Fostering Entrepreneurs’ Capabilities to Outline Sustainable Strategies in ‘Stunted’ SMEs through Modelling and Simulation: a Dynamic Resource Based …

The literature recognises the phenomenon of ‘dwarf’ or ‘stunted’ small and micro firms (in Italian nanismo aziendale) and that they might represent potential lost opportunities for owners and the local economy. Based on a field survey conducted by Bianchi et al. (2003) and the analysis previously developed by the authors of this paper in sketching a simple ‘insight’ model to simulate the behaviour of such firms (Bianchi & Winch, 2005), this work aims to show further research developments in the effort to better understand the business dwarfism phenomenon. A system dynamics model replicating the basic no-growth, cyclical behaviour attributed to “stunted” SMEs is firstly analysed. Alterna…

Exploring Options and Increasing Confidence in Turning “Stunted Growth” Firms Round: Trials with a Management Simulator

2007

Giants with Feet of Clay. The Pitfalls in Going for Unbalanced and Unsustainable Growth

2008