If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to review the effect of a cluster approach on SMEs' competitiveness. The primary objective is to examine the use of a cluster approach among SMEs as a tool for meeting their challenges related to globalisation and trade liberalisation, as well as investigating its contributing factor in the process of increasing their competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach -The methodology used for this paper is a literature review of published materials. The literature analysis was performed based on research objectivity, coverage and authority. Findings -There is strong evidence to suggest that a cluster policy brings additional positive effect to existing SME policy in industrialised economies, but such effects have not been extensively researched in developing (transition) countries, particularly from the point of view of the SMEs, which are the main actors in the cluster development process, in relation to whether their performance has been improved as a result of cluster effects. Originality/value -The findings from this research will assist business managers in making more informed decisions regarding the adoption of a cluster approach and entering into cluster-based relations, as well as assisting policy makers in designing more efficient cluster policies. The academic value will be added in the context of expanding knowledge in relation to the impact of clusters on economic development in transition countries and as such contribute in filling gaps within the existing body of knowledge.

Purpose-We study particular structural and organisational factors affecting the formality of human resource management (HRM) practices in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in SouthEastern European (SEE) post-communist countries, in particular Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in order to understand the antecedents of formalization in such settings. Design/methodology/approach-Adopting a quantitative approach, this study analyses data gathered through a survey of 168 managers of SMEs from throughout the region. Findings-The results show that HRM in SMEs in the SEE region can be understood through a threefold framework which includes: degree of internationalisation of SMEs, sector of SMEs and organisational size of SMEs. These three factors positively affect the level of HRM formalisation in SEE SMEs. These findings are further attributed to the particular political and economic context of the post-communist SEE region. Research limitations/implications-Although specific criteria were set for SME selection, we do not suggest that the study reflects a representative picture of the SEE region because we used a purposive sampling methodology. Practical implications-This article provides useful insights into the factors which influence HRM in SMEs in a particular context. The findings can help business owners and managers understand how HRM can be applied in smaller organisations, particularly in postcommunist SEE business contexts. Originality/value-HRM in SMEs in this region has hardly been studied at all despite their importance. Therefore, this exploratory research seeks to expand knowledge relating to the application of HRM in SMEs in SEE countries which have their business environments dominated by different dynamics in comparison to western European ones.

What is the relationship between adverse working conditions and employees' organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating under a severe economic crisis? To address this question, a survey of 312 front-line workers was undertaken in 62Greek SMEs − an instrumental setting where the current deterioration of working conditions is acute. Our contribution is twofold. First, we develop and test a scale for measuring adverse working conditions. Second, we decipher the extent to which such conditions relate to organizational and individual aspects of OCB, considering job satisfaction's mediating role. Through this research we extend the OCB literature within the context of SMEs operating under severe economic crisis and highlight the implications for managing human resources in SMEs, a sector conspicuous for its socio-economic significance and its vulnerability during economic downturns.

Discusses the use of the act frequency approach methodology to develop and validate a measure of organizational support of revolutionary change. A total of nine unique behaviors, describing three constructs, were viewed by employees as supportive of revolutionary change; and 12 unique behaviors, describing two constructs, were perceived as being non‐supportive of revolutionary change. The measures developed were found to have high internal reliability. The measures were also found to be highly correlated with relevant individual and organizational outcome measures. These results provide empirical support for the idea that how an organization supports revolutionary change can have an impact on both the organization and its employees and that contextual variable may not influence perceptions.

The purpose of this paper is to address the generic research question of the effects of the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) on managers' lives. In particular, this study focuses on TQM effects on middle managers' (MMs) autonomy. Through a multi-modal research approach based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, it is argued that the implementation of TQM programmes has a positive impact on MMs' autonomy. Nevertheless, it is related mostly to the 'hard' rather than the 'soft' side of TQM. The strong impact of TQM practices on MMs' responses to aspects related to their work, as compared to the small impact of the 'soft' side, implies a pragmatic view of TQM. Managers perceive a somewhat linear road to quality improvement through the use of 'hard' management practices and giving less importance to concepts, such as empowerment and employee involvement.