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Evaluating the BDS Providers and MSMEs: Challenges and Strategic Actions

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Abstract

This article studies the role of private business development service (BDS) providers in targeting the business needs of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) using a self-sustainable business model. The availability and access to private BDS providers is essential for MSMEs to learn and acquire new operations, marketing, management, resourcing, technology, and innovation skills. The research objective involves understanding BDS challenges and corresponding strategic actions adopted by BDS providers while serving the MSMEs. A qualitative multicase-based research methodology is applied to data collection and analysis. The experience of BDS providers studied here helps gauge provisioning across all countries. BDS challenges involve environmental complexity, lack of awareness and identity, decisions on the types of service offerings, scarcity of resources, and ethical dilemmas. The corresponding strategic actions are identified and mapped to the challenges faced by BDS providers.

Cette article étudie le rôle que tiennent les Services Privés d’Aide au Développement des entreprises (en anglais : BDS) dans le ciblage des besoins d’affaires des Petites, Moyennes et Micro Entreprises (PMME) qui utilisent un modèle d’affaires durable et auto-gérable. La disponibilité et l’accès aux fournisseurs privés de BDS sont essentiels pour que les PMME aient la capacité d’apprendre et d’acquérir des nouvelles compétences en ce qui concerne les opérations, le marketing, la gestion, le ressourcement, la technologie et l’innovation. L’objectif de cette recherche consiste à comprendre les défis des BDS et les actions stratégiques correspondantes adoptées par les fournisseurs de BDS en servant les PMME. Pour faire la collecte et l’analyse de données, une méthodologie de recherche qualitative a été adoptée, s’appuyant sur des études de cas. Les expériences des fournisseurs de BDS ici-étudiés aident à évaluer leur provisionnement à travers le pays. Les défis qui confrontent les BDS comportent : la complexité environnementale; le manque de conscience et d’identité; les décisions sur les types d’offres de services; la manque de ressources; et les dilemmes d’ordre éthique. Les actions stratégiques concordantes sont définies et mappées conformément aux défis confrontés par les fournisseurs de BDS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Competitiveness, U 24/8, DLF Phase 3, Gurgaon, Haryana, 122 002, India

    Sandeep Goyal & Amit Kapoor

  2. Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA

    Bruno S. Sergi

  3. University of Messina, Messina, Italy

    Bruno S. Sergi

Authors
  1. Sandeep Goyal
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  2. Bruno S. Sergi
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  3. Amit Kapoor
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sandeep Goyal.

Appendix

Appendix

See Table A1.

Table A1 Overview of BDS providers
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Goyal, S., Sergi, B.S. & Kapoor, A. Evaluating the BDS Providers and MSMEs: Challenges and Strategic Actions. Eur J Dev Res 29, 725–744 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-016-0058-z

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