Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development

Tran, Hanah; Murphy, Patrick J.

2023 Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development

doi: 10.1108/jsbed-09-2023-508

Kraus, Patrick; Stokes, Peter; Moore, Neil; Ashta, Ashok; Britzelmaier, Bernd Jürgen

2023 Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development

doi: 10.1108/jsbed-12-2022-0492

Elite interviewing is a well-established area of interview research methods. Nevertheless, the actual casting of an “elite” has been generally conducted in a prima facie or broad manner. A consideration of entrepreneurs and owner-managers as “elites” has been less profiled and received less attention, therefore the paper views the entrepreneurs and owner-managers as constituting a form of “local elite” within given and varying sectorial, regional and community boundaries. The authors argue that a consideration of entrepreneurs as “local elites” and transferring knowledge from an elite interviewing perspective may strongly support scholarly research in the entrepreneurship field.Design/methodology/approachThe study conducts a comprehensive narrative literature review of elite interviewing literature and transfers key methodological insights to the entrepreneurship field. The methodological contribution based on literature is complemented by experiences and observations from an extensive inductive interview study with over 30 entrepreneurs of German manufacturing Small and Medium-sized Entities (SMEs) and are used to reflect on, and refine, interview research approaches with entrepreneurs.FindingsThe reflections and discussions in this paper provide valuable insights for other researchers conducting research in entrepreneurship domains regarding the power dynamics of negotiating access, procedural issues of interviews and thereby enhancing the quality of data.Originality/valueThe contribution to knowledge is mainly of a methodological nature. While the paper takes a novel act of recasting elite interviewing in the SME and entrepreneurship context, the paper methodologically contributes to the entrepreneurship and elite interview literature thereby facilitating higher quality interviews.

St-Pierre, Josée; Julien, Pierre-André; Fadil, Nazik

2023 Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development

doi: 10.1108/jsbed-11-2022-0459

In a context of greater environmental uncertainty, understanding the practices and strategies adopted by the SME owner-manager to deal with it is an important topic.Design/methodology/approachBased on a questionnaire survey of 583 SME owner-managers, a cluster analysis based on the degree of perceived uncertainty was conducted.FindingsA statistical differences across a continuum with regard to entrepreneurial orientation, information gathering, management and absorption practices, innovation and internationalization was observed. These results show that the behaviors, and strategies deployed by SME owner managers are adapted to the degree of uncertainty these individuals perceive. Moreover, these results are not linked to their individual profiles nor to those of their companies.Practical implicationsThe results show how SME owner-managers can increase their capacity to face uncertainty by collecting different types of information from different sources, by traveling abroad, by hiring personal with diverse profiles and by dealing with situations outside their norms. Public authorities in economic development interested to promote entrepreneurial decisions are invited to produce and diffuse valuable information to reduce uncertainty perceived by owner managers to support SMEs.Originality/valueThis research is original in that no study has holistically examined the link between uncertainty and the strategic and organizational practices of SMEs. It also responds to political and managerial concerns to effectively support SMEs under conditions of uncertainty – contexts that are increasingly important these days.

Osaghae, Osa-Godwin; Cooney, Thomas M.

2023 Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development

doi: 10.1108/jsbed-11-2022-0475

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how entrepreneurship opportunity formation amongst immigrants has been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, given that environmental changes and irregularity can contribute to entrepreneurship opportunity formation in the immigrant set-up.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a comparative narrative analysis of literature relating to entrepreneurship opportunity formation, immigrant entrepreneurship, environmental change (e.g. COVID-19 pandemic) and demand expansion (e.g. market extension resulting from environmental changes) and primary dataset from 11 semi-structured interviews.FindingsThe triangulation of the literature from these diverse topics leads to the conclusion that environmental changes and irregularity creates demand expansion that can drive entrepreneurship in any climate.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitation to the present study is the inability to use more than 11 primary dataset for this study, so future research on this topic should ensure the use of more primary dataset to validate the literature review.Originality/valueThis article contributes to existing knowledge by suggesting that irregular events within the environment (not stable economic growth alone) can positively influence entrepreneurship opportunity formation amongst immigrants.

