Title: Growth plans of small business in India: individual influences

Authors: Amarjit Gill; Suraj P. Sharma; Harvinder S. Mand

Addresses: College of Business Administration, Trident University International, 5757 Plaza Drive, CA 90630, USA. ' GTB National College, Dakha, Ludhiana, 141102, East Punjab, India. ' Sikh National College, Banga, Sahid Bhagat Singh Nagar, 144505, East Punjab, India

Abstract: Small business plays an integral role in the Indian economy. It is the second largest employer, after agriculture. This study seeks to extend the findings of Kozan et al. (2006) and Gill et al. (2011) by examining the difficulty factors and predictors of growth plans of small business in India. Small business owners from Punjab area of India were surveyed in order to gather information. Subjects were asked about their beliefs and feelings regarding their personal difficulty factors and predictors of small business growth plans (SBGP). The overall results and the findings based on cities' data analysis suggest that: 1) family-business role conflict (FBRC) and age are not the predictors of growth plans of small business 2) the small business growth intensity (SBGI), sales level (past success), family, and location act as predictors of growth plans of small business in India. The findings show that SBGI and family are the only factors that act as predictors of SBGP, and lack of expertise, FBRC, sales level (past success), and age have no impact on the growth plans of small business in the rural areas of India. This study contributes to the literature on the factors that influence growth plans of small business. The findings may be useful for the Indian Government and small business management advisors.

Keywords: lack of expertise; family-business role conflict; FBRC; small business growth intensity; SBGI; small business growth plans; entrepreneurship; India; small firms; sales level; family; location.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2012.046915

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2012 Vol.16 No.1, pp.33 - 47

Published online: 14 Aug 2014 *

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