Abstract
Small and Medium Size Enterprises have been the subject of much scholarly research. There has however little attention been paid to the influence of size within the SME sector to the success of organisations winning public sector contracts. Micro-enterprises which make up over 50 % of the SME sector in Europe are not seen as a separate sector and as such public policy has lapsed in focusing on these enterprises. This paper builds on the scholarly work that has taken place on SME’s and adds empirical evidence, firstly by describing the makeup of the public sector supply market and secondly by examining the relationship between size and success in public sector tendering. The paper explores two cross sectional survey encompassing over 4000 supplier responses for both surveys and analyses the first survey for statistical evidence of the influence of size on public sector tendering. We draw the conclusion that the research to date has not focused on the main sector of microenterprises and that they are in fact the unseen entity in public procurement policy.References
Admiraal W, Lockhorst D (2009) E-learning in small and medium-sized enterprises across Europe: attitudes towards technology, learning and training. International Small
Business Journal 27 (6): 743-767
Aldrich, H. Fiol, M. (1994). Fools rush in? The institutional context of industry creation. Academy of Management Review 19 (4): 645-670
Anglund S (1999) Policy feedback: the comparison effect and small business procurement policy. Policy Studies Journal 27 (1): 11-27.
Arbore A and Ordanini A (2006) Broadband divide among SMEs: the role of size, location and outsourcing strategies. International Small
Arrowsmith, S. (1995). Public Procurement as an Instrument of Policy and the Impact of Market Liberalisation. Law Quarterly Review, 111: 235-284.
Baden D, Harwood I and Woodward D (2011) The effects of procurement policies on ‘downstream’ corporate social responsibility activity: content-analytic insights into the
views and actions of SME owner-managers. International Small Business Journal 29 (3):259-277
Beaver G and Prince C (2004) Management, strategy and policy in the UK small business sector: a critical review. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development 11 (1): 34-49.
Beck T, Blackburn R, Hart M and Wainwright T (2013) Small business performance: business, strategy and owner-manager characteristics. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 20 Iss: 1, pp.8 - 27
Bovis C (1998) The regulation of public procurement as a key element of European economic law. European Law Journal 4 (2): 220-242.
Brint, S. Karabel, J. (1991). Institutional origins and transformations: the case of American community colleges. In W. Powell & P. DiMaggio (eds). The New Institutionalism
in Organizational Analysis. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Business Journal 24 (1): 83-99 Arrowsmith S (1995). Public Procurement as an Instrument of Policy and the Impact of Market Liberalisation. Law Quarterly Review 111: 235- 284.
Cabras I (2011) Mapping the spatial patterns of public procurement: a case study from a peripheral local authority in northern England. International Journal of Public Sector
Management 24 (3): 187-205.
Caldwell, N. Walker, H. Harland, C. Knight, L. Zheng, J. Wakeley, T. (2005). Promoting Competitive Markets: The Role of Public Procurement. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 11: 242-51.
Cambra-Fierro J and Polo-Redondo Y (2008) Long-term orientation of the supply function in the SME context: reasons, determining factors and implications. International Small Business Journal 26 (5): 619-646
Chartered Association of Certified Accountants.
Clark M and Moutray C (2004) The future of small businesses in the U.S. federal government marketplace. Journal of Public Procurement 4 (3): 450-470
D, Leigh R. North D (1995) The characteristics and strategies of high growth SMEs. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour
Davis, G. Marquis, C. (2005). Prospects for organization theory in the early twenty-first century: institutional fields and mechanisms. Organization Science 16 (4): 332-343.
Demirguc-Kunt A and Maksimovic V (2006) Financial and legal constraints to growth: does firm size matter? Journal of Finance 60 (1): 137-177
Department of Finance (2010) Circular 10/10: Facilitating SME participation in public procurement. Dublin, Ireland.
Di Maggio, P. Powell, W. (1983). The iron cage revisited: institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. American Sociological Review 48: 147-160.
Dillman D (1991) The design and administration of mail surveys. Annual Review of Sociology 17 (1): 225.
Dillman D (2007) Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method. 2nd edn, Hoboken, N.J. Wiley.
