Search results

Purpose: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the most significant contributors to maximum employment generation, the gross domestic product (GDP) of many countries, and the overall global economy. It is also evident that cyber threats are becoming a big challenge for SMEs, which is directly impacting global economy.

Methodology: Existing research inputs were accessed to understand current cyber threats for SMEs and their cybersecurity posture. Additionally, this research has collected the latest insights by taking direct inputs from SMEs and conducting a well-designed research survey. It has provided a few direct inputs to designing solutions for the SME segment. For analysis and recommendations, cybersecurity best practices and core cybersecurity concepts are considered at the centre of the solution.

Findings: Implementing existing cybersecurity standards or frameworks is not easy for SMEs, as they generally have limited resources and different priorities for their business when it comes to the implementation of any cybersecurity controls. Currently, many cybersecurity standards are not able to support the implementation of business domain-specific controls.

Practical implications: Along with the research findings shared in this chapter, as a resolution to the problems faced by SMEs, the authors will propose a new framework as a solution. This framework is designed using core concepts of cybersecurity such as confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA triad) as well as defence in depth (DiD) mechanisms in each layer of organisation. The authors will also share a high-level idea about how reliable artificial intelligence-based software can help identify recommended controls for particular SMEs.

Small to medium‐sized enterprise (SME) evaluation models lack a clear coupling to innovation and its impact on firm performance. A model which can achieve this is the Survival Index Value (SIV) model. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the ability of the SIV model to indicate and predict the performance of a company. The firm, Autoadapt AB, is an innovation‐oriented enterprise, adapting personal cars to be driven by handicapped people. The authors knew in advance about the good performance of the firm and its high efficiency in conducting its operations and expected the SIV model to reflect correctly on Autoadapt's performance. Because the handicap degree of each of the individuals who benefit from the firm activities differs from one person to another, product solutions have to be individually designed. Therefore the firm has had to pursue a high level of innovativeness and it had to abide with this policy right from the start. The product development processes in the firm needed to adapt to such strategies.

To be able to demonstrate the ability of the SIV model to indicate a positive performance due to the intensive innovation activities of Autoadapt AB, a case study approach was used. Case studies are very suited for in‐depth analysis of an object under a longer period of time. It is a widely‐used research method in firm performance studies.

The results of the SIV analysis indicated that the model is able to project correctly the performance of the object firm. At all the four levels of analysis, i.e. SI values, the SPI slope, the survival factors, and the survivability coefficients, the SIV analysis performance indicated a stable positive development of the firm through the life time of the enterprise.

Measuring performance of SMEs is an important issue. There are couple of models stemming from the traditional accountancy disciplines in use; however these models suffer from clear disadvantages. Recently a new model, the SIV model, was introduced and has shown the ability of being a better candidate for performance analysis. The paper demonstrates the ability of the SIV model to judge correctly the performance of an innovative firm.

The aim of this paper is to explore the application of a process of innovation within a small to medium‐sized enterprise (SME) case study organisation over a six‐year period, leading to improved understanding for further application and development.

The development of the process of innovation at the case organisation is examined using a case study methodology combining quantitative and qualitative data gathered over the longitudinal period of the study.

The findings show that innovation implementation in the SME requires ongoing effort, commitment and understanding beyond that of continuous improvement. Moreover, different groupings within the SME had differing perceptions of the value and effectiveness of the innovation process. The findings indicate that innovation must be implemented using a broad range of perspectives and interventions.

There is a paucity of studies on the longitudinal implementation of innovation, especially amongst SMEs. In this context innovation is defined from a broad management perspective as distinct from being restricted to that of technical innovation.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the internationalisation patterns of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) quantitatively, to describe SMEs as they follow different patterns over time and to discuss the determinants of these patterns through empirical study.

The authors conducted a questionnaire survey among mature German SMEs (n=674). To identify internationalisation patterns, a latent class clustering approach was applied. Because of the large sample, a multinomial logistic regression analysis could be used to analyse the factors influencing these patterns.

The authors empirically find three internationalisation patterns: traditionals, born globals and born‐again globals. Comparing modern SMEs with the same SMEs from ten years ago, it was found that firms may change their patterns. Moreover, the patterns are determined by international orientation, growth orientation, communication capability, intelligence generation capability and marketing‐mix standardisation.

