This study examines supply chain management approaches to customer relationship management (CRM), and how they influence the performance of small businesses. Our motivation was to relate supply chain positioning to business performance. The data for the small businesses for our study were sourced from the US Census Bureau’s survey of business owners (SBO) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS). We categorized the CRM environment for small businesses by primary customer type and by size, and examined the performance differences across these categories. Specifically, the CRM categories were business-to-consumer (B2C), business-to-business (B2B), business-to-government/federal (B2Gf), or business-to-government/state and local (B2Gs); while the size categories were Micro (<10 employees), Mini (10–24 employees), Small-I (25–49 employees), and Small-II (50–99 employees). We found evidence of superior performance for B2B firms on several dimensions including sales, employment, as well as sales per employee and sales per payroll measures of efficiency. This study contributes to the literature by clarifying how the positioning of small businesses in the supply chain can influence their performance.

PurposeThe purpose of this case study is to examine the hospitality industry by exploring the activities of a small, independent hotel. The hotel was experiencing disruption in recent years due to technology, intense competition and changes in customer preferences.Design/methodology/approachThis case study uses a qualitative methodology approach by interviewing two generations of family members that were on the brink of failure. Discussions included ways and activities in which the business was exploring that could be identified to address the loss of customers and revenues because of the digitalization of the industry.FindingsThe case findings indicate that by creating a new hybrid business model can provide a successful direction for owners facing digitization with an industry. The findings suggest creating a new hybrid business model can provide improvements in areas such as financial stability and cost reductions, attracting new customers, improved usage of assets and the ability to leverage the technology disruption in the hospitality industry.Originality/valueThis study provides a reflective examination of a small, independent hotel facing financial collapse. However, the family members were able to use the threat of new technologies to create a new opportunity by developing a new hybrid business model that other similar businesses could explore in designing.

This study examines the relationship between supply chain orientation and knowledge sharing on small business strategy and firm performance. This paper also explores potential differences that may exist across national boundaries for international firms. 392 surveys were administered to managing directors of small- and medium-sized enterprises in the United States, France and India and explored how managerial practices may impact firm’s financial and non-financial performance outcomes via triple bottom line assessments. Interestingly, findings suggest that differences in managerial practices for business strategy exist across the three countries and that these differences are associated with differences with respect to firm performance outcomes. The paper discusses implications for scholars and practitioners, suggests future research opportunities, and provides concluding thoughts.

This paper elaborates on the development of a small business certificate program in rural Kansas. Researchers and local practitioners suggest that there are differences between rural and urban small businesses and that most educational programs do not account for these differences. After exploratory research, the university team identified specific needs facing local businesses and tailored a program for their needs. A program structure and set of topics, paired with faculty experts was developed and implemented. Topics focused on developing an entrepreneurial orientation, as well as certain business fundamentals that were deemed critical to small rural businesses. Each topic was oriented toward the rural context where face to face business is more essential. A feedback loop was implemented leading to a shorter 8-week timeframe and some topic adjustments. To date, 378 firms have participated in the program and have shown an 80% survival rate. Specific feedback has indicated that business growth has occurred and that the respondents do perceive development in their entrepreneurial orientation. In addition, specific skill areas related to unique businesses have been improved. Lastly, the program participants have grown their regional business networks, which has been shown to be an important factor for rural business success.

This study examines the influence of high performing organization (HPO) management principles and social media marketing strategies on firms’ performance, as reflected in firms’ triple bottom line (TBL). The study examines profit, planet and people – and whether or not HPO managerial and social media marketing strategies present differences in TBL performance outcomes for firms that are family businesses relative to those that are not family businesses. Employing a survey of 392 businesses, we conduct confirmatory, factor and regression analyses to explore the impact of managerial practices and social media marketing on firms’ performance (family and non-family) exploring both financial and non-financial outcomes. Findings suggest that HPO managerial practices and social media marketing strategies influence TBL outcomes and that performance outcome differences do exist between family and non-family firms. A discussion regarding practice implications, study limitations, prospective future research directions and concluding thoughts are provided.

