Business Capabilities of Small Entrepreneurial Media Firms: Independent Production of Children’s Television in Canada

Abstract

This article investigates business capabilities of Canadian independent television production firms that produce children’s television, an entertainment product area in which Canadian firms have achieved relative success in domestic and international markets. The Canadian independent television production industry is populated by many precarious micro-enterprises. Competition is intense, and the domestic market provides limited opportunities for growth. The authors use the Davidsson-Klofsten model (2004) of a business platform as a framework for organizing enquiry into the capabilities of eight Canadian producers. The research shows that, contrary to much of what is said about firms that engage in project-based production, firm-level capabilities are critically important, and small organizational size does not necessarily imply small capabilities. Furthermore, among successful independent television production firms, project execution is a taken-forgranted business capability, and is not considered to be the most challenging business capability of the firm.

Key Words:

• television
• independent producers
• organizational capabilities
• project management
• Canada