Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons^™

Green Information Systems Adoption And Business Outcomes In Ugandan Smes: An Extended Theory Of Planned Behaviour Approach, Sonny Juma Nyeko, Samali Mlay, Cosmas Ogenmungu, Abdallah Ibrahim Nyero

Business Management Review

The study assesses the relationship between TPB antecedents and GIS business outcomes in SMEs, using an expanded TPB framework. Researchers gathered data from SMEs via a survey and analysed it using PLS-SEM. The framework used in the study explains 58.5% of the differences in GIS business outcomes. The results reveal that subjective norms, attitude, benefits, and obstacles are significant predictors of GIS business outcomes such as ecological IT practices, although perceived behavioural control displays an insignificant negative relationship. The study extended the TPB model by incorporating GIS benefits and GIS obstacles as additional factors influencing GIS adoption, business outcomes, …

Managerial Mindset And Ai Adoption In Smes. A Systematic Review Of Cognitive, Behavioural, And Institutional Foundations, Shabin Muzibbhai Shaikh, Shivkanya Birla

European Management Studies

Purpose: This study examines how managerial mindset shapes the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs). While existing research often highlights resource or capability constraints, this review shows that deeper cognitive, behavioral, and institutional foundations strongly influence how managers interpret AI and decide whether to engage with it.

Design, Methodology, and Approach: A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted using established protocols. Thirty influential studies across managerial cognition, behavioral strategy, institutional theory, and technology adoption were identified, screened, and synthesized. Their insights were integrated into a multilayered conceptual model explaining how mindset shapes AI adoption in …

Sme Cyber Resilience State Of The Sector 2025, Hazel Murray, Gillian O'Carroll, Aoibheann Brangan, Jason Holland, Stephanie Chevanne Wallace, Miriam Curtain, Glenda Deveney

Department of Computer Science Publications

Ireland's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) face a critical cyber resilience gap. SMEs account for 99.8% of all enterprises in Ireland and employ over 2.29 million people, representing 67.9% of total employment (based on the latest CSO 2022 figures). This cyber resilience assessment reveals that the majority of SMEs remain underprepared for modern cyber threats.

Social Media Marketing Impacts On Sme Customer Engagement And Prodictivity, La'keisha J. Morton-Carter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative multiple case study explored the underutilization of social media marketing among small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) entrepreneurs and its impact on customer engagement and business productivity. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory, the study examined how SME owners perceive, adopt, and apply social media platforms in their marketing efforts. Data were collected from 38 participants through semi-structured interviews and surveys and analyzed using NVivo 15 software. Thematic analysis revealed five emergent themes: Digital Hesitancy, Strategic Gaps, Customer Engagement Variability, Resource Constraints, and Peer Influence. Findings indicated that while entrepreneurs recognized …

The Effect Of Cognitive Biases And Organizational Constructs On Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation Success In Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Pls-Sem Approach, Michael Davidson

Dissertations

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are crucial to enhancing organizational performance, efficiency, and strategic competitiveness in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). ERP adoption in SMEs has been known to fail, with more than 75% of the implementations considered failures. These barriers are compounded by cognitive biases, such as temporal discounting (TD) and optimism bias (OB), which skew the strategic decision-making process. The framework suggested in this paper explains the relationships between top management support (TMS), information quality (IQ), system quality (SQ), user satisfaction (US), optimism bias (OB), and temporal discounting (TD) and their impact on ERP implementation success (EIS) and …

Promoting And Developing Industrial Organic Clusters In Egypt: Case Study Of Damietta Furniture Cluster, Nermen Abdelmoula

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the development of industrial clusters in Egypt, with a specific focus on the Damietta Furniture Cluster, an organic industrial cluster known for its rich tradition in furniture craftsmanship. These industrial clusters, which are primarily composed of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), are characterized by the geographical concentration of interconnected firms and institutions, play a critical role in fostering economic growth, innovation, and competitiveness, particularly in emerging economies. The research explores the key factors affecting the development of the Damietta Furniture Cluster, identifies the challenges it faces, and provides policy recommendations to enhance its growth and global …

