Paper info

SMEs and the Networks Governance Structure in Tanzania: Literature Review and Research Issues

Issack Allan, Jan-Erik Jaensson and Lettice Rutashobya

The paper was published at the 17th IMP-conference in Oslo, Norway in 2001.

This paper reviews the networks and the IMP literature to inform research on thenetwork phenomenon in small and medium enterprises in Tanzania. It is noted thatwhile a lot of work in this area has been done in Western Industrialized countries, littleby way of serious research has been undertaken in Sub-Saharan African (SSA)countries. The role of networks in enterprise development and growth in thesecountries remains unexplored and therefore unclear. It is argued here that research onnetworks needs to be contextualized if it is to gain currency. Integrating the networksand the IMP perspectives this paper identifies three crucial areas relevant for futureresearch in Tanzania: viz, the network-performance nexus, female versus malenetworks and social networks.