Author: Gerald I. Susman
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1847204430
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 359
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Book Description
Globalization has jarred the traditional role and competitiveness of small- and medium-sized enterprises. This masterful volume comprises leading scholars, policy makers and business leaders who have new insights and strategies for SMEs creating opportunities rather than being victims of globalization. The result is a breakthrough in our understanding of entrepreneurship in the global context. David B. Audretsch, Indiana University, Bloomington, US and WHU, Germany Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often have difficulty competing in the global economy unless they collaborate with domestic or foreign partners or with public sector organizations. This book addresses the resource leverage and innovation challenges that increased global trade represents for SMEs. In doing so, it explores how SMEs can become more competitive at home and in foreign markets as stand-alone firms or as members of supplier and customer networks. SMEs are turning increasingly to innovation as a source of competitive advantage in order to protect their home markets and participate in expanding foreign markets. The contributors to this volume leading experts in entrepreneurship, innovation, and international business provide in-depth coverage of the most compelling issues facing SMEs. These include: innovation as a competitive strategy, network dynamics, ways to leverage technology, internationalization, and the role of the public sector in helping SMEs to overcome resource deficiencies. This comprehensive look at SMEs in the global marketplace will be of great interest to academics who study entrepreneurship, innovation, or international business, officials from public sector agencies with responsibility for helping SMEs to internationalize and become more innovative, and senior executives of SMEs or executives of larger companies who are considering collaboration with SMEs.
Author: Vemi?, Milan
Publisher: IGI Global
ISBN: 1522557857
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 411
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Book Description
To maintain a competitive edge against other businesses, companies must ensure the most effective strategies and procedures are in place. This is particularly critical in smaller business environments with fewer resources. Strategic Optimization of Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Global Market is a critical scholarly resource that highlights the optimization of management functions, such as working capital and marketing, and how to implement sustainable business management practices in the global world market. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as social entrepreneurship, marketing optimization, and globalization, this book is geared towards business managers, medium-sized enterprises, policy makers, business professionals, and upper-level students seeking current research on the performances of medium-sized enterprises across the world and their broader supply chain.
Author: Kristin Hallberg
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 9780821347270
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 40
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Book Description
This paper investigates the economic rationale for intervention in support of small and medium scale enterprises, on both theoretical and empirical grounds. It argues that the justification for SME interventions lies in market and institutional failures that bias the size distribution of firms, rather than on any inherent economic benefits provided by small firms. The role of the state is mainly to provide an enabling business environment that opens access to markets and reduces policy-induced biases against small firms. Governments can accelerate the development of markets for financial and non-financial services suited to SMEs by promoting innovation in products and delivery mechanisms, and by building institutional capacity. Improving the development impact of SME strategies will require much more attention to the monitoring and evaluation of intervention outcomes.
Author: OECD
Publisher: OECD Publishing
ISBN: 9264026908
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 264
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Book Description
Reviews recent developments in foreign direct investment, with a special focus on international investment agreements.
Author: Zoltan J. Acs
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 0472027220
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 192
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Book Description
Entrepreneurship and globalization are two much-examined forces as we enter the new millennium--yet very little has been published on the intersection of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the global economy. To close the gap, this volume delves into the intricate roles and consequences of such businesses on both global and domestic economies. The first part of the volume provides an overview of the phenomenon of globalization, arguing that entrepreneurial discovery and technological change lead to globalization, which in turn leads to further opportunity for entrepreneurial discovery--no less for SMEs than for multinational corporations. In part two, the essays examine the role of SMEs in the global economy and why they are thriving. Part three reviews the roles of SMEs and innovators and examines their roles in direct foreign investment. Part four explores the role of technological diversity and knowledge spillovers as a way to explain the superior innovative performance of SMEs. Part five looks at the role of SMEs in technology transfer. Finally, part six examines the theoretical and policy implications of the international activities of SMEs, suggesting that policies should aim to reduce the costs in international expansion for SMEs. This volume will provide the foundation for further study in SMEs and globalization. It will appeal to scholars and students in both international business and economics. Zoltan J. Acs is Professor of Economics and Finance, University of Baltimore. Bernard Yin Yeung is Professor of International Business, University of Michigan.
