17 research outputs found
The Single European Market and SMEs: A Comparison of its Effects in the Food and Clothing Sectors in the UK and Portugal
No full textSMALLBONE D., CUMBERS A., SYRETT S. and LEIGH R. (1999) The Single European Market and SMEs: a comparison of its effects in the food and clothing sectors in the UK and Portugal, Reg. Studies 33 , 51-62. The creation of a Single European Market in 1992 represented an attempt to accelerate the process of European economic integration. However, in terms of the actual impact of the Single Market process, most of the attention so far has concentrated upon the implications for the large firm corporate sector. In comparison, there has been a lack of in-depth analysis of the effects of the Single Market for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), despite the contribution to employment generation that is often prescribed for them in policy terms. This paper seeks to stimulate a more informed debate about the consequences of the Single Market for SMEs by contrasting the effects on firms in different spatial and sectoral contexts, drawing upon original survey evidence of SMEs in the food and clothing sectors in the UK and Portugal. SMALLBONE D., CUMBERS A., SYRETT S. et LEIGH R. (1999) Le marcheunique europeenet les PME: une comparaison de ses effets dans les secteurs de l'alimenation et de l'habillement au Royaume-Uni et au Portugal, Reg. Studies 33 , 51-62. L'etablissement d'un marche unique europeen en 1992 a represente une tentative d'accelerer le processus d'integration economique europeenne. Cependant, l'impact reelde l'echeance1992 s'etait fait sentir largement sur les grandes societes. Parcontre, rares sont les recherches approfondies quant a l'impact du marche unique sur les petites et moyennes entreprises (PME), en depit de leur ro⁁le de createurs d'emploi. Puisant dans les resultats des enque⁁tes originelles aupres des secteurs de l'alimentation et de l'habillement au Royaume-Uni et au Portugal, cet article cherche a susciter une discussion plus fondee sur les consequences du marche unique pour ce qui est des PME en comparant les effets sur les entreprises dans des contextes geographiqueset sectoriels differents. SMALLBONE D., CUMBERS A., SYRETT S. und LEIGH R. (1999) Der europaische Binnenmarkt und klein-bis mittelgrosse Unternehmen (SMC): ein Vergleich seiner Auswirkungen auf die Bereiche Lebensmittel und Bekleidung im Vereinigten Konigreich und Portugal, Reg. Studies 33 , 51-62. Die Schaffung eines europaischen Binnenmarktes im Jahre 1992 stellte einen Versuch dar, den Prozess des europaischen wirtschaftlichen Zusammenschlusses zu beschleunigen. Bisher hat sich jedoch die Aufmerksamkeit unter dem Aspekt der tatsachlichen Auswirkung des Binnenmarktprozesses auf die Implikationen furden korporativen Grossfirmensektor konzentriert. Im Vergleich damit fehlt es trotz des zur Schaffung von Arbeitsplazen geleisteten Beitrags, die politische Stellungnahme ihnen oft zuschreibt, an grundlichen Analysen der Auswirkungen des Binnenmarktsauf kleineund mittelgrosse Unternehmen (Small and Medium Enterprises - SME). Dieser Aufsatz sucht, eine besser fundierte Diskussion uberdie Konsequenzen des Binnenmarkts fur kleine und mittlere Unternehmen in Gang zu bringen, indem er die Auswirkungen auf Firmen in verschiedenen raumlichen und betriebssektoralen Zusammenhangen gegenubersellt, wozu Beweise von ursprunglichen Gutachten uber SME im Lebensmittel- und Bekleidungssektor im Vereinigten Konigreich und Portugal herangezogen werden.Single Market, Smes, Spatial And Sectoral Contrasts, Food, Clothing, Marche Unique, Pme, Contrastes Geographiques Et Sectoriels, Alimentation, Habillement, Binnenmarkt, Kleine Und Mittlere Unternehmen, Gegensatze Von Raum Und Betriebssektor, Lebensmittel, Bekleidung,
What Determines Private Investment? The Case of Pakistan
No full textThis study is an attempt to analyse the determinants of private investment in Pakistan over the period 1972-2005. The ARDL co-integration approach is employed to check the existence of a long-run relationship as well as short-run dynamics of investment. The results show that most traditional factors have little or no impact on private investment. These results may support the idea that nontraditional factors such as quality of institutions, governance, entrepreneurial skill, etc., are prerequisites for private investment to flourish. We find partial support for the accelerator principle and the crowding-out hypothesis in the case of Pakistan. However, the hypothesis that the volume of the funds is as important as the cost of the funds used in financing private investment and the McKinnon-Shaw hypothesis are not verified in the case of Pakistan.Private Investment, Growth, Crowding Out, co-integration
