Characteristics of owners and managers in different countries: a meta-analytical investigation of SMEs' growth

Abstract

PurposeThe paper aims to provide robust evidence about the relationships between key individual characteristics of owners and managers (OMs) and small and medium enterprises (SMEs)' growth and the moderating influence of the country context on these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe authors meta-analyzed 62 studies presenting a cumulative sample of 175 effect-sizes and 174,590 SMEs.FindingsThe authors found that SMEs led by more experienced men with higher levels of education are more likely to grow. While the relationship between OMs' experience and SMEs' growth is significant for differing country contexts, national characteristics affect the magnitude of the influence that OMs' education and gender specifically exert on SME expansion. The authors also found that the positive impact of OMs' human capital on SMEs' growth increases when these firms are focused on technology.Research limitations/implicationsThe study yielded small-effect sizes for the impact of OMs' human capital and gender on SMEs' growth. Researchers can assess the influence of these characteristics on SMEs' growth along with other individual dimensions.Originality/valueThe current study is the first meta-analytical investigation about the influence of OMs' gender on SMEs' growth. The study focuses solely on SME OMs, as SMEs are not simply larger businesses on a smaller scale. The authors employ a wide set of country-level moderators in the research going beyond most empirical examinations of the topic that have given only marginal attention to moderators.

Small and medium enterprises dynamic capabilities efficacy during COVID-19: moderating role of CEO gender

“…This positive correlation highlights the role of gender in the success of SMEs in developing countries like Pakistan. The results support the studies of Davis et al (2010) and Marconatto et al (2022) which state that female-led firms are better than male-led firms. The correlation between gender and revenue change during COVID-19 further clears the link as r = 0.12, p < 0.01 which shows that firms with female CEOs have significantly positive revenue change during COVID-19 among Pakistani SMEs.…”

Exploring the impact of innovation intensity on the growth of female-led entrepreneurial firms

“…However, given that research has found that female owned-firms are fundamentally different from male-owned ones (Hechavarria et al. , 2019; Marconatto et al. , 2022), the FUH has been questioned in more recent years (Crane, 2022; Demartini, 2018; Justo et al.…”

“…However, given that research has found that female owned-firms are fundamentally different from male-owned ones (Hechavarria et al, 2019;Marconatto et al, 2022), the FUH has been questioned in more recent years (Crane, 2022;Demartini, 2018;Justo et al, 2015;Zolin et al, 2013). In fact, controlling for commonalities (Farhat and Mijid, 2018) and using riskadjusted measures (Robb and Watson, 2012), no gender gap is found in survival rates, profitability or growth rates.…”

Identifying prosperity characteristics in small and medium-sized enterprises of Pakistan: firm, strategy and characteristics of entrepreneurs

“…In literature, researchers have identified various internal and external factors that lead to prosperity in business. Many researchers believe that a business’s internal culture, management style, hierarchy and other internal characteristics make them successful (Chen et al , 2020; Marconatto et al , 2021; Ng et al , 2020). On the other hand, a considerable body of knowledge believes that external factors like government policies (Pulka et al , 2021), infrastructure (Hurley, 2018) and facilitation (Tang et al , 2017) play a pivotal role in making a business prosper.…”

“…Along with the above-mentioned internal and external factors, the context of business including the location and environment in which a business operates also matters significantly. Due to this, business success and prosperity vary across countries and regions (Marconatto et al , 2021). For example, Cicea et al (2019) found that in developed economies, adequate resources are provided by the respective governments to all businesses, regardless of their size and structure, which leads to the prosperity of businesses.…”