Potential Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Small And Medium Enterprises Innovation In The Eu: A Perspective From Poland, Malgorzata Wilczynska, Alina Walenia, Artur Dabek, Daniel Salabura, Halina Kot

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

The development of small and medium-sized enterprises is a complex process that requires the use of all approaches to achieve success. In this regard, finding opportunities to use artificial intelligence in such companies is of great importance. The study aims to assess how this technology affects the innovation and financial performance of small and medium-sized enterprises. To draw the main conclusions, the implementation of artificial intelligence at Polish enterprises, including in the context of their financial performance, namely the level of return on assets and the level of debt, was analysed. The study showed that the introduction of artificial intelligence …

Smes “Growing Smart”: The Complementarity Of Intangible And Digital Investment In Small Firms And Their Contribution To Firm Performance, Eva Erjavec, Tjaša Redek, Črt Kostevc

Economic and Business Review

Like large companies, small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) are turning to new digital technologies and knowledge-based capital to bolster their productivity and growth. However, data show that smaller companies lag significantly in implementing new Industry 4.0 technologies and in the intensity of their use. Lack of skills and human capital is often cited as one of the biggest barriers. This paper examines the benefits of digital technologies, intangible capital, and in particular the role of complementary investments in new technologies and intangible capital to maximize the impact on productivity growth. The analysis draws on extensive firm-level datasets combining business and …

Adaptation Of Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises In The Food Sector During The Pandemic: Position The Brand As Part Of The Community, Hardian E. Nurseto, Nila A. Windasari, Prasanti W. Sarli

Journal of Global Business Insights

This study explains how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food sector adapted during the pandemic. In-depth, semi-structured, hybrid interviews were conducted with fifteen SME owners in the food sector in Bandung, Indonesia. The study describes five business adaptation strategies using service-dominant logic (S-DL) and structural-functionalism theory: (a) relationship adaptation with suppliers and landlords, (b) employee adaptation, (c) product and sales adaptation, (d) operations adaptation, and (e) promotion adaptation. Findings show a holistic view of actor involvement in the business adaptation process linked to altruism, in which the business and all actors (i.e., suppliers, landlords, customers, employees, government, online …

A Comparative Study On Contract-Based And Coproduction-Based Entrepreneurship Training Programs: A Study Case Of Jakarta Province, Fazlur Rahman Hassan, Muhammad Rizqy Anandhika, Maulana Fajrul Izzi

BISNIS & BIROKRASI: Jurnal Ilmu Administrasi dan Organisasi

Training is essential to guide and equip SMEs with the necessary skill sets to adapt to the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget limitation urged DKI Jakarta Provincial Government (DJPG) to change their conventional training program for SMEs and arrange an IT-based platform enabling all city entities, including private and non-private sectors, to participate in a coproduction scheme. This study employed the performance outcomes framework to examine the impacts of coproduction in entrepreneurship training for SMEs by comparing contract-based and coproduction-based training conducted by DJPG, including the impacts on the deliverables and budget. The results indicate that overall, coproduction-based …

Fail Fast, Learn Fast: Understanding The Process Of Learning From Failure In Smes, Nikolina Koporcic, David Sjödin, Marko Kohtamäki, Vinit Parida

AMTP Proceedings 2023

‘Fail fast and learn fast’ is a common principle advanced to quickly grow and scale startups and SMEs. However, the literature is lacking detailed insights into how such learning processes are organized. The paper aims to investigate how knowledge-intensive SMEs learn from failures through organizational learning processes. Case studies of three high-tech SMEs that operate in a highly dynamic context are presented. The findings are summarized in the learning from failure process, which includes three phases, each with underlying sub-activities and principles: 1) failure recognition, 2) interactive sensemaking, and 3) organizational adaptation. We summarize our insights into a framework disentangling …

