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Abstract: Background/Purpose: SMEs are subject to different factors in the business environments that influence their business performance. Considering the importance of restaurants’ environmental characteristics, entrepreneurs can also, through their entrepreneurial characteristics, influence SMEsʼ management of the requisite assets (MRA). Accordingly, this study examines the influence of restaurant SMEs’ entrepreneurial (self-efficacy, orientation, and demographics) and environmental (location, size, and competition) characteristics on MRA and, consequently, on SMEs’ operational efficiency. Methods: Primary data relating to the environmental (location, size, and competition) and entrepreneurial (self-efficacy, orientation, and demographic) characteristics were obtained using a survey questionnaire, while the secondary data were obtained from SMEs’ official financial reports. The sample consists of 266 restaurant SMEs in the Republic of Slovenia. Efficiency was analysed using data envelopment analysis (DEA), and structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the research model. Results: The results indicate that environmental characteristics have a much more significant impact on MRA than entrepreneurial characteristics. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy and most demographic characteristics (age, gender, education, and experience) proved not to influence significantly MRA and, consequently, SMEs’ operational efficiency. Conclusion: SMEs’ external environment is generally not directly influenced by managerial decisions. Therefore, it is critical to strengthen the influence of the internal environment through an active development of entrepreneurial characteristics, which could result in a more effective MRA and higher efficiency. The conclusion provides suggestions for future research and valuable information for entrepreneurs, academia, and policymakers.
Keywords: SMEs, restaurant industry, Slovenia, efficiency, environmental and entrepreneurial characteristics, requisite assets
Published in DKUM: 28.06.2024; Views: 418; Downloads: 17
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Abstract: The present study aims to test a simplified version of the balanced scorecard (BSC) model for restaurant industry SMEs. This study aims to determine if (I) restaurant managers' perceived business performance correlates to SMEs' (II) actual financial and (III) quality performance. A new variable, the manager's perceived business performance, was added in light of the unique characteristics of restaurant SMEs. We hypothesized that all three business perspectives are positively correlated since restaurant managers must have realistic perceptions of SMEs' business performance. A total of 266 questionnaires were obtained from restaurant managers, and 1,330 questionnaires were obtained from restaurant guests. SMEs' official financial reports served as the basis for the analysis of financial data. Exploratory factor analysis and correlation analysis were used to investigate the relationships among the three perspectives. Results indicate that managers' perceptions of business performance are not correlated to SMEs' actual financial performance, and managers have realistic perceptions about the quality of what restaurants offer. Interestingly, SMEs' financial performance is not correlated to guests' perceptions of quality. Introducing a new internal perspective indicates the incoherence among the three BSC perspectives. Furthermore, using selected variables highlights the necessity of raising the managerial perspective in future restaurant SME studies.
Keywords: restaurant industry, balanced scorecard, quality, SMEs, Slovenia
Published in DKUM: 01.08.2023; Views: 562; Downloads: 54
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