Competitive Strategies for Small and Medium Enterprises

This bookis a timely guide for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) researchers, policymakers and strategists. SMEs are the most important sources of job creation andlocal development especially in knowledge-based economies. As turbulence in theglobalized economies expands SMEs will have to learn to sustain competitivenessby developing their 'dynamic capabilities'. Based on the findings of a 4-yearEuropean and Latin American research project, this book provides a theoreticalframework, practical instruments and cases on how SMEs in diverse economic,social and cultural contexts can develop crisis resilience, increase agility,innovate and thus successfully compete in turbulent times.

Dr. Klaus North is Professor of International Management at Wiesbaden Business School, Germany. His current research covers knowledge and innovation management in an international context. He has been working for more than 30 years in SME assistance programmes around the world and leads the European-Latin American research project "Dynamic SME - Sustainable competitiveness of SMEs in turbulent economic and social environments." Together with Gita Kumta (Mumbai) he is the author of the Springer (2014) textbook "Knowledge Management - Creating Value by Organisational Learning". Gregório Jean Varvakis Rados, PhD is Professor and Head of postgraduate courses in the Department of Engineering and Knowledge Management at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, UFSC, Florianópolis, Brasil. He holds a PhD in Manufacturing Engineering from Loughborough University, England. He has been a consultant at McKINSEY LTDA. His research covers Knowledge and service management with special attention to productivity improvement through BPM. He is co-leader of the Dynamic SME project.

Introduction: what is a "dynamic SME".- Dynamic capabilities and organizational resilience in turbulent environments.- Case 1: Xenon automation technology - cutting edge competence as competitive strategy.- Culture for organizational learning in turbulent environments.- The innovation triple challenge: a creativity check for SMES.- Intellectual capital as a strategic model to create innovation in new technology based firms.- An analysis of micro and small enterprises growth: an application of the management excellence model (MEG).- Case 2: KST turbine components - "Qualiyspeedservice" as competitive strategy.- Argentina: a chronically variable socio-economic environment for SMES.- Surviving and competing in times of crisis - cases of strategies by Argentine SMES.- Learning to cope with turbulent situations a study of owner - Managers in Argentine SMES.- SME vulnerability analysis: a tool for business continuity.- Knowledge risk management in turbulent times.- Knowledge management toolsfor SMES.- Learning to grow - A methodology to sustain growth capapilities of SMES.- Case 3: Herradep - a double and intelligent strategy to grow: improving worker knowledge and competences through self-managed short term projects.- How Brazilian textile enterprises learn to grow.- Virtual enterprises: strengthening SMES competitiveness via flexible businesses alliances.