Thematic Network on Managing Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in the North

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The network seeks to develop knowledge that will enable managers of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to better identify, describe, envision, manage and develop viable SME’s in the high North.

The network is based on the premise that Northern regions constitute different and sometimes challenging contexts for businesses. Such conditions include small and spatially dispersed local markets, insufficient infrastructure and difficult logistics, a limited pool of talent, limited access to venture capital and so forth. While other networks focuses on how public policies and interventions can improve these conditions, our network acknowledges that these conditions probably never will be optimal and seek to show how SMEs can neutralize some of these threats while capitalizing on local opportunities. The network adopts the perspective of the individual business and individual managers and asks how managers and businesses can best operate within this given context. Emphasis is on small (≤10) and medium (≤100) sized locally owned private companies.

Goals

Develop new knowledge on managing SME’s in the North.
Contribute to the development of new educational material (cases) and courses on managing SMEs in the North.
Enabling SME’s in the region through new, updated and relevant knowledge about managing SME’s in the North.

Activities

Conducting case studies including comparative case studies
Organizing courses on case-writing, enabling faculty in the region to develop case-material from regional businesses
Develop curriculum and educational material based on real business cases on SME’s in the North.
Organizing internship exchange between educational institutions and businesses in different countries
Facilitating the development of contacts and collaboration between business- and management scholars from different countries in the North (e.g. through the dissemination of ongoing research and publications, workshops and faculty exchange).
Disseminating findings to regional SME’s through local workshops or meetings.

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