This dissertation explores the topic of strategy formation in high-growth SMEs. High-growth SMEs represent the growth and job creation engine of an economy; however, little has been understood on how strategy forms and develops in high-growth SMEs. The focus on large organisations has led to a literature gap regarding strategy making in SMEs (Wisener and Millett, 2012). "There is a need for deeper understanding" of strategy formation processes in SMEs (Lofving et al., 2014) and "research focusing on questions such as how firms grow [...] has been neglected." (Wright and Stigliani, 2012) The research objectives are: to understand how strategy forms and develops in high-growth SMEs; to develop a framework for the qualitative study of strategy formation processes in high-growth SMEs; and to identify enablers and barriers related to strategy formation processes in high-growth SMEs. A multiple, retrospective case-study methodology has been used. Extensive case studies built on in-depth interviews with management have been compiled to understand the complexity of the studied phenomenon. The research develops two qualitative research tools based on the literature review: a preliminary framework and an assessment matrix to study strategy formation processes. Furthermore, the research introduces a new approach to strategy charting. The key contributions of this research are as follows: • A holistic view of how strategy processes in high-growth SMEs form and develop is provided. New insights into the structures, characteristics, and other aspects of strategy formation processes have been articulated. • A framework for the qualitative study of strategy formation processes in high-growth SMEs has been developed by applying the cross-case analysis findings to the preliminary framework. • New enablers and barriers related to strategy formation processes in high-growth SMEs have been identified. New findings on the role of strategy formation in achieving growth have been outlined. This dissertation narrows the gap between strategy formation in academia and real life by providing practitioners with detailed case studies which can be used as guidelines for the development of strategy formation processes. The research can also help SMEs' managers to tackle challenges encountered in strategy formation and to support catalysts which enable strategy formation. This dissertation provides exploratory findings into a phenomenon which has been limitedly researched. Further research should seek to generalise and test the findings on additional SMEs.

由於台灣食安風暴發生，政府為挽救國人信心，而制定相關法規，針對特定大型企業編訂企業社會責任報告書，可見得政府對企業社會責任日益重視。台灣中小企業占全體企業家數的97.69%，在經濟、社會、環境等面向對台灣影響甚大，但是台灣中小企業社會責任卻很少研究討論。 本研究以中小企業社會責任之相關議題，採用訪談方式，企圖討論以下三點，首先，探討企業社會責任的概念，與中小企業對企業社會責任之認知、動機與實踐。其次，將四家標竿中小企業、兩家一般中小企業與一家微型企業，將其對企業社會責任的作為予以比較。最後，探討當前中小企業實踐企業社會責任可能面臨的困難與解決方式，政府或外部單位在中小企業經營與承擔企業社會責任時所能提供的幫助與需要承擔之角色為何，並對政府提供建議。 研究發現，許多中小企業對企業社會責任認知不足的情形下，實踐企業社會責任。從中小企業對Carroll的金字塔理論之責任排序，可以發現中小企業之認知與實踐，有其多元考量因素，包括：企業產業別、經營方向、領導者與管理者之價值觀與行事作風、企業生存問題與穩定與外在環境變化。從企業社會責任之實踐來看，在微型企業方面，其影響因素通常是企業主或領導階層價值觀與內心因素，更專注於營運與利害關係人之回應，而未得獎企業與得獎企業通常有其長期實踐方案、第三方認證，而得獎企業可能會更進一步發行企業社會責任報告書、有企業社會責任相關的部門與人才培訓，多以量化方式呈現企業社會責任。許多中小企業表示，實踐企業社會責任會有其實質利益。最後，除了中小企業內部限制產生中小企業之社會責任窒礙難行情形外，社會風氣、政府法規與政策也會改變中小企業對企業社會責任相關之實踐，中小企業內部限制、社會風氣、政府法規與政策皆可能造成中小企業對於企業社會責任認知與實踐造成差距擴大。 / Abstact According to a series of food safety scandals occur frequently in Taiwan, Financial Supervisory Commission makes relevant laws and regulations to restore confidence of people and Social perception. The specific part of large enterprise have to prepare corporate social responsibility（CSR） report. It will be seen from this that the government have gradually paid their attention to CSR. The Small and medium-sized enterprises（SMEs）, who play an important role in our economy , society and environment , accounted for 97.69% of all enterprises in Taiwan. However, comparatively little research has focused on CSR for SMEs in Taiwan. The subject of the research is cognition and implementation of CSR for SMEs in Taiwan. The qualitative data were derived from semi-structural