Downe J and Martin S (2006) Joined up policy in practice? The coherence and impacts of the local government modernisation agenda. Local Government Studies 32 (4): 465-488
EIM Business and Policy Research (2010) European SMEs under pressure: annual report on EU small and medium-sized enterprises 2009. Brussels: DG Enterprise and Industry.
Erridge, A. (2007). Public procurement, public value and the Northern Ireland unemployment pilot project. Public Administration 85 (4): 1023-1043.
Erridge, A. (2009). Contracting for public services. In T. Bovaird & T. Loffler (eds). Public Management and Governance. New York: Routledge.
European Commission (1990) Promoting SME participation in public procurement in the Community. Brussels: European Commission.
European Commission (2008) European Code of Best Practices Facilitating Access by SMEs to Public Procurement Contracts. Brussels:European Commission.
European Commission (2011) Proposal for a directive of the European parliament and of the Council on public procurement. Brussels: European Commissions.
European Commission (2011a) Small Business Act fact sheet Ireland 2010/2011. Brussels: European Commission. Evaluation of SMEs’ access to public procurement markets in the EU. Brussels: DG Enterprise and Industry.
Fee R, Erridge A and Hennigan S (2002) SMEs and government purchasing in Northern Ireland. European Business Review 14 (5): 326-334.
Fee, R. (2002). Contract compliance: subnational and European influences in Northern Ireland. Journal of European Social Policy 12 (2): 107-121
Fillis I (2004) The internationalizing small craft firm: insights from the marketing/entrepreneurship interface. International Small Business Journal 22 (1): 57-82
Flynn A, Davis P, McKevitt D and McEvoy E (2013) Mapping Public Procurement in Ireland. Public Procurement Law Review 2: 74-95
Friedland, R. Alford, R. (1991). Bringing society back in: symbols, practices and institutional practices. In W. Powell & P. DiMaggio (eds). The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
GHK and Technopolis (2007) Evaluation of SMEs’ access to public procurement markets in the EU. Brussels: DG Enterprise and Industry. GHK (2010)
Gianakis, G. McCue, C. (2012). Supply Management Concepts in Local Government: Four Case Studies. Journal of Public Procurement 12 (1): 109-141.
Glover A (2008) Accelerating the SME economic engine through transparent, simple and strategic procurement. London: HM Treasury.
Greer H (1999) Small firms and public procurement in Ireland: a study for the department of enterprise, trade and employment. London: Network Resources Limited.
Hamilton, R (2012) How firms grow and the influence of size and age. International Small Business Journal 30 (6): 611-621 Henry GT (1990) Practical sampling. Sage Publications, London.
Hayagreeva, R. Monin, P. Durand, R. (2003). Institutional change in Toque Ville: nouvelle cuisine as an identity movement in French gastronomy. American Journal of Sociology 108
(4): 795-843.
Hinings, B. Greenwood, R. (1988). The normative prescription of organizations. In L. Zucker (eds) Institutional patterns and organizations: culture and environment. Ballinger Cambridge, MA.
Hoffman, A. (1999). Institutional evolution and change: environmentalism and the U.S. chemical industry. Academy of Management Journal 42 (4): 351-71
Howe, J. Landau, I. (2009). Using public procurement to promote better labour standards in Australia: a case study of responsive regulatory design. Journal of Industrial Relations 51 (4): 575-589
Jones P, Simmons G, Packham G, Beynon-Davies P and Pickernell, D (2012) An exploration of the attitudes and strategic responses of sole proprietor micro-enterprises in adopting information and communication technology. International Small Business Journal
Karjalainen K Kemppainen K (2008) The involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises in public procurement: impact of resource perceptions, electronic systems and enterprise size. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management 14: 230-40.
Kidalov M and Snider K (2011) U.S. and European public procurement policies for small and medium sized enterprises (SME): a comparative perspective. Business and Politics 13
(4): 1-41.
