The Survey (Questionnaire)

A survey on the Strategic and Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) and Growth of

Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

Underlying the importance and future of SMEs in India, their contribution to our economy and the

efforts of SME owners/ top management in the growth of the firm, we are seeking information

about the role of Strategic & Entrepreneurial orientation on the growth of SMEs. This questionnaire

is designed to gather information about the interplay of strategy and entrepreneurship and how their

dimensions affect firm growth. We feel your contribution can be very useful in this direction and

will definitely pave the way for better understanding of Strategic Entrepreneurship and its

dimensions which can be helpful for future success of many SMEs. Thus we would really

appreciate if you, as the owner/ top manager of this business, would take some time to read and fill

this information required. The information you are going to provide will be used only for academic

purpose and strictly confidential.

Support Information

Enterprise’s Name ...................................

Individual’s Name ...................................

Designation ...................................

Firm's Address: ..................................

City: .................... State: ....................

Pin Code: .................... Telephone: ....................

E-mail: ....................

Page 1 of 12
Personal And Business Details

Please tick (√) into the relevant box, which is most suitable to your enterprise and your self

1. In which of the following age group you are?

Up to 20 years 21-30 years 31 –40 years

41-50 years 51-60 years More than 60 years

2. Your Gender

Male Female

3. Marital Status

Single Married

4. Place of Birth ............................................................

5. What is your highest educational qualification or nearest equivalent?

Under Graduate University Diploma/degree

Post-graduate Others (please specify) _____________________

6. Have you ever attended a training programme related to your business?

YES NO

7. Do you have previous work experience before this?

YES NO

8. Was your previous work experience related to this current business?

YES NO

9. Do you have any business start up experience prior to this business?

YES NO

10. When was the firm founded? __________________________

Page 2 of 12
11. Which of the following best describes your present position in the company?

Founder Partner

CEO Senior Manager

Public Relation Manager Other (Specify) ______________

12. How long have you been associated with this firm?

Less than 12 months 1-5 years 5-10 years

10-20 years More than 20 years

13. How are you associated with this business?

Founded it Inherited

Purchased it Employee

14. Which of the following best describes the form of your business organization?

Sole Owner Partnership Company

Trust Other (specify) ______________

15. How many employees do you have in your firm ?

Less than 20 20-50

51-100 101-500

More than 500

16. Please classify your industry:

Service Wholesale trade Manufacturing

Retail trade Distribution Mining

Construction Agriculture Other_________________

17. What is your firm’s specific sector?

(Manufacturing/ Service) ____________________

Page 3 of 12
 18. What is your firm's annual turnover? (Please Tick the correct one)

Manufacturing Tick Service Tick

Below INR 25 Lakhs Below INR 10 lakhs

INR 25 Lakhs- 500 Lakhs INR 10 Lakhs- 200 Lakhs
INR 500 Lakhs- 1000 Lakhs INR 200 Lakhs- 500 Lakhs
More than INR. 1000 Lakhs More than INR. 500 Lakhs

19. Which best describes your industry in the last three years?

Growing Stable Declining

20. Which best describes your firm in the last three years?

Growing Stable Declining

21. Which of the following is the best indication of your firm’s net profit for the current year?

Less than INR 5 Lakhs INR 5 -10 Lakhs

INR 10-25 Lakhs INR 25 – 50 Lakhs

INR 50 – 100 Lakhs More than INR 100 Lakhs

Page 4 of 12
Dimensions of Entrepreneurial Orientation

The following statements pertain to the management style of the SMEs affecting the growth of your

firm. Please read each of the following statements and indicate the response that matches the

manner in which the firm operates.

1. In regard to new services or products my firm has...

Introduced many new 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Introduced no new

services or Products services or Products

2. In regard to new services or products my firm has...

Made only minor changes in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Made dramatic changes

services or products in services or products

3. In regard to new services or products my firm...

Has a strong emphasis on 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Has a strong emphasis on

the use of tried and tested innovations
products and processes

4. In regard to new services or products my firm...

Prefers to design new 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Prefers to adapt processes

processes and techniques and techniques that others
have developed and
proven

5. In regard to new services or products my firm has...

Favour experimentation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Favour imitating methods

and original approaches to of other firms used for
problem solving solving their problems

6. In regard to speed of action my firm...

Typically initiates actions 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Typically responds to

which competitors then actions that competitors
respond to initiate.

Page 5 of 12
 7. While exploring opportunities my firm...

Is very often the first one 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Is not the earlier ones to

to introduce new products/ introduce new products/
services, administrative services, administrative
techniques, process techniques, process
technologies, etc. technologies, etc

8. While exploring opportunities my firm...

Typically adopts a very 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Typically seeks to avoid

competitive, “undo-the- competitive clashes,
competitors” posture preferring a “live and let
live” posture

9. While exploring opportunities my firm...

Maintains a consistent 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Continuously monitor

market/ product definition trends and identify future
needs of customers and/or
anticipate future demand
conditions

10. While exploring opportunities my firm...

Takes a “follow the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Strives to be “first mover”

leader” approach in to capture the benefits of
introducing new products an industry pioneer.
or ideas

11. When confronted with decision making situations involving uncertainty, my firm...

Typically accepts a bold, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Typically adopts a

aggressive posture in order cautious “Wait and see”
to maximize the posture in order to
probability of exploiting minimize the risk
potential opportunities

12. When confronted with decision making situations involving uncertainty, my firm...

Believe that, owing to the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Believe that, owing to the

nature of the environment, nature of the external
it is best to explore environment, bold, wide
opportunities gradually ranging acts are necessary
via incremental approach to achieve firm’s objective

Page 6 of 12
 13. When confronted with decision making situations involving uncertainty, my firm...