Determinants Of The Adoption Of Islamic Finance By Cameroonian Smes: Case Study From A Psycho-Sociological Characteristics Of Managers, Jérôme Gonne, Yaouba Mohamadou

The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) today form the backbone of the African economy in general and Cameroon in particular. However, Cameroonian SMEs encounter many difficulties, one of the most important is the access to so-called conventional financing. Faced with this situation, some of them will seek alternative means such as Islamic finance. Despite its development over the past two decades, Islamic finance is struggling to find a place in the financial decisions of Cameroonian SMEs’ Managers. This study aims at highlighting the psycho-sociological characteristics of policymakers in directing their decision towards the Islamic finance product. Data collected from a sample …

Many Flowers Make A Bouquet: A Recipe For Women Entrepreneurs In Smes, Karam Zaki, Hany Shared

Journal of Global Business Insights

Women’s participation and activation of their role in societies are central goals among the UN’s global aims. This research accomplished the following objectives: first, expands the existing knowledge of women’s intentions and their startup desirability for small projects; second, explores the perceived outcomes; and third, develops an action plan based on the current constraints women face when leading small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) projects. Data were collected from an online questionnaire of 433 entrepreneurs based in Saudi Arabia (26.3% university staff, 23.1% project starters, 22.9% bank loan holders, 16.2% university students, and 11.5% leaders). The partial least squares path modeling …

The Impact Of Assets Structure And The Components Of Cash Conversion Cycle On The Egyptian Smes Financial Failure Predictability, Dr. Hassan Mounir El-Sady, Hatem Ahmed, Dr. Hosny Hamdy

The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance

This study investigates determinants of Egyptian SMEs financial failure predictability based on a sample of 32 failure SMEs and 28 non-failure SMEs for the period 2013 and 2019. The determinants of SMEs financial failure are categorized into four groups; Working Capital, Asset Structure, Liquidity, and Leverage. The factor and logistic regression analysis are employed to identify the most significant independent variables that classify between failure and none-failure Egyptian’s SMEs and determine the driver of SMEs financial failure. Our findings significantly show that failing SMEs suffer from long cash conversion cycles resulting from long inventory holding period, average collection period, and …

Beyond The Green Iron Cage: Exploring The Macro And Micro-Level Influences On Executive Decisions About Sustainability Investments In Small And Medium Size Firms, Igor Estraykh

Theses and Dissertations

Although research on corporate environmental sustainability has shed light on different aspects of organizational and individual level factors that influence corporate decisions, it does not fully account for how individual executives within firms react to these forces and make decisions, specifically within small to medium size enterprises (SMEs). This study used a grounded theory approach to interview 19 SME executives from 13 different industries to explore how organizational and individual level factors influence their ability to evaluate and make decisions related to sustainability initiatives. The study found that SME executives faced isomorphic pressures for sustainability, individual agency pressures, significant resource …

Developing A Structured Ojt Program: The Case Of A Small Manufacturing Company In A Rural Region, Raymond A. Dixon Ph.D.

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

This study explored the process followed by a small manufacturing company in a rural area to implement a planned training program to develop the technical skills of its engineering/production workers as the company expands its operation. A case study design was used. Data was collected over an eight-month period by the examination of documents, direct observation, and interview. Findings indicate the process followed were consistent with elements of the Talent Development Architecture. The growth of the company presents learning opportunities for both the owner and his management team. The job analysis provided inputs to implement a planned training program and …

Sinwattana: Capital Crowdfunding For Thai Smes, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

A Singaporean entrepreneur falls in love with Thailand, and creates the country’s first online equity crowdfunding platform

Influence Of Ict Use On Business Performance Of Small And Medium Enterprises In Port-Harcourt Nigeria., Okoro Obinna Jeremiah, Yacob Haliso, Otuza Evans Chima

