Extroverts and introverts: small manufacturers and their information sources

Abstract

This paper investigates the information sources used by 50 small manufacturing firms in North Florida, USA, for a number of regulatory and competitive purposes. Some sources are used on a regular, ongoing basis, permitting the classification of firms as extroverts or introverts, depending on the number of sources used. The two groups are significantly different in their use of external information for non-routine issues that appear. Although customers are overall the most frequently used external information source, they are prominent only for competitive matters, such as product development, new mandates and exporting. Government agencies, on the other hand, are the sources most frequently turned to for regulatory matters, including environment, worker safety and local land use regulations. The most versatile information source for both extroverts and introverts is the small manufacturer's network of ‘other firms’, which is the only source used by most firms for problems concerning labour. The detailed examination of information source usage permits the preliminary identification of firm personality types with respect to external information.