Walsh, Lucia; Cooney, Thomas

2023 Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development

doi: 10.1108/jsbed-12-2021-0472

All entrepreneurs face challenges during their venture start-up process, but immigrant entrepreneurs face additional and distinctive challenges due to their contextual newness. This paper focuses on understanding the intertwined journeys of nascent entrepreneurship and cross-cultural adaptation of immigrants in a small Western European country where immigrant entrepreneurship is still a relatively new phenomenon.Design/methodology/approachThe induction-driven, 18-month longitudinal empirical inquiry focused on six early-stage nascent entrepreneurs. Qualitative methods included participant observation during an enterprise program, qualitative interviews and ongoing informal communication.FindingsThe data uncovered the interplay between the nascent immigrant entrepreneurship and cross-cultural adaptation. This led to the development of a novel conceptual framework which highlights how the cross-cultural adaptation domain links with the process of recognition, evaluation and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities by immigrant entrepreneurs. While varying temporarily and contextually, cross-cultural adaptation was found to create both enabling and constraining tensions within the nascent entrepreneurial experiences of immigrants.Research limitations/implicationsIt is recognized that undertaking just six cases may present a significant limitation of the research, but a close examination of even one individual's lived experience can yield valuable insights. It is hoped that future work will test the highlighted research propositions and other findings in different empirical contexts, and so add to the emerging conceptual framework on nascent immigrant entrepreneurship within the context of cross-cultural adaptation.Originality/valueNo previous qualitative studies have been undertaken seeking to understand how cross-cultural adaptation interacts with the early stages of nascent immigrant entrepreneurial activity. By integrating new venture creation and cross-cultural adaptation theories, this research contributes to the conceptualisation of early stages of nascent entrepreneurial activities of immigrants in a new host environment. The implications of the research are also relevant to enterprise support bodies, policymakers and practitioners who support immigrant entrepreneurship.

Arcuri, Maria Cristina; Gandolfi, Gino; Russo, Ivan

2023 Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development

doi: 10.1108/jsbed-04-2022-0209

The purpose of this article is to investigate the relationship between gender, innovation and growth in Italian innovative start-ups.Design/methodology/approachThis is a quantitative study based on a sample of more than 4,600 Italian innovative start-ups. In order to ascertain whether female-led firms that invest more in innovation grow more than their male-led counterparts, sales growth is analysed through a fixed-effects regression over the period 2015–2019. Propensity score matching is also used to check for potential selection bias.FindingsResults reveal that innovation is crucial for start-up growth and, most importantly, that female entrepreneurs exploit the potential of innovative activities for their firm’s growth better than their male peers.Originality/valueThe results provide important evidence on the link between gender and innovation and how these two elements interact for the growth of firms in their early life. Results also provide insights for policymakers to use in designing programs for promoting female entrepreneurship and participation in science.

Didonet, Simone Regina; Fearne, Andrew

2023 Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development

doi: 10.1108/jsbed-02-2022-0072

This paper explores the nuanced relationship between individual and firm performance through the lens of market information use, in the specific context of small businesses, shedding light on the specificity of information use and impact of information use on both types of performance.Design/methodology/approachA mixture of subjective and objective data from a sample of small food producers engaged in an action research project with a major UK supermarket was used to test hypotheses developed from the information management, marketing and small business literature.FindingsThe results suggest that the effective use of market information has a significant impact on the performance of both the individual and the organization but independently of each other. The result provides evidence of the potential “disconnection” between individual and organizational levels of performance and the tension that exists in small businesses between operational and strategic decision-making and the use of market information therein.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the author's study benefits from access to individual decision-makers and objective organizational performance data, the study is not without its limitations. Chief among these is the small sample size. Moreover, while there are clear benefits to working with a homogeneous sample of small food producers supplying the same key customer in the same market, generalizing to small food businesses operating in other distributions channels and small businesses in other sectors is also difficult.Practical implicationsWhen analyzing the performance of marketing managers, owner-managers should pay attention to the incentives for them to invest time and effort in the effective use of market information as the disconnection between individual and firm performance can have negative implications for their personal development and the overall firm performance.Originality/valueThis study explores a missing link in the extant body of small business literature, i.e., the role played by key individuals with responsibility for the marketing function within small businesses and the relationship between small businesses' approach to the use of market information and performance at a functional level and the overall firm performance.

