The factors influencing on employees’ perceptions of their contributions to the business growth: focused on employees' characteristics and attitudes

• Aim

Many studies have discussed the personality of entrepreneurs as a critical factor influencing on the successful business and growth (Han et al., 2017; Setia, 2018; Baum and Locke, 2004). However, Schjoedt et al. (2013) asserted that organisational membership is necessary for business success. Indeed, Wolf (2013) found that employee integration affects the organisational changes necessary to achieve a sustainable business performance. Thus this study is aimed at exploring employees’ contributions to the growth of high-tech SMEs.

• Applicability to the ISBE conference theme – Sustainable Growth in Unexpected Places

This research focused on employees in high-tech SMEs in South Korea. Although there are many studies of entrepreneurial contributions to sustainable growth, investigations of employees’ contributions are rare. Also, studies of South Korean high-tech SMEs can suggest insights for entrepreneurs seeking to find appropriate solution managing skilled employees to retain them in high-tech businesses.

• Method

This research posited that employees in such successful organisations may have something different mindset in regarding to their contributions to the business growth. In consequence, this paper raised the question of how the employees’ personality, represented by characteristics and attitudes, affects the employees' perception of their role for the growth of organisations. To find the answer this question, this research delivered the survey to employees who are working in seventeen high-tech SMEs showing sustained growth records in the past seven years from 2010 to 2017 in South Korea.This research suggests four hypotheses here below.