Author: Anna Ujwary-Gil
Publisher: Institute of Economics Polish Academy of Sciences
ISBN: 8396659117
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 179
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Book Description
Meeting employee interests depending on the age and form of employment Abstract The aim of this chapter is the identification and assessment of meeting employee interests among the employed in standard and non-standard forms based on the age criterion. An empirical study was conducted using the CAWI technique covering a sample of 1,000 working Poles. Descriptive statistics methods and statistical tests were used to analyze the findings. The analysis of employee interests was performed by comparing the assessed interests by the representatives of four separate age groups. The statistically significant differences were examined. For this purpose, the non-parametric ANOVA Kruskal-Wallis test and the post-hoc test (statistical significance level * p<0.05, ** p<0.01) were used. The conducted analysis showed common strengths and weaknesses in meeting employee interests regarding the standard and non-standard forms. Providing employees with safe and hygienic working conditions was highly assessed, whereas employee participation was rated low. The specificity of Generation Z was evident, whose representatives (compared to older cohorts) frequently rated meeting employee interests higher. Filling the research gap related to the analysis of the authors’ presentation of employee interests regarding the age and form of employment in Poland. The results have practical usefulness for shaping employment, taking into account the above-mentioned variables. The research results covering a representative sample of working Poles fill the empirical data gap, extending beyond the scope of data available in statistical reporting (Statistics Poland, Eurostat). The empirical research used an original concept combining the issue of employee interests with the age and form of employment. Keywords: forms of employment, employee interests, age, cohort. Circular economy in the implementation of the investment and innovation policy of environmental management in post-war Ukraine Abstract The purpose of the study is to develop methodological support for a comprehensive assessment concerning dominants of the investment and innovation policy of nature management based on the circular economy. It also conducts an assessment of current trends and problems in post-war Ukraine. The basic methodological platform introduces the concept of sustainable development. The dominants of the investment and innovation policy of nature management are derivative and closely related to the objectives and indicators of sustainable development goals. To generalize and systematize the categorical apparatus and identify modern vectors of scientific research on this issue, a descriptive analysis was used - based on the sources of the Scopus scientometric database. The modern imperatives of the circular approach in the economy and the possibility of introducing the latest investment and innovation policy of nature management in post-war Ukraine are considered. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the development of methodological support for a comprehensive assessment and is based on: (1) a set of principles (systematicity and complexity, adequacy and dynamism, objectivity and accuracy, effectiveness, purposefulness, scientificity); (2) an expanded system of national indicators of sustainable development within the framework of Sustainable Development Goals 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 15, which integrates European, author's, economic and environmental indicators focused on an in-depth assessment of investment and natural resource potential in terms of species and structural-sectoral dimension, the relationship between the investment and environmental components of nature management; (3) a 7-stage procedure for quantitative, qualitative and expert assessment of the degree of implementation of the dominants of the investment and innovation policy of environmental management in the internal and external dimensions, the results of which form an analytical basis for adjusting the dominants, substantiating directions, ways and mechanisms for implementing the investment and innovation policy of the circular economy. The prospect of further research in this direction is the development of adaptive mechanisms to stimulate the introduction of eco-investments and innovations in the activities of business entities in various sectors of the economy. Keywords: circular economy, nature management, investment and innovation policy of nature management, sustainable development, Sustainable Development Goals, dominants of investment and innovation policy of nature management. The impact of economic activity zones on local development: The example of Wieliczka Municipality in Poland Abstract The purpose of this chapter is to present the impact of economic activity zones (EAZs) on local development and to identify good practices in the management of EAZs, based on the experience of the commune of Wieliczka, Poland. Nevertheless, beyond the theoretical insights, the empirical evidence of effective local development governance in EAZs is still limited, even in metropolitan areas where a range of instruments are provided to support local development. The chapter attempts to provide evidence of the impact of EAZ on local development by indicating the influence of investments located in economic activity zones on the management of local government units in the Krakow metropolitan area. The analysis of the impact of EAZs on local development has led to findings that a valuable tool for the impact of EAZs on local development are the investments located there, which determine the more effective use of local resources. These are challenging resources (including land and infrastructure) and soft, intangible ones (including location, quality of intellectual capital, and entrepreneurship of residents). As a result of the application of good practices in municipal management, they become key determinants that determine the potential of EAZ and increase competitiveness. The example of EAZs shows that their impact on local development can receive significant support from the EU and public authorities. Nevertheless, the development of EAZs is limited to metropolitan areas and tends to limit their development in peripheral areas far from major growth centers. Exploring further options for the impact of EAZ on local development may be an interesting direction to involve external stakeholders in order to enable the incorporation of their skills and resources. The experience of the municipality of Wieliczka is and will be, to a significant extent, a form of more effective use of a variety of local and external resources. The chapter briefly discusses the impact of EAZ on local development and provides practitioners with areas on the potential challenges of using EAZ. Local development carries certain risks, which have implications for EAZ creation efforts. Keywords: economic activity zones, EAZ, local development, municipal investment, entrepreneurship, innovation, EAZ management. A challenge for sustainable public management: Administrative performance measurement and public sector reform Abstract This chapter proposes a rational approach to administrative performance measurement. As Japan has entered an aged society with a low birthrate, administrative organizations in Japan are required to conduct performance-based public management under tight fiscal conditions. Aiming