Kidalov M and Snider K (2013) Once more, with feeling: federal small business contracting policy in the Obama administration. Public Procurement Law Review 1:15-40
Laukkanen S, Sarpola S, and Hallikainen P (2007) Enterprise size matters: objectives and constraints of ERP adoption. Journal of Enterprise Information Management 20 (3): 319-334
Leblebici, H. Salancik, G. Copay, A. King, T. (1991). Institutional change and the transformation of inter-organizational fields: an organizational history of the U.S. radio broadcasting industry. Administrative Science Quarterly 36: 333-363.
Levenburg, N (2005) Does size matter? Small firms use of e-business tools in the supply chain. Electronic Markets 15 (2): 94-105
Loader K (2005) Supporting SMEs through government purchasing activity. The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation 6 (1): 17-26
Loader K (2007) The challenge of competitive procurement: value for money versus small business support. Public Money and Management 27 (5): 307-314.
Loader K (2013) Is public procurement a successful small business policy support? A review of the evidence. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 31 (1): 39-55
Loader, K. (2005). Supporting SMEs through Government Purchasing Activity. The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 6 (1): 17-26.
Lounsbury, M. Ventresca, M. Hirsch. (2003). Social movements, field frames and industry emergence: a cultural-political perspective on U.S. recycling. Socio-economic Review 1: 71-104.
Marlow, S (1998) So much opportunity – so little take-up: the case of training in small firms. Small Business and Enterprise Development 5 (1): 38-47
Matthews, D. (2005). Strategic procurement in the public sector: a mask for financial and administrative policy. Journal of Public Procurement 5 (3): 388-399.
Mazza, C. Pedersen, J. (2004). From press to e-media? The transformation of an organizational field. Organization Studies 25 (6):875-896.
McCrudden C (2007) Buying social justice: equality, government procurement and legal change. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
McKevitt D and Davis P (2013) Microenterprises: How they interact with public procurement processes. International Journal of Public Sector
McManus, S. (1991). Why businesses are reluctant to sell to government? Public Administration Review 51 (4): 328-344.
Melnyk S, Page T, Jinhui WS and Burns L (2012) Would you mind completing this survey: Assessing the state of survey research in supply chain management. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management 18:35-45.
Mir D and Feitelson E (2007) Factors affecting environmental behaviour in microenterprises: laundry and motor vehicle repair firms in Jerusalem. International Small Business Journal 25 (4): 383-415
Morgan K (2008) Greening the realm: sustainable food chains and the public plate. Regional Studies 42 (9): 1237-1250.
Morrissey J and Pittaway L (2006) Buyer-supplier relationships in small firms: the use of social factors to manage relationships. InternationalSmall Business Journal 24 (3)
Murray G (2009) Public procurement strategy for accelerating the economic recovery. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal 14(6): 429-434.
Murray, G. (2001). Improving Purchasing’s Contribution – The Purchasing Strategy of Buying Council. International Journal of Public Sector Management 14 (5): 391-410.
Murray, G. (2007). Strategic Procurement in UK Local Government: The Role of Elected Members. Journal of Public Procurement 7 (2): 194-212.
Nijaki, L. Worrel, G. (2012). Procurement for sustainable local economic development. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 25 (2): 133-53.
Nooteboom B (1993) Firm size effects on transaction costs. Small Business Economics 5: 283-295
O’Regan N and Ghobadian A (2004) Testing the homogeneity of SMEs. European Business Review 16 (1): 64-79
Patton D, Marlow S and Hannon P (2000). The relationship between training and small firm performance; research frameworks and lost quests. International Small Business
Journal 19 (1): 11-27
Pett T, Wolff J and Sie L (2012) SME Identity and Homogeneity – Are there meaningful differences between micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness 6 (2): 48:59
Pickernell D, Kay A, Packham G and Miller C (2011) Competing agendas in public procurement: an empirical analysis of opportunities and
Powell, W. (1988). Institutional effects on organizational structure and performance. In L. Zucker (eds) Institutional patterns and organizations: culture and environment. Ballinger
Cambridge, MA.
Preuss L (2007) Buying into our future: sustainability initiatives in local government procurement. Business Strategy and the Environment 16:354-365.
