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This study empirically investigates the relationship between entrepreneurial competencies and sustainability performance. It also explores the direct effects of financial capital, human capital, social capital, government support and business environment on sustainability performance of micro-enterprises operating in the informal sector. The study is conducted within the context of Senegal and through the lens of resource-based view theory. Employing a cross-sectional design, data is collected from randomly selected micro and small entrepreneurs operating in the informal sector. The outcomes include a positive effect of opportunity recognition competency, commitment competency and government support on the sustainability performance of micro-enterprises. An Importance Performance Matrix analysis indicates that these factors are the most important factors determining sustainability performance of micro-enterprises within the context of the informal sector. The findings extend the scope of RBV while simultaneously enhancing the knowledge and understanding pertaining to the interplay of entrepreneurial competencies and sustainability performance, particularly for small business operators in the informal sector. Implications are drawn to theory development, practice and public policy.

In recent years, organisations and particularly business organisations have undergone rapid and significant change. Not least of those changes have been the range of influence and the range of values that the organisation affects and are affected by, both positively and negatively. To survive in that volatile, often ambiguous and always uncertain environment, the contemporary organisation must satisfy a number of stak eholders whose wants and expectations are disparate, often in conflict and subject to change. Nowadays customers, co-workers, suppliers, management, stockholders, government and other groups are often influential enough to merit being considered as stakeholders. Stakeholders are those actors that provide the necessary means or support for the organisation, which, if their wants or expectations are not met, could be withdrawn causing consequential effects on the organisation.Stakeholder theory suggests that to be sustainable, organisations must find a balance between different stakeholder interests. However, stakeholder theory and its implementation are still relatively unexplored. The paper presents a case study where a stakeholder model has been implemented in a micro-enterprise. Results include a revised model based on the experiences from the case. The stakeholder model has been adapted to accommodate a process approach and the PDSA-cycle. ; Godkänd; 2006; 20070212 (ysko)

This study, based on a survey conducted in several towns in western Kenya, examines technological transformation within the metal work subsector of small and micro enterprises (SMEs). A total of 167 firms, from an estimated 400 metal work firms, were surveyed. The findings show that there are several sources of technological supply to SMEs of which the main are informal research generation and technological input from middle and large firms. The study observes that technological demand is market driven and is highly duplicative, therefore out-stripping supply. Also socio-economic factors do determine an entrepreneur's participation in the technological transformation process. (DÜI-Hff)

Micro credit has been considering as a powerful tool for eradicating the poverty and improves the standard of living of people especially for those who are excluded from formal financial sector. Micro credit is a very small amount of loan proving to a group of people in order to conduct the Income Generating Activities (IGA) which leads to the profit and increase in savings of the members and ultimately the betterment of standard of living. In Kerala, a community-based, poverty reduction project of the Government, called Kudumbashree, is the major player who initiates to form SHG's from rural area and to provide assistance for them to setup micro enterprises, by providing micro loans. Besides Kudumbashree, several NGO's are also providing credible services to the rural society in order to institute and foster the performance of micro enterprises. The present study is an attempt to analyze the role of micro credit in the development of micro enterprises, in Kottayam district. This study conducted with the broad objective to determine availability of micro credit in micro enterprises, level of assistance provided by various micro finance institutions and the cost, sales, profit pattern of micro enterprises in order to understand the savings of members.

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the microcredit program and the influencing factors relating to entrepreneurial capital and human capital in the performance of women-owned micro-enterprises. Primary data were derived from a sample of 380 female entrepreneurs under the AIM microcredit program, with regard to six hypotheses. A proportionate stratified sampling method was used for data collection. Descriptive and multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the data. The findings reveal that the microcredit program is significantly related to the performance of women-owned micro-enterprises. Entrepreneurial factors have significant positive relationships with the performance of women-owned micro-enterprises. However, factors relating to religious values and human capital had no significant relationship with performance. The sample of this study was limited to one out of several microcredit programs in Malaysia, namely AIM. This study only considered some internal factors such as entrepreneurial values, management practices, religious values, and business experience and training. Future studies could consider other microcredit programs offered by commercial banks and other microcredit institutions in Malaysia, in order to unveil better prediction for the dissimilarity in SME performance. In addition, future studies could incorporate data from all states in Malaysia to provide richer interpretation and generalization of the findings. From a policy perspective, this study recognizes a need to improve the delivery mechanism in the microcredit program in terms of credit products, operational efficiency, and social development programs, to empower women in their entrepreneurial activities. Future research should consider other factors such as social capital, economic factors, government support, and family involvement.

This paper is a case study of the use of information systems (IS) by a micro enterprise. In particular, it attempts to answer the question: can micro enterprises use IS strategically? It examines the distinguishing characteristics of micro enterprises and the use of IS in micro enterprises. It gives a brief history and description of the micro enterprise in question (Lanzarote First) and then analyses the use of IS from two angles: functionality and benefits. Importantly, the strategic benefits of the various IS are differentiated from other efficiency and effectiveness benefits. The case also tests the use of an IS planning methodology. The case illustrates that a micro enterprise can use IS strategically and, because of the absence of certain factors which are present in large organisations, the impact of IS may be even greater.