Small firms and regional towns : Towards a typology
- Authors: Lowe, Julian , Henson, Sam
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 2nd National Conference on the Future of Australian Country Towns, Bendigo, Australia : 11th -13th July, 2005
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- Description: The dominant forms of enterprise in Small Towns are, not surprisingly, small firms. But are these small firms different to their metropolitan counterparts, and are these differences related to their location in regional towns? In addition, are these regional small firms governed by different rules and principles? Overseas studies, generally focusing on firm start-ups, have identified differences between regional and urban enterprises, but the differences are usually small (Westhead, 1995). The explanatory variables identified vary from study to study but include access to finance, physical resources, employment levels, population density, industry structure, regional externalities, human capital, knowledge spillovers, and resource munificent regions as possible explanations for the variations (Armington & Acs, 2002; Keeble, 1997). In this paper, the basic proposition is that regional firms in Australia may be different, but they are not necessarily disadvantaged. Focusing on issues of firm behaviour and competitiveness the paper presents a typology of firms that attempts to explain the fit between a small firm and its regional location. The typology is illustrated and discussed, using preliminary findings from a qualitative, case-based study of small, Western Victorian firms.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001146
Growth beyond start-up : Entrepreneurship and firms in transition
- Authors: Lowe, Julian , Henson, Sam
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the AGSE-Babson Entrepreneurship Research Conference, Hawthorne, Australia : 1st February, 2004
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- Description: The paper reports on the preliminary stages of a case-based study of regional, highgrowth SMEs. The study explores the actions, activities and processes undertaken by the firms and their start- up entrepreneurs. A framework for growth is proposed, supporting the notion of the growth process as a complex, multidimensional construct. Tentative suggestions are made about the nature of “distributed entrepreneurship” within a small, rapidly growing firm and the issue of regional impacts is also addressed.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000814
Business advisor knowledge and knowledge transference : A conceptual framework
- Authors: Labas, Alan , Courvisanos, Jerry , Henson, Sam
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 28th Annual SEAANZ Conference Proceedings; Melbourne, Australia; 1st-3rd July 2015. p. 1-17
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- Description: Prior studies raise the question of how business advisors’ knowledge affects the provision of advice to small business. This paper recognises there is limited understanding of ‘how knowledge is connected to action’ and asks the question of how to research such an issue. A conceptual framework is derived from the literature to guide future empirical analysis exploring small business advisor knowledge and its transference. Two theories underpin this framework and illustrate the important role external advisors play in small business knowledge development - the theory of outside assistance as a knowledge resource, and theory of guided preparation as a guide to action based on advisor knowledge. The framework is underpinned by a critical realist methodology that allows actors (i.e. small business advisors) to operate in a changing environment. This critical realist philosophical lens enables the framework to uncover causal relationship between professional small business advisor knowledge foundations and knowledge transference.
Growth beyond start-up : Entrepreneurship and firms in transition
- Authors: Henson, Sam , Lowe, Julian
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 13th Nordic Conference on Small Business Research, Tromsö, Norway : 10th - 12th June 2004
- Full Text:
- Description: The paper reports on the preliminary stages of a case-based study of regional, highgrowth SMEs. The study explores the actions, activities and processes undertaken by the firms and their start- up entrepreneurs. A framework for growth is proposed, supporting the notion of the growth process as a complex, multidimensional construct. Tentative suggestions are made about the nature of “distributed entrepreneurship” within a small, rapidly growing firm and the issue of regional impacts is also addressed.