Barber III, Dennis; Lawrence, Ericka R.; Alipour, Kent; McMillan, Amy

2023 Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development

doi: 10.1108/jsbed-09-2022-0404

This study explores the role of both trait-like (i.e. adaptability) and situational (previous small business ownership and rurality) variables, on entrepreneurial identity (EI) through a social identity theory lens.Design/methodology/approachPath analysis was used on 376 individuals from across the United States who met various criteria and were recruited using Prolific.FindingsAdaptability and previous small business ownership were found to be predictors of EI. Findings also highlight the moderating role of adaptability on the previous small business ownership-EI and rurality-EI links. Notably, highly adaptable individuals who have previously owned businesses tend to hold more of an EI, and those who are less adaptable and live in rural locations also tend to hold less of an EI.Practical implicationsUnderstanding the conditions under which individuals are likely to hold more of an EI may provide several benefits to organizations and individuals within society, including information that can be used to develop more fine-tuned career counseling and training, risk management strategies, and a more calculated allocation of finite resources.Originality/valueDespite both personal trait-like (i.e. focus/adaptability) and situational (i.e. rurality and previous small business ownership experience) factors likely playing a crucial role in the formation of individuals' perceptions, previous work has largely ignored their interaction in the development of EI. The authors test a model encompassing trait-like (i.e. focus/adaptability) and situational (rurality, previous small business ownership experience) predictors of EI, along with their interactive effects, and illuminate a more holistic picture of EI's antecedents.

Albis Salas, Nadia; Mora Holguin, Henry; Lucio-Arias, Diana; Sánchez, Erika Celene; Villarreal, Nelson

2023 Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development

doi: 10.1108/jsbed-12-2022-0502

This paper aims to explore the factors that influence innovation and productivity in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) manufacturing enterprises in Colombia, in comparison with larger firms.Design/methodology/approachThe study was based on firm-level panel data extracted from a census of Colombian manufacturing firms between 2007 and 2014. The authors used an adapted version of the Crepon-Duguet-Mairesse (CDM) sequential approach that interrelates R&D intensity, innovation outputs and productivity.FindingsThis study's findings indicate that investing in R&D has a positive impact on innovation in both SMEs and larger firms. However, the effect on productivity is significantly higher for SMEs. Evidence also suggests that the innovation performance of SMEs and larger firms is influenced by co-evolution among the firm's resources and capabilities, knowledge flows with external organizations, access to funding and knowledge appropriability conditions. However, highly qualified personnel, internal and commercial sources of funding, and market knowledge sourcing are crucial for innovation in SMEs. These conclusions are especially relevant for the design of industrial and innovation policies in developing economies, where innovation is a prerequisite for catching up and economic advancement.Originality/valueThe paper provides new empirical evidence on the determinants of innovation in SMEs, the mechanisms by which innovation capabilities and outputs affect its productive performance, and how the relationship between these dimensions varies with firm size in the context of a developing country.

Rodríguez-Gulías, María Jesús; Rodeiro-Pazos, David; Calvo, Nuria; Fernández-López, Sara

2023 Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development

doi: 10.1108/jsbed-09-2022-0368

This paper provides empirical evidence for how gender diversity in top management teams (TMTs) and collaboration with university and technological centres lead to innovation outcomes. The authors review past research on these concepts and illustrate their individual and joint effects on process innovation specifically in the unique context of family firms (FFs).Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a sample of 788 Spanish manufacturing family firms in 2016 and applied logistic regression models since the dependent variables are dummies.FindingsThe authors found a positive relationship between gender-diverse TMTs, process innovation and research and development (R&D)-based process innovation. Similarly, the collaboration with university technological centres is positively associated with higher innovation outcome of FFs. In addition, the authors also found that the presence of women in TMTs shapes the relationship between the collaboration with university technological centres and process innovation.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the research on collaborative innovation in FFs by emphasizing the collaboration with university technological centres, an external partner often ignored by this stream of literature. This research also responds to the calls for further study of the effect of the heterogeneity of the TMTs on the innovation outcome of FFs, from the perspective of the resource-based view (RBV) of the firms.