Best Practices of Strategic Planning for SMEs in the GCC

Research Proposal: Best Practices of Strategic Planning for SMEs to Sustain and Succeed
in the GCC with Specific Reference to Qatar in the Turbulent and Uncertain Business
Environment
13

Abstract
The aim of this research is to find the best practices of strategic planning for small and
medium enterprises (SMEs) to survive and succeed in a fluctuating and uncertain business
environment. The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), region is viewed as an unstable market
which poses pressing challenges to existing businesses and new enterprises in the functioning
and fostering their performance. It is noted that finding reliable partners, avoiding supply chain
disruptions, and reducing turnover of competent employees are helpful in surviving in the
market. In addition, improving inventory management and integrating risk management with
strategic planning can also prove to be helpful in supporting growth objectives of SMEs. The
proposed work seeks to explore the best practices relating to strategic planning for GCC SMEs
and determine the impact of such practices on improving supply chain operations, fostering the
efficiency of strategic stocks, reducing job turnover, and improving risk management
performance.
Qualitative and quantitative methods will be incorporated in the research, and a semi-structured
interview process will be carried out with managers, including managers of successful or
established businesses and SME owners which facing difficulties to survive and grow of GCC.
In addition, many companies will be surveyed for analysis in several quantitative ways.
13

Contents
Abstract.......................................................................................................................................................2
An overview of the research........................................................................................................................4
Positioning of the research..........................................................................................................................5
Research design and methodology............................................................................................................10
Timetable...................................................................................................................................................14
References.................................................................................................................................................16
13

An overview of the research
In the GCC there are many threats and radical changes that make it an unstable market
during the past three decades, such as the Iraq-Iran war, the Iraq-Gulf war, the Arab revolutions
and the economic blockade imposed by four countries against the State of Qatar (Neelufer and
Al Amri, 2014; Stepanyanet al., 2019). In addition to what the world is facing as a result of the
Covid-19 epidemic, which has caused many damages to many companies. Businesses in this
region face many difficulties to survive and succeed in this turbulent environment. For example,
supply chain disruption, turnover of competent employees, mismanagement of strategic
inventory, erosion of company capital, and risk management. Therefore, it is important for the
company to have a flexible strategic plan that adapts to the rapid changes in the turbulent
environment (Stepanyan et al., 2019). This paper would examine the best practice of strategic
planning for SMEs to survive and succeed in a turbulent environment so that they can find
reliable partners, attain business goals, avoid supply chain disruptions and reduce employee
turnover. The proposed work also aims to explore various challenges faced by SMEs in the GCC
region, mainly in Qatar so that effective measures can be identified to support their growth and
advancement in the region. The small medium seized enterprise induced local economic
development as with this poverty alleviation is reduced through which economic growth and
return on investments both get induced adverse impact and it is as turns into the positive impact
over turnover generation. It also drives economic development as with this new jobs and better
employment is offered within the marketplace and for this higher values are added in terms of
flexibility, technical shifts, higher level of promotion, income distribution, sustained adaptability
13