ABSTRACT

Focussing on the relatively few small firms which grew rapidly, this book, originally published in 1993 uses face-to-face interviews as well as published records to identify and analyse the managerial factors most closely associated with successful small firms. The volume concentrates on the following key managerial issues:

  1. In what respects do the managerial backgrounds and aspirations of the founders of fast-growth small firms differ from those of non-fast-growth small firms?
  2. How is the process of growth managed? What incentives, remuneration packages and communication systems are instituted?
  3. How do these characteristics and experiences differ in fast-growth small firms from both the traditional small firm and large-firm sector?
  4. To what extent is it possible to explain the relative economic performance of small firms in terms of differences in their ownership, organizational and management structures.

chapter 1|10 pages

Background and scope of the text

chapter 4|25 pages

Small-firm performance and managerial labour markets

A framework for empirical analysis

chapter 6|41 pages

The labour market for managers

chapter 7|45 pages

Owners and firm size

chapter 9|21 pages

Teams and teamworking

chapter 10|10 pages

Conclusions