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

The significant contributions of the Small and Medium Enterprises towards developing the economy of any given country cannot be over-emphasized. SMEs are attributed to be engines of economic development especially as experienced in most developed countries of the world. However, the contribution of SMEs in developing countries has been confirmed as poor. This assertion is not farfetched from what is obtainable in Nigeria. Research has shown the performance of SMEs to be poor especially in Port-Harcourt. In this study, attempts are made to examine the influence of ICT use on the performance of Small and Medium Enterprises in Port-Harcourt …

Global E-Commerce Readiness Of U.S. Smes Towards The Mexican Market: Are American Small Businesses Prepared For Digital Commerce To Mexico?, Ricardo Cardoza, Eileen Daspro Dba

McNair Summer Research Program

The entry into force of the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement on July 1st, 2020, ushered in a new era of regional trade for the region. The modernized agreement’s inclusion of a chapter specifically focused on expanding digital trade and investment reflected a business phenomenon that had expanded markedly over the last ten years: cross-border e-commerce within the former NAFTA region. This article examines the literature needed to assess the readiness of U.S. small and medium-sized businesses (SME’s) to sell to the Mexican market online based on the degree of localization of their firm’s websites towards the Mexican market. First, a …

Research Trends And Mapping On Social Media In Smes: A Bibliometric Analysis, Abdurrahman Rahim Thaha, Erna Maulina, R. Anang Muftiadi, Mohammad Benny Alexandri

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

As the backbone of the economy from various countries, SMEs use social media in their business activities. This study aims to determine trends and maps in social media and SMEs research from the Scopus database. This study uses bibliometric analysis on the Scopus database from 2009 to 2020. Social Media and SMEs search string use in titles, abstracts, keywords, and English article in the Scopus database. Further filtering by reading article content unrelated to SMEs to eliminate irrelevant articles. Search results were processed with VOSviewer software to acquire trends and co-occurrences of article keywords. A total of 210 articles were …

Rural Coopetition: A Consumer Perspective Of Marketing Activities Involving Smes, Cassandra A. Ritzen

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are central to global and domestic economies and are a significant factor in rural economic development. Rural SMEs face unique challenges of geographical location and limited resources requiring strategies that can create an enduring competitive advantage. This study explores market-oriented coopetition as a competitive strategy that forms collaborative relationships between competitors to create value for consumers. Through the analysis of a small cluster of rural SMEs, the focus of this study addresses the underexplored consumer perspective of coopetition events based on quantitative analyses of customer satisfaction and market share.

Factors Contributing To Innovation Orientation Of Singapore Technology Small And Medium Enterprises (Smes), Kok Beng Neo

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

As Singapore transitioned from economy that was primarily dependent on foreign direct investments (FDI) to a knowledge-based economy driven by indigenously developed science, technology and innovations, it became critical for the local firms to grow and internationalize. The government has thus invested heavily (of $19 billion from 2016 to 2020, and $25 billion from 2021 to 2015) in science and technology research and development. The Committee of Future Economy (CFE) concluded that in an era of rapid technological change where innovation cycles have shortened, one of economic strategy is to support our “high growth” enterprises to “scale up”. However, the …

Digital Marketing And Smes: A Systematic Mapping Study, Abdurrahman Rahim Thaha, Erna Maulina, R Anang Muftiadi, Mohammad Benny Alexandri

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have a high priority for many governments because of their important economic contribution and the number of people they employ. The very rapid development of ICT in the digital era has an impact on various lines of life, including changes in business environment and consumer behavior. Therefore, the need to find out about research trends and themes in digital marketing in SMEs is important. The objective of this paper is to classify, and identify related themes and trends in the literature that are directly related to digital marketing and SMEs over the past 10 years. …

Social Entrepreneurship In Smes: A Note On Three Essential Questions, Andrés Felipe Cortés, Younggeun Lee

