IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/tkp/jouijm/v7y2018i1p55-76.html

Growth Management Priorities of Service-Based Micro-Enterprises in a Sparsely Populated Area

Author

Listed:
  • Martti Saarela

    (University of Oulu, Finland)

  • Kai Hänninen

    (University of Oulu, Finland)

  • Matti Muhos

    (University of Oulu, Finland)

  • Harri Jokela

    (Nihak Ltd., Finland)

Abstract

Micro-enterprises, which refer to a subset of small and medium enterprises, represent over 95% of European enterprises. Nevertheless, little is known about micro-enterprises. Location is one of the key factors concerning the development of business, and several studies have indicated the differences between urban and sparsely populated areas. However, there is a lack of literature concerning the growth management priorities of micro-enterprises, especially of micro-enterprises in sparsely populated areas. To address this gap in the literature, this multiple-case study aims to answer the following research question: What are the critical managerial incidents that occur during the growth of service-based micro-enterprises in a sparsely populated area? The results of the case study showed that the highest priority of the owners-managers of the service-based micro-enterprises was related to human resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Martti Saarela & Kai Hänninen & Matti Muhos & Harri Jokela, 2018. "Growth Management Priorities of Service-Based Micro-Enterprises in a Sparsely Populated Area," International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning, ToKnowPress, vol. 7(1), pages 55-76.
    • Handle: RePEc:tkp:jouijm:v:7:y:2018:i:1:p:55-76
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.issbs.si/press/ISSN/2232-5697/7_55-76.pdf
    File Function: full text
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Matti Muhos & Anna-Mari Simunaniemi & Martti Saarela & Delbert Foit Jr. & Lada Rasochova, 2017. "Early stages of service business - review and synthesis," International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 16(3), pages 151-173.
    2. Macpherson, Allan & Holt, Robin, 2007. "Knowledge, learning and small firm growth: A systematic review of the evidence," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 172-192, March.
    3. Achtenhagen, Leona & Ekberg, Sara & Melander, Anders, 2017. "Fostering growth through business development: Core activities and challenges for micro-firm entrepreneurs," Journal of Management & Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(2), pages 167-185, March.
    4. Colm O’Gorman & Sarah Bourke & John Murray, 2005. "The Nature of Managerial Work in Small Growth-Orientated Businesses," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 1-16, August.
    5. Christopher T. Street & Ann‐frances Cameron, 2007. "External Relationships and the Small Business: A Review of Small Business Alliance and Network Research," Journal of Small Business Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(2), pages 239-266, April.
    6. Kim, Kyoung Yong & Patel, Pankaj C., 2017. "Employee ownership and firm performance: A variance decomposition analysis of European firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 248-254.
    7. G. Russell Merz & Matthew H. Sauber, 1995. "Profiles of managerial activities in small firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(7), pages 551-564.
    8. Richard B. Freeman & Joseph R. Blasi & Douglas L. Kruse, 2010. "Introduction to "Shared Capitalism at Work: Employee Ownership, Profit and Gain Sharing, and Broad-based Stock Options"," NBER Chapters, in: Shared Capitalism at Work: Employee Ownership, Profit and Gain Sharing, and Broad-based Stock Options, pages 1-37, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Michael Porter, 1994. "The Role of Location in Competition," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 1(1), pages 35-40.
    10. Douglas L. Kruse & Richard B. Freeman & Joseph R. Blasi, 2010. "Shared Capitalism at Work: Employee Ownership, Profit and Gain Sharing, and Broad-based Stock Options," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number krus08-1, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. repec:isv:jouijm:v:7:y:2018:i:1:p:55-76 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Kyoung Yong Kim & Pankaj C. Patel, 2021. "A Multilevel Contingency Model of Employee Ownership and Firm Productivity: The Moderating Roles of Industry Growth and Instability," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(3), pages 625-648, May.
