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Entrepreneurial marketing in small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) is very different to marketing prescribed theoretically for large organisations. The purpose of this paper is to present research evidence on the impact of internet‐based technologies (IBTs) on the customer relationship management (CRM) activities (i.e. e‐CRM) of SMEs in Ireland.

A mixed methods approach incorporating an online questionnaire, qualitative in‐depth interviews and projective techniques was adopted. Factor analysis was carried out on 286 respondents, which led to communication with customers and the management of customer information being distilled as key areas within e‐CRM in SMEs.

To varying extents, SMEs are adopting relatively simple IBTs to improve customer communication and information management capabilities and to create competitive advantage through e‐CRM. SMEs find the communication aspect of e‐CRM easier, but struggle to integrate customer information into their decision making. In all, e‐CRM tends to be ad hoc rather than strategic in SMEs.

SMEs must use technologies to compete with larger organisations in today's global marketplace. These technologies may be relatively simple, but the focus must always be on how they can impact on the relationship with the customer making it more efficient without losing effectiveness.

This study, by reporting how SMEs innovate in marketing, sheds light on an important theoretical and practical area. Theoretically, the paper breaks down e‐CRM into key capabilities that may apply to larger organisations as well.

The purpose of this paper is to show that e‐procurement provides manufacturing firms with new and efficient solutions to drive significant value into their business, yet generally the use of internet technologies to accommodate e‐procurement systems remains in a formative stage. Previous research tends to focus on larger economies, so this paper provides a new perspective by presenting evidence from the Irish ICT manufacturing industry.

The research locale is justified on the basis that the ICT manufacturing sector has a greater propensity to adopt technologies such as e‐procurement. In addition, by conducting the research in a small peripheral economy, a gap in the knowledge base is being addressed. The exploratory research adopted a quantitative methodology with a questionnaire instrument being employed to investigate various e‐procurement activities within a sample of top performing ICT manufacturing firms.

Findings show that e‐procurement is developing as a function. Significant benefits are reported, including streamlined business processes and reduced business costs. Difficulties associated with implementation are minimal, but focus on integration issues.

Limitations of small sample size negate the ability to generalise. Thus a larger scale comparative study has been initiated to investigate e‐procurement more extensively in the ICT and other industry settings in Ireland.

It is concluded that to further the integration of e‐procurement, organisations should develop a dual focus on technical and people issues to instil a culture of staff development and continuous improvement.

This paper addresses a gap in knowledge by investigating e‐procurement in the top performing firms in Ireland's ICT manufacturing sector. A picture is provided of e‐procurement development in a peripheral economy and the foundation has been laid for more extensive research in the future.

This article reports a study of e‐business adoption among SMEs in the knowledge‐intensive service sector in three countries, the results of which contain a number of practical lessons and some much needed encouragement to laggards. The new spatial possibilities of internet‐based technologies provide a powerful route to innovative marketing strategies. Consequently, organisations of all sizes are finding it necessary to establish a web presence to increase their ability to survive in an increasingly dynamic and competitive business environment. Strategically, firms need to be creative and innovative in order to deal effectively with the e‐marketing opportunities the internet can deliver. The findings of a comparative study conducted in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and New Zealand provide evidence of primitive and localised exploitation of the technology, a general lack of enthusiasm about its possibilities, and a perception that there are many barriers to successfully adding value at the customer interface. It is hoped that the somewhat pessimistic tone of the analysis will be taken as an opportunity to win competitive advantage in the knowledge‐intensive service sector, rather than a reason to postpone adoption of internet‐enabled technology.

The period 2002‐2010 has seen significant growth in enterprise education in schools in England, accompanied by the growth of guidelines and frameworks to provide educational and assessment structures. This paper intends to explore the questions: What does “enterprise” mean in the context of 14‐19 education? What is the purpose and contribution of competence frameworks and related structures for the learning and assessment of enterprise education? How effective are they? and How might enterprise education frameworks evolve in response to changes in the post‐ recessionary economic, employment and educational landscape?

The paper conducts a critical review of competency frameworks introduced in England to assist with enterprise education primarily for the 14‐19 age group. These are compared on the basis of their educational purpose and rationale (“why?”), their content (“what skills and knowledge they include”), and the approaches to teaching, learning and assessment they recommend (“how?”).

The analysis discusses the following questions to reflect on the progress and direction of enterprise education: How broadly or narrowly should enterprise be defined? How useful is the term? Are the skills and related knowledge and attributes too broad or too soft?; and Is there too much emphasis on assessable outcomes, rather than on how enterprising learning takes place?

