A review of studies on information systems and SMEs in high ranked IS journals (2000-2014)

This paper identifies novel approaches to future small and medium enterprise (SME) research from a review of articles, and then introduces the papers in this AJIS special section which evidence these approaches. More specifically, the paper makes an important contribution by reviewing 61 articles in high ranked IS journals (2000-2014) and introducing three new facets which are used to analyse research on SME adoption/use of IS (units of analysis, SME sizes and SME types) not considered in previous literature review studies. These facets provide thebasis for proposing various future research opportunities. The editorial then introduces the four papers in this special section covering the research theme on SMEs, and highlights the contributions they make using the three facets

A review of studies on information systems and SMEs in high ranked IS journals (2000-2014)

This paper identifies novel approaches to future small and medium enterprise (SME) research from a review of articles, and then introduces the papers in this AJIS special section which evidence these approaches. More specifically, the paper makes an important contribution by reviewing 61 articles in high ranked IS journals (2000-2014) and introducing three new facets which are used to analyse research on SME adoption/use of IS (units of analysis, SME sizes and SME types) not considered in previous literature review studies. These facets provide the basis for proposing various future research opportunities. The editorial then introduces the four papers in this special section covering the research theme on SMEs, and highlights the contributions they make using the three facets

Business services as actors of knowledge transformation and diffusion: some empirical findings on the role of KIBS in regional and national innovation systems

Over the last years, there has been a significant increase in the attention paid to the activities of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). KIBS produce and duffus knowledge, which is crucial for innovation processes. The paper gives an overview of the role and function of KIBS in innovation systems and their knowledge production, transformation and diffusion activities. Focusing on innovation interactions between manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and KIBS; the empirical analyses gasps KIBS in position in five contexts. The analysis leads to the conclusion that innovation activities links SMEs and KIBS through the process of knowledge and diffiusion. --

Strategies for sustainable socio-economic development and mechanisms their implementation in the global dimension

The authors of the book have come to the conclusion that it is necessary to effectively use modern approaches to developing and implementation strategies of sustainable socio-economic development in order to increase efficiency and competitiveness of economic entities. Basic research focuses on economic diagnostics of socio-economic potential and financial results of economic entities, transition period in the economy of individual countries and ensuring their competitiveness, assessment of educational processes and knowledge management. The research results have been implemented in the different models and strategies of supply and logistics management, development of non-profit organizations, competitiveness of tourism and transport, financing strategies for small and medium-sized enterprises, cross-border cooperation. The results of the study can be used in decision-making at the level the economic entities in different areas of activity and organizational-legal forms of ownership, ministries and departments that promote of development the economic entities on the basis of models and strategies for sustainable socio-economic development. The results can also be used by students and young scientists in modern concepts and mechanisms for management of sustainable socio-economic development of economic entities in the condition of global economic transformations and challenges

Towards a framework to enable construction small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to manage sustainability

The careful management of sustainability issues is increasingly being demanded by construction clients and others within the construction supply chain. Certification to sustainability standards is widely recognised as a means of demonstrating performance in this regard, and many pre-qualification questionnaires and tender processes now explicitly require their suppliers to provide evidence of sustainability standard certificates and policies. However, implementation of these standards is a costly and time consuming process, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Smaller firms often lack the fundamental know-how of how to address the requirements of standards and are required to engage the services of consultancies in order to implement them, which further increases the costs associated with their implementation. [Continues.

Cooperation between Universities and Small and Medium-sized Firms as a Vehicle for the Regional Development: A Mixed-Method Study in Brazilian Context

