The nature of the regional firm
- Authors: Lowe, Julian , Henson, Sam
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Small Enterprise Research Vol. 14, no. 1 (2006), p.
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: In this paper, theories of strategic competitiveness are used as the building blocks for alternative models of the regional firm. These models are used to develop a typology of firms that attempts to explain the fit between a small firm and its regional location. The standard theories based on "industry organization", "resources", and "dynamic capabilities" explain much of the variation observed in the case studies , however a more complete coverage of the regional effects on the nature of firm organization and strategy are provided by introducing "evolutionary" and "infrastructure" based paradigms. The typology is illustrated and discussed, using findings from a qualitative, case-based study of small, Western Victorian firms. Economic and social activity in many regional areas of Australia and the world is in decline, and regional enterprises are an important target of many policy initiative designed to rejuvenate and sustain regions. But what is the nature of regional firms, and what drives their successful development and competitiveness?
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001724
The nature of the regional SME
- Authors: Lowe, Julian , Henson, Sam
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Small enterprise research: The journal of SEAANZ Vol. 14, no. 1 (2006), p. 64-81
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: In this paper, theories of strategic competitiveness are used as the building blocks for alternative models of the regional firm. These models are used to develop a typology of firms that attempts to explain the fit between a small firm and its regional location. The standard theories based on "industry organization", "resources", and "dynamic capabilities" explain much of the variation observed in the case studies , however a more complete coverage of the regional effects on the nature of firm organization and strategy are provided by introducing "evolutionary" and "infrastructure" based paradigms. The typology is illustrated and discussed, using findings from a qualitative, case-based study of small, Western Victorian firms. Economic and social activity in many regional areas of Australia and the world is in decline, and regional enterprises are an important target of many policy initiative designed to rejuvenate and sustain regions. But what is the nature of regional firms, and what drives their successful development and competitiveness?
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001724
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
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- 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
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- 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
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.