Maryse Brand

Strategic HRM for SMEs: implications for firms and policy

This paper is on the growing importance of strategic human resource management (SHRM) for small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Many small firms encounter serious human resource problems, while at the same time these human resources play a vital role in developing and sustaining their competitive advantages. In (S)HRM literature specific issues concerning small firms are rarely addressed. This paper explores this issue further. We conclude that the available knowledge on HRM in small firms is highly descriptive and fragmented. We propose the application of the strategic labour allocation process – model (SLAP) as a tool to analyse HR problems in SMEs. This model focuses on the balance between the supply of and the demand for labour on a firm level. The application of the SLAP model produces two strategic scenarios for Dutch SMEs presently confronted with a tight labour market.

Franchised and Small, the Most Beautiful of All; HRM and Performance in Plural Systems

Franchising is particularly present in industries in which human resources play a vital role. However, little is known about human resource management (HRM) in a franchising context. This study investigates HRM behavior and performance using a sample of 171 units within one plural retailing system. The results lend support to the agency and entrepreneurial perspectives; franchised units have a relatively low HRM intensity but superior HR performance. We also find a negative relationship between unit size and performance, moderated by type of unit ownership. We conclude that when it comes to HR performance, the units that are franchised and small are the most beautiful of all.

Into the Drivers of Innovation Adoption: What is the Impact of the Current Level of Adoption?

Purpose – The two main objectives of this study are to systematically and formally test for differences in the impact of various determinants of e‐commerce adoption depending on the current level of e‐commerce, and to investigate the possible direct impact of the current level of adoption on the intention to further adopt.Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual framework is developed from the literature. The model is tested using survey data from 98 small and medium‐sized enterprises in The Netherlands.Findings – The results indicate significantly smaller effects of both knowledge and satisfaction for companies at the advanced level of e‐commerce compared with companies at the basic level. The current adoption level has a highly significant positive direct effect on adoption intention. These findings imply that at the higher levels of adoption the classical adoption determinants have less effect and other less explored factors are more important.Originality/value – This study is one of the first empiri...

Internationalisation strategies of technology-driven small- and medium-sized enterprises

SMEs are increasingly active in international markets. Absence of sufficient resources limits the strategic options available to SMEs. This study examines SMEs’ use of the cooperation strategy to internationalise, both from a cross-sectional and longitudinal perspective. An analysis of data collected in 54 multinational SMEs operating in technology-driven industries suggests an inverted U-shaped relationship between SMEs’ size and their tendency to cooperate with partners to internationalise. In addition, SMEs’ internationalisation strategies are relatively inert. The results of the paper suggest that SMEs can make more effective use of different internationalisation strategies by acquiring knowledge of the pros and cons of the different strategies and by evaluating their choices on a periodical, structural basis, using their resource position as a guiding parameter.

Antecedents of franchisee responses to franchisor-initiated strategic change

This article uses an in-depth case study of two franchisor imposed change processes in one franchise system to generate propositions on the antecedents of franchisee responses to franchisor-initiated strategic change. The results point to the importance of the level of standardisation in the franchise system on franchisee responses to changes introduced by the franchisor. The franchise system’s standardisation level, as perceived and expected by franchisees, determines the number, nature and level of importance of antecedents of franchisee responses to change. Overall, franchisee expected profitability and trust are the most important antecedents. Additionally, non-economic motivations for running a franchise influence decisions to take-up alternative opportunities and diminish the importance of switching costs. Finally, actions of parties outside the existing franchise relationship may influence franchisee decisions to switch systems.

What Makes Franchisees Trust Their Franchisors

A lack of trust of franchisees in their franchisor will negatively affect franchise system performance. However, very little is known about how franchisors can create and maintain franchisee trust. This paper presents a theoretical framework of antecedents of franchisees’ trust in their franchisors and franchise systems. To develop our framework we combined franchising literature with literature on trust in other organizational contexts. We argue that a franchisee’s general propensity to trust together with its perception of the trustworthiness of the franchisor and franchise system determine this franchisee’s level of organizational trust. We distinguish three franchise system components that each entail a set of determinants used by franchisees to evaluate the trustworthiness of the franchisor and the franchise system, the system’s strategic positioning in the market, its operational management and the franchisee management.

Dutch Druggists in Distress: Franchisees Facing the Complex Decision of How to React to Their Franchisor's Strategic Plans

This case focuses on the decisions confronting Marc van der Bilt and his family. At the age of 59, Marc had been a franchisee of the Dutch DA drugstore chain for 23 years and had always planned to remain one until his retirement. In the spring of 2003, however, a change of management at the DA headquarters sparked major strategic changes to the DA chain that placed Marc and his family in a difficult position. They must decide on the future of their family business; should they go along with their franchisors new plans or not?

Research on Modeling Industrial Markets

An understanding of customers’ needs and preferences is the foundation of any successful marketing strategy. A marketing manager, however, who has to decide on the allocation of his or her marketing budget, needs to know more. Basically, there are two approaches to assessing the return on marketing investments: (1) studying customer buying behavior and the importance of decision criteria, and (2) studying customer response to variations in marketing efforts. Both approaches yield guidelines on what marketing instruments to use and in what quantities. Simply asking customers or experts to rate or rank a number of variables gives a first impression of the importance of decision criteria or the effects of marketing efforts. However, to gain more insight, we need models that link customer opinions or marketing efforts to actual preferences or even purchases.

Supervisory boards in high growth SMEs and mandated board members: two dilemmas

Two dilemmas for boards of growing small and medium-sized enterprises in a two-tier context as a result of their need for external resources (i.e., capital) and the concomitant introduction of external directors (expertise) are discussed in this paper. Firstly, split loyalties can occur when an externally mandated non-executive director may be pressured to act primarily in the interests of his/her mandating firm (e.g., a major investor), which may diminish the incentive to act in the best interest of the focal firm. Secondly, a culture clash is likely when external directors in the much prevalent family-based SME prefer formal control above informal governance which may harm the boards effectiveness. We propose that a one-tier board structure in combination with an effective chairperson is a solution to mitigate both dilemmas.

Strategic HRM for SMEs

This paper is on the growing importance of strategic human resource management (SHRM) for small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Many small firms encounter serious human resource problems, while at the same time these human resources play a vital role in developing and sustaining their competitive advantages. In (S)HRM literature specific issues concerning small firms are rarely addressed. This paper explores this issue further. We conclude that the available knowledge on HRM in small firms is highly descriptive and fragmented. We propose the application of the strategic labour allocation process – model (SLAP) as a tool to analyse HR problems in SMEs. This model focuses on the balance between the supply of and the demand for labour on a firm level. The application of the SLAP model produces two strategic scenarios for Dutch SMEs presently confronted with a tight labour market.