Mapping the Diffusion of Advanced Risk Management Practices Among Italian Small- and Medium-Sized Firms

This work has a twofold aim: (1) to investigate the application of general risk management concepts among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and (2) to provide an analytical picture of prevailing managerial practices in Italian SMEs. With these objectives in mind, a survey questionnaire was given to a sample of 95 manufacturers of machinery for the food and beverage industry. The extent to which risk management practices are spread among SMEs is described in terms of seven dimensions: awareness, quality of firm/insurer interactions, competence, autonomy, insurance/prevention integration, risk analysis, and financial risk management. Important research results include identifying significant differences in behavior among firms through clustering analysis based on size and a proposal for measuring such differences via the use of a single indicator.