Are they doing it right? Manufacturing SMEs decision-makers’ uses and expectations regarding organizational self-assessment

Purpose – Self-assessment instruments have been widely used to guide the improvement of businesses. However, these instruments have been criticized for their predominantly technical approach and for their unsuitability in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The purpose of this paper is to produce emerging knowledge on manufacturing SMEs decision-makers’ uses and expectations regarding organizational self-assessments (OSA) that takes into account both social and technical aspects as well as the specificities of this type of enterprise.

Design/Methodology/Approach – Empirical observations are based on a qualitative research approach, which focuses on the realization of 12 case studies in manufacturing SMEs.

Findings – The analysis of the cases identifies seven dimensions that brought out a set of dichotomous criterion providing illustrations of the tensions and sometimes conflicting insights as to (1) how OSA has so far been used by SMEs decision-makers, and (2) as to the genuine expectations of these decision-makers regarding OSA practices.

Practical implications – The research provides empirical insights to favor appropriate design and application of OSA in line with manufacturing SMEs requirements.

Originality/Value – Our study addresses recent calls for additional empirical research to better understand the question of self-assessment in SMEs environment. Based on the realization of 12 case studies within manufacturing SMEs, our research (1) highlights significant gaps between SMEs decision-makers’ uses and expectations regarding OSA, and (2) paves the way for the development of self-assessment practices and approaches that meet these deciders’ expectations.