interviews with seven SMEs in Taiwan. There are three purposes of this research. First, cognition and motivation of CSR for SMEs in Taiwan. Second, subjects in the study were divided into three groups, including four companies who won CSR for SMEs in Taiwan award from 2011 to 2014, three SMEs who did not won CSR for SMEs in Taiwan award, and one micro-business, to compare the differences between their implementation of CSR. Finally, the difficulties of implementation of CSR for SMEs. What is the role of government in helping and supporting CSR for SMEs? SMEs will give advice to the government. The study found that many SMEs are lacking of CSR cognition, but they still implement CSR. On SMEs opinion, they rank differently“the Pyramid of Carroll's Corporate Social Responsibility” in order of importance, so we can find that the cognition and implementation of CSR for SMEs in Taiwan have their various considerations, including category of business, the direction and guidance of their business, the values of leaders and managers and manage style, issues of business survival, internal and external environments of business. In terms of the implementation of CSR for SMEs, the implementation of CSR for micro-business is highly influenced by the values and mental factors of business owners or managers, and they are focus on responding to stakeholders and operation. Besides micro-business, other study subjects have long-term program of CSR and certification of CSR, study subjects who won CSR for SMEs in Taiwan award from 2011 to 2014 have CSR report, CSR-related departments and personnel training and quantified data on CSR. Many SMEs said they can benefit companies by engaging in CSR. Finally, resource constraints of SMEs is one of reasons that hard to implement CSR. Social morality and the government regulations and policies also change the way when SMEs implement CSR. Resource constraints of SMEs, Social morality and the government regulations and policies have an impact on disparity between cognition and implementation of CSR for SMEs in Taiwan .

Financial literacy continues to be a significant factor affecting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in their ability to access finance worldwide. Both new and existing SMEs rely on external financing to grow and expand operations. However, financial literacy remains low among entrepreneurs, resulting in restricted access to finance which leads and contributes to the high failure rate of SMEs. The objective of the study is to determine whether a relationship exists between financial literacy and financial access among SMEs. This study followed a descriptive and quantitative research design. Primary data was gathered in a survey by means of self-administered questionnaires distributed to 397 entrepreneurs in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng. The study revealed that entrepreneurs in Ekurhuleni did not fully understand basic financial concepts and thus portrayed low levels of financial knowledge. The study also indicated that access to finance was a major challenge for the majority of the SMEs in the municipality. Furthermore, the study established a positive relationship between financial literacy and financial access among SMEs in the municipality. Recommendations were provided to government, financial institutions, academic institutions and entrepreneurs suggesting measures that could be implemented in an effort to improve the levels of financial literacy and financial access among entrepreneurs. This study is the first to examine the financial literacy-financial access relationship among SMEs in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality and provides a benchmark for future research studies in this area. / Ukufundiswa ngezezimali kuqhubeke njalo kuba yisithikamezo esikhulu esithinta amabhizinisi amancane nalawo asakhasayo (SMEs) kwikhono lawo lokuthola izimali emhlabeni wonke. Zombili lezi zinhlobo zamabhizinisi akhona ama-(SMEs) encike phezu koxhaso lwezimali oluvela ngaphandle ukuze zihlume futhi zidlondlobalise imisebenzi yazo. Yize-kunjalo, izinga