IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/aae/journl/v15y2019i1p61-82.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Factors that Shape the Competitiveness of Small Innovative Companies Operating in International Markets with a Particular Focus on Business Advice

Author

Listed:
  • Edward Stawasz

    (Faculty of Management, University of Lodz, 22/26 Matejki, 90-237 Lodz, Poland)

Abstract

The aim of the presented paper is to identify the significance of selected determinants of the competitiveness of small, innovative enterprises operating in international markets that use business advice. The achievement of this goal required identifying the determinants of the competitiveness of small companies (characteristics of managers, characteristics of enterprises) as well as examining the motives, areas and effects of using business advice. The issue of business knowledge absorptive capacity as a determinant of the competitiveness of small enterprises and the effectiveness of using external business knowledge was also presented. The second part of the paper presents the results of empirical research conducted using the CATI technique on a sample of 67 small, innovative Polish enterprises operating in international markets and simultaneously benefiting from business advice. The conducted research confirmed the hypothesis of a significant, moderating influence of business advice on the system of competitiveness determinants of enterprises. The hypothesis concerning a positive relationship between business advice and enterprises’ capacity for absorbing business knowledge, and indirectly their competitiveness, was also confirmed. Improving the competitiveness of enterprises requires using business advice and enhancing their business knowledge absorptive capacity

