Critical success factors of small and medium-sized enterprises in Palestine

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the success of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Palestine, and thus to contribute to the existing knowledge on the critical success factors (CSFs) of SMEs in the Palestinian context, especially in the West Bank. Design/methodology/approach The study is comprised a survey of a convenience sample of 370 SMEs operating in the West Bank, Palestine. It uses a multiple regression analysis to examine the effect of a set of CSFs, namely, reputation of the brand, excellence of customer services, reliable delivery and product innovation on the success of SMEs. Findings The results show that brand reputation, excellence of customer of services and reliable delivery strongly influence SME success, while innovation is weakly associated with SME success. These results imply that success is tied to customers and competition more than to production, structures or finance. That is, reputable brands, excellent customer service and reliable delivery are means to success according to the results of this research. Practical implications The study emphasizes the need for Palestinian SMEs to maintain and develop their brand reputation, institutionalize customer service and develop its logistical systems and practices. Generally, the study suggests that there are specific investment areas for SMEs that can contribute to achieving success. Specifically, excellence in customer service was found to be the factor most linked to the success of SMEs, followed by reliable delivery and then by brand reputation and innovation. Originality/value While plenty of research has been done on what contributes to the failure or success of SMEs, research on CSFs for SMEs is limited. The study combines four CSFs not previously used in combination to model the successful performance of SMEs in general and in the Palestinian context in particular. Only some specific factors are critical to the success of SMEs and should be the focal point of SMEs’ efforts as long as they are consistent with their nature as small economic entities competing with big companies in small markets. Thus, instead of using general factors of SME success, the study explains how success becomes more possible through specifying areas for decision-making or activities for the entrepreneurs to undertake, keeping in mind that there is a mechanism by which these factors work together toward the success of the SME.

A Review of Crisis Management Strategy and its Influences on the Organizational Performance

“…Consistent with the findings of the literature review on Product [8], we found very few articles related to global crisis management. It is important to note the scope of this review reflects the focus of the call for this special issue.…”

“…It is important to learn quickly from crisis events that actually occur. Organizational crisis management is understood as a series of procedures used to sustain or resume normal business operations, minimize stakeholder loss, and use learning to improve crisis management processes [8]. Crisis management typically includes steps that help to identify potential crisis signals or indicators, planning strategies, response coordination, and recovery plans.…”

Faktor PSiKKIT: Pendorong inovasi pembungkusan dalam kalangan Industri Kecil dan Sederhana berasaskan perusahaan makanan

“…Malah, kajian berkaitan pembungkusan produk makanan juga banyak memfokuskan dari sudut kajian terhadap pengguna dalam membuat keputusan untuk membeli (Azad & Masoumi, 2012;Beneke et al, 2015;Kurtkoti, 2016;Siti Hasnah et al, 2012;Tinne, 2016;Zekiri & Hasani, 2015). Kajian lepas menunjukkan terdapat banyak faktor yang boleh membawa kepada kejayaan atau kegagalan sesebuah perniagaan termasuk faktor persekitaran dalaman dan luaran (Alfoqahaa, 2018;Atiqah et al, 2016;Islam & Muktadir-Al-Mukit, 2016;Jernström et al, 2017;Sayal & Banerjee, 2017;Suhaila et al, 2014). Malah, kajian yang dijalankan juga tidak banyak membincangkan faktor yang mempengaruhi amalan terhadap pembungkusan.…”

Fatores Determinantes Para O Desempenho Operacional Dos Pequenos Negócios Do Setor De Serviços De Óleo E Gás

“…Fatores de falha, que podem ser individuais quando se referem às características e habilidades dos gerentes e não individuais quando se referem às características das operações internas das organizações ou aos impactos derivados do ambiente externo à empresa (Nikolić, et al 2015), são considerados neste estudo como barreiras ao desempenho operacional dos pequenos negócios. Por outro lado, fatores de sucesso, que podem ser habilidades, atividades ou recursos em que uma organização pode investir (Alfoqahaa, 2018), são considerados como facilitadores ao desempenho operacional dos pequenos negócios. Já os determinantes podem ser tanto fatores internos quanto externos que influenciam diretamente o desempenho operacional dos pequenos negócios.…”

“…Essa semelhança entre os estudos de caso corrobora com a literatura, uma vez que "qualidade" e "inovação de produto/serviço" também foram os facilitadores identificados com maior frequência na RSL. Alfoqahaa (2018) PUC-Rio -Certificação Digital Nº 1712689/CA afirma que em sua pesquisa a excelência no atendimento ao cliente foi o principal fator ligado ao sucesso das pequenas empresas. Além disso, qualidade, inovação de produto/serviço e atender as necessidades dos clientes são tratados como recursos VRIN em todos os estudos de caso.…”