University-firm (U-F) cooperation studies the relations formed between these two types of institutions/organisations as a driver of regional development, emphasizing the greater proximity between the results produced at the university and society’s needs, as well as policies for commercializing research. In general, this topic has been explored in three main dimensions: motivations, obstacles, and channels of knowledge transfer. These approaches capture the complexity of this type of U-F cooperation, which is concentrated on interactions with large firms, but ignoring the particularities of cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and academic researchers. However, this firm segment represents an important source of integration between the university and the region, as these SMEs stimulate national and regional economies through job creation and innovation. Therefore, this research aims to explore the cooperative relation between a university and SMEs in a region of Brazil with low technological development. To achieve this general objective, four specific objectives were defined: (1) present the relation between universities and SMEs through a systematic literature review (SLR); (2) propose a conceptual model of analysis of university-firm cooperation with regional development; (3) understand university-firm cooperation in a Brazilian higher education institution situated in a region of low technological density, and; (4) explore the relations formed between the university and SMEs located in a region of low socio-economic development. To respond to these objectives, a mixed research methodology was followed, since the quantitative and qualitative approaches complement each other, particularly regarding internal and external validity, where different research techniques of a deductive and inductive nature were used. In the first stage, an SLR identified the characteristics of cooperation between universities and SMEs. This identified the absence of studies on this topic in regions of low technological development and the importance of this type of cooperation for regional development. Consequently, another study proposed a conceptual model seeking to identify the benefits of U-F cooperation for a region, setting out from human resources’ qualification, the development of new products or processes, employability, and even new relations. This identification is possible from the perspective of those involved in a cooperative relation: university and SMEs. Identification of the benefits from the perspective of the actors involved allows greater awareness of how these results can be transported to the cooperative relation with more wide-ranging benefits for the region. At the second stage, two empirical studies were made to respond to objectives 3 and 4. The first, of a qualitative nature, explored the cooperative relations between researchers and businesspeople in SMEs. The data were collected through interviews held remotely and analysed through the technique of Descending Hierarchical Classification (DHC) and using Iramuteq v. 0.7 Alpha 2 software. Although the researchers establish cooperative relations with firms and the institution, the results show there is no support to develop this activity, i.e., no institutional policy directed towards U-SME cooperation is identified. The institutional environment the researchers and businesspeople belong to is relevant both in forming cooperation relations and in the obstacles underlying this type of process. However, the absence of this type of policy leads researchers to identify possible partners for cooperation through geographical, technological, and institutional proximity. As for firms, they find their partners at the university from their social relations. The common barriers found by these actors are associated with the time taken and academic bureaucracy. More specifically, researchers indicate that their career plan prevents them from forming cooperative activities with firms more quickly, this situation being a barrier to cooperation. Firm profess a lack of knowledge about the possibilities of developing cooperation with universities. The second study, of a quantitative nature, was based on a questionnaire adapted from previous studies and distributed electronically and personally to a sample of SMEs selected through the snowballing technique, formed of 336 firms that had entered any cooperative relation with universities in the last five years. The data were analysed using R-package, psych R-package, and Excel®. The results show that inter-personal relations interfere in the type of cooperation formed, these being a catalyst in formalizing cooperation. The firms formed cooperative relations with universities situated in the same geographical area. These relations also interfere in the perception of barriers and benefits of cooperation for the firm. These benefits are felt more intensely by businesspeople who formed formal cooperation agreements, with barriers being fewer in this situation. The results also show that U-F cooperation is perceived as a driver of regional development. Specifically, these benefits of cooperation result from the transfer of knowledge originating in teaching activities, both by absorbing a qualified workforce and qualifying those already in the labour market, as well as students’ work placements in firms and consultancy hired by firms to solve occasional problems in their business and to develop new products and processes. On the other hand, it was found that personal relationships were considered important for the start of the cooperation process, and influence the type of cooperation formed, as well as the perception of the benefits and barriers found in this process. The type of cooperation, in turn, influences the entrepreneurs’ perception about the results that U-SME cooperation provides for the development of the region. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of personal relationships in all aspects of U-SME cooperation and the potential for these relationships to limit the scope of cooperation if they are not expanded beyond previous personal connections. By studying U-SME cooperation associated with regional development, this research also contributes to knowledge of this type of cooperative relation. Especially, it highlights that the formation of cooperation can be supported by personal relations already established between the parts and its formalization, despite that previous relation arising informally. The formalization of cooperation is seen to be important not only through establishing the terms of cooperation, but specifically, through perception of the benefits U-SME cooperation brings to the region.A cooperação universidade-empresa (U-E) investiga as relações formadas entre estes dois tipos de instituições/organizações como um veículo para o desenvolvimento regional, enfatizando a maior aproximação entre os resultados produzidos na universidade e as necessidades da sociedade, bem como as políticas de comercialização da pesquisa. De modo geral, este tema tem sido explorado sob três dimensões principais: motivações, obstáculos e canais de transferência de conhecimento. Estas abordagens capturam a complexidade desse tipo de cooperação U-E que se concentram nas interações com grandes empresas e onde é ignorado as particularidades da cooperação entre pequenas e médias empresas (PMEs) e pesquisadores académicos. Porém, este segmento de empresas representa uma importante fonte de integração entre a universidade e a região, pois estas PMEs estimulam as economias nacionais e regionais por meio da geração de empregos e inovação. Assim, esta investigação explora a cooperação entre universidade e PMEs numa região com baixo desenvolvimento tecnológico no Brasil. Para atingir este objetivo geral, foram ainda definidos quatro objetivos específicos: (1) apresentar o relacionamento entre universidades e PMEs, através de uma revisão sistemática de literatura (RSL); (2) propor um modelo conceitual de análise da cooperação universidade-empresa com o desenvolvimento regional; (3) compreender a cooperação universidade-empresa numa instituição de ensino superior brasileira situada numa região de baixa intensidade tecnológica e; (4) explorar os relacionamentos formados entre a universidade e as PMEs localizadas numa região de baixo desenvolvimento socioeconómico. Assim, para dar resposta a estes objetivos seguiu-se uma metodologia de investigação mista, uma vez que as abordagens quantitativa e qualitativa são complementares uma da outra, nomeadamente, no tocante à validade interna e externa, em que se utilizaram diferentes técnicas de investigação de natureza dedutiva e indutiva. Numa primeira fase, realizou-se uma RSL onde se identificaram as características da cooperação entre as universidades e as PMEs. Com este estudo identificou-se a ausência de exploração deste tema em regiões de baixo desenvolvimento tecnológico e a importância desse tipo de cooperação para o desenvolvimento regional. Por conseguinte, num outro estudo, foi proposto um modelo conceitual que procura identificar os benefícios da cooperação U-E para uma região, a partir da qualificação de recursos humanos, desenvolvimento de novos produtos ou processos, empregabilidade e, ainda, novas relações. Esta identificação é possível ser feita a partir da perspetiva das partes envolvidas numa relação de cooperação: universidade e PMEs. A identificação dos benefícios a partir da perspetiva dos atores envolvidos, permite uma maior consciência sobre como esses resultados podem ser transportados para a relação de cooperação e beneficiar, de modo mais abrangente, a região. Numa segunda fase, para dar resposta aos objetivos 3 e 4 foram realizados dois estudos empíricos. O primeiro, de natureza qualitativa, explorou as relações de cooperação entre investigadores e empresários de PMEs. Os dados foram recolhidos por meio de entrevistas virtualmente concedidas e analisados por meio da técnica Descending Hierarchical Classification (DHC) e com o apoio do software Iramuteq v. 0.7 Alpha 2. Os resultados mostram que, apesar de os investigadores estabelecerem relações de cooperação com as empresas e a instituição, não existe apoios no desenvolvimento desta atividade, ou seja, não é possível identificar uma política institucional direcionada para a cooperação U-PMEs. O ambiente institucional a que pertencem os pesquisadores e empresários é relevante tanto na formação das relações de cooperação quanto nos entraves subjacentes a esse tipo de processo. Contudo, a ausência deste tipo de política leva os investigadores a identificar os possíveis parceiros da cooperação por meio da proximidade geográfica, tecnológica e institucional. Já as empresas, encontram os seus parceiros na universidade a partir de suas relações sociais. As barreiras comuns encontradas por esses atores estão associadas ao tempo e à burocracia académica. De modo mais específico, os investigadores apontaram que o plano de carreiras a que eles são vinculados, os impede de estabelecer atividades de cooperação de forma mais rápida com as empresas, sendo esta situação uma barreira à cooperação. Já as empresas alegam um desconhecimento sobre as possibilidades de desenvolver cooperação com as universidades. O segundo estudo, de cariz quantitativo, foi baseado num questionário adaptado a partir de estudos anteriores e distribuídos, eletrónica e pessoalmente, a uma amostra de PMEs, selecionada por meio da técnica bola de neve, composta por 336 empresas que havia realizado alguma relação de cooperação com universidades, nos últimos cinco anos. Os dados foram analisados com o auxílio do lavaan R-package, psych R-package, and Excel®. Os resultados mostram que as relações interpessoais interferem no tipo de cooperação formada, sendo estas um catalisador na formalização da cooperação. As empresas estabeleceram relações de cooperação com universidades que estão situadas no mesmo perímetro geográfico. Essas relações também interferem na percepção de barreiras e benefícios da cooperação para a empresa. Esses benefícios são mais intensamente percebidos por empresários que estabeleceram acordos de cooperação formais, sendo as barreiras menos intensas nestas situações. Os resultados mostram também que a cooperação U-E é percebida como um veículo para o desenvolvimento regional. De modo específico, estes benefícios à cooperação resultam da transferência de conhecimento originada a partir das atividades de ensino, tanto pela absorção de mão-de-obra qualificada quanto da qualificação daqueles que já estão no mercado de trabalho, bem como do estágio de estudantes nas empresas e das consultorias, contratadas pelas empresas, para solucionar questões pontuais nos seus negócios e para o desenvolvimento de novos produtos e processos. Por outro lado, verificou-se que as relações pessoais foram consideradas importantes para o início do processo de cooperação e influenciam o tipo de cooperação formada, bem como a perceção dos benefícios e das barreiras encontradas nesse processo. O tipo de cooperação, por sua vez, influencia a perceção dos empresários sobre os resultados que a cooperação U-PME fornece para o desenvolvimento da região. Ao se estudar aqui a cooperação U-PMEs associada ao desenvolvimento regional, este estudo contribui também para o conhecimento neste tipo de relação de cooperação. Especialmente, neste estudo destaca-se que a formação da cooperação pode ser suportada a partir das relações pessoais, já estabelecidas entre as partes e a sua formalização, apesar desse relacionamento anterior ter surgido de modo informal. A formalização da cooperação evidencia-se importante não apenas pelo estabelecimento dos termos da cooperação, mas especificamente, pela perceção dos benefícios que a cooperação U-PMEs proporciona para a região