This study provides novel insights into gender differences in small business outcomes. We analyze the first publicly available microdata from the 2007 US Census Bureau PUMS dataset, in a manner similar to (Fairlie and Robb’s in Small Business Economics, 33, 375–395 2009) analysis of the 1992 CBO dataset, and explore differences in female-led versus male-led firms’ business performances over a 15-year period. Findings indicate that gender differences persist and that female-led businesses continue to trail male-led businesses in survival rates, profits, employment (i.e., firm size), and sales. We also extend the work by (Fairlie and Robb in Small Business Economics, 33, 375–395 2009), by examining new performance and predictor measures, including payroll firm and longevity. We find that female-led businesses trail male-led businesses in these variables as well. However, the news is not all bad. Our findings also reveal that, although female-led businesses continue to trail male-led businesses in performance outcomes, both female- and male-led businesses are improving and in some cases performance improvements by female-led businesses are out-pacing their male-led counterparts.

Purpose This paper aims to study the performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the French hospitality sector and to determine what firm characteristics (particularly entrepreneurship orientation and strategic initiatives) explain differences in performance. The study is based on data from hotels and differentiates between high- and low-performing businesses. The study examines performance differences relating to entrepreneurial orientation and strategic initiatives. The conclusions indicate that there are differences between high- and low-performing groups, and overall, it seems that there is a relationship between high performance and entrepreneurial, well-planned strategic initiatives. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a structured telephone interview procedure to solicit respondents from owner/operators of the hotels throughout the region. The process for gathering data resulted in 66 hotels providing complete responses during interview sessions. Findings The primary intent of this study was to examine the relationships between entrepreneurial orientation and strategic initiatives with SME performance. The findings suggest that differences exists. Interestingly, we found that better performing group used more people and tended to see business environment much more favorable compared to low-performing group. Originality/value Entrepreneurial orientation research suggest that SMEs firms operate distinct from other ones given different patterns used. These differences come from how SMEs leverage the proactiveness, risk-taking and innovativeness dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation in a firm. Waal and his colleagues suggested that activities associated with creating a high-performing organization using strategic initiatives will lead to subsequent high financial performance. The research found here would also support such an assertion. However, care should be taken in interpreting the generalizability of these results given the limited number of hotels participating in this study; more work is still needed.

This paper examines the role that learning orientation plays with respect to entrepreneurial orientation, market orientation, and, ultimately, the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises SMEs. Previous research indicated mixed findings in regards to the relationship of these strategic orientations and firm performance. Instead of just direct influences to performance, we examine if learning orientation is an antecedent to market and entrepreneurial orientation. We suggest that in this way, their influence to SME performance would be more accurately predicted. We argue that learning orientation reflects the overall values of the organization, whereas entrepreneurial and market orientations are more action-oriented firm behaviors. Learning orientation would likely set the stage for the requisite actions implied in market and entrepreneurial orientation. Direct effect and mediated effects hypotheses between these strategic orientations are tested on a sample of SME manufacturing firms and their performance. Findings indicate that learning and entrepreneurial orientation directly influence SME performance. However, when learning orientation and its effects are mediated by market and entrepreneurial orientation, direct effects disappear when testing this model. The study offers insight into relationships between various strategic orientations, as to how and when they might influence SME performance.

This research study examines the relationship of entrepreneurial orientation and learning orientation on the performance of small family businesses. It is proposed that the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation (innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk-taking) and of learning orientation (commitment and open-mindedness) will be positively related to two dimensions of family business performance (growth and profitability). The study uses a survey method approach for data gathering to test the proposed relationships. Multiple regression analyses were employed using the performance dimensions as the dependent variables. The results suggest that in all cases, innovativeness was not found to explain either performance dimension, while the size of the family business consistently provided a reliable control measure. Furthermore, the results suggest that proactiveness and risk-taking help explain both growth and profitability, and that open-mindedness helps explain profitability. This study contributes to the developing body of small family business literature in the context of learning and performance. The paper concludes with some preliminary findings, conclusions, and recommendations for the future.

The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics and performance of family-owned firms with internationalization. We were motivated to determine if there were significant differences between family-owned firms with internationalization and other firm types, specifically, family-owned firms without internationalization and non-family-owned firms. The study draws on the Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners (SBO) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS). SBO response variables regarding owner demographics, business acquisition, business context, and a number of business performance outcome measures were the outcome variables of interest in this study. A comparison of means was applied to test whether or not there were differences in response variables across the family-owned and non-family-owned firm types. The results indicated that family-owned firms with internationalization, on average, had lower business closures and higher sales than the other firm types, and that firms with internationalization were more efficient in terms of sales per employee and sales per payroll. This study contributes to understanding the characteristics and performance between family-owned and non-family-owned firms in conjunction with those that internationalize and those that did not internationalize. A novel feature of the study experimental design was the incorporation of primary owner characteristics and whether there were any business acquisition, attribute, and performance correlations. The findings suggest practical implications for business growth strategy with regards to exporting, establishing international operations, or outsourcing business functions out of the USA. The study concludes with a discussion of the findings and offers potential future research directions.

