Gherhes, C, Williams, N, Vorley, T et al. (1 more author) (2016) Distinguishing micro-businesses from SMEs: A systematic review of growth constraints. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 23 (4). pp. 939-963. ISSN 1462-6004
Abstract
Purpose – Micro-businesses account for a large majority of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). However, they remain comparatively under-researched. This paper seeks to take stock of the extant literature on growth challenges, and to distinguish the growth constraints facing micro-business as a specific subset of SMEs from those facing larger SMEs. Design/methodology/approach – The study consists of a systematic review of 59 peer-reviewed articles on SME growth. Findings – Micro-businesses distinguish themselves from larger SMEs by being owner-manager entrepreneur (OME) centric and are constrained by a tendency to be growth-averse, underdeveloped capabilities in key business areas, underdeveloped OME capabilities, and often inadequate business support provision. Research limitations/implications – The use of keywords, search strings, and specific databases may have limited the number of papers identified as relevant by the review. However, the findings are valuable for understanding micro-businesses as a subset of SMEs, providing directions for future research and generating implications for policy to support the scaling up of micro-businesses. Originality/value – The review provides a renewed foundation for academic analysis of micro-business growth, highlighting how micro-businesses are distinct from larger SMEs. At present, no systematic literature review on this topic has previously been published and the study develops a number of theoretical and policy implications.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © Emerald Group Publishing Limited 2016. Published by Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Licensed re-use rights only. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Micro-business; Small and medium enterprises; Growth constraints; Systematic literature review; Policy; Entrepreneurship |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Business (Leeds) > Management Division (LUBS) (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 10 Aug 2016 11:13 |
Last Modified: | 11 Oct 2017 11:56 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-05-2016-0075 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Emerald |
Identification Number: | 10.1108/JSBED-05-2016-0075 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:103512 |