The analysis of effect of aspiration to growth of managers for SMEs growth case study: Exporting manufacturing SMEs in Iran
The analysis of effect of aspiration to growth of managers for SMEs growth case study: Exporting manufacturing SMEs in Iran

Summary/Abstract: The present paper seeks to examine the effect of aspiration to growth of managers on their behavior, which translates into business growth. Furthermore, the aspiration to growth of managers are investigated and the relationship between their aspiration to growth and their behavior (business growth) are examined within the framework of the theory of planned behavior. In order to form a clear understanding of aspiration to growth of managers and its effect on their behavior (business growth), the study reviews the literature related to the theory of planned behavior and business growth, with regards to the mediating variables. To this end, the selected exporting SMEs of Tehran Province were investigated and the data collected from the questionnaires and interviews with the managers of these firms were analyzed and interpreted. The present paper reviews the existing literature on growth of small and medium-sized enterprises, theory of planned behavior as well as previous studies on business growth of small and medium-sized enterprises within the framework of planned behavior theory. The conceptual model of the research was compiled from the models of two previous studies. The mixed approach is implemented and the statistical population of the research comprises of the managers of exporting manufacturing SMEs. In qualitative section, data were analyzed using open codification technique and the PLS software package was utilized to conduct the quantitative data analysis. Research confirms the aspiration to growth of a manager has direct positive effect on his behavior, namely business growth. Thus, the higher the aspiration to growth, the more growth the manager attains in his business. Because the increase of aspiration level pushes the manager to try harder to reach his goal, which in here is business growth. In this study, three effective factors on the aspiration to growth of managers were examined: personal characteristics of manager, business environment characteristics, and business characteristics. The relationship and the effect of these factors on the aspiration to growth of managers were analyzed. The present paper greatly benefits managers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, experts, researchers and professors since it provides a deeper and clearer understanding of the factors effective on the aspiration to growth of managers of small and medium-sized enterprises which affect their behavior (business growth). This understanding could help influencing the factors effective on the aspiration to growth of managers and therefore speeding up the growth of SMEs. This study adds up to the very limited number of research that are conducted on psychological factors effective on the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises influenced by the aspiration to growth of the business manager. This paper suggests the aspiration to growth of the manager positively affects business growth. Thus, the higher the aspiration to growth of the manager, the more growth the business enjoys.

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