A study of the impact of the socio-cultural factors on the risk management in small and medium-sized enterprises(Case of study: The industrial cluster of shoe production in Tehran)

Risk management and risk-taking play a key role in development of local enterprises. In this study we investigate the “Risk of Business” among small and medium-sized enterprises located in 12th region of Tehran. We applied grounded theory method in this research and used interview technique for data gathering. We analyzed raw data in three steps on the basis of grounded theory scheme. Our findings show that risk has multiple causes and we can categorize them in three groups named: institutional inefficiency, resource devastation and finally, incompatibility of supply and demand. People who work in the enterprises have three strategies towards risk of business. These strategies are: resource management, market management and eventually, exchange management. The so-called strategies have three consequences at individual, organizational and production levels. The main finding of this research is to depict the role of social and cultural factors in risk management in small and medium-sized enterprises.