Elastyczność funkcjonalna jako czynnik przewagi konkurencyjnej małych i średnich przedsiębiorstw
Functional flexibility as a factor of competitive advantage of small and medium sized enterprises

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of the article is to present functional flexibility as a vital determinant of small and medium enterprise competitiveness. It presents the results of the survey conducted among 233 respondents employed in 32 enterprises of SME group, located in Lower Silesia region. The concept of functional flexibility, with reference to an enterprise, means taking advantage of employees’ skills to perform various tasks depending on organization’s needs. It results in enriching their knowledge and acquiring new skills which, from an employer’s perspective, have a positive impact on the so-called employability, whereas an enterprise has, at the same time, multitasking staff at its disposal. The consolidation of multiple tasks in the hands of one employee reduces costs related to communication and transferring an intermediate product in the manufacturing process and also ensures higher flexibility of an employer (which is confirmed by the obtained survey results). Low predictability and the lack of orders’ continuity represent the typical characteristics of contemporary manufacturing cycles/services rendered by small and medium enterprises. Therefore as the result of functional flexibility implementation an enterprise becomes more competitive.

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