lokufundiswa ngezimali lihlala liphansi phakathi kosomabhizinisi, lokhu kudala ukutholakala kwezimali kube wumnqansa omkhulu, lokhu kusuke kuholele futhi kube nomthelela omkhulu ekudaleni izinga eliphezulu lokwehluleka kwama (SMEs). Inhloso enkulu yocwaningo wukuthola ukuthi ngabe ubudlelwano bukhona yini phakathi kokufundiswa ngezimali kanye kanye nokutholakala kwezimali phakathi kwamabhizinisi amancane nalawo asakhasayo (SMEs). Ucwaningo lulandela indlela yocwaningo echazayo kanye naleyo esebenzisa ulwazi. Idatha yokuqala yaqoqwa ngokwesaveyi ngokusebenzisa imibhalo yemibuzo yokuzenzela, eyasatshalaliswa kosomabhizinisi abakumasipali Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, eGauteng. Ucwaningo luveza ukuthi osomabhizinisi base-Ekurhuleni abazange bazwisise ngokugcwele amagama ezimali awulwazi oluyisisekelo kanti lokhu kwaveza amazinga aphansi olwazi lwezimali. Ucwaningo futhi luyaveza ukuthi ukutholakala kwezimali kwakuyinselelo enkulu kwiningi losomabhizinisi abancane nalabo abasakhasayo (SMEs) kumasipali. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ucwaningo luye lwancoma ukuthi kukhona ubudlelwano obuhle phakathi kokufundiswa ngezezimali kanye nokutholakala kwezimali phakathi kwamabhizinisi amancane nalawo asakhasayo (SMEs) ngaphakathi komasipali. Izincomo kanye nemihlahlandlela eqondiswe kuhulumeni, kumaziko ezezimali, kumaziko ezemfundo kanye nosomabhizinisi kuye kwanikezwa, kanti lokhu kungasetshenziswa kwimizamo yokuthuthukisa amazinga okufundiswa ngezimali phakathi kosomabhizinisi. Lolu wucwaningo lokuqala oluhlola ubudlelwano obumayelana nokufundiswa ngezimali kanye nokutholakala kwezimali phakathi kosomabhizinisi abancane nalabo abasakhasayo (SMEs) ngase-Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality kanti futhi lolu cwaningo luye lwandlala isisekelo lapho ezinye izinhlelo zocwaningo zingaqhutshekiswa khona ngalesi sihloko / Die finansiële geletterdheid van klein en medium ondernemings (KMO’s) bepaal die mate waarin hulle toegang tot wêreldwye finansiering verkry. Sowel nuwe as bestaande KMO’s steun op finansiering om hulle werksaamhede uit te brei. Omrede min entrepreneurs finansieel ongeletterd is, geniet hulle beperkte toegang tot finansiering, en misluk KMO’s meestal. Die doel van hierdie studie is om vas te stel of daar ʼn verband tussen die finansiële geletterdheid van KMO’s en hulle toegang tot finansiering bestaan. ʼn Deskriptiewe en kwantitatiewe navorsingsontwerp is in hierdie studie gevolg. Die primêre data is ingewin met vraelyste wat deur 397 entrepreneurs in die Ekurhuleni Metropolitaanse Munisipaliteit in Gauteng ingevul is. Uit die studie het geblyk dat entrepreneurs in Ekurhuleni ʼn gebrekkige begrip van basiese finansiële begrippe het, en gevolglik oor weinig finansiële kennis beskik. Daar is bevind dat finansiering ʼn groot struikelblok vir die meeste KMO’s in die munisipaliteit is. Hierdie studie het vasgestel dat daar ʼn bepaalde verband tussen finansiële geletterdheid en finansiering onder die KMO’s in die munisipaliteit bestaan. Aanbevelings word gedoen om die finansiële geletterdheid en finansiering van entrepreneurs te verbeter. Hierdie riglyne is vir die regering, finansiële en akademiese instellings, en entrepreneurs bedoel. Aangesien dit die eerste ondersoek na die verband tussen finansiële geletterdheid en finansiering onder KMO’s in die Ekurhuleni Metropolitaanse Munisipaliteit is, stel hierdie studie ʼn standaard vir ander studies in hierdie streek. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

