December 2000
December 2000
As we come to the end of the year, it is particularly gratifying to review the progress of the IJEBR throughout the year. The contributions to the journal continue to be of such a high standard, such that it was a difficult task to select one paper to go forward to the MCB Literati Awards; which note and commend excellence in academic writing. However, after some careful consideration we decided to nominate Mathew Gorton's paper, which cites the structure/agency debate within a context of entrepreneurship, using an analysis based on the social theory of Bourdieu. Given the criticism which is frequently levelled at small firm research – that it lacks theoretical depth (see Curran and Blackburn (2000) for further comment) – it is exciting to see conceptual analyses being utilised to create an interdisciplinary exposition of the small firm sector.
Another notable accolade, for what is still a relatively new journal offered solely in an electronic format, was the positive feedback awarded to the IJEBRat this year's International Small Business Association Conference. In an academic paper based on feedback from the small firm research community, the journal achieved a creditable rating, which we will build upon and improve in the future.
Regarding current issues, the Small Business Service (SBS), established in April 2000, has asserted its presence within the service provider and research community. It will be of continuing interest to note how the service develops. Currently, the SBS has made it clear that good quality research into contemporary issues, such as social exclusion and competitiveness, will be of considerable interest. While it is probably fair to say that, under the banner of "competitiveness", the research effort is well established, in both depth and breadth, yet drawing associations between self-employment, small firm ownership and social exclusion offers considerable potential and we would welcome papers or commentaries upon this area.
Recent discussions have also highlighted an area which existing research has not considered in any great depth or scope, that of assessing the manner or degree to which academic research actually underpins concrete policy development and delivery with consequent analysis of the effectiveness of such. This obviously calls for a sophisticated view of the research process, which goes from problem exposure to evaluating programmes to address such issues. This would require a long-term view, with the ability to span a number of roles, from research innovator to policy evaluator. By offering a more "joined up"view of the research process and outcomes it would be a fascinating insight into translation of analysis into action but would also demonstrate a more embedded process within the research effort. Any papers or research commentaries which have attempted to undertake this process would be particularly welcomed.
In the forthcoming issues of the IJEBR, we are once again able to offer a range of papers which cover a diverse range of issues with perspectives drawn from Europe and the USA. Rodie and Martin consider the challenges of competing successfully in the service sector of the USA, while Yu develops a very interesting argument based on the resource-based view of strategy. Building upon existing literature pertaining to the resource-based view, Yu examines the role of entrepreneurial Chinese families and particularly the interaction of individual capabilities to offer a distinctive competitive advantage. The paper by O'Gorman adds to the debate which examines the sustainability of growth in SMEs. Finally, Sara Carter considers one of the fundamental areas of small firm ownership and management, that of farming. Given the crisis facing the agricultural business at the moment, examination of different tactics adopted by farmers to sustain or grow their businesses is a citical issue. Carter's analysis focuses upon the issue of portfolio ownership, the characteristics of those who engage with this activity and the extent to which it might contribute to growth and sustainability of enterprise. So, once again we are able to offer an interesting and varied examination of current developments drawn from contemporary research into the small firm sector.
Finally, this is an opportune moment to thank all of the support staff at MCB who work to a consistently high standard throughout the year to ensure that the journal is produced to a standard of excellence. Furthermore, I would also like to thank the referees for the IJEBR who give of their time to read and offer constructive comment upon the papers submitted to the journal. Everyone who submits work to any academic journal is more than aware of the contribution of referees and that we all rely upon them to offer a fair and helpful critique of our work. It is a well-known fact that the wait between submission of papers and comment can sometimes stretch to unreasonable proportions and this is something which we have sought to avoid with the IJEBR. Indeed, it is the aim to return comment within ten to 12 weeks of original submission and in most cases we have achieved this, so a big thank you to the referees concerned and,hopefully, this small acknowledgement will be some compensation for the nagging.
Last but not least, here's hoping for an even more successful 2001.
Sue Marlow
ReferenceCurran, J. and Blackburn, R. (2000), Researching the Small Enterprise, Sage, London.