Preuss L (2009) Addressing sustainable development through local government: the case of local government. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal 14 (3): 213-23.15
Preuss L (2011) On the contribution of public procurement to entrepreneurship and small business policy. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development: An International Journal 23 (9-10): 787-814
Prier, E. McCue, C. (2009). The implications of a muddled definition of public procurement. Journal of Public Procurement 3: 326-370
Purchase S, Goh T and Dooley K (2009). Supplier perceived value: differences between business-to-business and business-to-government relationships. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management 15: 3-11.
Qiao, Y. Thai, KV. Cummings, G. (2009). State and local procurement preferences: a survey. Journal of Public Procurement 9 (3/4): 371-410.
Quayle, M. (1998). The impact of strategic procurement in the UK government sector. International Journal of Public Sector Management 11 (5): 397-413.
Reay, T. Hinings, B. (2005). The re-composition of an organizational field: health care in Alberta. Organization Studies 26 (3): 351-384
Schapper, P. Veiga, Malta J. Gilbert, D. (2006). An analytical framework for the management and reform of public procurement. Journal of Public Procurement 6 (1): 1-26.
Scott, R. (2008). Institutions and organizations: ideas and interests. 3rd edtn. Sage CA.
Scott, R. Ruef, M. Mendel, P. Carona, C. (2000). Institutional change and healthcare organizations: from professional dominance to managed care. The University of Chicago
Press, Chicago. Small Business and Enterprise Development 20 (1): 8-27
Bovis C (1996) Public procurement and small and medium-sized enterprises in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. London: The Small Business Forum (2006) Small Business is Big Business. Forfas, Ireland. Small
Storey D (1994) Understanding the small business sector. Routledge, NY.
Thai KV (2001) Public procurement re-examined. Journal of Public Procurement 1 (1):
Thornton, P. (2002). The rise of the corporation in a craft industry: conflict and conformity in institutional logics. Academy of Management Journal 45 (1): 81-101.
Torres O, Julien P (2005) Specificity and Denaturing of Small Business. International Small Business Journal 23 (4): 355-377
Walker H and Brammer S (2009) Sustainable procurement in the UK public sector.Supply Chain Management: An International Journal 14 (2):
Walker H and Preuss L (2008) Fostering sustainability through sourcing from small businesses: public sector perspectives. Journal of CleanerProduction 16: 1600-1609
Withey J (2011) Small manufacturing businesses: their interest in securing contracts from public agencies. Journal of Public Procurement 11 (3): 388-402
Woldesenbet K, Ram M and Jones T (2011) Supplying large firms: the role of entrepreneurial and dynamic capabilities in small businesses. International Small Business Journal 30 (5): 493-512
Business Journal 27 (6): 743-767
Aldrich, H. Fiol, M. (1994). Fools rush in? The institutional context of industry creation. Academy of Management Review 19 (4): 645-670
Anglund S (1999) Policy feedback: the comparison effect and small business procurement policy. Policy Studies Journal 27 (1): 11-27.
Arbore A and Ordanini A (2006) Broadband divide among SMEs: the role of size, location and outsourcing strategies. International Small
Arrowsmith, S. (1995). Public Procurement as an Instrument of Policy and the Impact of Market Liberalisation. Law Quarterly Review, 111: 235-284.
Baden D, Harwood I and Woodward D (2011) The effects of procurement policies on ‘downstream’ corporate social responsibility activity: content-analytic insights into the
views and actions of SME owner-managers. International Small Business Journal 29 (3):259-277
Beaver G and Prince C (2004) Management, strategy and policy in the UK small business sector: a critical review. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development 11 (1): 34-49.
Beck T, Blackburn R, Hart M and Wainwright T (2013) Small business performance: business, strategy and owner-manager characteristics. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 20 Iss: 1, pp.8 - 27
Bovis C (1998) The regulation of public procurement as a key element of European economic law. European Law Journal 4 (2): 220-242.
Brint, S. Karabel, J. (1991). Institutional origins and transformations: the case of American community colleges. In W. Powell & P. DiMaggio (eds). The New Institutionalism
in Organizational Analysis. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Business Journal 24 (1): 83-99 Arrowsmith S (1995). Public Procurement as an Instrument of Policy and the Impact of Market Liberalisation. Law Quarterly Review 111: 235- 284.
