Risk management in SMEs: Status quo and areas for future research in the German leasing industry

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present research note is to give an overview of research in the field of risk management in leasing SMEs as well as to present fields for future research. It intends to encourage other researchers to fill the current gap in research on risk management in general and on risk management in (German leasing) SMEs in particular. DESIGN/METHOD: The research note is based on interviews with 40 German leasing firms, thereof 35 SMEs. Qualitative research was chosen due to the nascent knowledge area and to explore cause-effect- -relationships as well as to gain a deeper understanding of the practical requirements on risk management. RESULTS/FINDINGS: A research framework was presented based on the findings of the literature review. Based on the interviews, the framework could be drilled down into more operative, leasing-specific topics. Amongst others, it could be found that the risk management organisation is greatly shaped by the underlying risk strategy, the motivation for risk management, as well as the essential risks. These three elements form the basis for the operative and strategic risk management practice. Furthermore, it was differentiated in the different lifecycle phases of risk management. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The presented research note is based on the first known research in the field of risk management for German leasing SMEs with a comparable number of interviews. Therefore, this research note includes a high degree of novelty. Adapting the findings in practice as well as combining it with other research questions might add significant value to risk management research as well as practice not only limited to the German leasing industry. KEYWORDS: risk management, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), leasing, financial services, Germany. JEL: A12, D81, G32