Information Sourcing Through Traditional and Electronic Resources for Strategy Formulation: A Case of Small-Scale Manufacturing Firms in Udupi, Karnataka

This study attempts to capture entrepreneurs’ perceptions on information sourcing from various sources that include internet usage. The study being exploratory in nature follows broader themes such as electronic and traditional sources of information, which are considered to be means for strategy formulation in small-scale manufacturing firms. The basic questions that arise in an industry while formulating a strategy are - what are the types of information required? And what are their plausible sources? To explore the perceptions on these research questions, a field survey was carried out, covering 24 manufacturing small-scale firms, in three industrial estates of Udupi District, Karnataka. An in-depth interview method was used to gather the data, and the data were analyzed using a broader thematic descriptive framework. The study mainly identifies two propositions based on the entrepreneurs’ perceptions: (a) Traditional sources of information are perceived to be predominant in strategy formulation for small-scale firms and (b) Usage of internet and other electronic modes of communication have not been popular sources of information among small-scale firms.