Cabras I (2011) Mapping the spatial patterns of public procurement: a case study from a peripheral local authority in northern England. International Journal of Public Sector
Management 24 (3): 187-205.
Caldwell, N. Walker, H. Harland, C. Knight, L. Zheng, J. Wakeley, T. (2005). Promoting Competitive Markets: The Role of Public Procurement. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 11: 242-51.
Cambra-Fierro J and Polo-Redondo Y (2008) Long-term orientation of the supply function in the SME context: reasons, determining factors and implications. International Small Business Journal 26 (5): 619-646
Chartered Association of Certified Accountants.
Clark M and Moutray C (2004) The future of small businesses in the U.S. federal government marketplace. Journal of Public Procurement 4 (3): 450-470
D, Leigh R. North D (1995) The characteristics and strategies of high growth SMEs. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour
Davis, G. Marquis, C. (2005). Prospects for organization theory in the early twenty-first century: institutional fields and mechanisms. Organization Science 16 (4): 332-343.
Demirguc-Kunt A and Maksimovic V (2006) Financial and legal constraints to growth: does firm size matter? Journal of Finance 60 (1): 137-177
Department of Finance (2010) Circular 10/10: Facilitating SME participation in public procurement. Dublin, Ireland.
Di Maggio, P. Powell, W. (1983). The iron cage revisited: institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. American Sociological Review 48: 147-160.
Dillman D (1991) The design and administration of mail surveys. Annual Review of Sociology 17 (1): 225.
Dillman D (2007) Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method. 2nd edn, Hoboken, N.J. Wiley.
Downe J and Martin S (2006) Joined up policy in practice? The coherence and impacts of the local government modernisation agenda. Local Government Studies 32 (4): 465-488
EIM Business and Policy Research (2010) European SMEs under pressure: annual report on EU small and medium-sized enterprises 2009. Brussels: DG Enterprise and Industry.
Erridge, A. (2007). Public procurement, public value and the Northern Ireland unemployment pilot project. Public Administration 85 (4): 1023-1043.
Erridge, A. (2009). Contracting for public services. In T. Bovaird & T. Loffler (eds). Public Management and Governance. New York: Routledge.
European Commission (1990) Promoting SME participation in public procurement in the Community. Brussels: European Commission.
European Commission (2008) European Code of Best Practices Facilitating Access by SMEs to Public Procurement Contracts. Brussels:European Commission.
European Commission (2011) Proposal for a directive of the European parliament and of the Council on public procurement. Brussels: European Commissions.
European Commission (2011a) Small Business Act fact sheet Ireland 2010/2011. Brussels: European Commission. Evaluation of SMEs’ access to public procurement markets in the EU. Brussels: DG Enterprise and Industry.
Fee R, Erridge A and Hennigan S (2002) SMEs and government purchasing in Northern Ireland. European Business Review 14 (5): 326-334.
Fee, R. (2002). Contract compliance: subnational and European influences in Northern Ireland. Journal of European Social Policy 12 (2): 107-121
Fillis I (2004) The internationalizing small craft firm: insights from the marketing/entrepreneurship interface. International Small Business Journal 22 (1): 57-82
Flynn A, Davis P, McKevitt D and McEvoy E (2013) Mapping Public Procurement in Ireland. Public Procurement Law Review 2: 74-95
Friedland, R. Alford, R. (1991). Bringing society back in: symbols, practices and institutional practices. In W. Powell & P. DiMaggio (eds). The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
GHK and Technopolis (2007) Evaluation of SMEs’ access to public procurement markets in the EU. Brussels: DG Enterprise and Industry. GHK (2010)
Gianakis, G. McCue, C. (2012). Supply Management Concepts in Local Government: Four Case Studies. Journal of Public Procurement 12 (1): 109-141.
Glover A (2008) Accelerating the SME economic engine through transparent, simple and strategic procurement. London: HM Treasury.
Greer H (1999) Small firms and public procurement in Ireland: a study for the department of enterprise, trade and employment. London: Network Resources Limited.