Combining elements of the Uppsala model (countries and operation modes) and born global research (time lag and foreign sales ratio), three internationalisation patterns of established international SMEs from traditional sectors were identified empirically. Because of the multidimensional nature of internationalisation, the patterns may change over time. Different firm‐level factors determine the internationalisation patterns.

Instead of applying “arbitrary” thresholds, the paper provides a quantitative approach to identifying internationalisation patterns. These patterns confirm the three main internationalisation pathways discussed in the international marketing literature. The paper further advances the field by describing the patterns, showing evidence that the patterns may cross over time and providing information on the factors that influence the patterns.

Prior studies argue that social capital is vital for firm growth. Adding to this line of research, this paper provides more evidence regarding the contribution of bonding and bridging social ties to various aspects of small-l and medium-sized enterprise (SME) development. Building on the original data from Russia, this paper investigates the effects of firm-internal and firm-external relational ties on SME performance and geographic expansion. The findings indicate that horizontal bridging ties facilitate specific strategies of SME growth. Thus, this paper supports prior research conducted in the Asian context, and allows for extending the outcomes of bonding and bridging social capital into broader institutional settings. In addition, this study raises the question of relationship between the composition of social capital and distinct organizational characteristics of SMEs. Finally, the paper discusses the implications for future research, and outlines some practical recommendations for SMEs operating in emerging markets.

Research related to firm export performance dates back to the early 1960s, ever since many studies have been conducted with mixed results. The three main goals of the present study were to analyze (1) the impact of the selected firm, management, and the export strategy-related variables on the export performance; (2) the possible variation in the results depending on the measure of export performance; and (3) the similarities and differences in the results depending on the type of SME – traditional exporters vs. born international companies. Based on a literature review, 14 hypotheses were developed to be tested. Consequently, the empirical part of the study is based on a survey conducted among Finnish SMEs in early 2002. The export performance was analyzed using six different types of performance measures. None of the 14 hypotheses were fully supported by all employed measures of performance. However, the export performance was positively impacted by firm size, product/service quality, international orientation, and market diversification along five measures. Additionally, the study indicated some similarities, but also some differences depending on the measure of export performance, type of the exporting SME, and the operationalizations used for the born international companies. Based on the results, management implications and proposals for future research are presented.

The purpose of this study is to highlight the key challenges and opportunities that lie with some of the alternative avenues/tools to promote financial access to MSME in India.

Initially, the study discusses the scope of various alternative avenues/tools for MSME financing along with traditional bank SME credits, highlighting some of the factors that will boost the high performance and growth of MSME in future.

There is a dominance of domestic banks in the MSME financing over cross-border banks in India. The study finds several opportunities lie in the MSME financing for the banks and other alternative avenues/tools: friendly government policies and improving the legal system make the business environment suitable for MSME financing business. There are several obstacles like discrete presence of clients, high operating cost and low profitability, lack of proper risk management and low literacy rate that make MSME financing difficult for the SME finance business. Active government initiatives and other supporting factors will act as the game changer and promoter for the banks and other alternative avenues/tools for MSME financing.

The paper is original and brings out some valuable findings that will help the SME business clients to choose alternative access to finance.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how entrepreneurs, banks, the government, and alternative lending respond to finance gaps for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This paper considers valuation as a sociological construct where actors use different calculative devices, forming an assemblage that partly positions valuation of entrepreneurial finance as a contested and socially constructed process.

Drawing on the concept of “calculative devices”, the study articulates discursive institutional practices embedded within SME lending. This case study draws on analyses of 30 semi-structured interviews and archival data, government reports, and newspaper articles.

The study identified three triggers in Rwanda that were rooted in the informal and unincorporated nature of the SME governance structure, the lack of capacity for SME owners to manage their own projects, and normalising language around collateral requirements that marginalised the realities of SMEs, contributing to stagnation for SME finance.

The research provides direction for understanding how calculative devices create new forms of valuation of entrepreneurship in developing countries, particularly when human and non-human actors come together in an assemblage. The study calls for further research to demonstrate the embedded power of valuation practices and the performance of value in entrepreneurial finance.