Innovation policy; Europe or the member states?

Innovation seldom has purely domestic causes and consequences, but how can a European innovation policy complement or substitute national policies? Taking the subsidiarity principle as a starting point, this report discusses the economic rationale of a European innovation policy. Explorative empirical analysis suggests that public R&D and public funding of private R&D are subject to economies of scale and external effects. This is an argument in favour of a European innovation policy but amongst other things, the heterogeneity in social economic objectives on public R&D spending between Member States pleas for national government involvement. In addition, there are scale economies in the protection of intellectual property and in the development of standards. We conclude that a European innovation policy could have, or already has, substantial benefits over purely national policy in these areas. With respect to innovation policies targeted at SMEs, we do not find economies of scale or external effects. It seems to be efficient that these policies are mainly conducted at the national level.

Implementing Sustainability Strategies in Networks and Clusters – Principles, Tools and New Research Outcomes

This book investigates the dynamics of the management of sustainability in networks and clusters – an area of increasing importance that is neglected by the many studies addressing sustainability at the single-enterprise level. The focus is in particular on projects involving groups of enterprises with a high level of productive interdependence and steady relations that allow sharing of resources and activities. The book is organized into two parts, the first of which discusses the value of the territory for firm competitiveness, examines the importance of social capital in creating sustainable business behaviors and “unique” networks, and describes principles and tools for the implementation and management of sustainability strategies in networks or clusters. The second part then presents the methodology and outcomes of empirical research conducted on industrial districts and productive centres in Campania, southern Italy, which are representative of Italian productive chains. The book will be of value to all management scholars with an interest in this field, as well as to readers wishing to learn more of the role of local institutions