A Novel Multi-Criteria Risk Matrix to Assist in the Strategy Formulation Process: The Case of SMEs

Abstract

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the spine of the European economy and play a key role in adding value in all sectors of the economy. However, due to a lack of methodology and time, SME entrepreneurs struggle to formalize their strategies and too often remain ill-prepared to face today’s potential crises. This paper aims to propose a Risk Management (RM) tool to identify and assess the impact of risks on specific business strategic dimensions. The hypotheses and robustness of the model are tested using Monte Carlo simulation. The analysis shows that a reduced strategic risk matrix (size [Formula: see text]) could provide the same quality of information as a full strategic risk matrix (size [Formula: see text]) in about 80% of the cases, regardless of the weight of each criterion and the values of each risk factor. The results extend the limited use of RM tool in the field of SME Risk Management.