Information on Mittelstand enterprises

practice-oriented
interdisciplinary
applied research

Dossier Shortage of skilled workers

The increasing shortage of skilled workers is currently the most significant challenge for SMEs, according to the Zukunftspanel Mittelstand. In our topic dossier, you will find numerous studies examining these challenges from different perspectives, as well as statistical data.

26.01.2023 An excellent paper on resource mobilisation in peripheral locations

The article "It's right nearby: how entrepreneurs use spatial bricolage to overcome resource constraints" (Free Access) by Prof. Dr Steffen Korsgaard, Ass. Prof. Sabine Müller and Prof. Dr Friederike Welter has been awarded the title "highly recommended" by the editors of "Entrepreneurship & …

18.01.2023 The COVID-19 pandemic has doubled the share of innovation-active companies

The earlier companies reacted with innovations to the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the better they survived the crisis. It hardly mattered whether they initiated business model, product, service or process innovations.

Study shows for the first time individual bureaucratic burdens in mechanical and plant engineering

Krisenerfahrung kann das Baugewerbe für die bevorstehenden Herausforderungen stärken

Many hybrid self-employed benefit from their permanent employment

All news

IfM Standpoint

Mittelstand policy in a social-ecological market economy

03.05.2022 The Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, supply chain problems, climate change, digitalisation are all currently causing increased uncertainty in Mittelstand companies.

In the short term, Mittelstand policy can cushion risks to the existence of Mittelstand companies or individual subgroups with the help of a sectoral, individual company, or size-related measures.

Figure of the months

From 100 start-ups in 2015,

37,1

companies were still in business in 2020.

The Prototyping Approach – A fresh look at the role of personality in entrepreneurial decision making

The Big Five personality model has been used repeatedly to explain entrepreneurial behaviour, and the traits extraversion and openness to experience have been shown to positively affect self-employment. However, this literature has largely ignored the interplay of the five traits, which is studied in psychological research as part of the person-centred prototyping approach to examining an individual's personality.