In der Dissertation werden die Effekte von Offshoring auf dem Arbeitsmarkt eines Hochlohnlandes untersucht. Sie beinhaltet 3 voneinander unabhängige Studien am Beispiel Deutschland. Im 1. Kapitel werden die Lohneffekte von Offshoring untersucht. Dabei wird Arbeit nach der Komplexität seines Aufgabenspektrums unterschieden und Offshoring je nach Lohnniveau des Ziellandes eingeteilt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Offshoring nach Westeuropa zu relativen Lohngewinnen für weniger komplexe Jobs in Deutschland führt, während der Lohn komplexer Jobs negativ beeinflusst wird. Offshoring nach Osteuropa hat entgegengesetzte Lohneffekte. Zudem zeichnet sich ab, dass Offshoring nach Westeuropa mit einer arbeits- und nach Osteuropa mit einer kapitalintensiveren Produktion einhergeht. Das 2. Kapitel untersucht ausländischen Direktinvestitionen (FDI) deutscher multinationale Unternehmen (MNE) in Tschechien. Es wird analysiert wie sich die Beschäftigung verändert, wenn MNE Zugang zu “Niedriglohnarbeit” erhalten. Bei Verwendung des Coarsened Exact Matching und eines Event-Study-Ansatzes ergibt sich, dass das inländische Beschäftigungswachstum von MNE im Vergleich zu nicht-MNE abnimmt. Das betrifft im verarbeitenden Gewerbe vor allem Beschäftigte mit niedrigem oder mittlerem Bildungsabschluss und im Dienstleistungssektor Beschäftigte mit mittlerem oder hohem Bildungsniveau. Das 3. Kapitel basiert auf dem gleichen Daten, um die Auswirkungen von FDI auf die Nachfrage von bestimmten Tätigkeiten zu schätzen. Eine neue Methode schätzt Propensity Scores für FDI-Entscheidungen mithilfe von Lasso-Logit-Regressionen. Dabei wird gezeigt, dass Unternehmen mit viel juristischen oder organisatorischen Aufgaben eher zu FDI neigen. Nach einem Matching-Verfahren, werden in einem Diff-in-Diff-Ansatz die heimischen Nachfrageverschiebungen bestimmter Aufgaben untersucht, nachdem FDI getätigt wurde. MNE erhöhen typische Aktivitäten eines Unternehmenssitz, wie managen, analysieren oder verhandeln. Im verarbeitenden Gewerbe reduzieren sie zudem typische Aufgaben der Produktion wie das Überwachen von Maschinen, Herstellen oder Messen. Im Servicesektor werden hingegen typische Servicetätigkeiten reduziert, wie das Beraten/Informieren, Reparieren sowie medizinische Tätigkeiten. / This dissertation comprises 3 chapters that each contain an independent study on the labor market effects of offshoring from a high-wage source country, namely Germany. Chapter 1 includes an estimation of the onshore wage effects of offshoring to either low-wage Eastern Europe or high-wage Western Europe. Using a Mincer-type wage equation, the study shows that offshoring has substantially different wage effects with respect to the destination region of the offshoring activity and with respect to the complexity of task profiles of the affected jobs. While offshoring to the West puts pressure on the wages of complex jobs and increases the wages of simple jobs, offshoring to the East entails the opposite effect. Chapter 2 explores the onshore employment effects of German firms that conduct foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Czech Republic, a country with substantially lower average wages. Applying coarsened exact matching and an event-study design, the results exhibit that the onshore employment growth of multinational enterprises (MNEs) decreases relative to that of non-MNEs and that the worst affected are those with low or medium educational attainment in the manufacturing sector and with medium or high educational attainment in the service sector. The study in Chapter 3 uses the same dataset and adds detailed task information to the workers' occupations (such as managing, producing, or legal tasks). It is therefore able to provide insights into the changed task demand of German MNEs after their FDI in the Czech Republic. Methodologically, an enhanced matching procedure exploits lasso logit regressions to estimate the firms' propensity of FDI. It thereby shows that high task intensities of managing, administration, and labor legislation play a major role in firms engaging in international expansions in the near future. After matching, a difference-in-differences approach reveals the onshore demand changes of specific tasks after the FDI. Relative to non-MNEs, MNEs increase their intensities of typical headquarter activities such as managing, analyzing, and negotiating. In manufacturing MNEs, the estimates further reveal a reduction in typical production tasks such as monitoring, producing, and measuring, while service MNEs reduce typical service tasks such as informing, medical tasks, and repairing.

