The association between information gathering and success in industrial SMEs:the case of Belgium

Abstract

The proposition that having adequate information and a sound information system can bring about competitive advantages has been stated and demonstrated many times. Although the potential importance for success of acquiring and processing information has been stressed for small companies as well, empirical research that focuses on this issue has been scarce in Belgium. This study tries to fill the gap by gaining some insights into the importance of information use for the performance of Belgian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Data supplied by a sample of 208 Flemish industrial SMEs with a staff size of 20 to 100 people are presented. They support the contention that firms that use more information had better results in the past. Also, the results concerning expected performance confirm the formulated hypothesis.