Small businesses as a research subject: Some reflections on knowledge of small businesses and its effects on economic theory

The Relationship between Technological Innovation Activity Based Costing and Business Size

“…Some authors argue that large firms have several advantages over smaller firms in the adoption of an innovation (Brown 1981), while others argue that diffusion of innovation in small firms is quicker than in large firms because of the advantages associated with small size (Acs & Audretsh, 1988;Julien, 1993;Lefebvre & Lefebvre, 1993;Riding, 1993). However, the controversy on the impact of size on diffusion of innovation has been further complicated by the mixed results of the studies investigating the relationship between size as an influential factor and diffusion of innovation (Aiken, et al, 1980;Blau & McKinley, 1979;Booth & Giacobbe, 1998;Damanpour, 1992;Dewar & Dutton, 1986;Hage, 1980;Krumwiede, 1998;Libby & Waterhouse, 1996).…”

Service Productivity: What Stops Service Firms from Measuring It?

“…The results also suggest that firm size relates positively to the decision to measure service productivity, which aligns with research that suggests smaller firms differ from larger firms in many respects, including their resources, structures, workflow, decision-making processes, and levels of hierarchy. Considering these differences, management knowledge developed among large enterprises may not be applicable to smaller firms (e.g., Dandridge, 1979;Julien, 1993). The rationale for measuring productivity thus may differ in smaller firms.…”

Small Business Start-up and Future Option: An Example of Food Restaurant Formation in South-East Cape-Town, South Africa

“…(Nooteboom, 1994). Small scale enterprise has a limited capacity for marketing strategy acquisition of new knowledge and technology and very sensitive to external pressure and risk (Martinsuo and Kullberg, 1998) Though, its linked to flexibility, pure organisation, centralised decisions-making and closeintimate to customers (Julien, 1993, Storey, 2000 less formalities in both external and internal information and communication systems, which allow shorter interior lines of communication, fast responses, time and speedy solution solving most often.…”

“…Though, its linked to flexibility, organic organisation, centralised decisions-making and close-intimate to customers (Julien, 1993, Storey, 2000 less formalities in both external and internal information and communication systems, which allow shorter internal lines of communication, fast responses, time and speedy solution solving most often.…”