Abstract
Purpose – On one hand, business incubation and acceleration have grown in
popularity and practice as co-location support systems for Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs). On the other hand, SME survival and growth in their early years
of formation remain low and worrisome especially given that SMEs are the largest
engines of economic growth in both the developing and developed countries. Adoption
of supply chain management (SCM) practices by SMEs enables them to successfully
embed in supply chains (SCs). Embedding in SCs enhances the survival, growth and
improvement of SME performance. This study explores the role of incubators and
accelerators in embedding SMEs in SCs to enhance SME survival, growth,
competitiveness and overall performance.
Design/Methodology/Approach – The following three constituencies were of interest
to this case study research: business incubators and accelerators, SME incubatees
and acceleratees, and SCM experts. This triangulated research approach was used
to capture the views of each of these constituencies regarding the significance of
embedding SMEs in SCs to increase the survival and growth of SMEs. The public
incubator and accelerator case study was used as the research design of this study.
In-depth interviews were used to collect primary data.
Findings – While the three constituencies confirmed the importance of embedding
SMEs in SCs, the results revealed that currently the incubators do not provide a
targeted suit of SCM adoption support to SMEs to increase SME integration in SCs.
Insights from the three constituencies illuminate that embedding SMEs in SCs
increases their survival and growth prospects, which contributes to both theory and
practice. A framework of various incubation roles to support SMEs adopt SCM
practices which enable SMEs to seamlessly embed in SCs is proposed. Given the
paucity of research on SME incubation and acceleration, the findings of this study are
significant in that they extend the horizon of knowledge regarding the role incubators
and accelerators can play in embedding SMEs in SCs with the goal of enabling SMEs
to survive and thrive.
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Research limitations/implications – Being a qualitative case study research, the
most obvious limitation of this study is that it relied mostly on qualitative data collected
from public incubators and accelerators in Botswana, which limits the applicability of
the findings to other countries. This then calls for future researchers to collect data
from various socio-economic contexts using different data collection methods so that
a more comprehensive perspective of the incubation and acceleration of SMEs can
be generated.
Novelty/Originality/Value – The current research provides an integrated multistakeholder
insight in the context of key incubator and accelerator support that enables
SMEs to embed in SCs with the aim of increasing SME survival and growth in the short
and long term. Given the scarcity of interdisciplinary research that analyses the
interplay among SMEs, incubation and acceleration, and SC factors, the results of this
study offer unique and significant theoretical and practical value. The study contributes
new knowledge about the role of incubators and accelerators in embedding SMEs in
SCs to enhance SME survival and proposes a new framework for actions incubators
and accelerators can undertake to embed SMEs in SCs.
Practical recommendations emerge for all stakeholders in entrepreneurship,
incubation, acceleration and SCM practice. Embedding SMEs in SCs increases their
survival and growth opportunities. Recommendations for further research are also
made particularly for more case study research in the area of this study.