at efficient management with various schemes for administrative performance measurement based on the theory of New Public Management has been proposed. However, a tangible way of management has not been established due to authoritarianism or political shackles in organizations. In addition, such a performance measurement sometimes involves subjective factors in relation to outcome indices. Therefore, developing a practical evaluation scheme is not straightforward. By applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process, this chapter makes it possible to quantify subjective factors in the evaluation: the degree of contribution of each measure for the achievement of a policy. In order to verify the effectiveness of the application, a case study is performed in a local government in Japan. The proposed approach practically supports public service evaluation based on subjective judgment by executives of administrative organizations in addition to extant project appraisal. The results obtained from the case study show the practical effectiveness of the proposed approach. Based on the evaluation procedure, this chapter further considers a possible scheme of public sector reform in conjunction with a prospective way to transfer authority from an administrative organization to substitutable sectors. The implication of the scheme of reformation illustrates sustainable public management. Keywords: public management, sustainability, publicness, analytic hierarchy process, administrative performance measurement, public sector reform. Plan or die: Entrepreneurs' response to crisis situation Abstrac Thanks to the COVID-19 epidemic, the last two years have been filled with changes for entrepreneurs. As a result, the change leads to a new level, much higher than the previous one. It is a long-term strategy focused on debt levels, risk-advantage approaches, reinvestment in profits, and organizational changes. The purpose of this chapter is to present the results of the entrepreneurs’ response to the situation within and nearly after COVID-19 restrictions. Research findings are based on primary research in more than 300 companies in the Czech Republic (2 rounds of survey – 2020 and 2021). The comparison contrasts the change in strategic thinking due to long-term crisis. The results showed that measurable goals are extremely important during the crisis to maintain discipline in business (an increase of 91%). On the other hand, the exit strategy as a response to crisis is not the preferred solution (the lowest preference). Findings could be applied in managerial practice as a recommendation when research findings illustrate a possible combination of optimal business behavior within a crisis environment. Originality could be seen in the importance of ongoing profit investments and planning of individual activities in the company and the need for an active approach of the entrepreneur. Keywords: COVID-19, crisis behavior, changes in future goals, planning activities, entrepreneurs Hydraulic supplier selection: An Analytic Hierarchy Process approach Abstract In industrial environments, hydraulic systems work in continuous operation, for several applications that may demand control of large loads and high-power density. The inputs used in the maintenance of this type of equipment should follow the policies and procedures established by ISO standards, which may guarantee safety and operational reliability. The supplier selection for hydraulic components is a subject that involves several factors with complex decisions. Efficient and reliable suppliers can be decisive for the company's success. The aim of this study is to propose an evaluation framework for supplier selection of hydraulic equipment in the steel industry. The methods of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) facilitate the decision-making, including the supplier selection strategies for hydraulic equipment. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is the MCDA method applied to select suppliers by a Brazilian industrial plant. This chapter presents a case of supplier selection of hydraulic equipment, with four suppliers evaluated regarding five criteria and more than 20 sub-criteria, according to three experts. The AHP, the most widely used MCDA method, proved to be a reliable and useful MCDA method even in a case of more than nine criteria. In this case, Quality was the most important criterion, and Price was the less important. The main contribution of this study is to prove that a simple MCDA model, with the AHP application alone, may be enough to solve a practical decision problem, without increasing its complexity with hybridism. Keywords: Analytic Hierarchy Process, multi-criteria decision analysis, hydraulic systems, supplier selections. Strategic business planning technology for weakly-structured subject domains Abstract The purpose of this study is to create a technology and respective software tools for collegial (group) development of strategic plans for businesses in weakly structured domains. Strategic planning in such domains is an often challenging task, as quantitative (or even quantifiable) deterministic data is scarce or unavailable, uncertainty levels are high, and expert knowledge often represents the key information source (potentially, alongside open data). The technology is intended to overcome these challenges. It is based on group construction of a goal-oriented model of the system (subject domain), which is built through the decomposition of the main strategic goal and considers the terminal and resource properties of the system’s components, as well as mutual connections between them. The software toolkit allows knowledge engineers and their invited experts to remotely provide knowledge for building the system model. Then, based on the developed model, using the method of target-oriented dynamic estimation of alternatives and evolutionary methods of optimization, a set of measures (projects) is selected, complete with suggested funding allocated to them within the limited resource volume during the specific planning period. The selected set of measures guarantees the maximum level of achievement of the strategic goal within a given time perspective under limited funding and become the basis of the strategic plan. Methods of group knowledge acquisition and processing have been developed. They became the basis for the development of the original technology and software tools for strategic business planning. Theoretical foundations and methods for reliable obtaining of (thorough and undistorted) collective knowledge in a subject domain, ensuring their concordance and aggregation for further application in various areas, have been suggested. This research aims to solve a global problem of knowledge transfer from people with expertise (experience, intuition) in a certain field to people who need this knowledge to solve practical problems. This theoretical basis is intended for strategic planning practice in various areas, including business. An original way of automating the process of group subject domain model construction and the suggested application of existing and newly developed knowledge-oriented methods to strategic planning are proposed. All material presented in the chapter, is the result of ongoing original research led by the author. Keywords: strategic business-analysis, knowledge transfer, goal dynamic estimating of alternatives, rational distribution of resources, genetic algorithm, technology, subject domains
Author: Anuradha BASU
Author: Anuradha BASU
Author: Anuradha Basu
Author: Anuradha Basu
Author: Sidney Winter