What Determines Private Investment? The Case of Pakistan
No full textThis study is an attempt to analyse the determinants of private investment in Pakistan over the period 1972-2005. The ARDL co-integration approach is employed to check the existence of a long-run relationship as well as short-run dynamics of investment. The results show that most traditional factors have little or no impact on private investment. These results may support the idea that nontraditional factors such as quality of institutions, governance, entrepreneurial skill, etc., are prerequisites for private investment to flourish. We find partial support for the accelerator principle and the crowding-out hypothesis in the case of Pakistan. However, the hypothesis that the volume of the funds is as important as the cost of the funds used in financing private investment and the McKinnon-Shaw hypothesis are not verified in the case of Pakistan.Private Investment, Growth, Crowding Out, Co-integration
An Examination of inter-business cooperation by wine and tourism small and medium-sized businesses in the Douro valley of Portugal.
No full textBusinesses operate in an increasingly complex and competitive environment (Anderson and Atkins 2001; McGee and Sawyer 2003), which poses challenges and difficulties that no business can face alone (Beverland and Brotherton 2001). This is particularly true for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (Fuller-Love and Thomas 2004), given their characteristics, especially at the current time when the western world is experiencing a severe economic and financial crisis. SMEs are characterised by having gaps in competences or resource portfolios (due to lack of substantial investments) (Dennis 2000), and by having small establishments, local ownership, lack of information and certain skills (Morrison 1998; European Commission 2003), lack of know-how (Schermerhorn 1980), and scarce resources (e.g. human, financial and material) (Morrison 1998; European Commission 2003). Thus, SMEs need to look for specific ways that can help them to bring in complementary strengths and thereby be more competitive. This is especially true for those SMEs located in peripheral and rural areas because they have to face additional constraints to their activity, such as location, limited size of the market and labour market conditions (e.g. Keeble and Tyler 1995; North and Smallbone 1996; Stathopulou et al. 2004). The establishment of cooperation relationships/initiatives comes at the forefront of the list of options that can be adopted by SMEs operating in specific contexts, namely operating in complementary industries (Wargenau and Che 2006; Roach 2010), as it is the case of wine and tourism industries, and operating in rural areas Smallbone et al. 2002). Inter-business cooperation can be adopted by SMEs to overcome some of their location-related difficulties (Smallbone et al. 2002), to face the challenges posed by the business environment, to achieve their objectives (e.g. European Commission 2003; Miller et al. 2007), to attain a stronger position, and be able to compete more effectively, than they would do if in isolation (Fyall and Garrod 2005). The (potential) benefits that may result from cooperation to businesses are widely acknowledged and therefore, cooperation relationships/initiatives are seen as strategic necessity rather than a choice (Chen and Chen 2002; Beckett 2005), being a major feature of contemporary competitive environment and central to overall business strategies (Abdy and Barclay 2001). However, and despite the above, cooperation between SMEs is more limited than what would be expected and suggested in the literature. Not only many SMEs have little knowledge about, and show a weak tendency towards cooperation as a means to overcome their natural weaknesses (e.g. European Commission 2003; Ussman and Franco 2000; Hoffman and Schlosser 2001, Correia et al. 2007), but they also struggle to reconcile the desire to follow their own interests with cooperation with other businesses (Fyall and Garrod 2005). Thus, it seems that the same characteristics that strengthen cooperation relationships/initiatives may simultaneously represent a hindrance to it. This seems to be particularly true in the case of Portugal (Ussman and Franco 2000; European Commission 2003). Therefore, this research aims at contributing