Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Resources

The purpose of this research is to study the level of emotional intelligence among executives in small and medium sized enterprises particularly from the manufacturing sector. SMEs have problems in attracting and retaining their employees. For the purpose of the study, the GENOS Emotional Intelligence questionnaire developed by Palmer and Stough (2001) has been used. A total of 96 employees from different manufacturing sectors took part in the survey. It was found that emotional intelligence did not have a significant relationship with organizational citizenship behaviour. Results from the study show that employees in the SMEs do experience some kind of experiences that affect their working attitudes. The initial study provides many insights especially to the areas where respondents show a low level of emotional intelligence. The low level of emotional intelligence is related to the nature of work involved especially when it involves a high level of stress.

This paper presents a study that examines the use of human resource management (HRM) practices and factors influencing the adoption of HRM practices in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Using a multiple-case study method, HRM in SMEs was explored by comparing 12 small and medium-sized and 12 large semiconductor design firms. The findings show that there is considerable homogeneity across the firms in relation to their use of human resources (HR) practices providing support for the insights based on the new institutionalism. The factors leading to the homogeneity HRM are discussed. It is argued that theory-based empirical research on HRM in SMEs within the same industry enable us move towards a systematic understanding and explanation of HRM in SMEs.

This article examines human resource management (HRM) practices in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In particular, by examining the issue of causal order, it addresses a significant gap in the extant HRM–performance literature within the context of such firms. Significant simultaneous and longitudinal relationships between HRM practices and specific performance indicators are found. Controlling for past performance and thus, testing for the potential for reverse causality does not eliminate the significant relationship between human resource practices and performance. In sum, the use of human resource practices is found to positively enhance sustained competitive advantage. By explicitly examining the issue of causality in the human resources –performance relationship, this article makes a contribution to both the human resource and SME literatures.

Sector of small and medium-sized enterprises is regarded as the backbone of the economy and a driving force of innovation, employment and social integration. Development of the sector of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Czech Republic has a substantial impact on economic and social development of the country and its various regions. This article deals with the human resources management in small and medium-sized enterprises, because it is more than obvious recently that the prosperity of the organization is depended on human resources and management of them can determine not only whether the organizations succeed, but whether it will be able to survive in turbulent conditions in the present world. The main aim of this paper is to analytical describe the monitoring the process of human resources management in selected categories of enterprises by business activity and number of employees including statistical analysis of causal effects. Further to analytical describe the...

Purpose – The aim of this study is to study the implementation of G2B initiatives for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Hong Kong, focusing on the underlying importance, benefits and challenges. Design/methodology/approach – The context of this study was initially established based on comparisons with B2B initiatives. However, it is also learned from the literature that the transformational aspect of e-Government development has not been materialized, whereas the extended web assessment method (EWAM), the three-ring model and DeLone and McLean’s IS success model were therefore identified to derive and build the theoretical G2B success model, thereby developing the online survey instrument of this study. Specifically, a positivist paradigm was adopted to investigate the impact of each G2B success factor on the overall satisfaction with using the G2B systems under examination from the perspective of SMEs, rather than simply placing emphasis...

The objective of this study is to explore the changing nature of people management on the under-researched area of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China. A mix of research methods, which combined a survey approach with in-depth, semi-structured interviews, was adopted. The major characteristics of people management in China's SMEs were then identified. Problems and difficulties that may occur during HRM take-up were illustrated. Key factors influencing the nature of people management in China's SMEs were highlighted. People management in SMEs in China was compared and contrasted with Western HRM models. The findings indicate that a relative convergence with Western HRM practice, although one that is strongly influenced by unique 'Chinese characteristics', will be the trend of development of people management in China's SMEs. The study leads to a better understanding of SMEs in China and helps fill some of the gaps in the analysis of management in China. Since, in...

This study explores how knowledge creation and sharing practices are fostered in a sample of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Hong Kong. Our analysis indicates that three types of managerial interventions - initiating intervention, reinforcing intervention and aligning intervention - are particularly useful to promote knowledge management activities among employees. Such findings provide insights into researchers and managers on the important role of managerial interventions in knowledge management (KM) as well as the idiosyncrasies of KM in SMEs in Chinese societies.

Product innovation is extremely important to the growth, success, and ultimate survival of firms. Although its unique features in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have gained growing attention in the literature, there is limited knowledge as to how ownership concentration moderates the relationship between product innovation and its determinants. Based upon insights from agency and institutional theories, we examine the moderating effects of ownership concentration on the relationship between product innovation and its key determinants in Chinese SMEs, utilizing a large dataset of 43,728 Chinese firms over the period 2005–2006. We focus on examining the differences between single-owner SMEs, where there is dominant control of one family member, and multiple-owner SMEs, where principal-agent conflicts and principal-principal conflicts are more likely to occur. Our findings indicate that single-owned firms tend to convert research and development into product innovation more efficiently than firms with multiple owners, who are typically better at utilizing external sources of knowledge and human capital.

