Are Small Businesses Positioning Themselves for Growth? A Comparative Look at the Use of Selected Management Practices by Firm Size - ARCHIVED

It is well-known that small firms are managed differently from large firms, and this paper provides further evidence in support of this idea while suggesting that some small firms are adopting management behaviours of larger firms. Could these small firms be positioning themselves for growth or using organisational innovation as a tool for survival or adopting some formal organization practices early? In 2004, the Survey of Electronic Commerce and Technology provided a list of eight management practices that according to interviews with small and medium-sized firms indicated potential firm growth. The management practices listed were organisational structures; employee feedback surveys; mentoring or coaching programs; and written strategies for marketing; managing growth; commercialisation of intellectual property; succession management; and risk management.