to a comprehensive understanding of what are the influences on decisions towards cooperation, and on operation and outcomes of cooperation from the point of view of SMEs’ owners/managers because of their strong involvement in the owning, managing and making decisions. Literature of generic cooperation, SMEs, and on the specific context of wine and tourism industries supported and informed this study. To accomplish the proposed goals and objectives a quantitative methodology grounded in the positivism paradigm was adopted. Data was collected in the Douro Valley in the north of Portugal from wine and tourism businesses through structured face-to-face interviews (through interview-based questionnaire) (200 questionnaires were obtained). The selection of tourism owners/mangers was based on a stratified random selection. Wine respondents were selected through a systemic sampling method. Data collected has enabled the identification of the factors influencing the decision to whether, or not, cooperate, and also the influences on cooperation operation and outcomes. At the theoretical level, this research has demonstrated the appropriateness of studying inter-business cooperation from an all-encompassing perspective. This study has also shown the appropriateness of blending different theories to study reasons for cooperation in the context of SMEs. It has also identified the influences perceived as the most important by owners/managers for cooperation to happen between businesses operating in the same (horizontal) and/or in a different industry (diagonal). At the practical level, this study is contributing to applied knowledge in a specific region of Portugal by offering original data about inter-business cooperation in the Douro Valley in the context of wine and tourism industries, what has not been collected before. The results demonstrated that although cooperation is a practice that has been already adopted by owners/managers in the Douro Valley in that will be adopted in the future, this is not the case for a considerable number of the wine and tourism business. In the Douro Valley, inter-business cooperation is informal and is a relatively recent practice, involving a small number of partners. Perceptions and expectations of positive outcomes in terms of the achievement of businesses’ objectives, prior knowledge, personal relationships, and trust are crucial for cooperation to occur in the Douro
Constraints and opportunities facing women entrepreneurs in developing countries: a relational perspective
No full textPurpose: this purpose of the paper to examine the interplay of constraints and opportunities affecting female entrepreneurship in developing countries. The paper integrates salient micro- and macro-level perspectives and provides a rounded account of opportunities and constraints as part of a holistic interdependent system.Design/methodology/approach: the paper adopts an integrative multi-level research design and an interpretive research methodology, capitalizing on in-depth interviews with ten women entrepreneurs to explore their perceptions and interpretations of constraints and opportunities facing female entrepreneurship in the Lebanese context.Findings: the findings presented in this paper clearly illustrate the relevance of micro-, meso-, and macro-level factors in entrepreneurship research and the usefulness of integrating multiple lens and units of analysis to capture the complexity of the women entrepreneurship experience in any particular context.Originality/value: the value added of this research lies in adapting a framework recently popularized in the context of diversity management for use in entrepreneurship research, helping to capture in turn the dynamic interplay of multiple levels of analysis and objective/subjective factors influencing female entrepreneurshi
Offenders who use child sexual exploitation material: Development of an integrated model for their classification, assessment, and treatment
No full textSince the advent of the internet, convictions for the possession, display, trading and distribution of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) have risen steadily. Professionals working in sex offender assessment and treatment have seen an influx in individuals who engage in this type of child sexual abuse without any direct contact with the victim. Despite an increase in recent research activities, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding this “new type” of sex offenders, in terms of appropriate assessment, treatment and management strategies.
