Editorial

Citation

Harry Matlay, D. (2013), "Editorial", Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 20 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/jsbed.2013.27120aaa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Volume 20, Issue 1

The first issue of Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development (JSBED), Volume 20, 2013 marks my twelfth year as Editor of this influential publication. As customary, I would like to reflect upon the distance travelled since spring 2001, when I began my journey as the novice Editor of a newly acquired Emerald Publishing Group journal, in its eighth year of publishing. Although still relatively new, the journal has already experienced a turbulent and uncertain existence. Its original editor died soon after JSBED commenced publication and, a few years later, his successor resigned in protest at the journal being sold unexpectedly and without due consultation. The vast proportion of the Editorial Board followed suit. Interestingly, however, the change of ownership provided JSBED with much needed security, initial investment and a stable home amongst an expanding portfolio of entrepreneurship-oriented journals. I own a whole set of this journal, from its first issue and up to date. I make no secret about the great satisfaction that I derive from our overall publishing achievements, despite many changes and tribulations as well as the occasional setback. Working closely with managing and assistant editors, too many to mention by name, we have overcome global competition and various challenges to achieve a respectable and well deserved position amongst the many journals that compete for premiership in the field of small business and entrepreneurship. In my editorial work, I have been greatly assisted and generously supported by a number of collaborators, advisors and members of the editorial board. Many of the contributors to JSBED, both from the UK and abroad, continue to submit high quality articles as well as providing refereeing support, constructive feedback and expert advice.

By the time that I took over the editorship of JSBED, the journal had been languishing for years at the bottom of the small business and entrepreneurship journal league. It was mostly perceived as a beginners’ outlet, for contributions originating from a minor small business conference held annually in various cities in the UK. All the papers presented at the conference were routinely refereed and considered for publication in the journal, as invited papers. During my first year as Editor, I set out to refocus JSBED towards the publication of high-quality articles, of both theoretical and practical relevance. At the same time, I embarked upon a focused drive to internationalise its content, increase quantitatively and qualitatively the impact of articles published in each issue and also expand the knowledge base and expertise of the Editorial Board. My early efforts were rewarded in 2002 by an Emerald Board of Directors’ commendation and in 2003 I was awarded the much coveted “Golden Pen” prize for editorial and publishing achievements. Over the ensuing years, our journal has grown and improved incrementally, to reach a respectable position in both national and international journal quality rankings. In the short term, we aim to continue the drive to publishing high-quality, empirically rigorous articles authored by new and established researchers as well as doctoral students, focusing upon emergent topics in the field of small business and enterprise development. Typically, most of the contributions to this journal originate outside the UK, and this ensures a varied empirical content and a growing international reputation. It is our intention to pursue organic growth relentlessly, as well as enhanced journal ranking and a position amongst the premier outlets in this field of academic endeavour.

The first issue in Volume 20 (2013) consists of 11 articles that, individually and cumulatively, evidence the growing diversity of interests, topics and methodological approaches pursued by contributors to JSBED. In the first article, Blackburn, Hart and Wainwright explore the factors that influence the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in general and their growth strategies in particular. The authors found that organisational factors, such as the size and age of an enterprise, dominated performance and proved more important than the strategies and entrepreneurial characteristics of the owner/manager. In addition, business plans proved important to the growth tendencies of SMEs. In the second contribution, Ates, Garengo, Cocca and Bititci investigate the gap between performance management theory and practice in order to improve and further develop this managerial function in SMEs. It emerges that SMEs are more focussed on internal and short-term planning and pay less attention to medium- and/or long-term strategies. The authors suggest that performance management practice can be made more effective by the adoption of a balanced use of strategic and operational practices and related measures. In the third article, Boxer, Perren and Berry focus upon top management teams and non-executive director cohesion in SMEs. The authors found that the nature of information sharing and hiding is fundamental to the precarious equilibrium that defines the dynamics and fragile cohesion of top management teams in SMEs. The following paper examines the financing choices, preferences and sources of micro and small businesses in Greece. Daskalakis, Jarvis and Schizas claim that micro and small firms operating in the Greek economy rely considerably upon their own funds and would only raise new equity from within family sources. In addition, there are various barriers to accessing other types of finance for smaller businesses in this country.

In the fifth article, Harris, McAdam, McCausland and Reid investigate the effectiveness of business improvement methods (BIM/TQM) on innovation implementation in SMEs operating in the North West European peripheral regions. The results highlighted that BIM/TQM was likely to stimulate and encourage the development of incremental levels of innovation in those SMEs that emphasised people or the organic aspects of business improvement methods, rather than the more mechanistic aspects of these approaches. There was, however, no clear link between BIM/TQM and radical innovation in those businesses where newness in products or services and markets was imperative. The next paper focuses on the impact of entrepreneurial competencies upon business performance and growth, as reported by female entrepreneurs. Mitchelmore and Rowley have identified four main clusters of competencies – i.e. personal and relationships, business and management, entrepreneurial and human relations. In the seventh contribution, Braidford, Stone and Tesfaye examine support measures in USA, Canada and Sweden, which aim to encourage women to start their own entrepreneurial ventures and/or promote growth in their existing businesses. They identify a number of common approaches to enterprise policy for women and provide a nuanced view of successful initiatives aimed at supporting this type of entrepreneurship. In the eighth article, Williams and Huggins investigate attitudes and perceptions to enterprise support in a deprived community located in the city of Leeds, UK. It emerges that certain forms of enterprise support in deprived communities could actually discourage entrepreneurship and new venture creation. In addition, it appears that where enterprises are supported, these operate in generic trades with low entry barriers, with many businesses having little actual or perceived need for external help.

In the next article, Lafuente and Vaillant investigate the differential impact of entrepreneurial role models on entrepreneurial activities in Romania, at various stages of an individual’s life cycle. Emergent results show that the effect of entrepreneurial role models on entrepreneurial activities can differ considerably across age groups. The tenth paper focusses on the factors and characteristics that impact upon innovation in young and old family-owned businesses. Sylvie Laforet argues that social capital theory could be usefully extended to include non-family employees involved in the innovation process of family firms. It emerges that formal learning has a positive impact on innovation in young family firms. In addition market condition, industry sector, business goals and long-term orientation can positively affect family firm innovation. In the final article in this issue, Chang and Rieple examine the development of students’ entrepreneurial skills, while working in live projects alongside real life entrepreneurs and financiers. The authors recorded significant changes in students’ perceptions of their skills over time.

In concluding this Editorial, I would like to extend my gratitude to all those individuals who have contributed, directly and indirectly, to the publication of this issue, including authors, referees, advisers and the production team at Emerald Publishing Group.

Dr Harry MatlayBirmingham City Business School, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK