The strategic development of manufacturing SMEs: patterns, antecedents, and performance outcomes

Now that they are facing global competition and increasing demands from major customers and prime contractors, many manufacturing SMEs feel the growing pressure to develop their organisation and become world-class enterprises. An empirical study of 201 Canadian manufacturing SMEs was designed to answer the following research questions: What is the relationship between levels of network development, market development and product development? Are there patterns or types of strategic development that characterise certain manufacturing SMEs? What is the impact of the entrepreneur on his or her firm's level of strategic development? What is the impact of strategic development on enterprise performance?

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