Hamilton, R (2012) How firms grow and the influence of size and age. International Small Business Journal 30 (6): 611-621 Henry GT (1990) Practical sampling. Sage Publications, London.
Hayagreeva, R. Monin, P. Durand, R. (2003). Institutional change in Toque Ville: nouvelle cuisine as an identity movement in French gastronomy. American Journal of Sociology 108
(4): 795-843.
Hinings, B. Greenwood, R. (1988). The normative prescription of organizations. In L. Zucker (eds) Institutional patterns and organizations: culture and environment. Ballinger Cambridge, MA.
Hoffman, A. (1999). Institutional evolution and change: environmentalism and the U.S. chemical industry. Academy of Management Journal 42 (4): 351-71
Howe, J. Landau, I. (2009). Using public procurement to promote better labour standards in Australia: a case study of responsive regulatory design. Journal of Industrial Relations 51 (4): 575-589
Jones P, Simmons G, Packham G, Beynon-Davies P and Pickernell, D (2012) An exploration of the attitudes and strategic responses of sole proprietor micro-enterprises in adopting information and communication technology. International Small Business Journal
Karjalainen K Kemppainen K (2008) The involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises in public procurement: impact of resource perceptions, electronic systems and enterprise size. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management 14: 230-40.
Kidalov M and Snider K (2011) U.S. and European public procurement policies for small and medium sized enterprises (SME): a comparative perspective. Business and Politics 13
(4): 1-41.
Kidalov M and Snider K (2013) Once more, with feeling: federal small business contracting policy in the Obama administration. Public Procurement Law Review 1:15-40
Laukkanen S, Sarpola S, and Hallikainen P (2007) Enterprise size matters: objectives and constraints of ERP adoption. Journal of Enterprise Information Management 20 (3): 319-334
Leblebici, H. Salancik, G. Copay, A. King, T. (1991). Institutional change and the transformation of inter-organizational fields: an organizational history of the U.S. radio broadcasting industry. Administrative Science Quarterly 36: 333-363.
Levenburg, N (2005) Does size matter? Small firms use of e-business tools in the supply chain. Electronic Markets 15 (2): 94-105
Loader K (2005) Supporting SMEs through government purchasing activity. The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation 6 (1): 17-26
Loader K (2007) The challenge of competitive procurement: value for money versus small business support. Public Money and Management 27 (5): 307-314.
Loader K (2013) Is public procurement a successful small business policy support? A review of the evidence. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 31 (1): 39-55
Loader, K. (2005). Supporting SMEs through Government Purchasing Activity. The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 6 (1): 17-26.
Lounsbury, M. Ventresca, M. Hirsch. (2003). Social movements, field frames and industry emergence: a cultural-political perspective on U.S. recycling. Socio-economic Review 1: 71-104.
Marlow, S (1998) So much opportunity – so little take-up: the case of training in small firms. Small Business and Enterprise Development 5 (1): 38-47
Matthews, D. (2005). Strategic procurement in the public sector: a mask for financial and administrative policy. Journal of Public Procurement 5 (3): 388-399.
Mazza, C. Pedersen, J. (2004). From press to e-media? The transformation of an organizational field. Organization Studies 25 (6):875-896.
McCrudden C (2007) Buying social justice: equality, government procurement and legal change. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
McKevitt D and Davis P (2013) Microenterprises: How they interact with public procurement processes. International Journal of Public Sector
McManus, S. (1991). Why businesses are reluctant to sell to government? Public Administration Review 51 (4): 328-344.
Melnyk S, Page T, Jinhui WS and Burns L (2012) Would you mind completing this survey: Assessing the state of survey research in supply chain management. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management 18:35-45.
Mir D and Feitelson E (2007) Factors affecting environmental behaviour in microenterprises: laundry and motor vehicle repair firms in Jerusalem. International Small Business Journal 25 (4): 383-415
Morgan K (2008) Greening the realm: sustainable food chains and the public plate. Regional Studies 42 (9): 1237-1250.
Morrissey J and Pittaway L (2006) Buyer-supplier relationships in small firms: the use of social factors to manage relationships. InternationalSmall Business Journal 24 (3)
Murray G (2009) Public procurement strategy for accelerating the economic recovery. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal 14(6): 429-434.