The paper contributes to the development of enterprise education for researchers, policymakers and practitioners in schools at an important point in the economic, educational and political cycle.

Enterprise education in schools requires critique of and reflection on what has been achieved, together with consideration of its future purpose, value, orientation and nature. There is a concern that the “delivery” of enterprise education takes place in ways which are not “enterprising” forms of learning, and that assessment drives the curriculum. Changes to definitions, frameworks and pedagogy are needed to clarify its future educational role.

The Internet is causing fundamental changes in the economics of service industries as new, network‐based global e‐business models emerge, where small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) have been identified as key users of Internet commerce. Initially the paper contextualises the research issues via a review of the theoretical opportunities afforded firms of all sizes. Correspondingly, an examination of the practical impediments from an SME perspective suggests that, among other things, there are major hurdles for SMEs going online including strategic appreciation of the dynamics of the Web and the development of capabilities for managing the information infrastructure for e‐business. To illustrate the inherent issues, the findings of empirical research are presented. Both inductive and deductive methodological approaches were employed to investigate e‐business awareness, attitudes and activities among a sample of Irish (north and south) service sector SMEs.

This paper aims to explore the influence of primary, secondary and tertiary stakeholders on developing enterprising graduates in UK higher education institutions (HEIs).

Longitudinal telephone surveys were conducted annually over a ten‐year period (2000 to 2009) to document and analyse a total of 331 stakeholders' influence on developing enterprising graduates in UK HEIs.

The findings highlighted a number of interesting trends relating to their involvement in, and impact on, entrepreneurship education provision in UK HEIs. A wide range of stakeholders can influence the development of enterprising graduates. Primary stakeholders, such as students, teaching and research staff, managers and administrators emerged as most influential in the development of enterprising graduates. Their influence, representing both the demand and supply sides of entrepreneurship education, was significant and directly relevant to the development of enterprising graduates in UK HEIs.

The results emerging from this longitudinal research study provide valuable stakeholder perspectives into the development of enterprising graduates in UK HEIs. Policy makers should use these findings to inform relevant entrepreneurship education policies and initiatives, focus them on the specific needs of UK students and ensure that scarce resources are targeted efficiently to develop successful graduate entrepreneurs.

This study provides an empirically rigorous insight into stakeholder involvement in developing enterprising graduates in the UK. It provides valuable longitudinal data relating to the influence of a wide range of stakeholders on the development of enterprising graduates in UK HEIs.

The purpose of this paper is to provide longitudinal case history data from an investigation into the practices of an enterprising individual associated with two firms in the UK tourism industry. The first business had to be closed down despite the partners employing turnaround strategies to recover from a lack of planning, since an effective work/life balance was not achieved; the second has proved to be more successful due to entrepreneurial learning in overcoming earlier errors.

The methodology involved multiple in‐depth interviews with the key business owner and his partners in the two respective businesses together with supplementary interviews with staff and viewing documentation for triangulation purposes.

The findings based on a longitudinal case history suggest that some enterprising individuals may learn from certain past mistakes but could still need others to support particular business practices for them to succeed. The results also suggest that, even if a badly performing business can be turned around, owner/managers must be aware of the potential social costs that can be incurred in implementing strategies. As such, it demonstrates the need to learn from experiences and plan for social as well as work‐related issues to maintain a work/life balance, particularly in a “lifestyle” business.

The implications of the findings suggest that advisors (including university teaching) involved with assisting entrepreneurs make them aware of the need for effective planning. In particular, that the widely reported hard work and long hours involved in running a business can take a toll on personal lives and the work/life balance of enterprising individuals must be managed.

The main aspect of originality of the paper comes from the study of social costs of running an entrepreneurial venture, but the longitudinal nature of the study provides a further aspect of originality in this field of research.

This paper aims to explore a range of conceptual and practical challenges faced in delivering an innovative programme targeted at staff of UK higher Education (HE) and further education (FE) institutions. The two major foci of the programme are: on the pedagogies and organization of knowledge required to provide a true “feel” for the life world, values and ways of behaving of entrepreneurs in very different academic disciplinary contexts; and on strategically and operationally making things happen in the participant institution.

The paper is action research‐focused. Its aim is to explore the validity of a concept of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education which is truly interdisciplinary. It tests out in practice a “Mastery” model of an entrepreneurship educator in HE and FE.

The basic structure of the model is found to be appropriate as is its social constructionist view of education upon which it is founded. Importantly it values learning through practice, which may not be a total reflection of what is taught on the programme, equally with the application of programme knowledge.

The conceptual model and resultant programme are arguably unique in their total focus on behaviours in different organizational and disciplinary contexts.