How higher education institutions (HEIs) create alliances with small and medium sized businesses (SMEs)

Katie McAllister, University Centre Peterborough, UK

Email: Katie.McAllister@peterborough.ac.uk; Ktmac109@gmail.com

Click to download How higher education institutions (HEIs) create alliances with small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) (.pptx)

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Abstract

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) form 98% of the UK businesses yet there exists little literature relating to the implementation of alliances between HEIs and SMEs.  HEIs wishing to support graduates’ outcomes, employability opportunities, entrepreneurship and their local economy must forge links with business and, in particular, SMEs.  The current practices being introduced by individual HEIs to survive and develop in this competitive market whilst meeting state- and local-initiated requirements, are still being developed, leaving many HEIs or HEI schools grappling with how to enact this expectation.

HEIs must be allowed to understand the stages the alliance may experience to consider the governance and structural features of the alliances.  This will enable them to implement a sustainable strategy and infrastructure that not only supports the alliance but meets the delivery demands of graduate employability.  This talk will explore the influences upon the alliance of HEIs with SMEs and will include the different considerations that weigh upon the development of the HEI-SME alliance.   The talk will provide a theoretical framework that moves beyond the current models to provide a more secure base for HEIs with no prior experience in SME alliance building to move forward from.