A comprehensive review was undertaken, establishing the knowledge basis regarding CSEM offending and the offenders who engage in it. The identified differences between CSEM offenders (CSEMOs) and contact sex offenders (CSOs) and the nature of their offending led to the development of a theoretical model of CSEM offending, suggesting a classification of CSEM users on three dimensions: CSEM offending with or without direct sexual contact to a minor (fantasy-driven versus contact-driven offending), the individual’s motivation to offend, and the level of networking with other offenders. The question of risk of reoffending in CSEMOs, especially concerning cross-over to contact sex offending with a minor, was examined in terms of actual reoffending data and in the context of behavioural consequences resulting from general pornography consumption. The findings further confirmed the value of the two-fold distinction of CSEMOs, with contact-driven offenders presenting higher risk of direct sex offending based on a greater inclination for sexual violence. A review of existing risk assessment tools and established risk factors for sexual reoffending pointed to the value of structured professional guidelines when assessing CSEM offenders.
Sixty-eight offenders were assessed via an anonymous computer survey including a variety of clinical and risk-related variables; the sample included 22 CSEMOs, 29 CSOs, and 17 offenders with both offence types (mixed offenders, MOs). The findings confirmed differing profiles between CSEM users and CSOs, most notably in the high emotional, time-related and financial cost involved in CSEMOs’ internet behaviour and MOs’ apparent disregard for their emotional ties to others. As a heterogeneous nature of CSEM users became apparent, numerical and graphical methods were employed to identify subgroups of CSEM users: Contact-driven Users (n = 15), Fantasy-driven Users (n = 12), and three smaller subgroups (each n = 2): Users with a preference for material with extreme content (Extreme Material Users), users who enacted high caution in their CSEM offending (Cautious Users), and users with high social connectedness (Social Users). While the focus of Contact-driven Users was pointed to direct sexual contact with minors, Fantasy-driven Users showed higher involvement in their CSEM usage, for example regarding their social or emotional investment online. The spatial representation of participants identified three dimensions as crucial in the classification of these subgroups: direct sexual contact with a minor, possession of fantasy-generating material, and social contact with other users with a sexual interest in minors. Exploring the subgroups’ profile on these variables and on conventional predictors of sex offending led to the development of an empirical model of CSEM users, differentiating a contact-driven pathway (Cautious Users, Contact-driven Users) from a fantasy-driven pathway (Extreme Material Users, Fantasy-driven Users, and Social Users), with offenders on the contact-driven pathway appearing more similar to CSOs.
The theoretical and empirical models were then combined into an Integrated Model for the Classification, Assessment, and Treatment of CSEM Users (IMCAT-CU), leading to the development of structured professional guidelines for their assessment and risk evaluation according to the five prototypes of CSEM offending
The Role of social relationships in the setting up and management of small tourism businesses in two Portuguese rural areas.
No full textThe successful setting up and management of micro and small businesses, and tourism related businesses in particular, is dependent on a range of situational and contextual factors (Gartner 1988, 1989; Reynolds 1991; Watson et al. 1998; Jack and Anderson 2002). When very small and micro businesses are considered, the owner’s social and economic contexts are strongly inter-related, and to interpret economic action, one needs to take into account the social context where it takes place (Granovetter 1985; Aldrich and Zimmer 1986; Curran et al. 1993; Greenbank 2001; Jack and Anderson 2002). In remote rural areas, particularly in peripheral locations, tourism businesses have been widely promoted and relied upon as a means of addressing the social and economic challenges they are going through (Sharpley 2002; Shaw and Williams 2002; Getz et al. 2004). But tourism businesses have to face the typical weakness of small firms, combined with the constraining characteristics of peripheral destinations (Dahles 1997; Morrison 1998a; Morrison and Thomas 1999; Irvine and Anderson 2004; Getz and Carlsen 2005). The supporting resources base for firm setting up is considered to be much smaller and much harder to access (Smallbone et al. 1993; Stearns et al. 1995; Patterson and Anderson 2003; Skuras et al. 2003). In such circumstances, the owners’ social personal networks play very important roles, either in the provision of immediate support, or by giving access to contacts and to resources outside the local area (Jack and Anderson 2002). But social networks can either facilitate or inhibit venture development (Casrud and Johnson 1989). Particularly