Sample selection

Survey sample

The data used in the research were obtained from questionnaire responses from manufacturing SMEs in the Chang Chiang Delta region of China. The data collection was implemented through two steps: a pilot test was carried out to test and refine the questionnaire, followed by a survey in the target research area. The survey was completed through postal mail, telephone calls and convenience distribution through personal networks. The case was then selected out of the questionnaire respondent firms and the case study carried out to obtain more and deeper information.

Sampling technique

A convenient sampling, which is one method of non-probability sampling techniques, was done for this research and it was because of the limitations of availability of the statistical number of SMEs neither in the research area of Chang Chiang Delta nor in national wide. A possible reason for the lacuna of such data is that Chang Chiang River Delta is not an official administrative region, and thus no organisation is responsible for the statistical data collection. In addition, given the instability of development respect to SMEs, identifying the number of SMEs seems to be an unviable task, especially when taking into account those that are not registered. As an initial plan, a total of 1,000 SMEs would be approached through emails or posts attached with the questionnaires, with the expectation of a response rate as high as possible.

Sampling frame

The sampling frame of this study comprise the e-marketplace who are in

beverage, clothing, textile and tannery, wood processing

and printing, pharmaceutical and biological products, chemistry and chemical, plastic and rubber, metal, instrumentation, vehicles, mach

telecommunications facilities

questionnaire respondents to choose designed based on the

Shanghai Stock Exchange and

distribution of the respondent SMEs in terms of industrial sectors.

Table 3.5Distribution of respondent SMEs in terms of industry for

The sampling frame of this study comprised Chinese SMEs randomly selected from marketplace who are in the manufacturing industry, which includ

beverage, clothing, textile and tannery, wood processing and furniture, paper making and printing, pharmaceutical and biological products, chemistry and chemical, plastic and rubber, metal, instrumentation, vehicles, machine and machinery, and electronic telecommunications facilities. The sectoral categories were listed as options for the questionnaire respondents to choose from so as to indicate their industry,

designed based on the classifications of industries and sectors from both Shanghai Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. Table 3.2 shows the

respondent SMEs in terms of industrial sectors.

Distribution of respondent SMEs in terms of industry for this study

Chinese SMEs randomly selected from included food and and furniture, paper making and printing, pharmaceutical and biological products, chemistry and chemical, plastic machinery, and electronic listed as options for the from so as to indicate their industry, and was classifications of industries and sectors from both the le 3.2 shows the

Selecting a case

Reasons for selection

Qualitative research, like case study, can provide more detailed information to contribute to the discussions and conclusions within a study. Therefore, one SME from the questionnaire respondents was selected as a case study in order to more deeply explore GSCM among SMEs in the specific region of Chang Chiang River Delta in China.

Moreover, together with the findings of the investigation into the specific enterprise, a GSCM model was built up based on the results of the quantitative survey; this model would not only be helpful for the specific enterprise investigated with respect to improving its GSCM strategy and sustainable development in the long run, but would also have significance for SMEs in the same industrial sector and in the region of Chang Chiang River Delta, and may even serve as a useful as a example for SMEs across industries nationally and internationally.

Criteria for selection

As mentioned above, the enterprise for the case study was selected from the research respondents to ensure generalisability when combining the results with the findings of the questionnaire survey. The chosen firm, should also have business relations with foreign enterprises, in order to provide convincing information when taking foreign regulatory and customer pressures into consideration.

Convenience with respect to selection

The first thought regarding selection was that the potential SME should be from the pharmaceutical industrial sector, because the researcher graduated from China Pharmaceutical University and may have a better understanding of this industry over others in terms of regulatory issues, production, operation, marketing and other aspects. The second idea for selecting a pharmaceutical SME manufacturer was that

chemical and medicine/pharmaceutical industries are environmentally sensitive, with increasing attentions to their GSCM strategies as this industry has a closer relationship with the natural environment (Management Centre Europe, 2012). Moreover, the researcher has a good relationship with several pharmaceutical enterprises, and direct access to “insiders” within these enterprises.

Based on above discussion, the SME chosen as the subject for the case study was in Ningbo and the case study enterprise should be by anonymous so that more freedom would be provided to describe the interview structure, the interviewees, and the interview process in more detail as well as being more critical of their processes in the discussion.. More information on this SME will be provided in Section 4.4.