This article critically reviews one of the most common practices adopted by Hong Kong employers today - the use of fixed-term employment contracts - from a comparative and theoretical-practical perspective. This article begins with an examination of the landmark decision in Lui Lin Kam v Nice Creation Development Ltd, where the employer successfully avoided severance pay, by resorting to artificial work arrangements, and then analyses its adverse social implications. While Hong Kong court has generally been entrusted with the role of a 'guardian of labour rights', the Court of Appeal in the Lui case found it difficult to stretch its limits of adjudication to intervene the employer's policy to stagger the work schedule of workers under successive fixed-term contracts of 18 months' duration, due to the apparent defects of the current Employment Ordinance. This article calls for reform of the fixed-term employment, the regulation of which has remained frozen for many years, particularly...

This article examines the effect of employment protection legislation (EPL) on small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) performance. Rather than relying on country-specific proxies for EPL, as is common in the literature, we compute firm-specific measures of a firm’s exposure to EPL by using a panel dataset of 13,112 Belgian SMEs for the period between 2000 and 2009. The empirical results show that firms perform better when faced with lower hiring and firing costs through the use of more blue-collar labour contracts. The evidence showing improved performance by firms that attempt to achieve greater flexibility by hiring more temporary workers is limited.

In a world where competitive advantages based on technology, physical assets and large advertising budgets are fungible, business leaders' personal values as an alternative or complementary influence on decision-making and market orientation have an intuitive appeal. Research findings based on data collected from 370 business leaders of independent indigenous companies in China suggest that business leaders with different sets of personal values create and develop different types of organisational culture. Leaders with openness to change values form an adhocracy culture, while leaders expressing conservation values promote a hierarchy culture. Different organisational cultures have different influences on market orientation. The hypothesised relationships between self-enhancement leaders and market culture and between self-transcendence leaders and clan culture were not supported. Finally, the article discusses the theoretical contribution of the study, managerial implications...

The organisational culture at New Zealand’s Otago Polytechnic has been shifting as a result of the Designing for Learner Success initiative, which focuses on the redesign and redevelopment of all vocational and degree programmes to improve learner success. The four-phase process (Preparation – Design – Development – Delivery) follows Biggs’ (2003) constructive alignment principles of learning design to integrate strategic priorities, as well as experiential and blended learning, within curricula. Programme teams are supported throughout by colleagues in a centralised Learning and Teaching Development team. Unlike earlier efforts to involve staff in curriculum development, this collaborative learning design process has resulted in a change in organisational culture from one of siloed activities within programmes, to a more integrated and communicative team approach. The initiative has also proved to be an effective model for professional development. The model is experiential, and success is achieved through growing academic capability, and by changing beliefs, attitudes, and teaching practices with regard to learning design and educational technologies.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of organisational culture (OC) on leadership styles in Nigerian universities. The study utilises the cultural dimensions theory (Hofstede’s insights) and the social exchange concept as theoretical lenses to examine the phenomena. Design/methodology/approach Using an exploratory qualitative approach, 40 interviews were conducted with senior academics and non-teaching staff working in Nigerian universities. Findings The findings reveal hierarchical, patriarchal, servile, and interdependent values as the underlying characteristics of organisation culture, shaping the choice of leadership styles in the management of Nigerian universities. As a result, it emerged from the study that positional, formalised exchanges, paternalism, relational approach and gendered reactions to leadership were typically adopted in university administration in this context. Research limitations/implications The study relies on a small qualitative...

Purpose - Innovation is crucial for attaining a competitive advantage for companies. Innovation, versus imitation, motivates companies to launch new products and become pioneers on markets. Many factors have been shown to be determinants for supporting an organizational innovative orientation. One of them is organizational culture. The objective of this paper is to analyze the organizational culture that fosters or inhibits organizational innovation and imitation strategy.Design methodology approach - The paper uses a sample of 471 Spanish companies for examining the hypotheses. Using hierarchical multiple regression analysis, it relates the effect of organizational culture with an innovation strategy.Findings - The results confirm the hypotheses. The paper finds that organizational culture is a clear determinant of innovation strategy. Moreover, adhocracy cultures foster innovation strategies and hierarchical cultures promote imitation cultures.Research limitations implications...

A mismatch between efficiency/flexibility strategy and organisational culture results in production inefficiency within the firm, whereas a proper match leads to superior performance. This study tries to find out the proper match between them by investigating their joint effect on firm performance. Based on the data of 212 Chinese firms, this research finds that the proper organisational culture for efficiency strategy is characterised by individualism, high power distance, and low uncertainty avoidance, whereas the proper culture for flexibility strategy has the characteristics of collectivism, low power distance, and high uncertainty avoidance.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how organisational culture affects the internationalisation proclivity of international new ventures (INVs). Design/methodology/approach In this paper, a resource advantage (R-A) framework is adopted to examine how organisational culture can be a resource for INVs to leverage efficiently and/or effectively in order to make up for their challenges in internationalisation and create value for their international customers. In doing so, this study makes use of examples of five INVs from India, which have successfully achieved international business prowess and superior performance immediately after their foundation. Findings The findings reveal that an organisational culture including continuous learning, creativity and innovation, collaboration and sharing, and customer-centricity as traits have a positive influence on INV internationalisation proclivity. Most importantly, fostering a culture of collaboration and sharing can...