Qualitative System Dynamics Model for Analyzing of Behavior Patterns of SMEs

In Iran the Small and Medium Knowledge based Enterprise (SMEs), in the development and shaping stage, face with lots of problems. Before maturity and stability, they fail. Nearly a decade passed, since science and technology parks formation happened. They were seen as a mechanism for sustainable economic development based on knowledge; through creation, support and guidance of founded SMEs. Officials and policy makers, seriously concern about sustainable success, development and growth of these SMEs which must be appropriate for needs of Iran. Identify the behavioral patterns of the stages of life (birth, growth, decline, etc.) which lead to inefficiency and decline, is essential. This helps to avoid mistake repetition and eventually reduces costs. This paper, by using participative model building tries to extract prevailed patterns which govern the behavior of SMEs in Yazd Science and Technology Park. This paper attempts to introduce positive leverage points for policy makers and senior managers who are responsible and also SMEs which are located in the Park. Therefore, in this article, while drawing the behavioral patterns of SMEs, using qualitative system dynamics modeling, the structure governing the behavior of SMEs was drawn. This structure consists of 4 reinforcing loops and 8 balancing loops. Finally, based on these loops, 12 corrective policies were proposed. Doi: 10.28991/HIJ-2021-02-01-02 Full Text: PDF