Organizational learning in SMEs’ internationalization: A moderated mediating effect of absorptive capacity

We examine both mediation and moderation effects on the direct relationship between internationalization speed and firm performance in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Building on prior studies that focus either on the direct speed–performance linkage or the moderating role played by knowledge, we suggest that an important source of performance variations is organizational learning. Grounded in the organizational learning perspective, we argue that firm strategies regarding speed and earliness of internationalization provide the SMEs with opportunities to develop their absorptive capacity, and thus enhance their performance. Using survey data from 343 SMEs in Australia and New Zealand, our empirical results suggest that absorptive capacity is associated with internationalization speed in a reversed U-shape relationship and that in turn absorptive capacity mediates the direct speed–performance relationship. Moreover, this mediating effect is moderated by earliness of internationalization. By demonstrating the moderated mediating effect of absorptive capacity as a novel mechanism to achieving superior performance, we enhance the understanding of how firms succeed internationally.     

Overcoming pandemic challenges through product innovation: The role of digital technologies and servitization

The fast-changing scenario related to the COVID-19 pandemic calls for firms to rapidly redefine and innovate their strategies to sustain their businesses, with research emphasizing the key roles of digital technologies and servitization. We aim to enrich the theoretical debate on this matter by assessing how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) achieve product innovation under time constraints by leveraging two specific technology groups (information and communication technologies [ICT] and Industry 4.0 data-processing technologies) and servitization. The research is based on a mixed-method approach consisting of an original survey completed by 257 Italian SMEs (grounded on a previous qualitative study about such SMEs' behaviors during the first Italian lockdown), followed by in-depth interviews with the owners and/or managers of the eight SMEs that participated in the survey. The results show a positive relationship between the increased use of digital technologies (ICT and Industry 4.0 data-processing technologies) during the pandemic with servitization and, in turn, with product innovation. Specifically, the increased use of ICT during the pandemic had a direct positive effect on product innovation, while Industry 4.0 data-processing technologies affected product innovation only through the full mediation of servitization. The qualitative study allowed us to highlight how the different kinds of digital technologies supported SMEs’ innovation (servitization and product innovation) during the pandemic. The theoretical and practical contributions of this study are discussed.     

创业板对于中国的中小企业融资难题的作用

随着创业板计划实施的加速,很多人认为这种新的融资手段有可能成为未来中小企业融资的主渠道,但是分析人士认为这样做,只看到解决中小企业融资难需要创业板,却忽视了在当前环境下推出的创业板能否担此重任。在目前中国中小企业超过430万家,而基本符合上市条件的企业可能只有几百家,真是万里挑一。这样一个上市的比例,实在是杯水车薪,尤其是在目前对外出口减缓,对内需求不见大幅增长的情况下,中小企业融资难的问题还将持续。期望利用创业板来解决中小企业资金紧缺的问题,带来的一个后果便是让创业板市场成为比主板市场更疯狂的圈钱市场．直到它像目前的主板市场一样瘫痪下来。所以,创业板对中小企业融资更多是精神上的鼓励。     

日本中小企业融资体系研究

日本的中小企业融资体系在其法律环境、执行框架、融资体制、信用担保体制及其最新发展等几个方面都有其独到之处,我们应借鉴其有益的经验,搭建起中小企业融资及信用担保的基本框架,促进担保机构与商业银行的合作,完善担保讥构的补偿奖励机制和风险分担机制。并发展直接融资市场以完善我国的中小企业融资体系。     

A resource-based view on SMEs regarding the transition to more sophisticated stages of industry 4.0

The integration of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the concept Industry 4.0 represents one of its main challenges, as they play a vital part in industrial value chains that shall be digitized from suppliers to the end customer. However, what the implementation stages for Industry 4.0 in SMEs should be as well as the respective resources for achieving the next stage are scarcely understood. In response, this paper proposes a framework using a resource-based review for Industry 4.0 implementation according to the stage of development in SMEs, created between researchers, policy makers, and 354 manufacturing SMEs in the province of Gipuzkoa (Basque Country, Spain). The paper applies a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative (interviews) and quantitative elements (survey data). The results are used to develop a model with four stages of SMEs that are characterized by having distinct preconditions and conditions for Industry 4.0. Thereupon, the required measures to achieve the next stage of Industry 4.0 implementation are derived. This highlights Industry 4.0 for SMEs as a process with different stages toward achieving sustainable competitive advantage and offering insight into how the different resources operate. The high importance and advanced position regarding industrial value creation and SMEs in Gipuzkoa allows to generalize and transfer the findings to other European regions.     

我国个体私营协会的定位与发展

在我国,个体私营协会(以下简称个私协会)是随着我国鼓励个体私营经济发展而出现的新生事物。个私协会是一个跨行业的经济类社会团体法人,它对于我国私营经济——尤其是私人中小企业的发展起到了积极的促进作用。在我国鼓励中小企业发展的今天,个私协会应该继续定位于服务以会员企业为代表的广大中小企业,这将不仅有利于我国个体私营协会自身的发展,而且可以更好地促进我国中小企业的发展。     

中小企业互助担保集群构建问题研究——基于期望激励理论视角

因中小企业与传统的担保体系耦合度欠佳,为迎合其发展需要,有必要对互助信用担保模式进行深入探讨。虽然互助担保组织具有诸多优势,但在组建方面也面临一些问题。因此,在引入期望激励理论的基础上,运用博弈理论进行动态分析,并针对效价、期望、关联性三个核心要素提出优化中小企业集群互助担保的一些措施和政策性的建议,将有助于推进中小企业互助担保集群的构建步伐。     

我国中小企业应对国际金融危机的新思考

发端于美国的次贷危机,愈演愈烈并形成一场席卷全球的金融危机。本文结合目前我国中小企业现状,从深层次分析了相对国有大中型企业,中小企业受金融危机影响严重的原因。目前国内专家在分析中小企业面临的困境时,往往把罪魁祸首归罪于中小企业融资难,其实并不仅如此。国家财政政策、中小企业自身竞争力也是使中小企业面临困境的重要因素。最后,本文借国家宏观财政政策加大对中下企业扶持的大背景,提出了中小企业走出困境的新举措。     

完善安徽省中小企业发展扶持体系的对策

中小企业的发展对增加就业、保持经济增长、调整产业结构起着积极的作用。文章分析了中小企业扶持体系的内涵、安徽省中小企业发展扶持体系建设取得的成果及存在的问题，探讨了完善安徽省中小企业发展扶持体系需要采取的有效措施，以期为安徽省扶持中小企业发展提供参考。     

政府支持、制度环境与企业家信心

利用最新的调查数据，对中国企业家信心的影响因素进行了实证分析。研究发现，外部环境对企业家信心有着显著的影响，政府支持力度越大、银行信贷获取越容易、司法公正程度越高、基础设施满意度越高，企业家信心越高。对政府支持方式的进一步研究发现，在政府补贴、税收优惠、土地优惠三种支持方式中，政府补贴对企业家信心的影响最显著。上述研究发现对有关决策部门具有重要的启发意义。