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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Does a rural location matter for innovative small firms?
T2 - How rural and urban environmental contexts shape strategies of agri-business innovative small firms
AU - Deakins, David
AU - Bensemann, Jo
N1 - This article is (c) Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here. Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
PY - 2019/7/8
Y1 - 2019/7/8
N2 - PurposeIn this paper we present qualitative evidence on strategies undertaken by 34 innovative small firms. DesignThe sample of innovative firms is solely recruited from the agri-business sector and are located in contrasting environments varying from rural areas with low urban influence to areas with high urban influence and ‘main’ urban or city areas. We discuss strategies in the light of a theoretical approach that incorporates a resource-based view, dynamic capabilities and social network theory. FindingsAlthough there is diversity in strategies across our 34 innovative small firms, irrespective of their ‘rural’ or ‘urban’ environment, qualitative evidence sheds light on differences in the way that strategies are pursued. Research ImplicationsThe study indicates that small firms in rural environments can be just as innovative as their counterparts in urban environments, however, we demonstrate that they adopt different strategies, that have been shaped by their environment, to achieve innovation. We use our qualitative evidence to develop the theory of dynamic capabilities and classify our sample into four clusters which marries the environmental context and innovative dynamic capabilities.Originality and ValueThe paper makes a contribution to a research gap on the way that the environment can shape management strategies in innovative small firms. It contributes to a limited literature in this area.
AB - PurposeIn this paper we present qualitative evidence on strategies undertaken by 34 innovative small firms. DesignThe sample of innovative firms is solely recruited from the agri-business sector and are located in contrasting environments varying from rural areas with low urban influence to areas with high urban influence and ‘main’ urban or city areas. We discuss strategies in the light of a theoretical approach that incorporates a resource-based view, dynamic capabilities and social network theory. FindingsAlthough there is diversity in strategies across our 34 innovative small firms, irrespective of their ‘rural’ or ‘urban’ environment, qualitative evidence sheds light on differences in the way that strategies are pursued. Research ImplicationsThe study indicates that small firms in rural environments can be just as innovative as their counterparts in urban environments, however, we demonstrate that they adopt different strategies, that have been shaped by their environment, to achieve innovation. We use our qualitative evidence to develop the theory of dynamic capabilities and classify our sample into four clusters which marries the environmental context and innovative dynamic capabilities.Originality and ValueThe paper makes a contribution to a research gap on the way that the environment can shape management strategies in innovative small firms. It contributes to a limited literature in this area.
KW - Innovation
KW - customer co-creation
KW - private equity
KW - early adopters
KW - rural and urban environments
U2 - 10.1108/MD-07-2017-0658
DO - 10.1108/MD-07-2017-0658
M3 - Journal article
VL - 57
SP - 1567
EP - 1588
JO - Management Decision
JF - Management Decision
SN - 0025-1747
IS - 7
ER -