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Purpose – This research note discusses three essential and practical questions related to social entrepreneurship and social activities in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): What motivates SMEs to undertake social activities? What are the obstacles faced by SMEs when undertaking social activities? What are the types of social activities that SMEs undertake? The article presents preliminary answers and provides research suggestions related to these questions. Design/methodology/approach – The authors search and review articles that study social entrepreneurship and social activities of SMEs and synthesize their findings based on the three main topics of interest. Findings –The authors synthesized findings based …

Women Who Dared: Female Entrepreneurs Defy Odds To Start Businesses During Covid-19, Kinza Tahir

MSJ Capstone Projects

With leadership roles being increasingly won by women all over the world, society benefits in all aspects especially economically when women earn incomes. In the trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic, many women usually perceived as second class citizens of Pakistan have started their own ventures amidst the pandemic.

Outcomes Of An Expert Survey: Are Singapore’S Manufacturing Small And Medium Enterprises Ready To Embrace Industry 4.0, Gopalakrishnan Surianarayanan, Thomas Menkhoff

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Industry 4.0 encompasses adopting opportunities from end-to-end digitalisation with connected computers and increasingly autonomous automation systems equipped with intelligent machine learning algorithms that control the robotics without much input from humans. Smart manufacturing technologies (a part of the smart industry, an extension of Industry 4.0 initiatives and implementation) involve automating various processes. It aims to connect various units in real-time while enhancing profitability by reducing costs, increasing labour productivity, and improving overall efficiency. The impetus for our paper is the assumption that the adoption of smart manufacturing technologies such as advanced robotics, cyber-physical systems, or the Internet of Things (IoT) …

Competitive Strategies To Improve Small And Medium Enterprise Sales, Adeola Oluwakemi Ogunyemi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSmall and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the mainstay of both developed and developing countries by contributing to employment, revenue, and value added. SMEs, however, are not often able to grow because of a lack of appropriate growth strategies. Grounded in Porter’s dynamic theory of strategy, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies retail SME owners in Lagos, Nigeria, used to grow sales. The participants were a census of five retail SME business owners who successfully implemented strategies to grow sales. The data collection sources included semistructured interviews, direct observation, company documents, and reflective journals. Based …

Information Searching And Satisficing Process For It Decision Making Process Of Smes, Mohammed A. Enagi, Jean-Paul Van Belle

The African Journal of Information Systems

Information Technology (IT) can provide Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with competitive advantage, effective management, and improved business performance. Decision making is an integral process of achieving a successful IT investment. SME owner-managers are usually the key IT decision makers despite the fact that they often do not possess sufficient IT skills. This study examines how SME managers search and prioritise information that guides their IT decisions. This study adopted a qualitative research method and conducted interviews with eleven SME owner-managers in Nigeria and South Africa to understand the process of IT investment based on the information available to the …

Knowledge Transfer And Boundary Conditions: A Study Of Smes In Business Incubation Centers In China, Juana Du, Rong Wang

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine innovative practices and emphasize the mechanism of knowledge transfer across knowledge boundaries. By comparing and discussing the emerging boundary issues in knowledge transfer among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) registered in the incubation centers in China, this paper identified the main knowledge transfer approach and several contextual and organizational factors impacting knowledge transfer. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conduct 39 semi-structured in-depth interviews with employees working within business incubation centers in China. The study uses thematic analysis for data analysis. Findings – Our results contribute to the literature of knowledge transfer …

An Investigation Into The Management Of Branding In Irish Artisan Food Businesses, Daniel David Hickey

Theses

A consumer’s lifestyle is busier now then in the past and is moving towards products that reduce preparation and cooking times (Bia, 2015). The demand for value added convenience products has created opportunity for the Artisan food sector. This has lead to the expansion of food Small Medium Enterprises (SME’s) in Ireland. There were 235 specialty food producers in Ireland in 2018, a 2.7% increase on the previous year. SME’s are growing in popularity among consumers but there is very little research been completed into Irish SME’s. A 2016 study by Kennedy and Wright identified that the area is scant …