Exploring SME perceptions of sustainable product service systems

This paper explores the perception of a group of Colombian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) towards sustainable product service systems (PSS) development. There is currently much interest in the area of PSS; however, studies of sustainable PSS involving SMEs are lacking. The purpose of this research was to identify those organizational aspects that can contribute to develop sustainable PSS in SMEs. Four main areas were explored: sustainable awareness, use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), design process, and business strategy. This study was carried out in cooperation with the Colombian Ministry of ICTs and highlights their desire to find new routes to encourage transformation of companies toward competitive and sustainable industrial sectors. A significant finding is that the integration between design process and ICTs appears to be a key mechanism in developing sustainable PSS in SMEs. Finally, further work in this field of research is discussed and highlighted

Adoption of "eco-advantage" by SMEs: emerging opportunities and constraints

Purpose: A recent study has asserted that businesses need to adopt “eco-advantage”. This paper aims to explore the viability of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) achieving “eco-advantage” by exploring their understanding of sustainability issues, how they adopt and innovate in terms of sustainability and the benefits and obstacles they face. Design/methodology/approach: The research approach is exploratory, comprised of 15 SME embedded cases based in the UK. The cases are participants in short interventions in sustainable product and process design as a part of a university knowledge transfer project, representing the overall case. Cases are based on interviews with company participants and collaborating academics, supplemented by documentary and observational evidence. Findings: The results build on the work on “eco-advantage” found in a recent study, highlighting marketing, rather than compliance issues as a catalyst for change. The newly aware SME enters a development process which involves cumulative capabilities, gaining a nascent inner confidence, which includes espousing wider sustainable values. Research limitations/implications: The results reveal the scope and challenges for SMEs to adopt more sustainable practices, encompassing innovations and a broad set of capabilities. Further research points to the need to monitor benefits as well as inputs in evaluating sustainability improvements and to consider longitudinal business sustainability issues. Originality/value: The paper informs the emerging debate on sustainability in SMEs, providing a rich source of data to enhance the provision of business support and knowledge transfer activities, where a more holistic and customised approach is required to realise the real environmental and economic benefits accrued from implementing sustainable improvements

Assessing Microfinance for Water and Sanitation: Exploring Opportunities for Sustainable Scaling Up

The objective of this study, commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is to assess the potential market for using microfinance in the water and sanitation sector, and to identify specific opportunities for potential learning, investment, and support. This report focuses on these opportunities and suggests measures that are needed for sustainable scaling up, which can be supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other development institutions

Employees’ perceptions of human resource management practices and employee outcomes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between employees’ perceptions of HRM practices and two outcomes, namely, employee commitment and turnover intention, in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in mainland China.Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts a quantitative approach based on a sample of 227 employees working in 24 SMEs in eastern and western China.Findings – Employees’ perceptions of HRM practices such as training and development, reward management, and performance management, are significant predictors of employee commitment. A negative direct relationship is found between employees’ perceptions about the use of HRM practices and turnover intentions.Research limitations/implications – Although data were collected from two representative provinces of eastern and western China, the size of the sample may limit the generalisability of the findings to the wider region.Practical implications – The relationship between employees’ perceptions of HRM practices and employee outcomes in Chinese SMEs provides an effective way for SME owners and HR practitioners to generate desirable employee attitudes and behaviours, which, ultimately contribute to improving organisational performance.Originality/value – This is an original paper which makes a contribution by helping to address the dearth of studies which have explored aspects of the effectiveness of HRM in SMEs in China. In contrast to the majority of China-focused studies on this topic, it highlights HRM outcomes at the individual level rather than the organisational level. Further, the study involves SMEs in western China which is an under-explored region

Supporting SMEs adoption of sustainable Product Service Systems: a holistic design-led framework for creating competitive advantage

