Josée Audet

Intangible assets and performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the nature of intellectual capital in small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) and how it is linked to strategy and performance.Design/methodology/approach – Using structural equations, a multivariate model is presented where multiple relations are tested between different components of intellectual capital and performance. The model is tested first on a unique sample of 267 SMEs and second on two subsamples where SMEs are grouped according to their strategic profile.Findings – Findings confirm that SMEs that adopt different strategies organize their intellectual capital in a particular and adapted way. When an attempt is made to link intellectual capital components to performance, it is noticed that the latter is strategy specific, just as the variables that influence performance. Prospectors dominate defenders on most intellectual capital components.Research limitations/implications – Use of secondary data may provide less precise results that coul...

Factors Associated with Growth Changes in 'Gazelles'

The goal of this paper is to identify the factors that precede and may cause sudden changes in the pace of growth of high-growth SMEs or gazelles. A retrospective longitudinal case study of seven high growth SMEs that had undergone a total of 14 sudden shifts in growth reveals that a number of events caused the changes of pace. Some were triggered by the entrepreneurs decisions while others resulted from events beyond his/her control. Managements motivation for growth was an important element and this motivation changed over time, being influenced by both success and problems associated with actual growth. The success of growth strategies also appears to depend on the firms proximity to its client base and its ability to obtain the information required for sound decision-making. Lastly, the availability of tangible and intangible resources was found essential in allowing the company to seize growth opportunities and proximity to the business milieu may help accessing these resources.

FACTORS AFFECTING THE USE OF PUBLIC SUPPORT SERVICES BY SME OWNERS: EVIDENCE FROM A PERIPHERY REGION OF CANADA

Public authorities throughout the world, recognizing both the importance and fragility of SMEs, have over the years created agencies and set up numerous venture development support and assistance measures. Despite all these efforts, SME owner-managers do not appear to make maximum use of the services available. Results from a survey of 70 SME owner-managers show that the likelihood of an SME using public support services increases as the perceived usefulness of public agencies and their services increases, and as the level of knowledge of public agencies increases. Furthermore, the probability of using public support services decreases as the experience of the owner-manager increases. On one hand, many owner-managers do not seem to understand the utility or relevance of the services the agencies provide, while on the other, they do not seem to know enough about the agencies working in their region. However, most of the owner-managers who had used the agencies felt the services they had received were appropriate to their needs. Therefore, the problem appears to lie more with the perceptions of certain owner-managers than with the nature or quality of the services themselves.

L’Impact de deux projets de session sur les perceptions et intentions entrepreneuriales d’étudiants en administration

Sommaire Bien qu’il existe une tradition de l’enseignement de l’entrepreneuriat au Canada, l’impact des différentes méthodes utilisées pour cet enseignement reste méconnu. La présente étude vise à vérifier dans quelle mesure deux approches pédagogiques différentes, soit un plan d’affaires et l’étude/terrain d’une PME, peuvent avoir un impact d’une part, sur les perceptions des étudiants de la désirabilité et de la faisabilité de créer leur propre entreprise et, d’autre part, sur leur intention de partir en affaires. Les résultats démontrent qu’il n’y a pas de différence en termes de changement de perceptions mais que le plan d’affaires a davantage d’impact sur l’intention de partir en affaires, cet impact étant toutefois négatif. Par contre, on note une amélioration de la perception de faisabilité chez l’ensemble des étudiants. Un des bénéfices de ce cours serait de ramener à un niveau plus près de la réalité les perceptions des étudiants face à une carrière entrepreneuriale.

The Effect of Mentor Intervention Style in Novice Entrepreneur Mentoring Relationships

In this study, we aimed to determine whether mentor intervention styles influence benefits gained by novice entrepreneurs through their mentoring relationship. An empirical study conducted with 360 mentees who had received mentoring services shows that an intervention style which combines a maieutic approach with mentor involvement produced the best results. This style made it possible for the mentor to play a more decisive role with the mentee and also fostered the development of certain mentee outcomes. Mentoring program directors can make their mentors aware of the importance of their mentoring style to maximize outcomes for novice entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurial orientation in the forestry industry: a population ecology perspective

Purpose – This study primarily seeks to focus on how entrepreneurial orientation (EO) may have influenced the evolution of SMEs in a constrained environment, namely the forestry industry. It also aims to find out how EO still acts on strategic intentions, management behaviour of the business leader and the SMEs performance.Design/methodology/approach – The approach takes the form of an empirical study based on a sample of 717 forestry SME owner‐managers, with cluster analysis of the data, taking a population ecology perspective.Findings – The study reveals the existence of two types of forestry SMEs. The first, which could be referred to as an entrepreneurially‐oriented enterprise, generates a large portion of its revenues from out‐of‐forest activities. The second type is a small‐business‐oriented enterprise. In the context of the forestry sector, many opportunities to start a business were created following the decision of large corporations to subcontract their wood supply. The study shows how entrepre...

Le coaching entrepreneurial : spécificités et facteurs de succès

Sommaire Si les aides sont nombreuses pour assurer le démarrage des PME, le coaching apparaît comme une approche originale et « sur mesure » permettant à l’entrepreneur novice d’améliorer ses habiletés managériales ou d’en développer de nouvelles. La présente recherche a pour but d’évaluer l’efficacité de ce type d’approche en milieu de PME et plus particulièrement d’identifier les facteurs susceptibles d’avoir un impact sur le succès d’une telle intervention. L’objet de recherche est le programme de coaching mis en place à l’Incubateur virtuel d’entreprises de la Mauricie au Québec. Les résultats suggèrent qu’une configuration de « conditions gagnantes » doivent être réunies pour qu’une intervention de coaching puisse réussir, la plus déterminante étant toutefois l’ouverture au changement manifestée par l’entrepreneur coaché.