Small and medium enterprises (SME) study - economic trends & benefits
This research focussed on understanding key small and medium enterprise (SME) capabilities and policy settings which lead to resilient local businesses.
The research was based on the premise that an improved understanding of key capabilities required for organisational resilience could enable local SMEs and communities to better anticipate and plan for changes arising from gas development.
Coal seam gas development can have economic impacts across multiple scales ranging from state and regional to town and local business levels. There had been a poor understanding of the key capabilities needed for SMEs to survive and benefit from a significant external change such as CSG development and its shift from the construction to the operation phase.
Organisational resilience is the capacity to respond, adapt and transform in response to adversity. This capability is considered to be an important element that enables firms to prepare, recover and adapt to a range of disruptions and economic fluctuations.
This study investigated factors that influenced the performance of small businesses in Queensland towns affected by CSG development across three time periods: investment (2008-2013), transition to operations (2013-2015) and estimated future performance (to 2017).
Insights gained from this research were not only to benefit stakeholder within the research region, but also in new regions likely to experience onshore gas development.
The project focussed on:
- Identifying characteristics and key capabilities of successful adaptation in local SMEs responding positively to the dynamic business environment and to the shift from construction to operations phase of CSG development.
- Determining factors external to SMEs that facilitate or constrain local businesses benefiting from, or adapting effectively to, new opportunities and the new economic environment, in order to inform and improve business resilience of the SME sector.
PROJECT OUTPUTS
- Final report: Measuring economic trends and benefits of CSG development on local businesses (2016)
- Article: Four qualities that helped small businesses survive the end of the resources boom, The Conversation, 28 July 2016
- Conference presentation: Verreynne ML, Steen J, Ford J (2016), Measuring organisational resilience: small firms dealing with gas investment cycles, APPEA Conference, Brisbane June 2016
- Papers & presentations: Industry research (working) papers and presentations providing insights emerging from the research.
- Communications collateral: Workshops and communication/dissemination notes and events for a wider audience.
- Research articles: Peer reviewed research articles.
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