SMEs; Virtual research and development (R&D) teams and new product development: A literature review

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are indeed the engines of global economic growth. Their continued growth is a major subject for the economy and employment of any country. Towards that end, virtual research and development (R&D) could be a viable option to sustain and ease the operations of SMEs. However, literature shows there has not been a great deal of research into the diverse characteristic of virtual R&D teams in SMEs. This article provides a comprehensive literature review on different aspects of virtual R&D teams collected from the reputed publications. The purpose of the literature review is to provide an outline on the structure and dynamics of R&D collaboration in SMEs. Specifying the rationale and relevance of virtual teams, the relationship between virtual R&D team for SMEs and new product development (NPD) has been examined. It concludes with identifying the gaps and feebleness in the existing literature and calls for future research in this area. It is argued to form of virtual R&D team deserves consideration at top level management for venturing into the new product development within SMEs

Virtual R&D teams in small and medium enterprises: a literature review

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the driving engine behind economic growth. While SMEs play a critical role in generating employment and supporting trade, they face numerous challenges, the prominent among them are the need to respond to fasting time-to-market, low-cost and rapid solutions to complex organizational problems. Towards that end, research and development (R & D) aspect deserves particular attention to promote and facilitate the operations of SMEs. Virtual R & D team could be a viable option. However, literature shows that virtual R & D teaming in SMEs is still at its infancy. This article provides a comprehensive literature review on different aspects of virtual R & D teams collected from the reputed publications. The purpose of the state-of-the-art literature review is to provide an overview on the structure and dynamics of R & D collaboration in SMEs. Specifying the foundation and importance of virtual teams, the relationship between virtual R & D team and SMEs has been examined. It concludes with the identification of the gaps in the existing literature's and calls for future research. It is argued that setting-up an infrastructure for virtual R & D team in SMEs still requires a large amount of engineering efforts and deserves consideration at top level management

SMEs; Virtual research and development (R&D) teams and new product development: A literature review

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are indeed the engines of global economic growth. Their continued growth is a major subject for the economy and employment of any country. Towards that end, virtual research and development (R&D) could be a viable option to sustain and ease the operations of SMEs. However, literature shows there has not been a great deal of research into the diverse characteristic of virtual R&D teams in SMEs. This article provides a comprehensive literature review on different aspects of virtual R&D teams collected from the reputed publications. The purpose of the literature review is to provide an outline on the structure and dynamics of R&D collaboration in SMEs. Specifying the rationale and relevance of virtual teams, the relationship between virtual R&D team for SMEs and new product development (NPD) has been examined. It concludes with identifying the gaps and feebleness in the existing literature and calls for future research in this area. It is argued to form of virtual R&D team deserves consideration at top level management for venturing into the new product development within SMEs.Virtual teams, small and medium enterprises, new product development, R&D

Economic development: natural resources interventions / investments component. Final Report

This study has underscored the imperative obligation especially on the part of the riparian states Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to develop the abundant natural resources in the LVB and its extensive catchment to realize the potential income generation and employment benefits to reduce poverty in the basin and protect the ecosystem. For several decades, cumulative environmental degradation largely associated with human activities (industrial and urban eftluence from the bordering towns and cities of Lake Victoria), run off rain water and diminishing oxygen in the lake have negatively affected the lake's ecosystem and reduced its natural resource base especially the fish stocks and certain plants resulting from diminishing size of wetlands and receding shores of the lak

Can B2G portals be used effectively to stimulate business in SMEs?: A case analysis of the 2Cities Business To Government portal

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have many options when purchasing goods or services. These include personal contacts and networks, familiar centralised supply sources and other ad hoc means. One purchasing possibility is to buy from and sell to other businesses within a similar geographic area. The benefits of buying and selling locally may not occur to SMEs. They seek, like other consumers, to get value for money, fast and efficient service, and a reasonable level of quality. Many factors can impinge upon an SME\u27s decision to purchase locally. It can be assumed that, given a reasonable local option, SMEs wish to buy from and sell to other local businesses. It can also be reasonably expected that if government purchasers were willing to purchase within their geographic area, SMEs would be interested in supplying local government as well. This study investigates SMEs in the Wanneroo and Joondalup Regions of Western Australia and considers the factors that may influence their decision to use the 2Cities Business-to-Government (B2G) portal. The study is concerned with gaining an insight into particular phenomena from a participants\u27 perspective (SME) with the researcher as the primary instrument for data collection and analysis. The study requires the researcher to get close to the natural setting of the study and interact with the small business owners. This study triangulated results from three major sources. One source of data was contemporary Wanneroo and Joondalup secondary data gathered from research reports relating to local SME matters. This was combined with the semi-structured interviews of forty SMEs and two focus groups. Participant SMEs were invited to discuss factors affecting their decision to use or not use the 2Cities B2G portal. SMEs have a clear perception of what impedes and assists them in running their business and this comes through strongly. The problem facing the 2Cities portal management board is the extent to which it can influence the SME decision to buy and sell within the local area using the portal. The results form the basis of an improved model for B2G participation

Recognizing the networked city in forming a progressive urban economic development strategy

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2013.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Vita.Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-100).The architecture of the economy is in rapid transformation. ' As the innovation economy is the most influential segment of the economy because it creates a ripple of value throughout the broader economy, successful efforts to accelerate innovation will have the greatest overall effect. However, these innovation actors are no longer located in just one geographical location, and the money and resources that support their endeavors are spread across multiple cities, and are continually moving between them. Increasingly today, connectivity occurs both regionally (in innovation hubs and their satellite cities) and meta-regionally (between cities not geographically proximate), and few formal policy frameworks exist to support these expanded geographic networks. Lead institutional and corporate anchors in urban markets are not effectively engaged in this dispersed economic system, further constraining growth. Current Economic Development policies have been unable to catalyze and sustain a period of real sustained growth as they are outdated, restrained by a narrow political lens, subject to regional competition, or locked in a federal policy with little financial strength to do anything impactful. Missing is a layer of meaningful connective infrastructure, to help connect players beyond 'regional clusters,' via complementary linkages and along relational networks. As these economic currents shape human behavior across geographic boundaries, our relationship to place becomes even more important- policy and programmatic instruments now need to support hyper-local place initiatives as well as hyper-linked economic actors to best grow the economy. Additionally, with the lack of granular measures of innovation output to reflect the dynamically linked system, there is inefficiency and redundancy of economic development efforts by cities. The proposed strategies for accelerated innovation will recognize the connections between these specific places, their mutual dependency and complementarity, as well as the specific urban environments in order to boosts growth and economic sustainability.by Anne Gatling Haynes.M.B.A