructure projects. The data were collected between August 2019 and November 2020 through direct communication with the company via workshops, meetings, and company reports. This research found that five drivers are relevant for implementing CE in the construction sector: fertile ecosystem, management commitment, identification of valuable materials, green teams, and CE intermediaries. Moreover, this study also contributes to teaching the implementation of the CE in companies, since it shows that through the methodology presented, implementation projects can be developed in postgraduate classes.

A Framework for Assessing ERP Systems' Functionality for the SMEs in Australia

2011 ◽  
pp. 160-187
Author(s):  
Liaquat Hossain ◽  
Mohammad A. Rashid ◽  
Jon David Patrick
Keyword(s):  
Field Data ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Real Field ◽  
Erp Systems ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Erp Software ◽  
Medium Enterprises

Anticipating the use of ERP systems among small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to be the future area of growth, ERP vendors such as SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, J.D. Edwards and Bann are introducing ERP software that appeals to the market segment of the SMEs. Introduction of the ERP systems for SMEs includes compact packages, flexible pricing policies, new implementation methodologies, and more specialized functionalities. The strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats (SWOT) framework of the ERP software offered by the aforementioned vendors for the SMEs requires in-depth analysis based on real field data. The aim of this study is to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of ERP systems offered by the five leading vendors for the SMEs in Australia. Multiple case study design approach is used here for collecting the primary data from the ERP vendors. A SWOT framework is developed to study the functionality of the ERP systems offered by these vendors. This framework may guide the managers of SMEs in selecting and implementing ERP systems for their organizations.

A Framework for Assessing ERP Systems Functionality for the SMEs in Australia

2011 ◽  
pp. 182-208
Author(s):  
Liaquat Hossain ◽  
Mohammad A. Rashid ◽  
Jon David Patrick
Keyword(s):  
Field Data ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Real Field ◽  
Erp Systems ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Erp Software ◽  
Medium Enterprises

Anticipating the use of the ERP systems among small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) to be the future area of growth ERP vendors such as SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, JDEdwards and Bann are introducing ERP software that appeal to the market segment of the SMEs. Introduction of the ERP systems for SMEs includes compact packages, flexible pricing policies, new implementation methodologies, and more specialized functionalities. The strengths-weakness-opportunity-threats (SWOT) framework of the ERP software offered by the aforementioned vendors for the SMEs requires in-depth analysis based on real-field data. The aim of this study is to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of ERP systems offered by the five leading vendors for the SMEs in Australia. Multiple case study design approach is used here for collecting the primary data from the ERP vendors. A SWOT framework is developed to study the functionality of the ERP systems offered by these vendors. This framework may guide the managers of SMEs in selecting and implementing ERP systems for their organizations.

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