Nelson Perera

A Literature Analysis on Business Performance for SMEs: Subjective or Objective Measures?

The study examines the basic research methodologies and approaches for assessing business performance. It provides a critical literature analysis on how perception-based evaluation can be used to evaluate performance, specifically for SMEs. The analysis of the literature covers articles from major journals related to the topic. The methodology followed during the conduct of this paper involves starting with the broad case of articles in general business performance measurement, then focusing on the indicators used to study SMEs. Next, the review screens the list, focusing on the differences between subjective and objective measures. The validity issue related to subjective measures is also discussed.

Exogenous shocks and macroeconomic policies in LDCs: A study of Sri Lanka with an econometric model☆

Abstract The main objectives of this paper are to analyze the impact of exogenous shocks on an economy with a strong primary commodity producing sector and underdeveloped financial and capital markets, and to present some of the macroeconomic policies that might be employed to stabilize the domestic economy in response to exogenous shocks, using an econometric model of Sri Lanka. An analysis of the impact of export price shocks on the Sri Lankan economy reveals that the sectorial adjustment mechanism and the impact on the economy are different in response to changes in the international price of each sector. However, in all cases the impact of external shocks is strongly felt in the monetary sector and the external sector. An analysis of active policies under different types of external price shocks indicates that the possibility of effective use of macroeconomic policies to offset the detrimental impact of external price shocks is constrained by the lack of independence of monetary policy, by the embryonic nature of the capital and financial markets and by limited access to foreign finance.

Modelling Corporate Competitive Capabilities for SMEs in the Malaysian Manufacturing Sector: An Exploratory Study

This study empirically tests the relationship between the four factors of corporate competitive capabilities (CCC) (cost leadership, differentiation, innovative marketing and customer service) and business performance. The study specifically emphasises small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia. The study’s quantitative approach is based on the responses of 135 Malaysian manufacturing SMEs responded to a postal questionnaire. Empirical results from structural equation modelling (SEM) demonstrate an insignificant relationship between CCC and business performance.

The Influence of Levels of Supply Chain Integration on the Relationship between Corporate Competitive Capabilities and Business Performance: Evidence from Malaysian SMEs

This study aims to empirically investigate the influence of levels of supply chain integration (SCI) as a moderating variable on the relationship between corporate competitive capabilities (CCC) and business performance. Data was collected from a postal questionnaire from 135 Malaysian manufacturing SMEs. The data was tested using confirmatory factor analysis, cluster analysis and multi-group SEM analysis. The findings confirm that the levels of SCI in a given firm moderate the relationship between CCC and business performance for that firm. The study also contributes to the body of knowledge by expanding the understanding of levels of SCI as a moderator.