Murray, G. (2001). Improving Purchasing’s Contribution – The Purchasing Strategy of Buying Council. International Journal of Public Sector Management 14 (5): 391-410.
Murray, G. (2007). Strategic Procurement in UK Local Government: The Role of Elected Members. Journal of Public Procurement 7 (2): 194-212.
Nijaki, L. Worrel, G. (2012). Procurement for sustainable local economic development. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 25 (2): 133-53.
Nooteboom B (1993) Firm size effects on transaction costs. Small Business Economics 5: 283-295
O’Regan N and Ghobadian A (2004) Testing the homogeneity of SMEs. European Business Review 16 (1): 64-79
Patton D, Marlow S and Hannon P (2000). The relationship between training and small firm performance; research frameworks and lost quests. International Small Business
Journal 19 (1): 11-27
Pett T, Wolff J and Sie L (2012) SME Identity and Homogeneity – Are there meaningful differences between micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness 6 (2): 48:59
Pickernell D, Kay A, Packham G and Miller C (2011) Competing agendas in public procurement: an empirical analysis of opportunities and
Powell, W. (1988). Institutional effects on organizational structure and performance. In L. Zucker (eds) Institutional patterns and organizations: culture and environment. Ballinger
Cambridge, MA.
Preuss L (2007) Buying into our future: sustainability initiatives in local government procurement. Business Strategy and the Environment 16:354-365.
Preuss L (2009) Addressing sustainable development through local government: the case of local government. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal 14 (3): 213-23.15
Preuss L (2011) On the contribution of public procurement to entrepreneurship and small business policy. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development: An International Journal 23 (9-10): 787-814
Prier, E. McCue, C. (2009). The implications of a muddled definition of public procurement. Journal of Public Procurement 3: 326-370
Purchase S, Goh T and Dooley K (2009). Supplier perceived value: differences between business-to-business and business-to-government relationships. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management 15: 3-11.
Qiao, Y. Thai, KV. Cummings, G. (2009). State and local procurement preferences: a survey. Journal of Public Procurement 9 (3/4): 371-410.
Quayle, M. (1998). The impact of strategic procurement in the UK government sector. International Journal of Public Sector Management 11 (5): 397-413.
Reay, T. Hinings, B. (2005). The re-composition of an organizational field: health care in Alberta. Organization Studies 26 (3): 351-384
Schapper, P. Veiga, Malta J. Gilbert, D. (2006). An analytical framework for the management and reform of public procurement. Journal of Public Procurement 6 (1): 1-26.
Scott, R. (2008). Institutions and organizations: ideas and interests. 3rd edtn. Sage CA.
Scott, R. Ruef, M. Mendel, P. Carona, C. (2000). Institutional change and healthcare organizations: from professional dominance to managed care. The University of Chicago
Press, Chicago. Small Business and Enterprise Development 20 (1): 8-27
Bovis C (1996) Public procurement and small and medium-sized enterprises in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. London: The Small Business Forum (2006) Small Business is Big Business. Forfas, Ireland. Small
Storey D (1994) Understanding the small business sector. Routledge, NY.
Thai KV (2001) Public procurement re-examined. Journal of Public Procurement 1 (1):
Thornton, P. (2002). The rise of the corporation in a craft industry: conflict and conformity in institutional logics. Academy of Management Journal 45 (1): 81-101.
Torres O, Julien P (2005) Specificity and Denaturing of Small Business. International Small Business Journal 23 (4): 355-377
Walker H and Brammer S (2009) Sustainable procurement in the UK public sector.Supply Chain Management: An International Journal 14 (2):
Walker H and Preuss L (2008) Fostering sustainability through sourcing from small businesses: public sector perspectives. Journal of CleanerProduction 16: 1600-1609
Withey J (2011) Small manufacturing businesses: their interest in securing contracts from public agencies. Journal of Public Procurement 11 (3): 388-402
Woldesenbet K, Ram M and Jones T (2011) Supplying large firms: the role of entrepreneurial and dynamic capabilities in small businesses. International Small Business Journal 30 (5): 493-512
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