Implementation of revenue management in small and medium-sized enterprises

Abstract

The purpose of this study has been to look at small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the culture and tourism industry and their antecedents for successful implementation of revenue management. The ten firms that are the basis for this study are all located in Southern Norway, and have participated in a year and a half long seminar in revenue management offered by the Arena USUS cluster. The group of firms are quite varied, ranging over different sub-industries within the tourism and culture industry. 60% of the firms have a commercial focus, and 40% have a noncommercial focus. This study is conduced as a qualitative multiple-case study, and each firm has been interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The aim of this study has been to add to the limited research done on implementing revenue management in SMEs. The framework for analysis offered a guideline for what factors might lead to a high degree of implementation or revenue management in SMEs based on factors that have been shown to be important for firms in general. The framework suggests that absorptive capacity, change agents, and a structured change process may be significant for an SME during the implementation process. The results showed that the firms could be split into three groups based on their level of implementation: firms with a high degree of implementation, firms with little degree of implementation, and firms with no degree of implementation. The factors from the framework seem to be significant for a firm to achieve a high level of implementation. These do not seem to differ based on the firm’s commercial or noncommercial focus.