Ann Ledwith

Project management in small to medium‐sized enterprises: A comparison between firms by size and industry

Purpose – Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in the economy, in terms of employment and their contribution to national wealth. A significant proportion of that contribution comes from innovation. SMEs are also the engine for future growth in the economy. Project management has a role to play in managing that innovation and growth. The purpose of this paper is to find the extent to which SMEs use projects, project management and the tools of project management, and to determine what differences there are by size of company and industry.Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was developed to examine the extent to which small firms carry out projects, the resources they employ, the way they measure project success and the tools and techniques that they use. The questionnaire was answered by 280 companies from a range of industries and sizes.Findings – It is found that companies of all sizes spend roughly the same proportion of turnover on projects, but the smaller the company, t...

Project management tools and techniques in high‐technology SMEs

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the use of project management practices in small high‐technology firms and to identify what contributes to project success.Design/methodology/approach – The results presented in this paper are based on a survey of Irish high‐technology small‐to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). A questionnaire was distributed to over 200 organisations via e‐mail and a response rate of 20 per cent was achieved.Findings – Results suggest that the existence of a project manager and the use of project planning significantly contribute to project success. Control for projects resides primarily with owner‐managers and achieving quality standards is a significant success criterion. Additionally, having clear goals/objectives and top management support are identified as the most important success factors in the firms surveyed.Research limitations/implications – This paper presents the findings of an initial investigation into the management of projects within SMEs. The study has been limited by...

Using anti‐plagiarism software to promote academic honesty in the context of peer reviewed assignments

A variety of free and commercial software applications designed to detect plagiarism from Internet sources has appeared in recent years. However, their effectiveness and impact on student behaviour has been assumed rather than confirmed. The study presented here explores the responses and perceptions of a group of first year students at an Irish university after their first contact with anti‐plagiarism software in the context of peer‐reviewed assignments. The results indicate that the use of anti‐plagiarism software led to a decrease in Internet plagiarism and to lower grades being awarded in peer reviews. Additionally, students were found to have a positive attitude towards the anti‐plagiarism software in the context of peer reviewed assignments. Implications for educators on the use of this software are discussed.

Product launch, product advantage and market orientation in SMEs

Purpose – The importance of new product development to the survival and success of firms is well supported in the literature; however, few studies have investigated new product development in small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). This study aims to examine the impact of product launch, product advantage and market orientation on new product development performance and organisational performance in SMEs.Design/methodology/approach – This model was tested using data collected from 48 small and large sized firms in Ireland. Findings from 33 small and 15 large firms were compared, and a correlation analysis was used to establish the relationships defined in the model for both small and large firms.Findings – The study identified several significant differences between the impact of product launch, product advantage and market orientation on new product development and organisational performance in small and large firms. It also indicated several areas in which small firms can improve their new product and...

Project management in small to medium‐sized enterprises: Tailoring the practices to the size of company

Purpose – The authors propose that small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) need simpler, more people‐focused forms of project management than traditionally used by larger organizations. The authors have undertaken this research to identify to what extent SMEs use project management and what are the key components used.Design/methodology/approach – Based on the results of the two previous stages of their research the authors formulate the three propositions about the use of project management in SMEs, which they test through a web‐based questionnaire.Findings – More than 40 per cent of the turnover of small and micro‐sized companies is undertaken as projects, and in the first two years of their lives more than 60 per cent. People in these companies multi‐task, so these projects are managed by people for whom project management is not their first discipline. At a key stage of their development, SMEs undertake many projects managed by amateurs. A simplified version of project management should have requirem...

Determinants of new product performance in small firms

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the determinants of new product performance in small firms; specifically, the impact of customer orientation, competitor orientation, interfunctional co‐ordination, product launch proficiency and product advantage.Design/methodology/approach – Based on previous studies a model was developed addressing determinants of new product and organisational performance (customer orientation, competitor orientation, interfunctional co‐ordination, product advantage, and product launch proficiency). These relationships were explored using data collected from 26 small firms in Ireland.Findings – The results indicate that competitor orientation and product launch proficiency are strongly linked to new product performance and organisational performance in small firms. Additionally, they illustrate a lack of significant relationships between performance and customer orientation, interfunctional coordination and product advantage, thus suggesting that the existing large fir...

‘Thou shalt not plagiarise’: from self-reported views to recognition and avoidance of plagiarism

Throughout much of the literature on plagiarism in higher education, there is an implicit assumption that students who understand plagiarism, who have high ethical views and declare not to engage in plagiaristic behaviour are able to recognise it and avoid it in practice. Challenging this supposition, this paper contrasts students’ self-reported data with their ability to recognise and avoid plagiarism in a proposed case scenario. A questionnaire was adapted from previous literature and administered to a sample of undergraduate first- and second-year students in an Irish university. Results show that self-reported measures are not a powerful predictor of the students’ ability to recognise the practical case as an academic breach, nor to avoid the breach through referencing. This suggests that students’ understanding and awareness of academic breaches would benefit from experiential learning and that higher education institutions should not merely rely on providing statements and definitions of academic misconduct. Also, the results highlight the potential unsuitability of using self-reported measures to study plagiarism, despite their widespread use.

Small firm‐large firm experiences in managing NPD projects

Purpose – The purpose of this research paper is to present a modified framework for the waves of change of new product development of McGrath.Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study of new product development (NPD) in four electronic firms (two small indigenous/two large multinational) was conducted. In‐depth interviews were held with employees, including the founding entrepreneur in each of the small firms.Findings – Analysis of strategic, organisational and development factors shows that firms face different challenges during their NPD process – some related to size. Also, as firms grow, NPD learning may be lost.Research limitations/implications – The research findings are stated as a result of four cases studies – two in large firms and two in small firms. Further research will establish the generalisability of these findings.Practical implications – The electronics industry is renowned for its aggressive competitive environment where successful entrepreneurs continuously innovate product and...

Reframing the Search Space for Radical Innovation

OVERVIEW: This paper looks at the search strategies firms use to identify ideas for radical innovation that extend their range of products and services beyond their immediate environments. After identifying 12 search strategies for identifying opportunities for radical innovation, we describe a study that used a survey methodology to explore the extent to which these strategies are deployed. Four strategies are used by about half of the firms surveyed; usage of these strategies is significantly higher in large firms than in SMEs and significantly higher in innovator firms than in non-innovator firms.

Perceptions of product advantage, NPD and organisational performance

Purpose – This paper aims to extend previous studies on new product development (NPD) performance by identifying the product advantage, new product performance and organisational performance indicators that are considered by small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) to be most relevant to their performance. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative research approach was adopted, using a cross-sectional survey of a sample of 137 firms representing the industry sectors active within the Irish economy. The research instrument was based on existing recognised research measures. Findings – The results suggest that: large firms consider that their products derive advantage through product quality and cost, while SMEs are more concerned with satisfying customer needs; larger firms concentrate on market measures in measuring new product performance, while SMEs focus on customer acceptance measures; and in measuring organisational performance larger firms focus on market share and profitability, while SMEs concentrat...