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) utilise resources and capabilities differently in order to achieve a competitive advantage. Some SMEs are able to exploit these advantages internationally because of the unique motivations and perceptions of management toward globalisation. The findings of this research suggest that SMEs implementing competitive strategies have uniquely different managerial perceptions and motivations to internationalise as demonstrated by the interactions of these constructs. That is, firms using differentiation approaches are distinctly different from those using a low cost approach particularly when the interaction effects of international, managerial perceptions and firm size are investigated.

This paper examines the relationship between an organization’s learning orientation, its information technology competency and entrepreneurial orientation. It is proposed that a commitment to learning and a culture of learning coupled with the tools and capabilities to gather and compile information and knowledge from outside organizational boundaries facilitates the identification of opportunities. Small and medium-sized firms with high levels of an entrepreneurial orientation in turn are able to capitalize on opportunities yielding higher performance levels for the firm. Data from a sample of manufacturing SMEs tends to support these propositions. Conclusions and recommendations for SME management practice is discussed.

INTRODUCTIONSmall- and medium-sized business owners make important contributions to business creation and growth in America's economy. Understanding the characteristics of these business owners and their business may shed light on the importance to measuring an economy's overall well-being (Lichtenstein 2014). A number of studies have examined small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) relative to size and owner demographics (Blackburn, Hart, & Wainwright 2013); business acquisition (Fairlie & Robb 2009); and performance (Mittelstaedt, Harben, & Ward 2003; Wincent 2005; Wolff & Pett 2000). However, few studies have explored the relationship between demographics and business acquisition with measures of performance as demonstrated by sales and employee efficiency with regard to sales for SMEs (Blackburn, Hart, & Wainwright 2013; Pett & Wolff 2016).The intention of this paper is to contribute to the growing body of literature exploring the relationship between SME characteristics and performance. Moreover this research explores the relationship between the difference in owner demographics (for example, gender, education level, and age), business acquisition (for example, founded, purchased, inherited, or transferred/gifted), and business performance (for example, sales, sales per payroll, and sales per employee) based on the size of the SME firm. The paper begins with theoretical development which establishes the relationships of the constructs being examined within this study in relation to SME size. Following next is a brief literature review to develop the theory establishing the relationships of the constructs being examined as they relate to SME size. A discussion of the unique data used in this study and methodology is subsequently provided. The data analysis and analytical findings are then presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of the results and suggestions for future research.LITERATURE REVIEWToday's global markets and environment play an important role in the growth and success of SMEs. The globalization of markets and industries impacts SMEs profoundly through increased competition, need for innovation, shrinking time to market, and consumer demands to name a few. These macro environmental pressures can impact SMEs either directly or indirectly, resulting in smaller businesses needing to adjust to the market shock or pressures more quickly than larger businesses (Gartner 1997). For example, Adelino, Schoar, and Severino studied the effects of higher house prices during 2002-2007 on the growth of very businesses (Berlin 2014). The research suggests that higher house prices were significantly associated with higher employment growth at the smallest enterprises (one to four employees) and that this positive effect declined monotonically with firm size.There are numerous studies examining the relationships between SME and performance (Blackburn, Hart, & Wainwright 2013; Fairlie & Robb 2009; Mittelstaedt, Harben, & Ward 2003; Wincent 2005; Wolff & Pett 2000). Barney (1991) suggests that there is an association between a firm's resource investments and competiveness. The same can be said of firm size that as the number of employees grows, so should the corresponding resources (knowledge and capability). And as businesses often have fewer resources compared to larger SMEs, it seems logical that smaller firms would have fewer resources. For example, Lussier and Sonfield's (2015) research compared enterprise (0-9 employees) to small enterprise (10-49 employees) concerning a number of managerial characteristics across eight countries. They found that firms are more likely to engage in the formal planning and have a more prescribed management style compared to micro-sized firms. However, they found that the influence of the founder was greater in micro firms. These findings suggest that as SMEs grow in size (number of employees), they seem to benefit from the accumulation of more knowledge and resources. …

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between learning orientation (LO), entrepreneurial orientation (EO), and firm growth in small- and medium-sized firms (SMEs). The authors theoretically argue for a mediation effect of EO on the relationship between LO and growth. The study considered how companies that value learning enact actions to affect firm outcomes. This is particularly important for small firms that may not be capable of withstanding significant shocks in the marketplace.Design/methodology/approach– The research design employed the survey method for data gathering and resulted in 105 completed responses from CEOs/presidents of SMEs. To examine the construct validity of the measurement dimensions the authors used a multistage process. Additionally, the authors employed a competing models analytic design to determine the presence and strength of mediating effects of the EO construct.Findings– The findings empirically demonstrate the notion that firm cultural values embodied in a LO and translated into action behaviors by an EO is positively related to SME growth and adaptation. The research also supports the notion that learning is an important element in opportunity recognition insofar as opportunity recognition is entrepreneurial or reflecting an EO. SMEs that are open to learning may identify opportunities to exploit through an EO that facilitates growth. In the face of dynamic external environments and competitive conditions SMEs are well served by being more creative and entrepreneurial.Research limitations/implications– The design of the study is limited by single source, key respondents in SMEs, and has the potential for common method bias even though the authors tested for this effect successfully.Originality/value– The study contributes to the literature by examining how learning and an orientation toward entrepreneurial behavior affect the growth of firms. These findings will be of value to both scholars and entrepreneurs.

The process of implementing successful franchise system has received limited attention in the literature. The purpose of our paper is to replicate in France a franchise development model developed in New Zealand that identifies significant sequentially activities in the franchising process. Using a case study approach franchisors in ten French start-up franchisees were interviewed in order to determine how they applied the franchising process identified in the New Zealand study. A quantitative measure is derived as the basis of comparison for different approaches in the two countries. Our findings lend some support for the model, while revealing interesting differences between franchise development in the New Zealand study and the franchising start-up environment in France.

Family firms are often characterised by fewer information asymmetries and more trusting cultures than are non-family firms. As a result, using agency theory, we argue that family firm leaders will perceive that they derive less benefit from the internet, an information technology that allows companies to reduce their information asymmetries, than leaders from non-family firms. Our findings are consistent with this argument and provide support for the contention that there are fundamental differences between the perceptions of leaders in family and non-family firms.

This study examines entrepreneurial orientation, learning orientation, information technology competency, firm profitability and growth, with respect to differences exhibited among three size categories—micro, small and medium—within the SME classification. The results of our examination reveal significant differences among the three categories on some of the dimensions but no differences on others. Further, the pattern of similarities and differences may lead to useful suggestions for SME managers. The implications with respect to practice and further research are discussed.

Purpose – The purpose of the chapter is to sketch the historical and evolutionary development of the Wichita Aircraft Manufacturing Cluster from inception to present and provide a descriptive narrative of aircraft industry knowledge spillovers currently driving effort to establish a Medical Device Manufacturing Cluster. The chapter illustrates how carbon-fiber composite materials knowledge and technology developed for use in the aviation industry is facilitating the creation and growth of medical device manufacturing.Methodology/approach – We use an historical case study approach to trace the development of the aircraft cluster in the Wichita, KS metropolitan area. A number of technologies are identified that had initially been adopted by one firm but eventually diffused through other firms in the local cluster and ultimately throughout the industry.Findings – In addition to providing examples of within industry knowledge spillovers, we provide an example of technology-based knowledge that is diffusing through the aircraft manufacturing industry and is now being used as the basis for establishing an unrelated industry manufacturing cluster. The use of carbon-fiber composites in aircraft manufacturing has diffused from one manufacturer to many in the industry. Subsequently, the knowledge base surrounding carbon-fiber composite materials is being used in a local R&D effort to create a second manufacturing cluster producing medical devices ranging from surgical instruments to joint-replacement implants.Originality/value of paper – The chapter illustrates a unique example of a manufacturing cluster, intra-industry knowledge spillovers, and inter-industry knowledge spillovers to create a new manufacturing cluster.

SME capabilities have long been viewed as a means for firms to succeed in the marketplace. Within this paper, we develop the theoretical underpinnings for hypothesised relationships between SME capabilities (innovation, R&D activities and internationalisation) on two-distinct forms of SME performance (sales growth and profitability). Multiple regression analyses is used to test the proposed relationships using questionnaire data from 181 mid-western-based SMEs. Significant relationships were found among the innovation, R&D activities and internationalisation capabilities for both forms of performance. A discussion of the implications for these findings with respect to managerial practice and future research is provided.