Until recently, the concept of green logistics has been disregarded by various logistics and transport companies in South Africa. The study on which this dissertation is based explored the green logistics practices that these companies are currently implementing in terms of the key drivers, benefits and barriers. A quantitative research approach was followed, were a survey (Lime) served as the primary research instrument. A census was conducted among 160 companies in Gauteng. The results of the study revealed a significant difference between SMEs (<200) and large (200 and above) companies with regard to their importance rating on green logistics practices. To achieve the primary objective of the study, a framework in green logistics was drafted for SMEs and large companies in South Africa, which outlined practices and opportunities companies can implement in their own businesses to benefit from ‘going green’. The usefulness of the latter mentioned guidelines needs to be tested in future research. / Public Administration and Management / M.. Com. (Logistics Management)

This thesis examines product innovation processes in small established enterprises. The research questions are: (1) what motivates small established enterprises to innovate, (2) how do small established enterprises perform product innovation, and (3) how do small established enterprises manage resource scarcity in their product innovation processes? To answer the research questions, a multiple case study approach was chosen with three small established enterprises as cases and different product innovation processes as embedded units of study. The data collection method used was observation during a period of five months, complemented by interviews and secondary data. Product innovation in small established enterprises seems to be motivated by solving existing customers’ problems and the need for a sustained steady cash flow. A steady cash flow is also found to be a prerequisite during the product innovation processes. Product innovation seems to occur when there is a risk of decreased cash flow and/or when existing customers can be satisfied with new products that increase their loyalty so as to secure future sales, cash flow, and the enterprise’s survival in the long run. Promising innovation ideas alone do not result in product innovation. An innovation idea must also have supportive existing customers for product innovation to occur. Product innovation processes in the studied small established enterprises are found highly context dependent, intertwined in operational processes and made possible by a small organic organization and closeness to existing customers. The product innovation processes are further found to follow a flexible and informal overall scheme optimized for decreasing market and technology uncertainty and risk, dealing with resource scarcity, and facilitating fast and easy commercialization to avoid or moderate dips in cash flow. The design processes within the innovation processes can be linearly structured or cyclical and experimental, depending on the experienced novelty. To manage resource scarcity during the product innovation processes, the studied small enterprises used many different bootstrapping methods in combination. These methods can be divided into three categories according to their overall functions: for using existing resources more efficiently, for increasing resources and to secure a fast payback on resources invested in NPD. The studied small enterprises were due to their resource scarcity further found to favor an innovation strategy, only involving new products done with known technology and targeting existing markets. This way to innovate, which creates new products in a resource-efficient way that are accepted by the enterprises’ existing markets, seems to prevent unsuccessful product innovation, while at the same time excluding technologically radical innovation and innovation targeting new markets.

M.A. Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2011 / This research report documents diverse impressions and experiences, of and about the South African music industry in general and Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition in particular. Foregrounding the perspectives of black South African entrepreneurs that operate and own small businesses, the research enunciates how Moshito has come to embody an expression of the transition to democracy. Within a broader political, cultural and industrial context, the report captures anecdotes, observations and interviews with key interviewees and decision makers linked to Moshito, in addition to its dialogue with the interconnectedness of various social theories and concepts, and their relationship with industrial and government policy. Necessarily the research also engages literature concerned with cultural industries, music industry and development discourses.

