Towards New Typology of the Owners-Managers of the Small and Medium Enterprises

Abstract

Purpose – individuals or families own and at the same time manage a large proportion of private enterprises. Previous studies mostly refer to owner-manager of the enterprise as an individual with own personal traits, styles and preferences. Purpose of this article is to propose a new typology of the owners-managers of the small and medium en- terprises representing all variety, determined by their different ownership status and managerial authorities in companies. Research methodology – research started with a systematic rapid literature review using an overview method. Data for research were collected through 52 semi-structured interviews with SME owner-managers representing broad range of industries and companies of different age. Key findings were discussed and approbated in two focus group discussions. Findings – as a result of this research, a preliminary typology was developed, consisting of ten types of the SME own- ers-managers, with a brief description of each type constructed. Research limitations – conclusions from this research are relevant to those SMEs analysed in this particular research and shall not be generalized without additional research and validation. Practical implications – the typology suggested in this article provides a structured way to explore the diversity of SME owners-managers and raise understanding of their behaviour when planning, controlling and managing their business. Originality/Value – the proposed typology is a step towards filling the knowledge gap caused by the lack of a holistic and systematic approach in addressing the diversity of the SME owners-managers.

Innovation-based diversification strategies and the survival of emerging economy village-owned enterprises (VOEs) in the COVID-19 recession

“…VOEs are structurally and functionally different from the traditional SMEs. Firstly, unlike traditional SMEs that are business entities established, owned and managed by private individuals and groups (Millers and Gaile-Sarkane, 2021), the VOEs are legal entities and businesses established, owned and managed by the village government in an effort to strengthen the village socio-economic development. Secondly, the establishment of VOEs is largely based on the needs, resource capability and potential of the villages (Yanti et al , 2021) rather than the capabilities of firms.…”

Management Practice in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Problems and Solutions from the Perspective of Open Innovation

“…A large proportion of enterprises in the private sector are owned by individuals or families, and at the same time managed by their founders or owners. A preliminary typology consisting of 10 types of SME owner-managers as determined by their different ownership status and managerial authorities in companies was developed as result of research conducted by Millers and Gaile-Sarkane [10].…”