A strong proclivity for 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 A strong proclivity for low

high risk projects with risk projects with normal
chances of high returns and certain rate of returns.

14. When confronted with decision making situations involving uncertainty, my firm...

Prefer to study a problem 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Is quick to spend money

thoroughly before on potential solutions if
deploying resources to problems are holding back
solve it

15. When confronted with decision making situations involving uncertainty, my firm...

Encourage people in the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Do not encourage people

firm to take calculated in the firm to take
risks with new ideas calculated risks with new
ideas

16. While fighting competition, my firm......

Is very aggressive and 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Makes no special effort to

intensely competitive take business from
competition.

17. While fighting competition, my firm......

Blends with the industry 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Establishes competitive

stakeholders on whatever position and vigorously
actions will be initiated exploit opportunities to
achieve profitability.

18. While fighting competition, my firm......

Exhibits a low-key profile 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Utilizes market strategies

to actions, which can lead like entering markets with
to erosion of firm drastically lower prices or
reputation and retaliation copying the business
by competitors practices or techniques of
successful competitors

Page 7 of 12
 19. While encouraging employees to perform better, my firm.....

Expects individual and/or 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Encourages individuals or

teams pursuing business teams pursuing business
opportunities to justify opportunities to proceed
their actions throughout without having to justify
the development process their action at every stage
of development

20. While encouraging employees to perform better, my firm.....

Individuals and/or teams 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Individuals and/or teams

are most effective if their are most effective if they
goals and performances set their own goals after
targets are set by their consultation with their
superiors superiors

21. While encouraging employees to perform better, my firm.....

Individuals and/or teams 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Individuals and/or teams

are expected to use are encouraged to think
existing strategies and “outside the box” when
standard operating making decision.
procedures as a basis for
decision making

22. While encouraging employees to perform better, my firm.....

The CEO and top 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Employees’ initiative and

management team play a input play a major role in
major role in identifying identifying and selecting
and selecting entrepreneurial
entrepreneurial opportunities
opportunities

Page 8 of 12
The External Environment

The following statements pertain to the external environment affecting your firm. Please read each

of the following statements and circle the one that reflects your response. Selecting 1 indicates that

you strongly disagree with the statement, selecting 7 indicates that you strongly agree with the

statement, whereas selecting 4 indicates neutrality.

Strongly Disagree Partially Neutral Partially Agree Strongly

Disagree Disagree Agree Agree

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 The external environment our firm operates in has a 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

high level of risk and uncertainty.

2 The external environment poses serious threats to 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

our firm's survival and growth.

3 Our firm deals with a wide range of external 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

environment influences

4 Tough price competition is a major challenge in our 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

industry.

5 Government policy is a major challenge in our 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

industry.

6 The rate of product and service obsolescence is very 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

high in our industry.

7 In our industry, actions of competitors are 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

unpredictable

8 In our industry, demand and customer tastes are 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

unpredictable

Page 9 of 12
Resource Availability

The following items are representative of resource availability in terms of whether or not
accessibility to the specified resources places the firm at an advantage or disadvantage. Please read
the following statements and circle the one that reflects your response. Selecting 1 indicates that
you strongly disagree with the statement, selecting 7 indicates that you strongly agree with the
statement, whereas selecting 4 indicates neutrality.

Strongly Disagree Partially Neutral Partially Agree Strongly

Disagree Disagree Agree Agree

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 Easy Availability of capital 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2 Access to low cost of capital 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

3 Leading edge plant equipment/production facilities 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4 Availability of highly trained & skilled employees 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

5 Experience in product/ service development 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

6 Expertise in customer service 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

7 Access to low cost distribution channels 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 Access to resourceful social and business networks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

9 Access to low cost labour 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

10 Access to low cost raw materials 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Page 10 of 12
Firm Growth

The following items pertain to the growth of your firm. Please read each of the following statements
and indicate the level of importance that you attach to the factors listed below as firm’s growth
objectives by circling the item that reflects your response. Selecting 1 indicates that the importance
level is least; selecting 7 indicates that importance is highest; whereas selecting 4 indicates
neutrality.

Not at all Neutral Highly

importance Importance
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 Sales Growth 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2 Revenue Growth 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

3 Growth in Market Share 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4 Employment Growth 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

5 Customer Growth 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

6. Growth in Assets 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

7 Net Profit 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 Return on Investment 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

9 Gross Margins 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

10 New Product Development 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Page 11 of 12
Satisfaction

The following items pertain to the satisfaction with the growth areas of your firm. Please read the

following statements and indicate the level of satisfaction that you attach to the factors listed below

for achieving your firm’s growth by circling the item that reflects your response. Selecting 1

indicates that you are Highly Dissatisfied with the statement, selecting 7 indicates that you are

Extremely Satisfied with the statement, whereas selecting 4 indicates neutrality.

Highly Neutral Extremely

Dissatisfied Satisfied
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 Sales Growth 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2 Revenue Growth 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

3 Growth in Market Share 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4 Employment Growth 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

5 Customer Growth 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

6 Growth in Assets 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

7 Net Profit 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 Return on Investment 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

9 Gross Margins 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

10 New Product Development 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Page 12 of 12