M.Ratalewska 1
M.Ratalewska 1
M.Ratalewska 1
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Magdalena Ratalewska*
The efficiency of operations of a small and medium-sized business depends largely on the entrepreneurial
spirit, skills and knowledge, as well as creativity and openness to the introduction of new solutions on the
part of its owner. Undoubtedly, with growing awareness of the role of entrepreneurship in management of
micro, small and medium-sized companies, demand for various types of advisory services also increases.
The aim of the paper is to analyse micro, small and medium-sized companies in the creative industries
sector in terms of entrepreneurial behaviour and experience associated with using consulting services.
The paper describes the results of the study conducted by means of the CATI (Computer Assisted
Telephone Interview) method in 60 companies in the Lodz Region using consulting services and operating
in the area of: (i) marketing and advertising, and (ii) computer games and IT. It was a pilot study.
Keywords: SMEs, creative industries, entrepreneurship, consulting.
1. Introduction
The creative industries sector has become the subject of research quite
recently. This is a new field of science that has been growing rapidly since
the 1990s. The first attempts to define creative industries were undertaken
at the beginning of the 1990s in Australia. In 1997, the UK Department
of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) formulated the most commonly used
definition, according to which creative industries are “those industries
which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which
have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and
exploitation of intellectual property” (DCMS, 2009, p. 4). In 2008, a global
definition of creative industries was proposed in the Creative Economy
Report about the state of the creative economy released by the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). According
to the said definition, this sector “is the interface among creativity, culture,
economics and technology, as expressed in the ability to create and circulate
intellectual capital, has the potential to generate income, jobs and export
earnings while at the same time promoting social inclusion, cultural diversity
and human development” (Analiza potrzeb…, 2009, p. 4).
The creative industries sector is broadly defined as “creative enterprises
that are market-oriented, and deal with creation, production, distribution
and/or dissemination of creative goods and services through the media”
(Analiza potrzeb…, 2009, p. 7).
The creative industries sector includes such activities as: advertising,
film and video, architecture, music, art and antiques market, performa-
tive arts, computer and video games, publishing market, crafts, design,
software, radio and television, and fashion that represent two branches of
the creative economy, i.e. the traditional cultural industries and the new
knowledge-based sectors (DCMS, 2009, p. 25). In this approach, creative
industries have been identified as: (i) having their origin in individual
creativity, skill and talent; (ii) having the potential to create wealth and
generate jobs throughout generations by continuous exploration of new
possibilities.
Creative enterprises are particularly important for the economy as they
have an impact on building the economic potential of countries, cities and
regions. Their foundations are based on: (i) the size of demand for goods
and services which are the product of human creativity, and the creation of
pro-consumer attitudes; (ii) high levels of human and intellectual capital;
(iii) openness to innovation. Enterprises from the creative industries sector
are often characterised by features of entrepreneurial organisations focused
on creativity and innovative solutions.
uncertainty and risk to ensure profit for the person or a group of persons
who act as entrepreneurs” (Matusiak, 2006, p. 28). In the psychological
approach, entrepreneurship is defined as an element of human personality,
personal attributes, skills, motivation, and real-world behaviour. An entre-
preneurial man is active, creative, characterised by the ability to mobilise
others to act, showing courage in making decisions and implementing ideas
(Klimek 2016, p. 27). In the process approach, entrepreneurship is seen
as a process that consists of consecutive stages. It is focused on the use of
an innovative idea, takes into account the possibility of risk, and also aims
to bring certain benefits. According to A. Shapero, the process approach
includes showing initiative (individually or in groups), combining resources
to create a business, control of its operations, freedom of action, as well as
risk-taking (Piecuch 2013, pp. 40–41). The main elements of the entrepre-
neurial process comprise a chance (an opportunity), resources and a team.
A chance (an opportunity) should be understood as the future state of
affairs which is seen as desirable and achievable, different from the present
situation. The recognition of an opportunity by the entrepreneur underpins
the whole process. Its presence prompts to take action that enables its
exploitation. The entrepreneur subsequently collects resources and cre-
ates a team that will help in achieving the objectives pursued (Glinka and
Gudkova, 2011, pp. 56–58).
Entrepreneurship is a very important element of the functioning of
micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in creative industries as it pro-
vides the ability to create, visualise and seize opportunities, take control
of possibilities, organise the necessary resources leading to the creation of
new products and services.