This thesis explores effective and contextually appropriate means through which manufacturing SMEs can create competitive advantage through design and sustainable Product Service Systems (PSS). The exploration focuses on how design capabilities can be developed and used in non-design led contexts to drive an effective adoption of sustainable product service systems, creating competitive heterogeneity. A comprehensive review of literature gave understanding of perspectives to competitiveness issues, how organisations have been supported towards PSS, sustainability and design adoption and related challenges. From this review surfaced the need to be cautious of contextual considerations leading to a Delphi study. The purpose of the Delphi study was to identify factors relevant for SMEs in Botswana to embrace sustainable PSS as a competitive business strategy. Priorities from the Delphi study informed a study aimed at exploring competitiveness experiences of SMEs and their perceptions of sustainability and product service systems. Following the position of experts on industries highly prioritised in Botswana s economic diversification agenda, this was done with a specific industry; the leather industry. Possible opportunities of how design can address challenges identified and how PSS and sustainability can open new business opportunities for SMEs were also drawn from the findings. A systems success framework was developed using the main findings. The framework was tested through workshops with 3 SMEs who were also participants in the previous study. Through interactions with designers, the workshops exposed SMEs to design and PSS. Findings from the workshops indicate that through design capabilities SMEs can recognise opportunities and translate them in a service context to differentiated offerings suitable for their various markets. A designerly approach also offered a simplified but holistic process for SMEs to engage in systems thinking

Overcoming barriers towards Sustainable Product-Service Systems in Small and Medium-sized enterprises: State of the art and a novel Decision Matrix

The Sustainable Product-Service Systems are a promising approach based on a Triple Bottom Line perspective of the sustainability. However, its practical and effective adoption is still very limited and addresses significant barriers for the manufacturing firms. Furthermore, this emergent topic has been discussed by literature mainly in large company's context, turning in a very limited and immature stage the current body of knowledge for the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Thus, considering the significance of small companies to the global economy and their intrinsic difficulties, the purpose of this study was to identify the main barriers involving the transition towards Sustainable Product-Service Systems in manufacturing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises as well as the strategies to overcome them. A systematic literature review of the past two decades was organized capturing the state of the art of the area. Findings reveal that internal barriers associated with intrinsic characteristics of SMEs become still more sensitive during the transition (e.g., limited financial resources, the lack of competences, follower mentality and resistance to change). As well as, barriers related with the novelty of Sustainable Product-Service Systems models require new attitudes to small companies (e.g., changing mindsets from product ownership to use, replacing the value of exchange by value in use involving long-term relations, understanding the Product-Service Systems concept) and particularly highlight the lack of models/methods supporting this transition. The practical contribution of this study is in organise a comprehensive body of knowledge on strategies to overcome barriers towards Sustainable Product-Service offering. Moreover, an innovative decision matrix supporting decision-makers during the Sustainable Product-Service System development was proposed from the literature review findings. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

SME perceptions of and responses to the recession

The UK has recently experienced the worst recession since the 1930s. Despite the severity of this recent recession, there are currently few studies of its effect on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, small business growth and entrepreneurship are recognised as essential drivers for economic recovery (Matlay, 2012; Rae, 2010). Drawing on an online bi-monthly survey of SMEs in Lincolnshire and Rutland, this paper explores owner managers’ perceptions of the UK recession. We examine the views of businesses on various aspects of the recession, and how this has affected business performance, levels of confidence, and growth ambitions. The paper explores the role of business confidence in the economy as a determinant of business growth intentions, and draws a comparison between perceptions and behaviour

Quality modeling in electronic healthcare: a study of mHealth Service

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential to radically transform health services in developing countries. Among various ICT driven health platforms, mobile health is the most promising one because of its widespread penetration and cost effective services. This paper aims to examine Quality Modeling in Electronic Healthcare by using PLS based SEM

SMEs and Certified Management Standards: The Effect of Motives and Timing on Implementation and Commitment

Existing research on certifiable management standards (CMS) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) tends to focus on large companies and is characterised by disagreement about the role of these standards as drivers of CSR. We contribute to the literature by shifting the analytical focus to the behaviour of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that subscribe to multiple CSR related standards. We argue that, in respect of motive and commitment, SMEs are not as different from large companies as the literature suggests, as they are guided by similar institutional and economic motives. Results, based on ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certified SMEs in Greece, demonstrate that later adopters are more susceptible to coercive and mimetic motives and are less likely to commit fully to the CMS requirements, while earlier adopters react to normative motives and considerations of internal efficiency gains and tend to carry out CMS requirements with greater diligence