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Innovations and Other Processes as Identifiers of Contemporary Trends in the Sustainable Development of SMEs: The Case of Emerging Regional Economies

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  • Krzysztof Malik

    (Department of Economics, Finance and Regional Research, Faculty of Economics and Management, The Opole University of Technology, 45-758 Opole, Poland)

  • Anna Jasińska-Biliczak

    (Department of Economics, Finance and Regional Research, Faculty of Economics and Management, The Opole University of Technology, 45-758 Opole, Poland)

Abstract

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the biggest group of enterprises in the European Union (EU); they are also characteristic of emerging economies. Given this situation, there is a need to provide instruments such as processes that allow them to realize a model of sustainable development. The ability to classify processes and the occurrences within these processes often affects the state of the enterprises. The implementation of innovations, as identified processes, facilities sustainable development for SMEs. The purpose of this article is to find out whether the identification of processes such as innovations has any influence on the competitiveness and sustainable development of SMEs. This study was based on pilot research that examined small and medium enterprises regionally based on the example of an emerging economic region of Poland. The research focused on the identification of the processes and changes happening inside enterprises in terms of understanding the sustainable development concept. The research composition allows the presentation of how SMEs understand the problems analyzed. The study features a new questionnaire, a new definition of sustainable development, and matches those processes identified by the enterprises analyzed with the particular sustainable development dimensions suggested by the authors. In light of the analysis of the literature and the results of this research, the study offers some important contributions in terms of understanding and offering practical meaning to the identification of various processes. The most important finding was that there is a need to raise awareness among entrepreneurs of the fact that innovations are also processes in themselves, which often constitute the sum of other supporting processes occurring within the enterprise. Support in the form of knowledge transfer from experts to SMEs would also be recommended.

Suggested Citation

  • Krzysztof Malik & Anna Jasińska-Biliczak, 2018. "Innovations and Other Processes as Identifiers of Contemporary Trends in the Sustainable Development of SMEs: The Case of Emerging Regional Economies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-17, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:5:p:1361-:d:143546
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    2. Marcin Łuszczyk & Krzysztof Malik & Barbara Siuta-Tokarska & Agnieszka Thier, 2023. "Direction of Changes in the Settlements for Prosumers of Photovoltaic Micro-Installations: The Example of Poland as the Economy in Transition in the European Union," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-16, April.
    3. Jasinska-Biliczak Anna & Malik Krzysztof, 2020. "Measuring the Integrated Effectiveness of Regional Development: Directions for Regional Government," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(1), pages 389-403.
    4. Jasinska-Biliczak Anna, 2020. "Endogenous Innovation Potential: Regional SMEs’ Perspective in Emerging Economies," International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), vol. 0(4), pages 435-449.
    5. GuoXiang Tang & Kwangtae Park & Anurag Agarwal & Feng Liu, 2020. "Impact of Innovation Culture, Organization Size and Technological Capability on the Performance of SMEs: The Case of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-14, February.
    6. Sheshadri Chatterjee & Ranjan Chaudhuri & Georgia Sakka & Balakrishna Grandhi & Antonino Galati & Evangelia Siachou & Demetris Vrontis, 2021. "Adoption of Social Media Marketing for Sustainable Business Growth of SMEs in Emerging Economies: The Moderating Role of Leadership Support," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-16, November.
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