with micro and/or family owned businesses, the two sub-systems are so strongly embedded, that any family issue is likely to influence the business and vice-versa, both in a positive as well as in a negative way (Stafford et al. 1999; Danes 2006). Social networks are acknowledged as important sources of strength, synergies and resources to businesses (e.g. Lynch; 2000; Habbershon et al. 2003; Buhalis and Peters 2006; Sharma 2008; Tinsley and Lynch 2008), but can also lead to dysfunctional consequences, and conflict between both systems may arise (Danes 2006; Werberl and Danes 2010). Therefore, this research aims at contributing to an under researched topic: the understanding of the role and importance of social relationships, in the small business setting up and management context. Theories of social networks, social capital and social support were considered as providing an appropriate conceptual framework. To accomplish the proposed goals and objectives a sequential, multi-methods approach was adopted, because the topic of social support, and mostly social hindrance, were under-conceptualized in the small businesses context. The first stages of qualitative data collection (interviews and subsequent group discussion) informed the structure and content of a questionnaire to be used in the main stage of quantitative data collection. The quantitative research was conducted in the Alto Alentejo and Oeste regions (Portugal), with 180, face-to-face completed questionnaires, based on a stratified random selection of tourism business owners. Data collected has enabled the identification of who within business owners’ personal network has affected their business initiative, how and with what outcomes, at different moments in time. Helpful and unhelpful behaviours, both from family and people within the personal circle have been identified and submitted to uni and multi analysis. The underlying types of social support and social hindrance were identified. At the theoretical level, this research has demonstrated the benefits of combining theories of social network and social capital, traditionally widely used in small business research, with theory of social support. A richer understanding of the role of social relationships in the business’ context was achieved. This research has also contributed to the conceptualization of negative social interactions, and the term social hindrance is suggested, as opposed to social support. The multi-dimensionality and multiplexity of both constructs has been demonstrated. At the practical level, the findings indicate that social relationships, notably from family and friends, play an important role in the setting up and management of small tourism businesses, namely through the provision of emotional support, informational support and practical aid and assistance. The results demonstrate that there is, indeed, a positive relationship between social support and business performance, whilst negative social interactions, conceptualized as social hindrance, are less likely to affect business performance and success than expected. However, caution is suggested regarding the findings relating to negative social interaction considering the positive association between social desirability and reporting of social hindering behaviours. The study discusses not only the theoretical implications but also the practical ones, namely in the development of policies that aim at facilitating the setting up and management of small tourism businesses in rural areas. Future areas of research are suggested, both with regard to exploring in further detail the data collected and in terms of new and enhanced research approaches
The Marketing-Entrepreneurship Interface: A Contextual and Practical Critique of the Role of Entrepreneurship
No full textIn the late nineteen eighties, Hills proposed that marketing scholars should pay far more attention to entrepreneurship and the smaller enterprise. He founded an annual research symposium and associated proceedings published under the title of Research at the Marketing/Entrepreneurship Interface. The symposia and proceedings still flourish and both the Academy of Marketing in the UK and the American Marketing Association have special interest groups for this area.
This thesis is concerned with the contribution that entrepreneurship can make to understanding this interface. Without a robust definition of entrepreneurship, the interface simply becomes a study of a very common and disparate organisational form - Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). There is no shame in this for they deserve our interest, support and help. Without an understanding of the entrepreneurship component of the interface that help and support might be less effective than we, and they, would desire. Small business is not a little large business, they operate in very different circumstances with very much fewer resources to hand, and, because of who they are may have very different motivations and skill sets. Not necessarily worse but different. So entrepreneurial marketing might offer different insights, and help, compared to a standard academic approach to small business.
