Title:
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN THE UK

Authors:
Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed Butt, Dr. Muhammad Shabbir

Abstract:
This paper explores performance management practices of Pakistani-owned enterprises in the UK. The special focus of the study was to contrast and compare small and medium enterprises in terms of their styles and strategies to utilize their human resources with an ambition to achieve higher performance. The study was aimed to gain insights through practical scenarios of these enterprises and make them a source of knowledge and inspiration for similar enterprises in the UK and Pakistan. The investigation was conducted around 21 respondents of 7 enterprises selected through simultaneous use of cluster and judgment sampling. The researcher was especially interested to pick and choose information rich cases with a better image of growth and development. The data gathering process was undertaken through in-depth face to face interviews facilitated by unstructured questionnaire. The analysis of the data revealed that performance networks varied from small to medium companies. Small firms were informal, flexible, less organized in their day to day operations. In contrast medium firms preferred to carry out their works in a formal and organized manner particularly at managerial and administrative levels. However, they were found flexible, generalized and informal at operating levels. Overall operations of these enterprises were being reinforced by their size, resources and nature of their products and services. Finings of the study are expected to provide some useful guidelines to similar enterprises to improve and refine their performance management practices and enabling them to grow and compete in the market.