Title: Designing a strategic foresight model in small and medium-sized enterprises

Authors: Parvaneh Gholipoor; Mohammad Mehdi Mozaffari

Addresses: Young Researcher and Elite Club, Department of Business Management, Faculty of Management and Accounting Engineering Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qazvin Branch, Qazvin, Iran ' Faculty of Social Science, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran

Abstract: Increasing environmental uncertainties and technological changes create important challenges for companies. They need to manage and plan in order to flexibly respond to and shape uncertain environments when facing changes. Also, strategic foresight explores possible futures, their consequences for decisions, and the actions that promote more desirable futures. Foresight tools are increasingly used by different organisations especially SMEs for long-term strategic planning and to enter the markets and overcome rivals through gain a competitive advantage. The main aim of this study proposes a comprehensive framework for firms that enhance their ability to understand the changing world and make better decisions. This research uses the mixed method and it includes the sequential exploratory design. First, this model is developed in the qualitative part of this research by using meta-synthesis. Second, the next part, quantitative tests are used from Cronbach's alpha and SPSS software to evaluate the validation of this model. Library research methods and expert opinions have been used to collect data. However, a comprehensive examining this at the issue has not been done so far in small and medium-sized enterprises. In addition, for the first time, this model offered in this area for these firms.

Keywords: strategic foresight; competitive advantage; small and medium enterprises; meta-synthesis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJFIP.2020.111254

International Journal of Foresight and Innovation Policy, 2020 Vol.14 No.2/3/4, pp.292 - 313

Received: 29 Jun 2019
Accepted: 04 May 2020
Published online: 16 Nov 2020 *

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