Suggested Citation

  • Edward Stawasz, 2019. "Factors that Shape the Competitiveness of Small Innovative Companies Operating in International Markets with a Particular Focus on Business Advice," Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, Fundacja Upowszechniająca Wiedzę i Naukę "Cognitione", vol. 15(1), pages 61-82.
    • Handle: RePEc:aae:journl:v:15:y:2019:i:1:p:61-82
    DOI: 10.7341/20191513
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://jemi.edu.pl/uploadedFiles/file/all-issues/vol15/issue1/JEMI_Vol15_Issue1_2019_Article3.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.7341/20191513?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Grabowski, Wojciech & Stawasz, Edward, 2017. "The Role of Business Consulting in Creating Knowledge and Formulating a Strategy of Development in Polish Micro-Enterprises," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 22(3), pages 374-396.
    2. Mihaela Dobrea & Irina Maiorescu, 2015. "Entrepreneurial Outcomes and Organisational Performance through Business Coaching," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 17(38), pages 247-247, February.
    3. Kevin Mole & David North & Robert Baldock, 2017. "Which SMEs seek external support? Business characteristics, management behaviour and external influences in a contingency approach," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 35(3), pages 476-499, May.
    4. Steve Johnson & Don J Webber & Wayne Thomas, 2007. "Which SMEs Use External Business Advice? A Multivariate Subregional Study," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 39(8), pages 1981-1997, August.
    5. Johan Wiklund & DEAN Shepherd, 2003. "Knowledge‐based resources, entrepreneurial orientation, and the performance of small and medium‐sized businesses," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(13), pages 1307-1314, December.
    6. Mian M. Ajmal & Fredrik Nordström & Petri Helo, 2009. "Assessing the effectiveness of business consulting in operations development projects," International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 58(6), pages 523-541, July.
    7. Henk W. Volberda & Nicolai J. Foss & Marjorie A. Lyles, 2010. "PERSPECTIVE---Absorbing the Concept of Absorptive Capacity: How to Realize Its Potential in the Organization Field," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(4), pages 931-951, August.
    8. Joerg Freiling, 2004. "A Competence-based Theory of the Firm," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 15(1), pages 27-52.
    9. Renata Lisowska, 2015. "External Determinants of the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises – Empirical Analysis," Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, Fundacja Upowszechniająca Wiedzę i Naukę "Cognitione", vol. 11(4), pages 115-138.
    10. Domingo Soriano & Gary Castrogiovanni, 2012. "The impact of education, experience and inner circle advisors on SME performance: insights from a study of public development centers," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 333-349, April.
    11. Katarzyna Łobacz & Paweł Głodek & Edward Stawasz & Piotr Niedzielski, 2016. "Utilisation of Business Advice in Small Innovative Firms: the Role of Trust and Tacit Knowledge," Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, Centre for Strategic and International Entrepreneurship at the Cracow University of Economics., vol. 4(2), pages 117-138.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sonja Đuričin & Isidora Beraha & Olivera Jovanović & Marija Mosurović Ružičić & Marija Lazarević-Moravčević & Mihailo Paunović, 2022. "The Efficiency of National Innovation Policy Programs: The Case of Serbia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-14, July.
    2. Šugar, Violeta & Zanze, Josip, 2021. "Innovative Capacities of Shipbuilding Organizations Manufacturing Composite Ships," Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference (2021), Hybrid Conference, Zagreb, Croatia, in: Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference, Hybrid Conference, Zagreb, Croatia, 9-10 September 2021, pages 13-22, IRENET - Society for Advancing Innovation and Research in Economy, Zagreb.
    3. Zahid Ali & Ghulam Mustafa, 2023. "On Accounting Firms Serving Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises: A Review, Synthesis and Research Agenda," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 33(3), pages 313-332, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Li, Wei & Liu, Zhi & Xia, Senmao & Yan, Ji & Xiong, Yu & Sakka, Georgia & Yu Li, Rebecca, 2022. "How can emerging-market SMEs domestically benefit from their performance in developed countries? Empirical evidence from China," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 200-210.
    2. Rafael Sancho-Zamora & Isidro Peña-García & Santiago Gutiérrez-Broncano & Felipe Hernández-Perlines, 2021. "Moderating Effect of Proactivity on Firm Absorptive Capacity and Performance: Empirical Evidence from Spanish Firms," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(17), pages 1-15, August.
    3. Kuhn, Kristine M. & Galloway, Tera L. & Collins-Williams, Maureen, 2017. "Simply the best: An exploration of advice that small business owners value," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 8(C), pages 33-40.
    4. Michele N. Medina & Indu Ramachandran & Joshua J. Daspit, 2019. "Collaboration Or Clash? Mapping The Effects Of Top Management Team Conflict On Firm Absorptive Capacity," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 23(03), pages 1-29, April.
    5. Katarzyna Łobacz & Paweł Głodek & Edward Stawasz & Piotr Niedzielski, 2016. "Utilisation of Business Advice in Small Innovative Firms: the Role of Trust and Tacit Knowledge," Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, Centre for Strategic and International Entrepreneurship at the Cracow University of Economics., vol. 4(2), pages 117-138.
    6. Ali Vafaei-Zadeh & Haniruzila Hanifah & Behzad Foroughi & Yashar Salamzadeh, 2019. "Knowledge leakage, an Achilles’ heel of knowledge sharing," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 9(4), pages 445-461, December.
    7. Jaroslaw Ropega, 2020. "Novice and habitual entrepreneurs and external business support exploitation," Interdisciplinary Description of Complex Systems - scientific journal, Croatian Interdisciplinary Society Provider Homepage: http://indecs.eu, vol. 18(2B), pages 271-285.
    8. Lu, Jinfeng & Dimov, Dimo, 2023. "A system dynamics modelling of entrepreneurship and growth within firms," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 38(3).
    9. Abiodun Tope Samson, 2015. "The Impact of Entrepreneurial Orientation, Reconfiguring Capability and Moderation of Environmental Turbulence on Export Performance of SMEs in Nigeria," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 7(3), pages 76-87.
    10. Donbesuur, Francis & Boso, Nathaniel & Hultman, Magnus, 2020. "The effect of entrepreneurial orientation on new venture performance: Contingency roles of entrepreneurial actions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 150-161.
    11. Emre Yildiz, H. & Murtic, Adis & Klofsten, Magnus & Zander, Udo & Richtnér, Anders, 2021. "Individual and contextual determinants of innovation performance: A micro-foundations perspective," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    12. Ardjouman Diabate & Brou Mathias Allate & Dongping Wei & Liying Yu, 2019. "Do Firm and Entrepreneur Characteristics Play a Role in SMEs’ Sustainable Growth in a Middle-Income Economy like Côte d’Ivoire?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-20, March.
    13. Francisco Javier Forcadell & Fernando Úbeda, 2022. "Individual entrepreneurial orientation and performance: the mediating role of international entrepreneurship," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 875-900, June.
    14. Duan, Yunlong & Liu, Shuling & Cheng, Hao & Chin, Tachia & Luo, Xuan, 2021. "The moderating effect of absorptive capacity on transnational knowledge spillover and the innovation quality of high-tech industries in host countries: Evidence from the Chinese manufacturing industry," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).
    15. Parada Maria Jose, 2013. "Comment on “Territory’s Absorptive Capacity”," Entrepreneurship Research Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 3(1), pages 141-146, January.
    16. Lavlu Mozumdar & Valentina C. Materia & Geoffrey Hagelaar & Mohammad Amirul Islam & Gerben van der Velde & S. W. F. (Onno) Omta, 2022. "Contextuality of Entrepreneurial Orientation and Business Performance: The Case of Women Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 8(1), pages 94-120, January.
    17. Andreas Rauch & Johan Wiklund & G.T. Lumpkin & Michael Frese, 2009. "Entrepreneurial Orientation and Business Performance: An Assessment of past Research and Suggestions for the Future," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 33(3), pages 761-787, May.
    18. Emiel L. Eijdenberg & Kathrin Borner, 2017. "The Performance Of Subsistence Entrepreneurs In Tanzania’S Informal Economy," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 22(01), pages 1-22, March.
    19. Ahammad, Mohammad Faisal & Tarba, Shlomo Yedidia & Liu, Yipeng & Glaister, Keith W., 2016. "Knowledge transfer and cross-border acquisition performance: The impact of cultural distance and employee retention," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 66-75.
    20. Michalis E. Papazoglou, 2023. "Favorable strategies for the success of entry into new technological areas: an entrepreneurial perspective," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 403-426, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    small business; determinants of competitiveness in international markets; business advice; business knowledge absorptive capacity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • L84 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Personal, Professional, and Business Services

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:aae:journl:v:15:y:2019:i:1:p:61-82. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Anna Ujwary-Gil (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://fundacjacognitione.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.