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Many SMEs are still faced with the problematic fact that their corporate structures and processes are not designed for efficient development and market positioning and there is a lack of appropriate methods and tools. SMEs are often inefficiently targeted to the internal or external demands for services. The following key questions are answered in this article: 1) Which studies are available in terms of strategic planning in young SMEs? 2) Which aspects should be considered in the implementation and control of these instruments?
The increased complexity and dynamics of the business environment and the problems of a young organization are treated extensively in the literature [Bleicher 2002, p. 34; Malik 1996, p. 86; Ulrich/Probst 1990, p. 23ff; Gomez 1999, p. 65]. This complexity is the core of the leadership role in a company [Malik 1996, p. 184]. STÜTTGEN (1999, p. 8) states in this regard: "A satisfactory answer to the question, according to which patterns complex social systems are to be designed to meet the proliferating environmental complexity facing an adequate intrinsic complexity of the company can be, in this context, a critical success factor for management." How can young SMEs solve strategic problems with service engineering in their companies?
A 2002 study on corporate planning of the top German companies measured by turnover found that of the surveyed large companies, 80 percent have carried out strategic planning and 90 percent have operational planning in place [Link/Orbán 2002, pp. 11]. The human and material costs of designing and implementing the strategic planning can be very high. Many SMEs do not have the necessary capacities to do this. To obtain a comprehensive overview, this chapter examines the existing studies and findings for young SMEs. Many of the studies reviewed and the following publications relate to SMEs as defined by the EU. This analysis also includes established SMEs and medium-sized enterprises.
The services sector is also called “tertiary sector” and has become increasingly important in the last few decades. The process of this occurring structural change is characterized by a significant increase in employment in the services sector. On the other hand, the former economic importance in traditional areas, such as agriculture and forestry, as well as manufacturing, is declining.
To have an overview it is important to look and to analyse the different research studies.