Sectors
Marketing and advertising Computer games and IT
Micro Small Medium Micro Small Medium
18 12 2 15 10 3
Table information: Micro enterprise (fewer than 10 employees); Small enterprise (fewer than
50 employees); Medium-sized enterprise (fewer than 250 employees)
Tab. 1. Distribution of analysed sample. Source: own research, 2017.
5. Research Results
According to the respondents, their success is associated with high
self-awareness, knowledge of their weaknesses and strengths, as well as
their ability to make responsible decisions. A person with a high level of
independence can independently plan, organise and perform work, taking
full responsibility for its results. Such a person can cope with stressful
situations, namely sudden changes or time pressure, and situations that
require one to make quick, independent decisions. The surveyed respondents
from the marketing and advertising sector indicated the following existing
entrepreneurial competencies that contribute to the success of their com-
panies: determined, confident, creative, innovative, courageous, and open
to cooperation. In the sector of computer games and IT, innovativeness
came to the fore, while the other competencies were similarly distributed.
On a scale of 1 to 5, the respondents assessed their attitude towards:
(i) seeking an opportunity, (ii) innovations/novelties, (iii) business risks, and
(iv) the competition. They assigned themselves high scores, at the level of
4 and 5, and none of the respondents assessed the attitudes mentioned at
the level of 1–3.
Sectors
Attitudes Marketing and advertising Computer games and IT
(4) (5) (4) (5)
Attitude towards seeking
4 28 10 19
an opportunity
Attitude towards
14 18 4 24
innovations/novelties
Attitude towards
15 17 10 18
business risks
Attitude towards
14 18 11 17
the competition
Tab. 2. Assessment of entrepreneurial attitudes. Source: own research, 2017.
Sectors
Marketing Computer games
Competencies
and advertising and IT
(3) (4) (5) (3) (4) (5)
Exploitation
3 14 15 2 8 18
of market opportunities
Implementation of innovations
4 16 12 4 4 20
(designing novelties)
Company management 4 14 14 3 9 16
Tab. 3. Assessment of entrepreneurial competencies. Source: own research, 2017.
Sectors
Marketing and advertising Computer games and IT
Recommendation 16 18
Internet 7 6
Family’s and friends’
9 4
assistance
Tab. 4. Channels of obtaining business consulting. Source: own research, 2017.
The most common reason for using advisory services provided by the
respondents from the marketing and advertising sector is a need to develop
their business (12 responses), then a need to improve financial results,
a need to expand their activities, and a need to come into contact with
modern technology. In the computer games and IT sector, a need for
contact with modern technology (12 responses) comes to the fore, and
then a need for company development, improvement of financial results
and expansion of the area of activity.
Sectors
Marketing and advertising Computer games and IT
Company development 12 8
Improvement
9 4
of financial results
Expansion of activity 7 4
Need for contact
4 12
with modern technology
Tab. 5. Reasons for making the decision to use advisory services. Source: own research,
2017.
Sectors
Marketing and advertising Computer games and IT
Financial consulting 10 4
Operational consulting 9 3
IT consulting 4 12
Strategic consulting 5 5
HR consulting 4 4
Tab. 6. Demand for business consulting. Source: own research, 2017.
Sectors
Marketing and advertising Computer games and IT
Experience and competence
14 8
of the consulting agency
Specialisation in a particular
11 12
type of service
Price 2 3
Brand of the consulting
2 2
agency
Possibility of financial
3 3
assistance
Other – –
Tab. 7. Criteria for the selection of consulting agencies. Source: own research, 2017.
Sectors
Marketing and advertising Computer games and IT
No financial resources 11 10
No need, independence 10 8
No knowledge about
5 4
benefits possible to achieve
No confidence
4 3
in consulting agencies
No knowledge about
2 3
advisory services
Other – –
Tab. 8. The reasons for which enterprises do not make use of business consulting. Source:
own research, 2017.
6. Conclusions
The study presented in the paper is a pilot one and the issues contained
herein will be subject to further verification. However, it can be concluded
that nowadays the market offers advisers specialised in virtually every area
of business operations in any sector. Even small companies have the abil-
ity to conduct their business activities using external knowledge tailored
to their individual needs. Selective use of advisory services allows one to
prepare a personalised action scenario that minimises business risk and
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