    3. Park, Heejin & Noh, Jung-Hee & Pedersen, Melissa & Lee, Sora, 2022. "What are the determinants and managerial motivations for employee ownership in retirement pension plans?," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    4. Sami Adwan & Alaa Alhaj-Ismail & Ranko Jelic, 2022. "Non-executive employee ownership and financial reporting quality: evidence from Europe," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 793-823, August.
    5. Kyoung Yong Kim & Pankaj C. Patel, 2020. "Broad‐Based Employee Ownership and Labour Productivity During the 2008 Recession: Evidence from Public Firms in Europe," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 58(2), pages 396-423, June.
    6. Ansgar Richter & Susanne Schrader, 2017. "Levels of Employee Share Ownership and the Performance of Listed Companies in Europe," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 55(2), pages 396-420, June.
    7. Nicolas Aubert & Xavier Hollandts, 2015. "How Shared Capitalism Affects Employee Withdrawal: An Econometric Case Study Of A French-Listed Company," Post-Print halshs-01256759, HAL.
    8. Yixi Ning & Chien-Ping Chen & Yingxu Kuang, 2024. "The relative CEO to employee pay for luck," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 48(3), pages 924-946, September.
    9. Petri Böckerman & Alex Bryson & Pekka Ilmakunnas, 2013. "Does high involvement management lead to higher pay?," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 176(4), pages 861-885, October.
    10. Bryson, Alex & Clark, Andrew E. & Freeman, Richard B. & Green, Colin P., 2016. "Share capitalism and worker wellbeing," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 151-158.
    11. John S. Heywood & Uwe Jirjahn, 2014. "Variable Pay, Industrial Relations and Foreign Ownership: Evidence from Germany," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 52(3), pages 521-552, September.
    12. Uwe Jirjahn & Jens Mohrenweiser, 2019. "Performance Pay and Applicant Screening," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 57(3), pages 540-575, September.
    13. Guillermo Alves & Gabriel Burdin & Paula Carrasco & Andrés Dean & Andrés Rius, 2012. "Empleo, remuneraciones e inversión en cooperativas de trabajadores y empresas convencionales: nueva evidencia para Uruguay," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 12-14, Instituto de Economía - IECON.
    14. Szerb, László & Komlósi, Éva, 2025. "A hazai kis- és középvállalkozások növekedési konfigurációi [Growth configurations among Hungarian SMEs]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(9), pages 842-874.
    15. Nicolas Aubert & Miguel Cordova & Gonzalo Hernandez, 2023. "Sharing the ownership in Peru and Mexico: The case of a French MNE prompting the SDGs achievement," Post-Print hal-03951463, HAL.
    16. Simon Jäger & Benjamin Schoefer & Jörg Heining, 2021. "Labor in the Boardroom," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 136(2), pages 669-725.
    17. Fochmann, Martin & Sachs, Florian & Weimann, Joachim, 2019. "Managing wages: Fairness norms of low- and high-performing team members," arqus Discussion Papers in Quantitative Tax Research 238, arqus - Arbeitskreis Quantitative Steuerlehre.
    18. Uwe Jirjahn & Jens Mohrenweiser, 2025. "Variable Payment Schemes and Productivity: Do Individual‐Based Schemes Really Have a Stronger Influence Than Collective Ones?," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 78(4), pages 1316-1332, November.
    19. Imanol Basterretxea & John Storey, 2018. "Do Employee†Owned Firms Produce More Positive Employee Behavioural Outcomes? If Not Why Not? A British†Spanish Comparative Analysis," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 56(2), pages 292-319, June.
    20. Jason S. Spicer, 2020. "Worker and Community Ownership as an Economic Development Strategy: Innovative Rebirth or Tired Retread of a Failed Idea?," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 34(4), pages 325-342, November.
    21. Nicolas Aubert & Hachmi Ben Ameur & Guillaume Garnotel & Jean‐Luc Prigent, 2018. "Optimal Employee Ownership Contracts Under Ambiguity Aversion," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 56(1), pages 238-251, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    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:tkp:jouijm:v:7:y:2018:i:1:p:55-76. 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: Maks Jezovnik (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.toknowpress.net/journals .

    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.