The study brings new findings to the market creation literature by extending the notion of distributive calculative agency to SME finance. The study mobilises theory to interpret how discursive institutional practices are embedded within a country’s finance infrastructure, yielding unintended consequences for SME growth.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the antecedents of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) internationalization for a small set of Mexican ICT entrepreneurial firms, connected with subsectoral positions in a smile-shaped curve. Such antecedents constitute exploratory patterns related to simplified internationalization characteristics in terms of market choice, founder background and aspatial affiliations, providing a complementary technique to identify elements that shape SME internationalization in Latin America.

A value-added “smiling” curve is sketched according to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industry classification, mapping a non-probabilistic purposive sample of Mexican SMEs. The csQCA has been applied to the sample based on secondary data. Mexico’s ICT export behavior is also analyzed.

Internationalized SMEs in the sample tend to group in patterns that approach higher value-added positions in the “smiling” curve, exemplifying a type of non-geographic clustering. Particular groups seem to precede market selection (North America vs Latin America). The founder’s background does not determine internationalization choices. The sample included counterexamples (new entrants, limited cases involving research and development activities), which when analyzed suggest relevant literature validations.

This research contextualizes sectoral SME internationalization from a Latin American perspective, identifying simple patterns around particular ICT subsectors. It focuses on a type of international entrepreneurship that becomes exceptional in developing regions: technology-oriented. csQCA is presented as a preliminary (exploratory) technique to draw alternative theoretical frameworks for SME internationalization, specifically, market selection and aspatial cluster behavior around value-added chains, leading to new theoretical perspectives in SME internationalization.

Esta investigación persigue un entendimiento de los antecedentes en la internacionalización de la PyME para un pequeño conjunto de negocios mexicanos de TIC emprendedores, en conexión con posiciones subsectoriales en una curva con forma de sonrisa. Dichos antecedentes constituyen patrones exploratorios relacionados con características de internacionalización simplificadas, en función de la selección del mercado, los antecedentes del fundador, y las afiliaciones no espaciales, ofreciendo una técnica complementaria para la identificación de elementos que moldean la internacionalización de la PyME en América Latina.

Una curva de valor añadido en forma de “sonrisa” es delineada de acuerdo con la clasificación industrial SCIAN, mapeando una muestra deliberada no probabilística de PyMEs mexicanas. csQCA ha sido aplicado a la muestra con base en datos secundarios. El comportamiento exportador de México en TIC es analizado también.

Las PyMEs internacionalizadas en la muestra tienden a agruparse en patrones que se aproximan a las posiciones de mayor valor añadido dentro de la curva de la “sonrisa,” ejemplificando un tipo de conglomerado no geográfico. Ciertos agrupamientos parecen prevalecer respecto a la selección del mercado (América del norte vs. Latinoamérica). Los antecedentes del fundador no determinan las opciones de internacionalización. La muestra incluyó contraejemplos (nuevos participantes, casos limitados que involucran actividades de I+D), los cuales sugieren validaciones relevantes de la literatura una vez analizados.

Esta investigación contextualiza la internacionalización sectorial de la PyME desde una perspectiva latinoamericana, identificando patrones simples alrededor de subsectores particulares de TIC. Se enfoca en un tipo de emprendimiento internacional que llega a ser excepcional en regiones en desarrollo: orientado a la tecnología. csQCA se presenta como una técnica preliminar (exploratoria) para delinear marcos teóricos alternativos para la internacionalización de la PyME, específicamente, selección del mercado y comportamiento de conglomerados no espaciales alrededor de cadenas de valor añadido, llevando a nuevas perspectivas teóricas en la internacionalización de la PyME.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the links between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and intrapreneurship within the context of small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs).

This conceptual paper builds on a historical review of the two main currents of the corporate entrepreneurship literature and the distinction established by French scholars between “traditional SMEs” and “miniature large firms”.

The paper summarizes various findings regarding the antecedents of EO and intrapreneurship in SMEs and elaborates a series of testable propositions linking EO to intrapreneurship.

The paper posits the existence of different types of SMEs and suggests that the organizational and managerial antecedents of EO differ by type.

The paper explores the relation between intrapreneurship and EO, thus connecting two unrelated streams of literature within the field of corporate entrepreneurship.