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- Assarlind, Marcus, 1983, et al.
(författare)
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Adopting new ways of working in small and medium-sized enterprises: findings from interventions in 12 European companies
- 2013
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Ingår i: Total Quality Management and Business Excellence. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1478-3371 .- 1478-3363. ; 24:8, s. 945-958
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper elaborates on the factors to be considered in order for interventions (activities aimed at introducing new ways of working through a series of focused activities in an organisation) to lead to long-term effects inside small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Its purpose of it is to describe how interventions can be carried out in order for SMEs to adopt new ways of working by understanding the context, process and content of an intervention. The results of this study suggest that in designing interventions for the SMEs, the context aspects of an intervention must be carefully considered. Not only is the process or context of an intervention important, but so is the content. As a consequence, we suggest content that accomplishes the following: (1) supports the formulation of strategies; (2) encourages dialogue and (3) uses company data. The paper is based on a multiple case study of 12 SMEs from 6 European countries undergoing similar interventions within the FutureSME project. These long-term relationships within a large-scale project have provided access and a rare opportunity to conduct research on this often overlooked business sector. The empirical data have been collected through company presentations, structured reports and narratives. The material has been subject to a cross-case analysis.
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| 2. |
- Assarlind, Marcus, 1983, et al.
(författare)
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Designing interventions in SMEs: Experiences from a pan-European multiple case study
- 2012
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 15th QMOD-ICQSS conference. - 9788389333469 ; , s. 123-135
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe how interventions can be carried out in order for small and medium sized companies (SMEs) to adopt new ways of working, by understanding the context, process and content of the intervention. Interventions are defined as activities aimed at introducing new ways of working through a series of focused activities in the organization.Design/methodology/approachThe work was part of an EU-funded project called FutureSME aiming at aiding SMEs in becoming more competitive. This paper is based on a multiple case study of twelve SMEs from six European countries undergoing similar interventions. The empirical data has been collected through presentations by company representatives, A3 reports including structured information about the intervention and its outcome, and case essays containing subjective descriptions of respective company’s experiences from the interventions. The material has been subject to a cross-case analysis.FindingsThis paper elaborates on previous research on important factors to consider in order for interventions to lead to long-term effects in SMEs. The results from this study suggest that in the design of the interventions at SMEs, one needs to carefully consider the context aspects regarding the intervention, which is seen as a deficiency in the project. It is also pointed out that not only the process or context of the intervention is of importance, but also the content. We suggest content that 1) supports the formulation of strategies, 2) encourages dialogue, and 3) uses company data. Hence, when designing an intervention in SMEs it is beneficial if the content have such characteristics, and by inclusion both short-term success and long-term sustainability are more likely as a result of the intervention.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper does not deal with how to motivate SMEs to initiate an intervention process.Originality/valueIntervention studies have mostly focused on larger companies. The special set-up with dedicated external support and a long term relationship within a large-scale project has provided access to a study of twelve SMEs across Europe and has provided a rare opportunity for research.
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