Hello Frank,

I am glad to answer Your question on gamification:

In my opinion detail sectorial benchmarking is the answer. In benchmarking process researcher may define levels of maturity in a chosen field (eg. customer service) and ascribe activities of companies observed to each level. In next step researcher may define detail milestones leading an organization to next level of maturity, which transforms hard team work into fascinating game. The motivation: presenting levels of maturity on sectorial examples to managers of the organization.

With some funds I would define such "game" for healthcare or hotels on a chosen territory.

With best regards

Hello Frank

Motivation theory and maturity level may be a right choice for SME and micro business...

I can suggest theory McGregor's X and Y may be a right choice and herzberg two factor motivation theory might be useful

All the best

Maybe milestones of gaining higher earnings by SMEs have been outlined, but dont forget the external environment. The right market strategy is vital for SMEs. It can be quite different due to sector afiliation, geografical position and customers characteristics. Marketing mix have to be well established in meaning of differenciation.

i have a suggestion with a concept "core value". SMEs often get troubles by lacking resources (Theory of constraint), so focusing on core value leads to effective use the resources of firm. This is anecdotal story (in my friend's company) but you can develop research questions to investigate "focusing on core value" and firm performance

Thanks for your kind response..

The right market strategy is vital for SMEs. It can be quite different due to sector afiliation, geografical position and customers characteristics. Marketing mix have to be well established in meaning of differenciation.

I agree with Vu Thi Thanh Binh. A huge problem of SMEs is lack of resources. The other one is (have you ever noticed?) that small entrepreneurs generally do not read - most of them don't read articles or long contracts and so they do not like to write texts (which is viable for communication in the era of networks and Internet). This leads to a conclusion that advisory services or concepts for improving small businesses generally do not work, because they are too expensive or too complex.

So has anyone of You a feasible concept of a service for SMEs that could practically improve their performance? A service cheap and simple enough that would defend itself on free market without public donations?

Tomasz Rzychon, your research are related to firm performance? how about using quality of accounting information?, or setting department KPI ?

Hello Vu,

My research are related to customer service and sales activities with use of sectorial benchmarking, "Mystery Client" observation and polls as well as interviews - I believe these are the most painful problems of small businesses. Do you have any specific idea for improving it or applying it in a new way?

Thanks for your response. Can we collaborate to conduct a research in relation to SMEs? Any suggestions?

i just know about benchmarking concept as a tool to measure performance, and never use this. In my field, we often use financial indicator or operating measure such as quality, cost-benefit etc (I'm doing in accounting information system research). What do you think about examing the relationship between service and sales activities with financial performance: turnover, profit...? or using TQM in improving customer service?