Cooperation of SMEs – Empirical Evidences After the Crisis

Abstract

Abstract. Cooperation is a key success factor for small and medium enterprises (SME) in most of the countries. At the beginning of the 2000s, a large European study has analysed the extent and the effect of cooperation between SMEs. However, how successful have been cooperation of SMEs during the economic crisis of the last years? Has the cooperation rate decreased or increased? What are the drivers and obstacles of SME cooperation? Based on an empirical study in a SME-rich region in Germany, which was finished in January 2011, these and further questions will be answered in detail.

The Strategic Requirements for an Enterprise Business Architecture Framework by SMEs

“…More importantly the emphasis has been on management and promotion of ICT and its related capabilities through adaptation of variety of IT management solutions [4]. However a wide range of the extant SME research has shown substantial problems for SMEs (a) to define and govern the implementation of IT strategy to realize technology changes in alignment with their business [5], (b) adapt their structure [6] and (c) to leverage IS competencies in order to deal with environments which is increasingly dynamic and globally focused [7]. Consequently they require strategic capability development aid to structure their IT resources and business strategies which simultaneously enable them to capitalize the environment opportunities and threats.…”