This is a PhD by published work and twenty-three submissions are organised into four themes and form a core for discussion. The first theme considers appropriate definitions of entrepreneurship and the role they play in conceptualising the interface. The second theme considers how adopting an entrepreneurial marketing approach could guide and inform the SME in two particular respects: addressing critical situations and developing and maintaining appropriate relationships. This theme is considering entrepreneurial marketing within the SME. The third theme considers firstly entrepreneurial marketing extended away from the SME to larger organisations in both public and private ownership and to a particular form of public art where participants can be small or large and in either public or private ownership. Secondly the experience of organisations within a cluster and SMEs within a conflict zone are considered. The distinguishing focus of this third theme is that it extends the interface away from the traditional focus on SMEs. Whilst it was natural for the interface to arise out of a desire to understand a neglected organisational form in marketing – it can be applied in other contexts. The final theme considers how the author’s conceptualisation of the interface has informed their teaching and the implications for practical business support.
A fundamental argument that is made in respect of understanding the role of entrepreneurship within entrepreneurial marketing is that we should not treat entrepreneurship as an absolute attribute which would direct us into classifying people simply into entrepreneurs as opposed to non-entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs range from the exceptional ‘stellar’ entrepreneur to those who are imitative of current market offerings and we should work across this range appropriately.
Having discussed both an appropriate definition and role for entrepreneurship within the marketingentrepreneurship interface the implications of such a view are illustrated through considering the different contexts discussed in themes two and three above and reflecting upon the delivery of teaching programmes based partly or wholly on the notion of the marketing-entrepreneurship interface.
The work is a critique of the role of entrepreneurship within the interface. The contexts selected and discussed draw out practical lessons for a wide range of individuals from undergraduates through SMEs to larger organisations in either private or public ownership
Condicionantes del entorno y emprendimiento femenino. Un estudio cuantitativo en España
No full textEl objetivo principal del trabajo es analizar la influencia de los factores del entorno sobre el emprendimiento femenino en España, utilizando el enfoque institucional. A partir de modelos de regresión logística, con datos del proyecto Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), los resultados indican que los factores informales (percepción de habilidades para emprender, redes sociales y rol familiar) son más relevantes para el emprendimiento femenino que los formales (financiación, políticas de apoyo no económicas y formación). El estudio contribuye tanto al avance teórico en el campo del emprendimiento femenino como al diseño de políticas de apoyo destinadas a este colectivo.The main purpose of this research is to analyze the influence of the environmental factors on female entrepreneurial activity, using the institutional approach as the theoretical framework. The empirical research uses regression logistic models and data from Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). The main findings indicate that informal factors (perception of abilities to entrepreneurship, social networks and family role) are more relevant for female entrepreneurship than formal factors (financing, support policies to entrepreneurship and education). The research contributes both theoretically, with the advances in the field of women entrepreneurship and practically, for the design of support policies to female entrepreneurial activity
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The process of developing innovative capabilities in biotechnology: the case of UK firms
No full textThe advent of born-global bio-tech firms signal the genesis of a new business model that is emerging in the biotechnology sector. Born globals are small firms whose knowledge supply-chain includes global resources from multiple countries. Their innovation ‘ecosystems’ consists of experienced scientists, science parks, academics, well-established bio-pharmaceutical firms and government institutions. The firms plan their business based on global strategic perspectives and this significantly increases their productivity and innovativeness. But surprisingly, little is known about their capability development processes in the specialised networks of the biotechnology sector. As a result, this study explores the connectivity of various elements, within their knowledge supply-chain, and how they influence their capacity to generate new scientific knowledge and technical know-how. The study employs a multi-case approach. It examines five cases of bio-tech firms from the East Midlands region of the United Kingdom which have an entrepreneurial flair synonymous with born-global firms. The findings from within and across cases, secondary data analysis and results from a ‘pilot study’ led to the construction of a new conceptual framework of knowledge and innovative capability development. The model is created from the ideas of Freeman and others and it contributes to an understanding of the concepts of dynamic capabilities and network theories
