Dimensions of small business performance from the owner-manager's perspective: a re-conceptualization and empirical validation

Abstract

Owner-managers make decisions and manage their firm as governed by the manner in which they conceptualize or ‘conceive’ performance for themselves and their firm, rather than being governed by researchers' and experts' conceptualizations of small business performance. On the basis of survey data obtained from 433 Canadian small businesses, this study aims at a deeper understanding of what owner-managers conceive performance to be, and to what extent this conception is determined by their objectives and social influences.

Keywords:

• small business performance
• economic performance
• sustainable performance
• personal performance
• enduring performance
• owner-manager objectives

Notes

^1. The term ‘owner-manager’ is used here in its extended sense, that is, to include both ‘entrepreneurs’ and ‘small business managers’ (e.g. Besser 1999; Hansen and Hamilton 2011; Kotey and Meredith 1997; Walker and Brown 2004; Westhead 1995; Wiklund et al. 2003).