Under det senaste decenniet har CSR blivit ett alltmer vedertaget begrepp, både inomföretagssektorn men också i samhället. CSR agerar idag verktyg för främjandet av hållbarutveckling och dess allt mer framträdande roll på marknaden tillsammans med företags behovav att förhålla sig till de marknadsanpassade förändringar som sker. Det har skapat ett behovav att företag implementerar, men också förstår vikten av att inneha att engagemang församhällsansvar. Uppsatsen ger en bred teoretisk referensram kring CSRs främsta grundpelarevilka beskrivs ur ett socialt, ekonomiskt och miljömässigt perspektiv där varje område är likaviktigt för ett lyckat CSR-arbete. Idag råder det mindre forskning om CSR inom SMEs, änvad det gör i multinationella företag. Det har lett till att uppsatsen främst syftar till attbehandla CSR-arbete inom SMEs med förhoppning av att kunna ta fram en CSR-policy förvalt fallföretag och en implementeringsmodell för CSR-arbete till liknande företag. Attanvända CSR som ett strategiskt verktyg inom SMEs kan vara det som idag urskiljersamhällets syn på ett företag som tar sitt samhällsansvar gentemot ett som inte gör det trots attde i grunden agerar med likadana metoder.Den empiriska undersökning som ligger till grund för uppsatsens resultat baseras på enintervju med vald nyckelperson från företag X. Respondentens svar på ställda frågor hartillsammans med teori om CSR resulterat i en framtagen CSR-policy för företag X baserat påföretagets verksamhet, dess värderingar och resurser. Resultatet i form av policyn visar attföretag X bör tänka på att bedriva CSR-arbete utifrån ett ekonomiskt ansvar medutgångspunkt ur företagets arbetssätt, handel samt hur de ser på etik och moral. De bör ävenagera ur ett miljömedvetet perspektiv med ett hållbart framförande vilket anspelar påföretagets påverkan på miljön, både i Sverige och i produktionsländer vid frakt av varor, samttillämpning av socialt ansvar genom att se efter sina anställda och övriga intressenter som pånågot sätt har en relation till verksamheten. Uppsatsen resulterar också i framtagen modell förliknande företag att följa vid implementering och uppföljning av CSR-arbete.Uppsatsens slutsats påvisar att resultatets bidrag ännu inte kan mätas men att det är av högrelevans att företag X, genom uppsatsens bidrag, kan komma att integrera CSR i sinkärnverksamhet och på så sätt stå sig höga på marknaden gentemot konkurrenter. Samtidigtsom de tar samhällsansvar, säkerställer och kvalitetssäkrar produktion och tillverkning samtexpanderar till att bli en verksamhet som lever upp till de förväntningar som finns från bådekonsumenter och samhället.

The automation of industrial processes has been one of the greatest innovations in the industrial sector. It allows faster and accurate operations of production processes while producing more outputs than old manual production techniques. In the beverage industry, this innovation was also well embraced, especially to improve its bottling processes. However it has been proven that a continuous optimization of automation techniques using advanced and current trend of automation is the only way industrial companies will survive in a very competitive market. This becomes more challenging for small to medium scale enterprises (SMEs) which are not always keen in adopting new technologies by fear of overspending their little revenues. By doing so, SMEs are exposing themselves to limited growth and vulnerable lifecycle in this fast growing automation world. The main contribution of this study was to develop practical and affordable applications that will optimize the bottling process of a SME beverage plant by combining its existing production resources to basic principles of the current trend of automation, Industry 4.0 (I40). This research enabled the small beverage industry to achieve higher production rate, better delivery time and easy access of plant information through production forecast using linear regression, predictive maintenance using speed vibration sensor and decentralization of production monitoring via cloud applications. The existing plant Siemens S7-1200 programmable logic controller (PLC) and ZENON supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system were used to program the optimized process with very few additional resources. This study also opened doors for automation in SMEs, in general, to use I40 in their production processes with available means and limited cost. / School of Computing / M.Tech (Engineering, Electrical)

Governments around the world have pursued ICT based initiatives including the provision of infrastructure to assist regional areas to develop economically (Beckinsale et al. 2006). There has been considerable interest in exploiting ICT to develop high technology clusters and support innovative networks (Lawson & Lorenz 1999). However, these initiatives have met with mixed success. It is clear that such development depends on more than providing appropriate technology Attention to social and organisational factors is crucial if regional areas are to realise the potential of ICT as a tool for regional development (Gengatharen & Standing 2005). It is important to understand the nature of business networking as well as the perspective of those participating in such networks if successful initiatives are to be established. The aim of this research is to identify how ICT can be used for knowledge sharing among businesses in regional areas and how the online networks through which knowledge is shared can contribute to the development of the region. This