Search results for "SMES"
showing 10 items of 1364 documents
4-5 gadus vecu bērnu pētniecisko prasmju attīstība EKO pirmsskolā
2021
Kvalifikācijas darba “4-5 gadus vecu bērnu pētniecisko prasmju attīstība Eko pirmsskolā” mērķis ir teorētiski un praktiski izpētīt 4-5 gadus vecu bērnu pētniecisko prasmju attīstības iespējas pirmsskolas izglītības iestādē, kura realizē Ekoskolu programmu. Kvalifikācijas darba uzdevumos ietilpst gan avotu, gan literatūras analīze. Pirmajā nodaļā tiek analizēts kas ir pētnieciskās prasmes un to attīstība 4-5 gadus veciem bērniem. Otrajā nodaļā tiek apskatīts bērnu attīstības raksturojums vecumā no 4 līdz 5 gadiem. Trešajā nodaļā tiek sniegts Ekoskolas programmas teorētiskais apskats – būtība, darbība, gada tēmas un vide. Ceturtajā nodaļā tiek veikts praktiskais pētījums par 4-5 gadus vecu bē…
SMEs' Growth Heterogeneity - Evidence from Regional Developments
2014
Previous empirical research on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) frequently struggled with the extreme heterogeneity of these frms. We scrutinise one major source of this heterogeneity: SMEs' growth development. Based on a large dataset of French, Italian, UK and US firms between 2000 and 2008, we find that SMEs fall in two categories in all countries: One large group of firms that display only slow growth and one much smaller group that actively seek strong growth. We show that the growth factors particularly of the slowly-growing firms vary strongly between the countries. European SMEs differ mainly in the growth effects of their ownership structures. US firms set themselves apart…
Energy Storage by using HVDC Power Cables
2018
The development of HVDC (high voltage direct current) systems closely follow the growth of global energy requirements. In particular, HVDC cables are conveniently used for the interconnection of geographical areas which need a low environmental impact and/or when submarines interconnections have to be built up. The paper investigates the stored energy value in an HVDC cable during its normal duty and if it is possible to take advantage of this energy when the cable is disconnected for some reason. In particular, the idea is to store the cable energy, which would be dissipated uselessly, by using a dedicated system and then reuse it when favorable conditions hold, e.g a convenient economic s…
The emergence and the evolution of the obligatory characteristic of cognitive automatisms
2013
The aim of this thesis is to examine the emergence and the evolution of the obligatory characteristic of cognitive automatisms. To achieve this, we devised a new experimental situation called musical Stroop. The basic arrangement comprises a treble staff with a note in various positions. A name of a note is printed inside the note. For the congruent condition, the note name is congruent with the note position on the staff, whereas in the incongruent condition, note name and position are incongruent. We showed that musicians process the incongruent condition slower than the congruent condition (Study 1). This effect, named Musical Stroop Effect (MSE), is generated by the automaticity of note…
Can business model innovation help SMEs in the food and beverage industry to respond to crises? Findings from a Swiss brewery during COVID-19
2021
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show how different business model innovations (BMIs) help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food and beverage industry to navigate turbulent and uncertain environments such as the coronavirus economic crisis (COVID-19).Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopts an in-depth case study approach and uses a dynamic business modeling (DBM) approach to analyze how a pioneer craft brewery in Switzerland implemented innovative actions undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic.FindingsThe paper offers a novel framework describing three processes helping SMEs to implement innovations in their business model (BM) to respond in an effective way to cr…
Board of director attributes: effects on financial performance in SMEs
2021
This paper analyses the relationship between board of director (BoD) attributes and financial performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Although SMEs are the backbone of world economies, most studies on this relationship focused on large companies and did not consider many typical or recommended processes and activities carried out by SME BoDs. We monitored a set of variables related to BoD attributes such as composition, characteristics, structure and processes for 184 Italian SMEs along with their financials over a 4-year period (2014–2017). We controlled for enterprise-specific characteristics such as annual sales growth, assets value, sales turnover, leverage, com pany s…
Romania’s SMEs on the Way to EU’s Twin Transition to Digitalization and Sustainability
2021
Abstract European Commission’s six priorities for 2019-2024 are all in line with and leverage each other to support Europe’s twin transition to digitalization and sustainability; aiming to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, The Recovery Plan for Europe adds resilience as key dimension of EU’s progress, while reinforcing its commitment to the green and digital transformation. Counting for more than 99% of the enterprises, employing about two of three people, and generating more than a half of the value added - with similar weights as concerns Romania - EU’s SMEs are the engine of Europe's economy, therefore essential contributors to these transformative processes - as emp…
Entrepreneurship and SMEs Innovation in Romania
2014
Abstract The aim of this article is to present some theoretical connections between entrepreneurship, innovation and small and medium medium-sized enterprises highlighting the role of these business for the economic recovery. It will provide a brief overview of the CNIPMMR study pointing out data about Romanian SMEs innovation activities and use of information technology in such enterprises. Some recommendations for public policies are presented at the end of the paper.
CEO gender and SMEs innovativeness: evidence for Spanish businesses
2021
AbstractThis paper analyses the role of gender of the chief executive officer (CEO) on the propensity to introduce innovations using a sample of 1405 Spanish small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We examine whether there are significant differences between female- and male-led businesses in terms of their propensity to innovate, and whether these differences may be explained by factors related to the attributes of the CEO concerning risk tolerance, self-confidence, education level and cooperative behaviour. In particular, this study tests if the linkages between these managerial attributes and the propensity to innovate are influenced by the gender of the CEO. Using a multivariate pro…
Entry in a Psychically Distant Market: Finnish Small and Medium-sized Software Firms in Japan
2008
This paper investigates the market entry and entry mode choice of eight small and medium-sized Finnish software firms in the Japanese market. The findings in this study reveal that, despite of the psychic distance between Finland and Japan, most of the firms entered Japan at a very early stage of their internationalization process by using direct entry modes. This was mainly due to the market size, sophisticated industry structure, and requirements for intensive cooperation with the customers during the sales process. The firms were able to overcome psychic distance by hiring local employees and western managers who already had working experience in the Japanese market. This finding indicat…