research investigates the question of what value small businesses in those regions derive from knowledge sharing networks using ICT. It also seeks to identify the value creation potential of those networks for their region. Previous research has shown that large organisations have achieved significant value from virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) as a structure for sharing knowledge and supporting innovation (Wenger 2004). The concept of Communities of Practice and Virtual Communities of Practice provided a useful point of departure for this research. The investigation comprised interpretive case studies of two Australian regional areas and their local business networks which incorporated SMEs in a variety of industries. Each case study was conducted in three stages. First, semi-structured interviews were conducted with regional economic development leaders. Second, 192 small and medium business owners were surveyed about their business activities and their participation in local business networks. Third, in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 small business owners to gain a richer understanding of their participation in knowledge-sharing networks and the value they realised or anticipated from various knowledge-sharing activities. A combined analysis of the two cases was conducted as well as the individual analyses. The research adopted a modified Structured Case method (Carroll & Swatman 2000). The analysis of the two case studies revealed: a.) There was a significant difference between the majority of SMEs who traded within the region and those trading largely beyond the region. The latter’s more proactive online sharing knowledge and seeking of business opportunities would enable them to access most value from VCoEs. b.) The participating SMEs operated in a number of industries and what they had in common was an interest in improving their enterprises. Consequently they used their regional networks which were not aligned to any one industry to make connections and share knowledge. They did not necessarily seek to access specific information. c.) A necessary prerequisite of VCoEs is having vibrant CoEs where face-to-face interaction enhances the development of trust and social capital. This appeared as an important factor facilitating the move to incorporate online knowledge sharing. d.) Younger businesses appeared to gain the most value from knowledge sharing in CoEs as they were using their networks to determine how to grow their firm. e.) The value of VCoEs to the SME participants is primarily in their general connection to other businesses in the region. Since the participants operate in a number of industries, what they have in common is an interest in their enterprises. The main value appears to come from the potential of the VCoEs to add to this connection and to social capital. This study found that successful management of VCoEs must: i) Ensure the network website is actively used by members before attempting to incorporate online knowledge sharing. ii) Monitor and stimulate online forum interaction rather than rely on interaction to occur naturally. iii) Not rely on email as a mechanism for stimulating knowledge sharing. Email is seen as more appropriate for formal documentation than for candid exchange of views. The concept of virtual communities of practice was found to be somewhat inappropriate for the diverse SMEs in the regional networks. Because of their diversity, they do not necessarily see value in sharing knowledge about practice but they do see value in sharing more general information and in providing support, connection and ideas that facilitate the strategic direction of their business. To address this issue, the concept of virtual communities of enterprise (VCoEs) is proposed as recognition of what the participating SMEs had in common: an interest in their individual businesses as part of the region. The original contribution of this research consists of its identification of the issues in linking SMEs across industries. It provides new insights on the business practices of regional SMEs and developed the concepts of Community of Enterprise (CoE) and Virtual Community of Enterprise (VCoE) to capture the special nature of knowledge sharing in regional multi-industry business networks. New perspectives are revealed on the ways that value could be derived from knowledge sharing by these regionally networked SMEs, as such it adds to the body of knowledge in an area where there has been little systematic investigation. This research reinforces the importance of social capital as an essential pre-requisite for accessing the value of intellectual capital in regions. Social capital emerges as vital when establishing and maintaining face-to-face knowledge sharing in regional networks and a necessary pre-condition for successfully establishing online knowledge sharing. Trust is a key factor and this research extends understanding of the role of social capital and the importance of trust in regional networks and online interaction. Its findings have significant implications for the development and management of CoEs and VCoEs as it outlines the key elements that need to be addressed when establishing and maintaining them, the appropriate applications for this context and the issues involved in management of the networking and online contexts. These findings not only increase our understanding of the management dynamics of online networks, they can also provide guidance to those seeking to establish successful VCoEs.